Barley Wine

Just a table today. Of Barley Wines. Why? Well why Not?

Barley Wine 1870 - 1967
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	Price	size	package	Acidity	FG	OG	Colour	ABV	attenuation
1870	Bass	Barley Wine	Barley Wine				0.23	1032.3	1114.8		10.84	71.86%
1923	Younger, Geo.	Malt Wine	Barley Wine		pint	bottled		1023.9	1083.4	69	7.76	71.34%
1932	Mann Crossman	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	11d	pint	bottled	0.18	1011.9	1096		11.15	87.60%
1933	Mann Crossman	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	11d	pint	bottled	0.19	1006.9	1094.8		11.71	92.72%
1934	Bass	Prince's Ale (brewed 23/7/1929)	Barley Wine		halfpint	bottled	0.12	1029.2	1112.8		11.00	74.11%
1935	Bass	Barley Wine	Barley Wine		halfpint	bottled	0.07	1023.3	1109		11.32	78.62%
1948	Mann Crossman	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	28d	half pint	bottled	0.17	1015	1084.2	24 + 40	9.10	82.19%
1950	Ind Coope	Arctic Ale No. 1	Barley Wine		pint	bottled	0.10	1020.8	1079.9	40 + 16	7.72	73.97%
1950	Ind Coope	Arctic Ale	Barley Wine	18d	nip	bottled	0.05	1020.1	1079.8	18 + 40	7.80	74.81%
1950	John Smith, Tadcaster	Barley Wine	Barley Wine		half pint	bottled	0.10	1036	1098.2	18 + 40	8.08	63.34%
1951	Ind Coope	Arctic Ale	Barley Wine	17.5d	nip	bottled	0.08	1019.1	1078.1		7.71	75.54%
1952	Bass	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	21.5d	nip	bottled	0.08	1035.6	1104.1	10 + 40	8.93	65.80%
1952	Ind Coope	Arctic Ale	Barley Wine	18d	nip	bottled	0.07	1020.2	1080.3	21 + 40	7.85	74.84%
1952	Watney	Stingo	Barley Wine	17d	nip	bottled	0.12	1008	1090.7	20 + 40	10.98	91.18%
1953	Ballingall & Son	Old Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/4.5d	nip	bottled	0.06	1017.5	1074.6	15 + 40	7.46	76.54%
1953	Bass	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	20d	nip	bottled	0.08	1036.3	1104.6	10 + 40	8.90	65.30%
1953	Benskin	Colne Spring Ale	Barley Wine	30d	half pint	bottled	0.05	1008.2	1090.7	1 + 8	10.95	90.96%
1953	Cobbold & Co, Ipswich	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/0.5d	nip	bottled	0.05	1029.5	1073.8	15 + 40	5.72	60.03%
1953	Everards	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/5d	nip	bottled	0.07	1017.2	1077.1	13 + 40	7.84	77.69%
1953	Ind Coope	Arctic Ale	Barley Wine	18d	nip	bottled	0.08	1018	1079	18 + 40	7.98	77.22%
1953	Morgans Brewery Ltd [Norwich]	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/2d	nip	bottled	0.06	1024	1072.3	12 + 40	6.27	66.80%
1953	Scarborough & Whitby	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/2.5d	nip	bottled	0.07	1024.3	1064.3	17 + 40	5.17	62.21%
1953	Tamplin	Cheerio Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/-	nip	bottled	0.06	1015.1	1063.3	16 + 40	6.28	76.15%
1953	Tetley	Imperial Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/6d	nip	bottled	0.07	1022.1	1078.9	10.5 + 40	7.40	71.99%
1953	Tollemache	Tolly Royal	Barley Wine	16d	nip	bottled	0.06	1023.6	1073.3	17 + 40	6.45	67.80%
1953	Truman	No. 1 Burton Barley Wine	Barley Wine	20d	nip	bottled	0.06	1023.6	1095.4	6 + 40	9.42	75.26%
1953	Watney	Yorkshire Stingo	Barley Wine	17d	nip	bottled	0.10	1031.7	1089.6	17 + 40	7.52	64.62%
1954	Georges & Co, Bristol	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/8d	half pint	bottled	0.05	1026	1078.2	95	6.78	66.75%
1954	Tennant Bros. Ltd, Sheffield	Gold Label No.1 Sparkling Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/8d	nip	bottled	0.13	1021.1	1101.5	90	10.60	79.21%
1954	Tollemache	Tolly Royal	Barley Wine	21.5d	half pint	bottled	0.04	1013.7	1065.9	110	6.82	79.21%
1955	Benskin	Colne Spring Ale	Barley Wine	30d	half pint	bottled	0.08	1011.1	1091.8	75	10.69	87.91%
1955	Tennant Bros. Ltd, Sheffield	Gold Label Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/7d	nip	bottled	0.08	1020.8	1102.4	45	10.77	79.69%
1955	Tennant Bros. Ltd, Sheffield	No. 1 Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/7d	nip	bottled	0.10	1022.6	1097.5	175	9.84	76.82%
1956	Ind Coope	Arctic Barley Wine	Barley Wine	18d	nip	bottled	0.05	1019.7	1077.1	105	7.49	74.45%
1958	Bass, Burton	No. 1 Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/9d	nip	bottle	0.06	1039.8	1106.8	100	8.71	62.73%
1958	Tennants	Gold Label No.1 Barley Wine	Barley Wine	19d	nip	bottled	0.06	1017.9	1102.5	35	10.58	82.54%
1959	Hall & Woodhouse	Stingo Barley Wine	Barley Wine		halfpint	bottled	0.05	1010.4	1077.3	45	8.81	86.55%
1959	Harvey & Sons	Elixzabethan Ale	Barley Wine		halfpint	bottled	0.07	1030.5	1085.4	100	7.12	64.29%
1959	Ind Coope	Benskins Colne Spring Ale	Barley Wine	23.5d	half pint	bottled	0.10	1009.3	1092.8	80	11.08	89.98%
1959	Tamplin	Cheer-i-o No. 1 Barley Wine	Barley Wine		halfpint	bottled	0.04	1016.1	1062.6	120	6.05	74.28%
1960	Benskin	Colne Spring Ale	Barley Wine		nip	bottled	0.04	1007.6	1092.2	68	11.25	91.76%
1962	Tennant Bros	Gold Label No.1 Barley Wine	Barley Wine	21d	nip	bottled	0.05	1019.5	1102.2	30	10.34	80.92%
1965	Bass, Burton	Red Label No. 1 Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/11.5d	nip	bottle	0.10	1035.8	1104.1	110	8.90	65.61%
1965	Bass, Burton	Gold Label	Barley Wine		nip	bottle	0.04	1014.2	1064	19	6.50	77.81%
1965	Benskin	Colne Spring Ale	Barley Wine	25d	nip	bottled	0.07	1014.2	1090.7	60	10.10	84.34%
1965	Courage, Barclay	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	20.5d	nip	bottled	0.07	1028.4	1083.1	65	7.10	65.82%
1965	Ind Coope	Arctic Barley Wine	Barley Wine	21d	nip	bottled	0.04	1018.6	1078.6	85	7.84	76.34%
1965	Tennants	Gold Label No.1 Barley Wine	Barley Wine	22d	nip	bottled	0.10	1018.8	1100.8	26	10.25	81.35%
1965	Tollemache	Tolly Royal Barley Wine	Barley Wine	16d	nip	bottled	0.05	1016	1071.1	120	7.20	77.50%
1965	Watney	Stingo Barley Wine	Barley Wine	20d	nip	bottled	0.06	1019.9	1086.4	110	8.71	76.97%
1966	Courage & Barclay	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	20d	nip	bottled	0.06	1023.2	1081.1	100	7.55	71.39%
1967	Eldridge Pope & Co.	Huntsman Goldie Barley Wine	Barley Wine	24d	nip	bottled	0.06	1016.9	1080.4	23	7.94	78.98%
Sources:
A dictionary of chemistry and the allied branches of other sciences, Volume 6 by Henry Watts, 1872, page 256
Younger, Wm. & Co Gravity Book
Whitbread Gravity Book

Look at the colours. All dark until Tennant's Gold Label in the 1950's.

Barley Wine was not originally a type of Pale Ale.

That's all I wanted to say.

Tennant’s Gold Label (part two)

One of the most frustrating features of reading historical documents about brewing is how rarely the flavour of the finished product is described.

Making Frank Priestley’s description of tasting of Gold Label all the more useful.

“I also got into the habit of tasting them to round off my sampling of the draught beer. By choosing a suitably old one, I would find myself with a glass of perfectly matured barley wine. The drinking experience was incredible. The smooth malty, hoppy flavour was wonderful and as it went down, you could feel the warm alcoholic glow diffuse throughout your body. However, when there was still work to be done, it had to be treated with respect. The advice often directed at other drinks, was more than relevant here:

'A glass of barley wine is like a woman's breast - one is rarely enough, but three is one too many.'”
"The Brewer's Tale" by Frank Priestley, 2010, page 20.

It sounds like wonderful stuff. Just the sort of beer I enjoy. You know what it reminds me of? Pretty Things 1832 XXXX Mild Ale. It’s making me even more determined to get it rebrewed to the original recipe and have it properly matured in oak.

Rather disconcertingly the book is sprinkled with slightly sexist comments like that little quote. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the sensibilities of earlier generations were somewhat different to those of today.

It sounds as if those working at the Exchange Brewery were quite partial to a drop of it themselves:

“One day I learned that the head brewer had long since banned anyone else from sampling from these casks as he had come upon one which had been drunk dry. The only other people who had access to the sample room were the brewers and although I knew that they all were partial to Gold Label, one of them in particular was suspected. This was Tom Newton, whom Tennant's had inherited when the Nottingham brewery was taken over. Tom was a large, jolly man who still wore the traditional brown brewers' boots. Whenever he saw me around the brewery, he would call out: 'Keep your bowels open laddie and trust in the Lord' But since I was, by now, embracing the art of drinking with some enthusiasm, the first part of the advice, at least, was superfluous.”
"The Brewer's Tale" by Frank Priestley, 2010, page 20.

The brewing industry was full of colourful characters in the 1950’s. Many of them rather to partial to a drink, like Tom Newton.

Remember me mentioning the small number of 1950’s beers with gravities of over 1090º? I thought you might like to see a few more details.

Strong Ales in the 1950's
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	OG	FG	Price per pint d	ABV	App. Attenuation	colour
1953	Barclay Perkins	Russian Stout	Stout	1101	1018	45	10.97	82.18%	500
1953	Bass	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1104.6	1036.3	60	8.90	65.30%	80
1952	Bass	Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1104.1	1035.6	64.5	8.93	65.80%	80
1958	Bass, Burton	No. 1 Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1106.8	1039.8	63	8.71	62.73%	100
1955	Benskin	Colne Spring Ale	Barley Wine	1091.8	1011.1	60	10.69	87.91%	75
1953	Benskin	Colne Spring Ale	Barley Wine	1090.7	1008.2	60	10.95	90.96%	100
1959	Ind Coope	Benskins Colne Spring Ale	Barley Wine	1092.8	1009.3	47	11.08	89.98%	80
1958	Lacons	Audit Ale	Strong Ale	1095	1017.8	54	9.65	81.26%	90
1952	McEwan	Scotch Ale	Scotch Ale	1090.3	1023.1		8.80	74.42%	60
1953	Mitchell & Butler	Strong Ale	Strong Ale	1106	1026.5	56	10.45	75.00%	63
1958	Tennant Bros.	Gold Label No.1 Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1102.5	1017.9	57	10.58	82.54%	35
1955	Tennant Bros.	Gold Label Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1102.4	1020.8	57	10.77	79.69%	45
1954	Tennant Bros.	Gold Label No.1 Sparkling Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1101.5	1021.1	60	10.60	79.21%	90
1955	Tennant Bros.	No. 1 Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1097.5	1022.6	57	9.84	76.82%	175
1953	Truman	No. 1 Burton Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1095.4	1023.6	60	9.42	75.26%	63
1952	Watney	Stingo	Barley Wine	1090.7	1008	57	10.98	91.18%	125
1954	Younger, Geo.	Gordon Highland Scotch Ale (purchased in Belgium)	Scotch Ale	1090.9	1028		8.20	69.20%	60
1955	Younger, Geo.	Gordon Highland Scotch Ale (purchased in Belgium)	Scotch Ale	1090.3	1029.9		7.86	66.89%	55
Source:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.

The vast majority are Barley Wines. With one Imperial Stout and a couple of Scotch Ales. Though the two from George Younger were probably exclusively for the Belgian market. Interesting to see how many were called No. 1, presumably in imitation of the original Barley Wine from Bass.

These weren’t cheap beer, with most around 60d per pint, though they were never sold in anything larger than a half pint, mostly in nips. To put that price into context, an Ordinary Mild of around 3% ABV was 14-15d in the mid-1950’s, Ordinary Bitter 16-18d. Bottled beer is obviously more expensive that draught. A pint of bottled 3%-ish ABV Brown Ale was around 20-24d. So, in terms of alcohol for your pennies, these very strong beers weren’t that bad value. A couple of beers – Barclay’s Russian Stout, Lacon’s Audit Ale and M & B Strong Ale look like a bargain.

One last point. Most of the beers come from quite large breweries, either big regionals like Tennant or national brewers like Bass and Truman. Only really Lacons and George Younger were smallish concerns.