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10-11-2013, 08:12
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Bass No. 1 Ale, the original Barley Wine, is a remarkable beer for many reasons. If only because it's still clinging on by a thread. Another top-class brand that's been abused and neglected by its owners over the last 50 years.

I love the way medical men used to recommend booze to their patients. Even during Prohibition "medicinal" whiskey was available on prescription. This isn't quite as bad as that, but it's still odd recommending a beer of 10% ABV for health reasons.


THE "LANCET" AND "BASS' BARLEY WINE."
The beer known "Bass' No. 1 Barley Wine," which the medical profession are now recommending as a sustaining and nourishing food-beverage for the winter months, and for such persons as need a safe pure malt liqueur, is mentioned the pages the '"Lancet" of the 23rd January. After giving the figures arrived at by the able chemists who conduct the analyses for the journal, the following interesting comment is appended. - "It cannot be doubted, therefore, that the beer possesses a decidedly nourishing value, and more so than many so-called nourishing stouts which have examined. The beer was in excellent condition, free from hardness or acidity, and from excess of gas. It a very palatable malt liquor, having an attractively rich malty flavour." We understand that Bass and Co. guarantee that this "No. 1 Barley Wine," like their Pale Ale, is brewed solely from malt and hops, and of the best that can be procured.
Aberdeen Journal - Saturday 13 February 1909, page 3.I wouldn't be doing my job if I couldn't come up with some numbers to match the newspaper article. And they demonstrate something very unusual about Bass No. 1. Its gravity didn't drop across the two World Wars. That's only true of a small number of very strong beers, for example Barclay Perkins/Courage Russian Stout.



Bass No. 1 1870 - 1953


Year
Beer
Price
size
package
Acidity
FG
OG
colour
ABV
App. Atten-uation


1870
Barley Wine
5d
pint
draught
0.23
1032.3
1114.8

10.84
71.85%


1879
No. 1

pint
bottled

1029
1104

9.83
72.12%


1896
Strong Ale



0.288
1034.9
1101.9

8.56
63.64%


1921
No. 1

pint
bottled

1032
1094

8.06
65.96%


1927
No. 1 Barley Wine

pint
bottled

1035
1105
70
9.13
66.67%


1935
Barley Wine

halfpint
bottled
0.07
1023.3
1109

11.32
78.62%


1952
Barley Wine
21.5d
nip
bottled
0.08
1035.6
1104.1
10 + 40
8.93
65.80%


1953
Barley Wine
20d
nip
bottled
0.08
1036.3
1104.6
10 + 40
8.90
65.30%


Sources:


British Medical Journal 1870, vol. 1, 1870, page 68.


Wahl & Henius, pages 823-830


Thomas Usher Gravity Book document TU/6/11


Younger, Wm. & Co Gravity Book document WY/6/1/1/19 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive


Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001


Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002



I can remember drinking Bass No. 1 way, way back in the 1970's in a Bass tied house in Mablethorpe. I can't remember much about it. Though I seem to recall it being amber rather than dark brown. Could be my memory playing tricks.

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