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12-05-2023, 08:40
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We're working our way south gradually. Taking a look a Bitters brewed in the Midlands.
Sadly, there aren't many from my neck of the woods, the East Midlands. Though I did drink most of these beers. Many when visiting my Mum's family in Birmingham.
The average score is pretty good at 9.3. The three poorest scoring beers - Brew XI, Worthington Best Bitter and Ansells Bitter - were all from Big Six breweries. Brew XI was renowned for being bland crap. Ansells Bitter wasn't great, either. But they weren't what most people were drinking in Birmingham. Mild was far more popular. It wasn't unusual for Ansells pubs to have cask Mild and keg Bitter. I don't blame anione for sticking to the Mild. It was a way better drink than the Bitter.
Despite the hype, I never cared for Ruddles County. Far too sweet and cloying for my taste. Batemans XXXB was much more to my liking. A beer which was parti-gyled with their standard Bitter.
You'll note that Pedigree appears twice. That's because both the journalists who sampled the beers tried it in different pubs and gave it different scores.
The average gravity and ABV are the highest we've seen, coming out at over 1040º and 4% ABV. As a result of a couple of the strongest Bitters that were analysed.
The average price is also higher. I would say as a result of the strong beers. But I don't have the prices for most of those. I'm surprised that Holdens and Simpkiss were so expensive. I thought that beer was cheap in the Black Country. The value for money score, at 1.19, is the worst we've seen so far. Slightly worse than the 1.20 of Scotland.
The rate of attenuation is again around 80%. I'm surprised at how consistent this is. As well as how high it is.
Midlands Bitters in 1978
Brewer
Beer
Price
º gravity per p
% ABV per p
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
score
Flavour
Ruddles
County
1048.9
1014.6
4.45
70.14%
10
Good, strong, powerful beer with hoppy flavour.
Bateman
XXXB
34
1.41
0.15
1047.8
1009.25
5.02
80.65%
9
Strong, heavily malted.
Marston
Pedigree
1042.7
1007.5
4.58
82.44%
9
Full bodied nutty flavour. Nice.
Marston
Pedigree
1042.2
1007.8
4.48
81.52%
12
A well flavoured smooth bitter. Superb.
Everards
Tiger
40
1.00
0.11
1040
1007.4
4.24
81.50%
10
Clean, strong, hoppy bitter.
Bass
Worthington E
1039.4
1008
4.08
79.70%
9
Full flavoured. Nice.
Holden
Bitter
34
1.13
0.12
1038.4
1007.3
4.04
80.99%
11
A nice clean tasty satisfying brew.
Mitchell & Butler
Brew XI
29
1.31
0.15
1038.1
1004.8
4.34
87.40%
6
A fizzy drink with little flavour.
Bass
Worthington Best Bitter
27
1.37
0.14
1036.9
1006.9
3.90
81.30%
8
Pleasant but on the "thin" side.
Simpkiss
Bitter
35
1.03
0.12
1036.2
1005
4.06
86.19%
11
This pale bitter has a clear "light bite."
Ansell
Bitter
34
1.06
0.10
1035.9
1008.7
3.53
75.77%
7
Bland, sweetish beer.
Average
33.3
1.19
0.13
1040.6
1007.9
4.25
80.69%
9.3
Source:
Sunday Mirror - Sunday 17 September 1978, pages 22 - 23.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/05/midlands-bitters-in-1978.html)
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We're working our way south gradually. Taking a look a Bitters brewed in the Midlands.
Sadly, there aren't many from my neck of the woods, the East Midlands. Though I did drink most of these beers. Many when visiting my Mum's family in Birmingham.
The average score is pretty good at 9.3. The three poorest scoring beers - Brew XI, Worthington Best Bitter and Ansells Bitter - were all from Big Six breweries. Brew XI was renowned for being bland crap. Ansells Bitter wasn't great, either. But they weren't what most people were drinking in Birmingham. Mild was far more popular. It wasn't unusual for Ansells pubs to have cask Mild and keg Bitter. I don't blame anione for sticking to the Mild. It was a way better drink than the Bitter.
Despite the hype, I never cared for Ruddles County. Far too sweet and cloying for my taste. Batemans XXXB was much more to my liking. A beer which was parti-gyled with their standard Bitter.
You'll note that Pedigree appears twice. That's because both the journalists who sampled the beers tried it in different pubs and gave it different scores.
The average gravity and ABV are the highest we've seen, coming out at over 1040º and 4% ABV. As a result of a couple of the strongest Bitters that were analysed.
The average price is also higher. I would say as a result of the strong beers. But I don't have the prices for most of those. I'm surprised that Holdens and Simpkiss were so expensive. I thought that beer was cheap in the Black Country. The value for money score, at 1.19, is the worst we've seen so far. Slightly worse than the 1.20 of Scotland.
The rate of attenuation is again around 80%. I'm surprised at how consistent this is. As well as how high it is.
Midlands Bitters in 1978
Brewer
Beer
Price
º gravity per p
% ABV per p
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
score
Flavour
Ruddles
County
1048.9
1014.6
4.45
70.14%
10
Good, strong, powerful beer with hoppy flavour.
Bateman
XXXB
34
1.41
0.15
1047.8
1009.25
5.02
80.65%
9
Strong, heavily malted.
Marston
Pedigree
1042.7
1007.5
4.58
82.44%
9
Full bodied nutty flavour. Nice.
Marston
Pedigree
1042.2
1007.8
4.48
81.52%
12
A well flavoured smooth bitter. Superb.
Everards
Tiger
40
1.00
0.11
1040
1007.4
4.24
81.50%
10
Clean, strong, hoppy bitter.
Bass
Worthington E
1039.4
1008
4.08
79.70%
9
Full flavoured. Nice.
Holden
Bitter
34
1.13
0.12
1038.4
1007.3
4.04
80.99%
11
A nice clean tasty satisfying brew.
Mitchell & Butler
Brew XI
29
1.31
0.15
1038.1
1004.8
4.34
87.40%
6
A fizzy drink with little flavour.
Bass
Worthington Best Bitter
27
1.37
0.14
1036.9
1006.9
3.90
81.30%
8
Pleasant but on the "thin" side.
Simpkiss
Bitter
35
1.03
0.12
1036.2
1005
4.06
86.19%
11
This pale bitter has a clear "light bite."
Ansell
Bitter
34
1.06
0.10
1035.9
1008.7
3.53
75.77%
7
Bland, sweetish beer.
Average
33.3
1.19
0.13
1040.6
1007.9
4.25
80.69%
9.3
Source:
Sunday Mirror - Sunday 17 September 1978, pages 22 - 23.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/05/midlands-bitters-in-1978.html)