Blog Tracker
25-05-2023, 07:17
Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/05/southeastern-bitters-in-1978.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-Cs9K6V1J1WNlxXGNX-CLBSVoq-r3ZCNNX4EUTdvStpj2Q2xN09vcLV7sXottlVXrDlHSlxlrGE7O aZfrwZANY6OkoM-F3Vrk94Ckv4C38ryBp7wX5wbh78_r-FBZY6aKqhoAOcvkgshC0kOOdfb0Hb4RhOfVhLJ-_1wgnr8uhEuAlrJFjRpNHR5/w315-h400/Paines_Old_English_Ale_3a.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-Cs9K6V1J1WNlxXGNX-CLBSVoq-r3ZCNNX4EUTdvStpj2Q2xN09vcLV7sXottlVXrDlHSlxlrGE7O aZfrwZANY6OkoM-F3Vrk94Ckv4C38ryBp7wX5wbh78_r-FBZY6aKqhoAOcvkgshC0kOOdfb0Hb4RhOfVhLJ-_1wgnr8uhEuAlrJFjRpNHR5/s640/Paines_Old_English_Ale_3a.JPG)
We're now in the bottom right hand corner of the UK. In the prosperous Southeast.
I can confidently say that I drank every one of these beers except one: Paine EG. They only had a handful of tied houses and I don't remember their beer turning up very often at beer festivals.
There are some cracking beers in this set. Lots of classic Southern Bitters: Harveys, Morland, Adnams, Hook Norton, Brakspear. And my favourite of the lst: King & Barnes. Their beers were so good, It still upsets me that those bastards at Hall & Woodhouse closed the brewery.
Want to know what Southern Bitters tasted like in the 1970s? Drink Harveys. There were lots of distinctive and idiosyncratic ones about. Sadly, most have either since disappeared or become much blander.
What a surprise. This is the most expensive and worst value for money set so far.
The average OG is a touch higher than the national average at 1038.1º. While the 79% apparent attenuation is around much the same mark as elsewhere.
London next time.
Southeastern Bitters in 1978
Brewer
Beer
Price
º gravity per p
% ABV per p
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
score
Flavour
Greene King
Abbot Ale
1048.3
1014.1
4.43
70.81%
8
Strong fruity & sweet. A distinguished beer, but too sweet for me.
Paine
EG
34
1.34
0.14
1045.7
1008.9
4.79
80.53%
11
Good, strong, fruity taste. Honest & full-bodied
Harvey
Best Bitter
38
1.00
0.11
1038.1
1006.9
4.06
81.89%
8
A pleasant real ale with a sweetish flavour.
Shepherd Neame
Master Brew Bitter
40
0.92
0.10
1036.9
1006.3
3.98
82.93%
9
A satisfying hoppy beer.
Whitbread Fremlins
Trophy
32
1.11
0.11
1035.5
1007.4
3.65
79.15%
7
Pleasant bitter but rather thin.
Morland
Best Bitter
34
1.04
0.11
1035.4
1006.9
3.70
80.51%
10
A good, pleasant, clean, light well-rounded ale.
Adnams
Best Bitter
40
0.89
0.10
1035.4
1005.9
3.84
83.33%
11
An excellent light beer with a fruity flavour.
Hook Norton
Best Bitter
34
1.04
0.11
1035.3
1006.9
3.69
80.45%
9
A bright “beery” dryish ale.
Brakspear
Pale Ale
36
0.98
0.09
1035.3
1010.5
3.21
70.25%
11
Pleasant, tangy, clear genuine English beer.
King & Barnes
Best Bitter
34
1.03
0.11
1035.1
1006.1
3.77
82.62%
9
A good tasty beer which slips down easily.
Average
35.8
1.04
0.11
1038.1
1008.0
3.91
79.25%
9.3
Source:
Sunday Mirror - Sunday 17 September 1978, pages 22 - 23.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/05/southeastern-bitters-in-1978.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-Cs9K6V1J1WNlxXGNX-CLBSVoq-r3ZCNNX4EUTdvStpj2Q2xN09vcLV7sXottlVXrDlHSlxlrGE7O aZfrwZANY6OkoM-F3Vrk94Ckv4C38ryBp7wX5wbh78_r-FBZY6aKqhoAOcvkgshC0kOOdfb0Hb4RhOfVhLJ-_1wgnr8uhEuAlrJFjRpNHR5/w315-h400/Paines_Old_English_Ale_3a.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-Cs9K6V1J1WNlxXGNX-CLBSVoq-r3ZCNNX4EUTdvStpj2Q2xN09vcLV7sXottlVXrDlHSlxlrGE7O aZfrwZANY6OkoM-F3Vrk94Ckv4C38ryBp7wX5wbh78_r-FBZY6aKqhoAOcvkgshC0kOOdfb0Hb4RhOfVhLJ-_1wgnr8uhEuAlrJFjRpNHR5/s640/Paines_Old_English_Ale_3a.JPG)
We're now in the bottom right hand corner of the UK. In the prosperous Southeast.
I can confidently say that I drank every one of these beers except one: Paine EG. They only had a handful of tied houses and I don't remember their beer turning up very often at beer festivals.
There are some cracking beers in this set. Lots of classic Southern Bitters: Harveys, Morland, Adnams, Hook Norton, Brakspear. And my favourite of the lst: King & Barnes. Their beers were so good, It still upsets me that those bastards at Hall & Woodhouse closed the brewery.
Want to know what Southern Bitters tasted like in the 1970s? Drink Harveys. There were lots of distinctive and idiosyncratic ones about. Sadly, most have either since disappeared or become much blander.
What a surprise. This is the most expensive and worst value for money set so far.
The average OG is a touch higher than the national average at 1038.1º. While the 79% apparent attenuation is around much the same mark as elsewhere.
London next time.
Southeastern Bitters in 1978
Brewer
Beer
Price
º gravity per p
% ABV per p
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
score
Flavour
Greene King
Abbot Ale
1048.3
1014.1
4.43
70.81%
8
Strong fruity & sweet. A distinguished beer, but too sweet for me.
Paine
EG
34
1.34
0.14
1045.7
1008.9
4.79
80.53%
11
Good, strong, fruity taste. Honest & full-bodied
Harvey
Best Bitter
38
1.00
0.11
1038.1
1006.9
4.06
81.89%
8
A pleasant real ale with a sweetish flavour.
Shepherd Neame
Master Brew Bitter
40
0.92
0.10
1036.9
1006.3
3.98
82.93%
9
A satisfying hoppy beer.
Whitbread Fremlins
Trophy
32
1.11
0.11
1035.5
1007.4
3.65
79.15%
7
Pleasant bitter but rather thin.
Morland
Best Bitter
34
1.04
0.11
1035.4
1006.9
3.70
80.51%
10
A good, pleasant, clean, light well-rounded ale.
Adnams
Best Bitter
40
0.89
0.10
1035.4
1005.9
3.84
83.33%
11
An excellent light beer with a fruity flavour.
Hook Norton
Best Bitter
34
1.04
0.11
1035.3
1006.9
3.69
80.45%
9
A bright “beery” dryish ale.
Brakspear
Pale Ale
36
0.98
0.09
1035.3
1010.5
3.21
70.25%
11
Pleasant, tangy, clear genuine English beer.
King & Barnes
Best Bitter
34
1.03
0.11
1035.1
1006.1
3.77
82.62%
9
A good tasty beer which slips down easily.
Average
35.8
1.04
0.11
1038.1
1008.0
3.91
79.25%
9.3
Source:
Sunday Mirror - Sunday 17 September 1978, pages 22 - 23.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/05/southeastern-bitters-in-1978.html)