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31-07-2023, 07:06
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https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsHPs1xhX1LYXUFp_OuUdaRm50-5Ge4ivgov4bkA31l7XDe17-30w3lbX7ZKLWFckAyhc0Zhbq0J1S5t6YkYlQBMijl4NHpJkyEU Uc6uJK2IK5pL5BoopLPvB-163W9rVjzKfvw10_01YWrP-OLJMFd--eA1y8UpZFPn9ZzxGMb9SEzJPvBRqnBa6A2E/w319-h400/Marstons_Burton_Bitter.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsHPs1xhX1LYXUFp_OuUdaRm50-5Ge4ivgov4bkA31l7XDe17-30w3lbX7ZKLWFckAyhc0Zhbq0J1S5t6YkYlQBMijl4NHpJkyEU Uc6uJK2IK5pL5BoopLPvB-163W9rVjzKfvw10_01YWrP-OLJMFd--eA1y8UpZFPn9ZzxGMb9SEzJPvBRqnBa6A2E/s881/Marstons_Burton_Bitter.jpg)
Surprisingly, averaging 14.1p per pint, this is one of the most expensive sets, only beaten by London. Though it does also have one of the highest average OGs and the second highest average ABV.
Some of the examples are very highly-attenuated at over 80%. Which must have left Draught E, and Banks and Marston's Bitter very dry. Forming quite a contrast with Kingpin Keg with only 67% attenuation.
Best value by quite a way was Marston’s Bitter. Though it looks to me like they’ve got the Pedigree and Bitter the wrong way around. According to the 1977 Good Beer guide, Pedigree was 1043º and Bitter 1037º.
The three worst value beers are all from Big Six brewers: Ansell and M & B. Springfield Bitter wasn’t brewed at Cape Hill in Birmingham, but at M & B’s other brewery in Wolverhampton. I drank a fair bit of it in the early 1970s. It was a lovely, light Bitter, far superior to Cape Hill brewed Brew XI. Obviously, they closed the brewery making the better beer.
Looking over the set, I drank quite a few of them. Ansell’s Bitter wasn’t great, either. Not a patch on their Mild. Pedigree was a farty delight. A classic Burton Pale Ale. I never realised that there had been a cask version of Worthington E. Pretty sure that was later rebadged as Worthington Best Bitter. Incidentally Worthington E is another beer with its roots as an IPA. E is, in fact, short for EIPA and was Worthington's flagship IPA in the 19th century.
Midlands Bitter in 1971
Brewer
Beer
Price per pint (p)
º gravity per p
% ABV per p
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
Ansell
Kingpin Keg
14
2.43
0.21
1034
1011.1
2.96
67.35%
M & B Springfield
Springfield Bitter
13
2.88
0.27
1037.5
1010
3.57
73.33%
Ansell
Bitter
14
2.78
0.27
1038.9
1010.2
3.72
73.78%
Marston
Pedigree
13.5
2.67
0.28
1036.1
1007.1
3.77
80.33%
Worthington
E Keg
16
2.36
0.24
1037.8
1008.5
3.81
77.65%
Worthington
E Draught
15.5
2.37
0.26
1036.8
1006.4
3.95
82.61%
Banks
Bitter
14
2.87
0.31
1040.2
1006.6
4.38
83.58%
Marston
Bitter
12.5
3.38
0.37
1042.2
1007.1
4.57
83.18%
Average
14.1
2.72
0.28
1037.9
1008.4
3.84
77.73%
Source:
Sunday Mirror - Sunday 21 March 1971, page 25.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/07/midlands-bitter-in-1971.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsHPs1xhX1LYXUFp_OuUdaRm50-5Ge4ivgov4bkA31l7XDe17-30w3lbX7ZKLWFckAyhc0Zhbq0J1S5t6YkYlQBMijl4NHpJkyEU Uc6uJK2IK5pL5BoopLPvB-163W9rVjzKfvw10_01YWrP-OLJMFd--eA1y8UpZFPn9ZzxGMb9SEzJPvBRqnBa6A2E/w319-h400/Marstons_Burton_Bitter.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsHPs1xhX1LYXUFp_OuUdaRm50-5Ge4ivgov4bkA31l7XDe17-30w3lbX7ZKLWFckAyhc0Zhbq0J1S5t6YkYlQBMijl4NHpJkyEU Uc6uJK2IK5pL5BoopLPvB-163W9rVjzKfvw10_01YWrP-OLJMFd--eA1y8UpZFPn9ZzxGMb9SEzJPvBRqnBa6A2E/s881/Marstons_Burton_Bitter.jpg)
Surprisingly, averaging 14.1p per pint, this is one of the most expensive sets, only beaten by London. Though it does also have one of the highest average OGs and the second highest average ABV.
Some of the examples are very highly-attenuated at over 80%. Which must have left Draught E, and Banks and Marston's Bitter very dry. Forming quite a contrast with Kingpin Keg with only 67% attenuation.
Best value by quite a way was Marston’s Bitter. Though it looks to me like they’ve got the Pedigree and Bitter the wrong way around. According to the 1977 Good Beer guide, Pedigree was 1043º and Bitter 1037º.
The three worst value beers are all from Big Six brewers: Ansell and M & B. Springfield Bitter wasn’t brewed at Cape Hill in Birmingham, but at M & B’s other brewery in Wolverhampton. I drank a fair bit of it in the early 1970s. It was a lovely, light Bitter, far superior to Cape Hill brewed Brew XI. Obviously, they closed the brewery making the better beer.
Looking over the set, I drank quite a few of them. Ansell’s Bitter wasn’t great, either. Not a patch on their Mild. Pedigree was a farty delight. A classic Burton Pale Ale. I never realised that there had been a cask version of Worthington E. Pretty sure that was later rebadged as Worthington Best Bitter. Incidentally Worthington E is another beer with its roots as an IPA. E is, in fact, short for EIPA and was Worthington's flagship IPA in the 19th century.
Midlands Bitter in 1971
Brewer
Beer
Price per pint (p)
º gravity per p
% ABV per p
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
Ansell
Kingpin Keg
14
2.43
0.21
1034
1011.1
2.96
67.35%
M & B Springfield
Springfield Bitter
13
2.88
0.27
1037.5
1010
3.57
73.33%
Ansell
Bitter
14
2.78
0.27
1038.9
1010.2
3.72
73.78%
Marston
Pedigree
13.5
2.67
0.28
1036.1
1007.1
3.77
80.33%
Worthington
E Keg
16
2.36
0.24
1037.8
1008.5
3.81
77.65%
Worthington
E Draught
15.5
2.37
0.26
1036.8
1006.4
3.95
82.61%
Banks
Bitter
14
2.87
0.31
1040.2
1006.6
4.38
83.58%
Marston
Bitter
12.5
3.38
0.37
1042.2
1007.1
4.57
83.18%
Average
14.1
2.72
0.28
1037.9
1008.4
3.84
77.73%
Source:
Sunday Mirror - Sunday 21 March 1971, page 25.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/07/midlands-bitter-in-1971.html)