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06-10-2023, 07:11
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https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DW_xVT190BxBw1ByJ66sZoZ7gbTkuS4S_hJ7NP6dp_ 9_b7_aOgmPCwAREZf2uWEGp4i8UJMO3S3h76vNYBG6MDY9kFef XNADZLEtc1Uj9PInx0ZuCkoB1MJP2dl4KaLOs4S2Vrs7t1JANT tQdzmJKmKWuOOKQCbZRJDgutXB5FtR28BeD_-A_EpTRts/w378-h400/Tennants_Gold_Label_3.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DW_xVT190BxBw1ByJ66sZoZ7gbTkuS4S_hJ7NP6dp_ 9_b7_aOgmPCwAREZf2uWEGp4i8UJMO3S3h76vNYBG6MDY9kFef XNADZLEtc1Uj9PInx0ZuCkoB1MJP2dl4KaLOs4S2Vrs7t1JANT tQdzmJKmKWuOOKQCbZRJDgutXB5FtR28BeD_-A_EpTRts/s400/Tennants_Gold_Label_3.JPG)
This is what Whitbread were producing in the final days of Chiswell Street, where a couple of hundred years of brewing were about to come to an end.
Unlike some other brewers, Whitbread churned out beer in quite a wide range of gravities. From the low 1030ºs to over 1100º.
The two beers with higher gravities than you might expect – Export Pale Ale and Extra Stout – were both brewed specifically for the Belgian market. And hence were stronger than ones intended for the UK.
Tankard and Trophy were two much-promoted Bitters. The former always in keg form, the latter, I believe, sometimes in cask form as well. Under various names, the two had been brewed since before WW II. And would continue to be brewed for a couple of decades more. Just not at Chiswell Street.
The hopping of the two domestic Bitters is pretty gentle. And, in terms of hops per quarter (336 lbs) of malt, barely higher than Best Mild.
Ironically, the Sweet Mackeson Stout has double the hopping rate of the Pale Ales. Who would have guessed that?
Best Mild is another beer that had been around for a long time. And another which would survive the closure of the original brewery. It’s pretty dark brown in colour, which was typical of Post-WW II London Milds. I assume that it was also being tweaked and bottled as Forest Brown.
The there are the two Strong Ales. Final Selection was introduced in 1968 and originated in Chiswell Street. While Gold Label was a pale Barley Wine first developed by Tennant of Sheffield in the 1950s. After Whitbread took the brewery over, it proved so popular that they brewed it at other plants in the group. Both have an impressive degree of attenuation – well over 80% – for such high-gravity beers.
Most of the beers were over 75% attenuation, other than Mackeson and Best Mild. Which were both just a little below. Top was Export Pale Ale at a mighty 90%.
Overall, a pretty decent range. Multiple styles, a good spread of strength. Yeah, let’s close the brewery and move to a soulless modern plant with a bolshy workforce. How could it possibly go wrong?
Whitbread beers in 1973
Beer
Style
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
colour
Best Mild
Mild
1030.8
1008.5
2.95
72.40%
4.41
0.58
115
Trophy
Pale Ale
1035.8
1008.1
3.66
77.37%
4.63
0.71
24
Tankard
Pale Ale
1039.3
1007.9
4.15
79.90%
4.63
0.78
25
Export Pale Ale
Pale Ale
1048.8
1004.7
5.83
90.37%
3.36
0.67
13
Mackeson
Stout
1038.8
1010.0
3.81
74.23%
6.31
1.01
300
Extra Stout
Stout
1055.7
1013.7
5.56
75.40%
6.31
1.45
375
Final Selection
Strong Ale
1079.6
1011.8
8.97
85.18%
6.65
2.24
110
Gold Label
Barley Wine
1101.3
1017.2
11.13
83.02%
5.81
2.44
32
Source:
Whitbread brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/09/141.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/10/whitbread-beers-in-1973.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DW_xVT190BxBw1ByJ66sZoZ7gbTkuS4S_hJ7NP6dp_ 9_b7_aOgmPCwAREZf2uWEGp4i8UJMO3S3h76vNYBG6MDY9kFef XNADZLEtc1Uj9PInx0ZuCkoB1MJP2dl4KaLOs4S2Vrs7t1JANT tQdzmJKmKWuOOKQCbZRJDgutXB5FtR28BeD_-A_EpTRts/w378-h400/Tennants_Gold_Label_3.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DW_xVT190BxBw1ByJ66sZoZ7gbTkuS4S_hJ7NP6dp_ 9_b7_aOgmPCwAREZf2uWEGp4i8UJMO3S3h76vNYBG6MDY9kFef XNADZLEtc1Uj9PInx0ZuCkoB1MJP2dl4KaLOs4S2Vrs7t1JANT tQdzmJKmKWuOOKQCbZRJDgutXB5FtR28BeD_-A_EpTRts/s400/Tennants_Gold_Label_3.JPG)
This is what Whitbread were producing in the final days of Chiswell Street, where a couple of hundred years of brewing were about to come to an end.
Unlike some other brewers, Whitbread churned out beer in quite a wide range of gravities. From the low 1030ºs to over 1100º.
The two beers with higher gravities than you might expect – Export Pale Ale and Extra Stout – were both brewed specifically for the Belgian market. And hence were stronger than ones intended for the UK.
Tankard and Trophy were two much-promoted Bitters. The former always in keg form, the latter, I believe, sometimes in cask form as well. Under various names, the two had been brewed since before WW II. And would continue to be brewed for a couple of decades more. Just not at Chiswell Street.
The hopping of the two domestic Bitters is pretty gentle. And, in terms of hops per quarter (336 lbs) of malt, barely higher than Best Mild.
Ironically, the Sweet Mackeson Stout has double the hopping rate of the Pale Ales. Who would have guessed that?
Best Mild is another beer that had been around for a long time. And another which would survive the closure of the original brewery. It’s pretty dark brown in colour, which was typical of Post-WW II London Milds. I assume that it was also being tweaked and bottled as Forest Brown.
The there are the two Strong Ales. Final Selection was introduced in 1968 and originated in Chiswell Street. While Gold Label was a pale Barley Wine first developed by Tennant of Sheffield in the 1950s. After Whitbread took the brewery over, it proved so popular that they brewed it at other plants in the group. Both have an impressive degree of attenuation – well over 80% – for such high-gravity beers.
Most of the beers were over 75% attenuation, other than Mackeson and Best Mild. Which were both just a little below. Top was Export Pale Ale at a mighty 90%.
Overall, a pretty decent range. Multiple styles, a good spread of strength. Yeah, let’s close the brewery and move to a soulless modern plant with a bolshy workforce. How could it possibly go wrong?
Whitbread beers in 1973
Beer
Style
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
colour
Best Mild
Mild
1030.8
1008.5
2.95
72.40%
4.41
0.58
115
Trophy
Pale Ale
1035.8
1008.1
3.66
77.37%
4.63
0.71
24
Tankard
Pale Ale
1039.3
1007.9
4.15
79.90%
4.63
0.78
25
Export Pale Ale
Pale Ale
1048.8
1004.7
5.83
90.37%
3.36
0.67
13
Mackeson
Stout
1038.8
1010.0
3.81
74.23%
6.31
1.01
300
Extra Stout
Stout
1055.7
1013.7
5.56
75.40%
6.31
1.45
375
Final Selection
Strong Ale
1079.6
1011.8
8.97
85.18%
6.65
2.24
110
Gold Label
Barley Wine
1101.3
1017.2
11.13
83.02%
5.81
2.44
32
Source:
Whitbread brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/09/141.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/10/whitbread-beers-in-1973.html)