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06-12-2011, 07:10
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It's time for our second look at the beers of J & R Tennent. We're looking at post-WW II beers.
As before, I'll begin with their Lager. Three analyses and the bare bones of a more recent version. It's a bit odd the way the strength yoyos up and down between 3.7 and 4.1% ABV. What immediately strikes me is how little the strength has dropped from the pew-war version which, if you can remember back a couple of days, was 1043.1º and 4.39% ABV. The attenuation is also very constant at 78%. Though that doesn't mean that the beer necessarily tasted much the same over this period. Who knows what the hopping was like. Or the malts used.
It should be borne in mind just how weak most British Lagers were in the 1950's and 1960's. You know what? I've plenty of analyses from that period. Let's see the averages.
Origin
FG
OG
ABV
app. Atten-uation
Scottish-brewed
1009
1036.6
3.55
75.53%
UK brewed
1008
1037.4
3.92
76.54%
Imported
1008
1042.1
4.32
79.69%
I must admit that I'm shocked by that. I would have guessed that UK-brewed Lagers averaged around 1032º and just over 3% ABV, That's not the case. The OG is about dead on the average gravity of 1037º. The Scottish ones are a tiny bit weaker, but not much. The Lagers brewed outside the UK are still quite a bit stronger and a little more attenuated.
For once we've actually got a couple of Milds. AT least if we accept that 60/- by the 1970's was effectively a type of Dark Mild. Before the war, it would almost certainly have designated a sort of PAle Ale. 1031º is a pretty typical gravity for a 1970's Mild. I should know, I drank enough of the stuff.
There aren't a great number of Pale Ales this time. And most those weren't brewed at Wellpark but at the former Jeffrey's Heriot Brewery in Edinburgh. Only the ones from 1960 and 1961 are from Glasgow. One is piss weak at under 2.5% ABV. The other looks like a typical Export, with an OG in the low 1040ºs. The 80/- of the 1980's looks very similar. At least in terms of strength. I wonder how similar the recipes were?
This time about half the analyses are for Stout. With three exceptions, the sweet, low-alcohol Scottish type. Rarely getting as strong as 2% ABV. I'm getting very intrigued by these beers. Never having had one, I'd love to have a taste. Sweetheart Stout is still brewed, after all. I must look for it next time I'm in Scotland. That Sweetheart Stout with 32.77% attenuation is the least-attenuated British beer I've seen.
The Milk Stouts are funny ones. In that you'd expect a Milk Stout, if it contained lactose, the attenuation would be low. Yet it's 63% to 68%. Fairly normal. And much higher than the Sweet Stout. A gravity of 1060º is very respectable for a post-war Stout. The Export Milk Stout, with 0.16% acidity, is a bit tart. Was that deliberate, I wonder?
Finally there are the two Strong Ales. Both are pretty dark. And about typical strength. Not much to say, really. I wonder if it was discontinued after they started brewing Fowler's Wee Heavy in the early 1960's after the closure of the brewery in Prestonpans?
That's me all blethered out. Here's the table:
J & R Tennent Beers 1947 – 1994
Year
Beer
Style
Price
size
package
Acidity
FG
OG
colour
ABV
App. Atten-uation
1955
Lager
Lager
1/3d
half pint
bottled
0.04
1007.7
1036.1
9
3.69
78.67%
1957
Lager Beer
Lager
1/8d
12 oz
bottled
0.04
1008.6
1040.6
11
4.16
78.82%
1963
Lager
Lager
27d
16 oz
can
0.04
1007.8
1036.9
7.5
3.64
78.86%
1994
Tennent's Lager
Lager
pint
bottled
4.10
1994
Tennent's Dry
Lager
pint
bottled
5.50
1994
Tennent's Super
Lager
pint
bottled
9.00
1977
60/-
Mild
pint
draught
1031
1979
60/-
Mild
pint
draught
1031
1960
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
10d
half pint
bottled
0.02
1011.8
1029.9
26
2.26
60.54%
1961
Export
Pale Ale
15d
half pint
bottled
0.05
1010.6
1042.3
22
3.96
74.94%
1982
80/-
Pale Ale
pint
draught
1040
1983
Heriot Brewery 80/-
Pale Ale
pint
draught
1042
1986
Tennent's 80/-
Pale Ale
pint
draught
1042
1989
Tennent's 80/-
Pale Ale
pint
draught
1009.7
1042
4.20
76.90%
1947
Stout
Stout
1/1d
pint
bottled
0.06
1018.2
1030.7
1 + 11.5
1.61
40.78%
1948
Stout
Stout
pint
bottled
1015.5
1030
1.86
48.33%
1949
Stout
Stout
1/3d
half pint
bottled
0.05
1018.3
1034.9
1 + 12
2.13
47.56%
1949
Stout
Stout
pint
bottled
1017.5
1032
1.86
45.31%
1950
Milk Stout (Export)
Stout
half pint
bottled
0.16
1020
1063.2
1 + 17
5.60
68.35%
1955
Stout
Stout
1/3d
half pint
bottled
0.05
1019.3
1034.7
325
1.98
44.38%
1957
???? Brand Stout
Stout
half pint
bottled
0.06
1020.8
1059.4
300
4.99
64.98%
1961
Stout (no lactose)
Stout
13d
half pint
bottled
0.04
1019
1033.6
300
1.82
43.45%
1964
Milk Stout
Stout
bottled
0.05
1023
1061.8
250
4.85
62.78%
1964
Sweet Stout
Stout
16d
half pint
bottled
0.04
1019.9
1032.7
425
1.60
39.14%
1966
Sweet Stout
Stout
18.5d
half pint
bottled
0.04
1016.9
1034
300
2.14
50.29%
1967
Sweet Stout
Stout
19d
half pint
bottled
pH 4.4
1017.1
1033.2
280
2.01
48.49%
1967
Sweetheart Stout
Stout
19d
half pint
bottled
pH 4.29
1024
1035.7
280
1.46
32.77%
1994
Sweetheart Stout
Stout
pint
bottled
2.00
1953
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
1/2.5d
nip
bottled
0.06
1021.2
1066.4
14 + 40
5.86
68.07%
1958
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
25d
16 oz
can
0.06
1022.7
1068.4
100
5.71
66.81%
Sources:
Thomas Usher Gravity Book document TU/6/11 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002
The Best of British Bottled Beer
Good Beer Guide 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1990
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5445569787371915337-96924843236196026?l=barclayperkins.blogspot.com
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2011/12/j-r-tennent-beers-1947-1989.html)
It's time for our second look at the beers of J & R Tennent. We're looking at post-WW II beers.
As before, I'll begin with their Lager. Three analyses and the bare bones of a more recent version. It's a bit odd the way the strength yoyos up and down between 3.7 and 4.1% ABV. What immediately strikes me is how little the strength has dropped from the pew-war version which, if you can remember back a couple of days, was 1043.1º and 4.39% ABV. The attenuation is also very constant at 78%. Though that doesn't mean that the beer necessarily tasted much the same over this period. Who knows what the hopping was like. Or the malts used.
It should be borne in mind just how weak most British Lagers were in the 1950's and 1960's. You know what? I've plenty of analyses from that period. Let's see the averages.
Origin
FG
OG
ABV
app. Atten-uation
Scottish-brewed
1009
1036.6
3.55
75.53%
UK brewed
1008
1037.4
3.92
76.54%
Imported
1008
1042.1
4.32
79.69%
I must admit that I'm shocked by that. I would have guessed that UK-brewed Lagers averaged around 1032º and just over 3% ABV, That's not the case. The OG is about dead on the average gravity of 1037º. The Scottish ones are a tiny bit weaker, but not much. The Lagers brewed outside the UK are still quite a bit stronger and a little more attenuated.
For once we've actually got a couple of Milds. AT least if we accept that 60/- by the 1970's was effectively a type of Dark Mild. Before the war, it would almost certainly have designated a sort of PAle Ale. 1031º is a pretty typical gravity for a 1970's Mild. I should know, I drank enough of the stuff.
There aren't a great number of Pale Ales this time. And most those weren't brewed at Wellpark but at the former Jeffrey's Heriot Brewery in Edinburgh. Only the ones from 1960 and 1961 are from Glasgow. One is piss weak at under 2.5% ABV. The other looks like a typical Export, with an OG in the low 1040ºs. The 80/- of the 1980's looks very similar. At least in terms of strength. I wonder how similar the recipes were?
This time about half the analyses are for Stout. With three exceptions, the sweet, low-alcohol Scottish type. Rarely getting as strong as 2% ABV. I'm getting very intrigued by these beers. Never having had one, I'd love to have a taste. Sweetheart Stout is still brewed, after all. I must look for it next time I'm in Scotland. That Sweetheart Stout with 32.77% attenuation is the least-attenuated British beer I've seen.
The Milk Stouts are funny ones. In that you'd expect a Milk Stout, if it contained lactose, the attenuation would be low. Yet it's 63% to 68%. Fairly normal. And much higher than the Sweet Stout. A gravity of 1060º is very respectable for a post-war Stout. The Export Milk Stout, with 0.16% acidity, is a bit tart. Was that deliberate, I wonder?
Finally there are the two Strong Ales. Both are pretty dark. And about typical strength. Not much to say, really. I wonder if it was discontinued after they started brewing Fowler's Wee Heavy in the early 1960's after the closure of the brewery in Prestonpans?
That's me all blethered out. Here's the table:
J & R Tennent Beers 1947 – 1994
Year
Beer
Style
Price
size
package
Acidity
FG
OG
colour
ABV
App. Atten-uation
1955
Lager
Lager
1/3d
half pint
bottled
0.04
1007.7
1036.1
9
3.69
78.67%
1957
Lager Beer
Lager
1/8d
12 oz
bottled
0.04
1008.6
1040.6
11
4.16
78.82%
1963
Lager
Lager
27d
16 oz
can
0.04
1007.8
1036.9
7.5
3.64
78.86%
1994
Tennent's Lager
Lager
pint
bottled
4.10
1994
Tennent's Dry
Lager
pint
bottled
5.50
1994
Tennent's Super
Lager
pint
bottled
9.00
1977
60/-
Mild
pint
draught
1031
1979
60/-
Mild
pint
draught
1031
1960
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
10d
half pint
bottled
0.02
1011.8
1029.9
26
2.26
60.54%
1961
Export
Pale Ale
15d
half pint
bottled
0.05
1010.6
1042.3
22
3.96
74.94%
1982
80/-
Pale Ale
pint
draught
1040
1983
Heriot Brewery 80/-
Pale Ale
pint
draught
1042
1986
Tennent's 80/-
Pale Ale
pint
draught
1042
1989
Tennent's 80/-
Pale Ale
pint
draught
1009.7
1042
4.20
76.90%
1947
Stout
Stout
1/1d
pint
bottled
0.06
1018.2
1030.7
1 + 11.5
1.61
40.78%
1948
Stout
Stout
pint
bottled
1015.5
1030
1.86
48.33%
1949
Stout
Stout
1/3d
half pint
bottled
0.05
1018.3
1034.9
1 + 12
2.13
47.56%
1949
Stout
Stout
pint
bottled
1017.5
1032
1.86
45.31%
1950
Milk Stout (Export)
Stout
half pint
bottled
0.16
1020
1063.2
1 + 17
5.60
68.35%
1955
Stout
Stout
1/3d
half pint
bottled
0.05
1019.3
1034.7
325
1.98
44.38%
1957
???? Brand Stout
Stout
half pint
bottled
0.06
1020.8
1059.4
300
4.99
64.98%
1961
Stout (no lactose)
Stout
13d
half pint
bottled
0.04
1019
1033.6
300
1.82
43.45%
1964
Milk Stout
Stout
bottled
0.05
1023
1061.8
250
4.85
62.78%
1964
Sweet Stout
Stout
16d
half pint
bottled
0.04
1019.9
1032.7
425
1.60
39.14%
1966
Sweet Stout
Stout
18.5d
half pint
bottled
0.04
1016.9
1034
300
2.14
50.29%
1967
Sweet Stout
Stout
19d
half pint
bottled
pH 4.4
1017.1
1033.2
280
2.01
48.49%
1967
Sweetheart Stout
Stout
19d
half pint
bottled
pH 4.29
1024
1035.7
280
1.46
32.77%
1994
Sweetheart Stout
Stout
pint
bottled
2.00
1953
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
1/2.5d
nip
bottled
0.06
1021.2
1066.4
14 + 40
5.86
68.07%
1958
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
25d
16 oz
can
0.06
1022.7
1068.4
100
5.71
66.81%
Sources:
Thomas Usher Gravity Book document TU/6/11 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002
The Best of British Bottled Beer
Good Beer Guide 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1990
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5445569787371915337-96924843236196026?l=barclayperkins.blogspot.com
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2011/12/j-r-tennent-beers-1947-1989.html)