Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Truman beers in the 1950's
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Part two of things I missed in the Whitbread Gravity Book. This time it's the turn of Truman.
Here's one of my trademark tables:
Truman beers in the 1950's
Year
Beer
Style
size
package
attenuation
1950
Ben Truman Pale Ale
Pale Ale
half pint
bottled
1950
Ben Truman Pale Ale
Pale Ale
pint
bottled
1951
Ben Truman Pale Ale
Pale Ale
half pint
bottled
1953
Ben Truman Pale Ale
Pale Ale
nip
bottled
1959
Ben Truman Pale Ale
Pale Ale
half pint
bottled
1950
Best Stout
Stout
half pint
bottled
1951
Best Stout
Stout
half pint
bottled
1954
Best Stout
Stout
half pint
bottled
1953
Best Stout (Lactose present)
Stout
half pint
bottled
1950
Black Ben Stout
Stout
half pint
bottled
1951
Black Ben Stout
Stout
half pint
bottled
1950
Eagle Ale
Pale Ale
half pint
bottled
1951
Eagle Ale
Pale Ale
half pint
bottled
1951
Eagle Ale
Pale Ale
pint
bottled
1953
Eagle Light Ale
Pale Ale
half pint
bottled
1954
Eagle Light Ale
Pale Ale
half pint
bottled
1955
Eagle Light Ale
Pale Ale
half pint
bottled
1950
Eagle Pale Ale
Pale Ale
pint
bottled
1950
Eagle Stout
Stout
half pint
bottled
1951
Eagle Stout
Stout
half pint
bottled
1953
Eagle Stout
Stout
half pint
bottled
1956
Eagle Stout
Stout
half pint
bottled
1956
Light Ale
Pale Ale
half pint
bottled
1959
Light Ale
Pale Ale
half pint
bottled
1956
Malt Stout (Lactose present)
Stout
half pint
bottled
1953
No. 1 Burton Barley Wine
Barley Wine
nip
bottled
1954
Oatmeal Stout
Stout
half pint
bottled
1955
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
bottled
1955
Scotch Ale (purchased in Belgium)
Scotch Ale
bottled
1955
Stout
Stout
bottled
1950
Trubrown
Brown Ale
pint
bottled
1950
Trubrown
Brown Ale
half pint
bottled
1951
Trubrown
Brown Ale
pint
bottled
1952
Trubrown
Brown Ale
half pint
bottled
1953
Trubrown
Brown Ale
half pint
bottled
1954
Trubrown
Brown Ale
half pint
bottled
1955
Trubrown
Brown Ale
half pint
bottled
1956
Trubrown
Brown Ale
half pint
bottled
Source:
Whitbread Gravity Book
Remember that quote from Campbell about Trubrown being higher than average gravity for a Brown Ale? That view doesn't appear to be borne out by the analyses. Averaging around 1035, it actually has a typical OG. Yes, there were some even weaker Brown Ales, hovering around the 1030 level, but most were 1032-1035. I wonder why Campbell though it was stronger? Perhaps it was the price. Hang on, that's not true. In 1952 Whitbread's Forest Brown cost 10.5d for a half pint (1d more than Trubrown) and was about the same strength.
You can see that, as for most breweries, the majority of Truman's products had gravities well below 1040. Eagle Stout, in particular, didn't deserve the name of "Stout" with its sub 3% ABV. Though they did have Stouts with more a respectable gravity and alcohol content.
Ben Truman was the brewery's pitch at the premium Pale Ale market and, with a gravity of 1050, was roughly comparable to bottled Bass. For me it's weird seeing Ben Truman portrayed as a quality, strong Pale Ale. I can only remember it as a shitty, over-priced keg beer that I kept well clear of.
The strongest two beers are worth mentioning. First, No.1 Burton Barley Wine. A full-strength Barley Wine which, like many Burton-brewed beers, was very well attenuated for its gravity. It was a blend of two beers: S1 and R1 (S = Stock and R = Runner), one brewed in Burton, the other in London. S1 was brewed and matured in Burton and then shipped down to London in hogsheads where it was blended with R1 that had been brewed in Brick Lane. The aged beer had some sourness and how of much this character was apparent in the final beer depended on the taste of the blender, who decided the proportions of young and aged beer.
Finally the Scotch Ale. Though, being brewed in London for the Belgian market, there's little apparent connection with Scotland. Though its gravity and colour are much like those of Scottish-brewed strong Scotch Ales and, indeed, that of John Smith.https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...s.blogspot.com
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