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It's the same drill as last week, just with dogy Burton replacing dodgy Mild.

Would I expect Burton to be in better condition than Mild? It's hard to say. Being stronger and more heavily hopped, you'd think Burton would have had a longer shelf-life. On the other hand, Mild sold a lot more. I suppose we're going to find out over the next week. My money is on Burton.

I'll start with a random newspaper article mentioning the brewery.

The former Nag's Head

"LOAN CLUB VICTIMS.
MAGISTRATE AND BREWERS.
Arthur James Barrett, (42), a licensed victualler, of Hackney-road, Bethnal Green, E., was charged remand at Old-street police Court with converting to his own use £581 belonging to the Nag's Head Mutual Loan Club.

The magistrate (Mr. Clarke Hall,) said that he had received two heartrending letters from unfortunate people who had lost their money which they had paid into the club that they might have a happy Christmas.

Mr. W. G. Jenkins, prosecuting, said that the amount involved was £1,095.

Mr. H. V. R. Hayne, who appeared for the Cannon Brewery Company, said that such clubs were run independently of the brewery company, who had no control of any sort over them. They did not know anything about the rules of the club that the banking was to be done with the company.

Mr. Clarke Hall said that for six years the brewery had allowed their name to appear on the rules, and that influenced people in putting their money into the club.

Mr. Hayne said they had not seen the rules.

Mr. Clarke Hall said there was moral responsibility on the brewery company, but he had experience of the great generosity brewers and he thought this was a case in which the company might come forward.

An further remand in custody was ordered."
Gloucester Citizen - Friday 13 December 1929, page 5.
The magistrate is clearly hinting that the brewery should reimburse those who had been defrauded.

The Nag's Head was at 324 Hackney Road and closed in 1991*.

Funnily enough, the Nag's Head was virtually opposite a brewery:

West's brewery Co. Ltd.
313/315 Hackney Road,
Bethnal Green E2.

West's was bought by Hoare in 1929 with 60 pubs**.

Nag's Head and West's Brewery in 1896
Right. On with Cannon's Burton. In terms of specs, it's straight down the middle: OG in the low 1050's, about 5% ABV, 75% attenuation.

Now onto beer quality. Only five of eleven were clear. That's not very good. But better than flavour, where only three have positive scores. And there are four scores of -2 or less. It's all very disappointing. Especially as Cannon got a decent score, 0.54, for its Mild Ale.

What was the cause of their Burton being in such poor condition? It's very hard to say from this distance. But, as their Mild scored reasonably well, it probably wasn't the beer itself where the problem lay. More likely it was how quickly - or how slowly - it sold.


Cannon Brewery Burton Ale quality 1922 - 1924
Year Beer FG OG ABV App. Atten-uation Appearance Flavour score
1922 KK 1011 1052 5.34 78.85% fairly bright fair 1
1922 KK 1015 1054.4 5.06 71.69% not bright no head v poor -2
1922 KK 1015 1053.3 5.00 72.23% v bright v fair 2
1922 KK 1015 1053.3 5.00 72.23% bright mawkish -1
1923 KK 1015 1053.5 5.00 71.96% brilliant good 2
1923 KK 1011 1054.9 5.72 79.96% juicy too new -1
1923 KK 1013 1052.6 5.20 76.05% hazy v poor -2
1923 KK 1013 1051.7 5.00 74.47% bright poor palate -1
1923 KK 1014 1053.4 5.06 73.03% not bright Poor & thin -1
1924 KK 1012 1051.3 5.15 77.19% hazy going off -2
1924 KK 1013 1050.4 4.90 74.80% brilliant gone off -3
Average 1013 1052.8 5.13 74.77% -0.73
Source:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001

Next time it's the turn of Charrington, whose Mild was rather disappointing.



* http://pubshistory.com/LondonPubs/Be...NagsHead.shtml
** "A Century of British Breweries Plus" by Norman Barber, 2005, page 86.

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