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Despite being about as fasionable as a polka-dotted, pink kipper tie, I have to confess a certain fasacination with Mackeson.

In my early drinking days, Mackeson was almost as ubiquitous as Guinness. Yet I never ebven considered giving it a try. And not just because it wasn't "real". No-one under 90 seemed to drink it. What 18 year old wants a grandad's drink?

"It looks good, tastes good and by jolly it does you good." That was their slogan. Can you believe that Mackeson used to be advertised on the telly? Hard to imagine now. Another demonstration of how much the beer world has changed in the last 40 years. Mackeson was a substantial national brand, even if its drinkers were mostly shuffling towards their graves.

About 10 years back I spotted the export version of Mackeson in De Bierkoning. From a mixture of nostalgia and morbid curiosity, I gave it a try. The first taste was a huge shock. I hadn't expected all the roast. I was most impressed by the combination of bitter burnt flavours and extreme sweetness.

Next time I was back in the UK, I bought a few cans. They were a huge disappointment. It was but a pale, watery imitation of the export beer. Thankfully, the version presented today is closer to Export Mackeson.



But enough of my nostalgic ramblings. It's time for Kristen to do his thing . . . . .




Mackeson - 1936 - Stout
General info: Warning. Those of lactose intolerance steer well clear of this baby! Sweet stout. Milk stout. Mackeson Stout. A wicked 'little' sweet stout with a good dose of sugar. Lots of chocolate and brown malt really lend a depth that nearly all current day sweet stouts are lacking. Most interesting about this recipe is that the lactose was only added in the cask along with the primings. Something that is really quite remarkable. You'd think you couldn't drink many but after 6, I found that to be quite untrue.
Beer Specifics


Recipe by percentages
Gravity (OG)
1.051


68.3% English Pale malt
8% Invert No3
Gravity (FG)
1.017


0.5% Flaked Oats
3.5% Cane Sugar
ABV
4.53%


5.7% Brown malt
8.5% Lactose
Apparent attenuation
66.67%


5.5% Chocolate malt


Real attenuation
54.61%













IBU
30.8


Mash
90min@149°F
0.96qt/lb


SRM
44



90min@65°C
2.01L/kg


EBC
86.7

















Boil
1.33 hours





















Homebrew @ 70%
Craft @ 80%
Grist
5gal
19L
10bbl
10hl
English Pale malt
7.47
lb
3.401
kg
405.27
lb
156.58
kg
Flaked Oats
0.05
lb
0.024
kg
2.86
lb
1.11
kg
Brown malt
0.63
lb
0.285
kg
33.93
lb
13.11
kg
Chocolate malt
0.61
lb
0.276
kg
32.87
lb
12.70
kg
Invert No3
0.88
lb
0.399
kg
47.50
lb
18.35
kg
Cane Sugar
0.38
lb
0.174
kg
20.78
lb
8.03
kg
Lactose
13.00
oz
371.9
g
50.50
lb
19.51
kg


10.013


4.559


593.72901





Hops












Goldings 4.5% 90min
1.27
oz
35.9
g
78.59
oz
1.899
kg
Goldings 4.5% 30min
0.55
oz
15.6
g
34.17
oz
0.826
kg















Fermentation
63°F /17.2°C



























Yeast
Manchester ale


1318 London Ale Yeast III -















Tasting Notes:
Toasted malt, bread crust, chocolate, cocoa and mocha. Big, rich and chewy goodness. Nearly velvety. Spicy hops? That’s a pleasant surprise. Hints of Orangina and figgy pudding on the end. So very easy to drink the pensioners won't be alone in this one. Another beer into my arsenal of awesomeness.



Yes, I know. It's not Wednesday again. Burt I'm sure you'll agree that this recipe was worth a day's wait.


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