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Another set of cask and keg Bitters. This time, the stronger examples.
This time, there's no difference at all in the average value for money between cask and keg. Though the cask average is distorted by the spectacularly poor value of Watney Fined Bitter. A beer which was 4.5p per pint more expensive than the second dearest, Charles Wells Fargo. A beer which was considerably stronger.
Fined Bitter was a bit of a funny beer. It was the first cask beer bearing the Watney name for quite a while. As they didn't have casks, it was served from a modified keg. Based on the gravity, it looks like a cask version of Watney Special Bitter. I had it a couple of times and wasn't particularly impressed. Though that might have been down to poor cellarmanship. As Watney landlords mostly wouldn't have any experience of looking after cask beer.
A sign that keg and cask prices were levelling out is provided by Draught Bass and Worthington E. I'm pretty sure they were just cask and keg versions of the same beer. And you can see that the price of the two is identical: 25p.
That's all I can think of for now.


Cask Best Bitter in 1976
Brewer Beer Price º gravity per p OG
Charles Wells Draught Fargo 28 1.82 1051
Robinson Best Bitter Ale 24 1.75 1042
Courage Director's Bitter 27 1.74 1047
Devenish (Redruth) Cornish Best Bitter 26 1.63 1042.5
Bass Draught Bass 25 1.60 1040
Watney Fined Bitter 32.5 1.36 1044.2
Average 27.1 1.65 1044.5
Source:
Sunday Mirror - Sunday 01 August 1976, page 17.


Keg Best Bitter in 1976
Brewer Beer Price º gravity per p OG
Tetley Imperial 24 1.75 1042
Usher (Edinburgh) Double Amber 26 1.65 1043
Bass Worthington E 25 1.60 1040
Charles Wells Noggin 25 1.60 1040
Average 25 1.65 1041.3
Source:
Sunday Mirror - Sunday 01 August 1976, page 17.



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