Growing old gracefully (Bass brewery)
Following the recent discovery of some rare, aged beers at the former Bass brewery in Burton upon Trent,
Roger Protz went along to see how they’d aged
Those of us that chip away at the coalface labelled ‘beer’ constantly stress that our preferred form of alcohol deserves as much attention and respect as wine. The juice of the barley can be as complex and profound as the juice of the grape.
But just as some wines improve with age so also do some forms of beer. The increase in the appreciation of bottle-conditioned beers is an indicator of the manner in which beer, left to its own devices on a bed of yeast, will improve and mature with age. The case for allowing beers to develop naturally under glass has been given a major boost by the discovery of a cache of old beers, some dating from the 19th century, at the former Bass brewery in Burton upon Trent, England.
When I read about the beers in issue 10 of this magazine, I arranged for a tasting with Steve Wellington, head brewer at the White Shield Brewery in Burton, part of Coors, the American company that acquired the site from Bass.
Most of the beers unveiled by Steve had been brewed to celebrate a royal event, such as a coronation or the birth of a prince or princess. Steve told me that the Burton brewers would also send special bottles to the royal household at Christmas, often for blending with the festive pudding.
The oldest beer on show had been brewed to commemorate the birth of a child not to the monarch but to a member of the “beerage” – a son for the Ratcliff family. The Ratcliffs were Burton brewers who became part of the Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton company. The b.....
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By Roger Protz
Section : Spotlight
Page number : 57
