In
March 2020 I traveled to the
Midland town of
Burton on
Trent to join up with some fellow beer enthusiasts on what was known as a
“Proper
Day Out.” It was only the second such outing I’d attended at the time, but as
events were soon to prove, it was my last pub crawl, and trip away from my
Kentish home, for many months.
Burton of course is
often referred to as the home of British brewing, with the town gaining its fame
from the quality of the local water. Being rich in naturally occurring calcium
sulphate, otherwise known as gypsum, Burton water enabled the production of clear
and sparkling pale ales, of the highest quality, and in large quantities.
Before it became possible to artificially adjust brewing water (or “liquor” as
brewers prefer to call it), brewing companies from other parts of the United
Kingdom set up shop in Burton, in order to take advantage of the water.
They were trying to emulate two of the most famous Burton brewers,
namely Bass and Co, plus Samuel Allsopp. The former, at one time were the
largest brewing company in the world., whilst the other firm ran them a close
second. Both companies were pioneers in the production and subsequent export of
pale ales to India, where the style soon became known as India Pale Ale.
The reason for that
Proper Day Out, was to sample
Burton’s
most famous product in the form of
Draught Bass - a beer that was once the
UK’s
biggest selling cask ale, and a survivor from the glory days of the
19th
Century.
With some of the town’s best
pubs at our disposal we really were spoiled for choice, and what’s more we were
blessed with a glorious sunny day, as well. The sunshine was especially welcome
after weeks of torrential rain and it certainly helped lighten everyone’s’ mood.
What we didn't realise was that this happy and carefree state of mind would not
last, because looming large and threatening on the horizon, was the start of
the most serious global pandemic since the so-called
Spanish Influenza of 1919.
Looking back some clues were already there.
Italy had been
particularly badly affected as the virus that caused the disease known as
Covid-19, spread steadily westward from its origin in the
Wuhan province of
China. Even then, few of us realised how serious this condition would become,
and that in just a few short weeks, we would all be incarcerated in our homes. The
threat from this novel
corona virus was in the back of my mind, as I journeyed
to
Burton, by train, from my home in
Tonbridge. That morning, on the
underground traveling between
Charing Cross and
Marylebone, I noticed one or two
people wearing masks, but at the time I wasn't going to let any pessimism spoil
my day out, and I'm sure my companions all felt the same.
You can read all about our day out by clicking on the
following link, but for now I want to concentrate on a very special bottle of
beer that I purchased on that day in
Burton. In view of the distances that some
of us had traveled, we didn’t meet up until midday, and after enjoying some
Draught
Bass at the
Devonshire Arms, we headed off for a spot of lunch. The choice of
somewhere to eat, for several of us was, the
National Brewery Centre
& Museum, formerly known as the
Bass Museum of Brewing.
We called in at the
Brewery Tap, attached to the
NBC,
where along with a selection of tasty and well-presented food (a fish-finger sandwich
for me), we enjoyed a couple of beers brewed at the
NBC’s Heritage Brewery.
As its name suggests, the brewery was set up to replicate old
Bass and
other former group company recipes, back when the
NBC was operated by
Bass.
Along with the two draught beers I sampled – replicas of
Charrington IPA and
Oatmeal Stout, I also bought a bottle of
“Czar’s P2 Imperial Stout.,”
The latter is a recreation of a beer once brewed for export to
Czarist
Russia, where it was much appreciated by the imperial court.
As I wrote at the time, being bottle-conditioned, and with a
strength of 8.0%, it should last quite a while, so there was no need for
me to open it any time soon. Then, when Coronavirus arrived on the scene, and
we were all forced into lock-down, I decided not to open the bottle until the
pandemic was over. I’m not sure whether Covid-19 is officially over, although I
suspect not, but as just over two and a half years have passed, following that
trip, I finally decided to crack that bottle open. It seemed an opportune time
to sample the beer, especially as it was showing a best before date of October
2021, but despite the passing of 13 months since that date, the beer was fine.
It poured with a thick creamy head, and was packed full of
rich dark roasted flavours, balanced by an intense hop bitterness. The long
maturation period had mellowed the beer somewhat, but it remained well
conditioned, with the
8% strength coming through, but without it being overpowering.
There were certainly no signs of deterioration, despite this satisfying and
enjoyable imperial stout being over a year passed its best before date.
Sadly, that bottle of P2 Imperial Stout, might be the last available for some time,
as the National Brewery
Centre & Museum closed its doors to the public at the beginning of
November. The reasons behind the closure are described in detail in this
article by veteran beer writer, Roger Protz, but basically the museum’s lease has
been terminated, by the site’s owners, global brewing giant, Molson Coors. Potentially,
this move could also leave the Heritage Brewery looking for a new home as well,
but that story will have to wait for another time, and for further
clarification, before airing.
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