Part of the Union

At the beginning of last year, Carlsberg-Marston’s announced that they were discontinuing the use of the Union sets at their Burton brewery, which were used to brew Marston’s Pedigree. This decision was met with a certain amount of wailing and gnashing of teeth but, as I said at the time, “it must be remembered that Carlsberg-Marston’s are a commercial company, not the custodians of a brewing museum.” They will have made a hard-headed decision that the additional costs involved in operating the unions outweighed any additional kudos that they conferred amongst consumers. The fact that many beer enthusiasts tended to sneer at Pedigree can’t have helped the case for their retention.

However, later in the year, Thornbridge Brewery in Derbyshire managed to obtain one of the Union sets and proceeded to put it into service for brewing. They must have concluded, reasonably enough, that there was sufficient regard for the process amongst enthusiasts to make it a commercial proposition. They started off with a Union-brewed version of their iconic Jaipur IPA, and then went on to brew a specific beer called The Union, in more of a classic English style, at a hefty 7.0% ABV.

In my end of year review, I suggested that “maybe they could also consider brewing a 4.5% Burton-style pale ale that would be a direct replacement for Union Pedigree”, and indeed this came to pass earlier this year in the form of the 4.5% 1838.They were offering a mixed case of four of each beer, so I thought I would get my hands on one and give them a try. Both are bottle-conditioned beers, a technique that Thornbridge seem to have mastered to produce consistent results.

First up was The Union (7.0% ABV). Thornbridge describe this as follows:

The Union is a classic British style IPA, created using the very best ingredients we can get our hands on and then fermenting it in our Union set. For our base malt, we have used Maris Otter from Norfolk, where the sandy soil and maritime climate is perfect for growing the variety. We've also added a touch of Simpsons' best crystal malt to add a touch of colour and rounded sweetness and some of the special (and expensive) "Brewers Invert No. 2", sugar from Ragus, which will add notes of caramel and toffee while helping to keep the beer's body in check. The all important hops are British grown Goldings and Northdown, which gives us some gentle berry flavours and rounded cedar-like hop aromas to balance the maltiness. We've pitched two of our yeast strains, namely our fruity British cask ale strain and the California ale yeast, which is fairly neutral in flavour and ensured the attenuation we were looking for.

My tasting notes were: Pale colour, no problem with pouring it clear. Not gassy, but gentle spires of carbonation rising in the beer. Hoppy, but not so much so as Jaipur. Initially light, but the alcohol heft comes through later. A fairly, subtle, restrained beer for its strength. Their openness about the use of invert sugar, something that is integral to the character of this style of beer, is worth noting.

I then moved on to the 1838 (4.5% ABV). Thornbridge say of this:

Named after the year the Burton Union system was patented by Peter Walker, 1838 is brewed exclusively on the set at Thornbridge. 1838 combines the best British malt, Maris Otter, with the finest Goldings hops for a full-bodied, premium pale ale with a light amber hue. This beer delivers sweet, biscuity malt flavours balanced with floral hop notes and a crisp finish.

My tasting notes were: Pours clear, good carbonation, dense, rocky head. Slightly darker than The Union, probably mid-way between Jaipur and Pedigree. Definitely hoppy, but with a firm malt base and a hint of sweetness. Another subtle yet complex beer. and very drinkable.

These are both very good beers, and demonstrate that there can be a successful niche market for a product that enthusiasts valued, but was no longer considered viable in the mainstream. However, in a world of heavily-hopped New World IPAs, the question must be asked whether these relatively understated beers in a classic English style will make a mark. Ordering online, these beers came to almost £4 a bottle, so they are probably something better regarded as an occasional treat rather than a regular drink, especially when Jaipur can be obtained from Morrisons at 4 for £7.