Vintage Beer From 1869 Discovered

[Jens-Kristian]

Maybe bottle the beer in champagne bottles so the caps will fit?

2c.

Well, the Belgians do this with some amount of sucess, so I see no reason not to.

This could open a can of worms....

I don't know. I agreee that this could have been a problem, but seeing as the beers sat for nearly 140 years, corked, I don't really think there's much reason to question the validity of the method in this particular case.

 

[kook]

This is one I'm waiting for the right time to open - Bass Kings Ale (1902).

 

[atkinsonr]

View attachment 24536

This is one I'm waiting for the right time to open - Bass Kings Ale (1902).

Wow! What's the story behind that?

 

[kook]

Why not crown seal and wax

Because bottle caps weren't invented for another 22 years?

Wow! What's the story behind that?

Not really much of a story behind it - ebay purchase from an antique dealer.

It came with a newspaper cut-out from the 50's about the beer. There was loads of it made in 1902 then put into casks. A lot of it was bottled a few years later (I believe this to be one of those bottles).

Some of the casks were kept, and it was bottled again using the original bottles in 1977 to celebrate Bass's bicentenary.

Some info here:

http://www.royal-ales.com/otherales_2.htm

Corks slowly over time allow for oxygen to get through, so the beer would be oxidised chronically!

Oxidised sherry notes are normally considered a desirable quality in vintage beers such as barley wine like the beer described. Slow reactions with oxygen are much better than the alternatives (autolysis/soy/vegemite flavours).

 

[atkinsonr]

Not really much of a story behind it - ebay purchase from an antique dealer.

It came with a newspaper cut-out from the 50's about the beer. There was loads of it made in 1902 then put into casks. A lot of it was bottled a few years later (I believe this to be one of those bottles).

It's very cool to think about someone brewing that beer over a hundred years ago. I wonder what kind of gear they had to work with back then?

Cast iron kettle over a coal fire anyone?

 

[buttersd70]

This is one I'm waiting for the right time to open - Bass Kings Ale (1902).

Will swap you that nasty old beer for a nice new fresh one