Old Old Peculier

No you're quite right Nick. When I was a student (late 70s) the offy down the road sold these stubby OP bottles and I think every one found their way into my flat (in dribs and drabs, you know)! I can still taste it now. A slight vinous twinge - the alcohol I think added to the sweet, burnt maltiness, and an almost purple colour. Gorgeous!

The ABV gradually gradually dropped from 6% in 1978 to 5.7% in 1988.

Brett

My 1977 GBG gives the OG as 1063.3 and describes it as "black and heavy" About 20 years ago the directors asked the brewers to introduce a "Guinness-like" characteristic to the brew.Apparently the tasting sessions were merry times.Perhaps it changed then or when the beer duty was switched frombeing based on OG to ABV.

On a winter cycling weekend in early 1970's a few of us got snowed in in a pub in Horsehouse in Coverdale.

Pubs closed at 2 pm on Sundays and as this one didn't open Sunday evening the Landlord left us in the

residents lounge with a few cases of Old Peculiar. He just added the cost onto our bill the following morning.

It was over 6% in those days. We didn't care too much about missing a Monday at work.

Even Warrington had snow that weekend so the boss accepted my excuse.

You didn't ride with any out of Holmfirth by any chance???

Hi

When I were a slip of a lad a long time ago in a Galaxy, far, far, away etc, we used to drink Old Peculier because it was, at that time, reputed to be the strongest beer in the World (not sure about the rest of the Universe!!!) and being young and stupid, we preferred a man's beer rather than some fancy girlie brew - Binge drinking is nothing new; I was paralytic throughout most of the 1960s and missed it; In fact it was 1982 before I found out the 1960s had been all about sex, drugs and rock and roll!!!!

However, at that time, Old Peculier was served from a small barrel perched on the end of the bar and was only available on draught, I don't think you could buy it in bottles in those days. From memory, it was flat, thick, a dark green slimy colour but tasted wonderful. It went down very, very smoothly - and came back up even smoother some time later!!!

Having tried the occasional bottle of OP since, it is, alas, but a pale shadow of its former self.

Regards

KGB

in Horsehouse in Coverdale.

I recall (vaguely!) a summer (walking) trip up over the Yorkshire moors

- lunchtime came at the right time for the Lion at Blakeney Ridge. A Half of OP was considered just the right thing, which was judged to be so good that it should be followed by another half, and then an unanimous decision made that it required a third, and so the afternoon wore on. Luckily it was sunny, and an old railway line (presumabley there was an old quarry up the hill?) lead us generally in the correct direction, and we paused only to bowl an old tyre at a sheep, which was rather more agile than we were at this point. Somehow we got to the correct hostel before dark.

Landlord left us in the

onto our bill the following morning.

It is also served at the Tan Hill Inn. - It's quite a whizz back to Kirby Stephen; though the Drop Inn?? pub may no longer be extant.

and mind the gap!

BTDT...

There was an extensive iron mining industry in the area, with a spectacular railway round both sides of Rosedale, which had a junction near the pub. It never (officially) carried passengers, and closed in 1929.

There is a hard(ish) to find but worth seeking out book called "Rosedale Mines and Railway", which... well, you can probably guess what it is all about!

I remember taking a six-pack (or possibly two three-packs, can't remember) of those bottles on an overnight train from Paris to Basle, and sharing them with one or two of the other compartment occupants, who were amazed that such wonderful beer was brewed in England.

Agree, but AFAIK it's being brewed in Masham again now, and it's definitely better than it has been for years. I just wish they'd bang the abv back up to where it used to be, but with the current Chancellor, it's not likely to happen :-(

Yep - see above.

I disagree, in my recent experience bottled OP is a thin-tasting, dry, metallic sort of a thing, but I recently-ish had it handpulled from (oak) cask at a local pub which stocks it permanently & it was absolutely delicious.

I wasn't sure whether all OP was brewed in Masham now, but I'm guessing that it is, as it won CAMRA "Champion Beer of Yorkshire", at the 2007 Rotherham Oakwood Beer Festival? "All entrants for the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) award were subject to the rules established by CAMRA for its Champion Beer of Britain Award . . . Only beers that are brewed in Yorkshire, available nationally and regularly qualified to participate." from

from

But, I've just had a thought - if, according to web sources, the bulk of Theakston's production was moved to ScotCo/S&N Tadcaster, then the OP might legitimately be Yorkshire-brewed, but not Masheam-brewed?

Does someone here know for sure? cheers MikeMcG

Thought I heard that the Theakston family had bought OP back from S&N a year or so back. But even when S&N owned it, I believe the Yorkshire distribution of OP was still out of the Masham brewery. At least that is what the landlord said at the Theakston pub just next to the Blacksheep visitor center ;->

AFAIK, Theakston's bought back the brands in autumn 2003, but according to reliable sources "the bulk of production" was to remain being brewed by S&N, initially at S&N's Tyne Brewery & then from Spring 2005 at S&N's John Smiths, Tadcaster.

Theakston's had announced increased fermentation capacity was due to be ready at Masham in Spring 2005.

A 2006 Lancs CAMRA mag said that Best Bitter was the only Theakston's brew contracted back to S&N, with all the rest being brewed in house at Masham.

In answer to your comment - I dare say the *distribution* of OP within Yorks might have come from Masham when S&N owned it, but I don't believe the beer has always only been brewed there. cheers, MikeMcG

Or even "centre" (unless you're Coors of course.) ;-)

As in Butt Lite???

I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with?

I was part of the tasting panel at that festival, although I didn't taste the OP. I did, however, see the surprise on the faces of those who did pick it as beer of the festival when they learned what it was (it was a blind tasting, of course).

The Navigation Inn at Mirfield (2 minutes' walk from the railway station) has a range of Theakstons beers, including O.P., which are (or were before the budget - I haven't been in there since) all sold at £2.00 a pint!

Gone up to £2.10 before the budget, £2.20 after budget I believe. Not a bad price for Bitter, let alone Old Peculier. You would never get those prices in an Enterpunch pub, would you! Best Bitter, Black Bull, XP and OP ( and John Smiths Cask) all at the same price, with John Smiths Smooth 10p dearer (teehee!)

Paul