Gold label down again

[beechnut 10]

I also remember Gold Label being in the Guinness Book of Records. I think that later on a German beer was shown there as the world's strongest. Maybe the breweries tried to "outdo" each other.

 

I like the story, Hillsbro! My own dad was fond of a drop of Gold Label but he didn't usually drink it in pints.

[Ghostrider 11]

order a pint,sup half add one Barley wine = Happy

I did that one night 27 years ago....after 3 or 4 I was hammered

 

---------- Post added 07-01-2016 at 15:53 ----------

 

I used to love Gold Label Barley Wine in the early 90s. I knew the strength used to be higher back then but I thought it was 11.5%?

 

Grinning now as I remember the wording on those small cans 'Very Strong Special Beer' which was so enticing back in the day! Mind you it did actually taste nice.

 

I do remember when it was sold in pubs in those strange size little bottles which I suppose haven't been available in a pub for years now.

I was selling them in my old pub a couple of years ago..

[arrodbo 10]

Harold Burkinshaw was the Head Brewer and the most feared person I knew in my 40 years at Whitbread. He was responsible for "inventing" Gold Label.

The advert used to say ....(strong as a double scotch and half the price).

Whitbread had their own version namely Final Selection and on the label it read.....Discretion should be used when consuming this bottle due to the high alchol content. Ironically it was never as strong as Gold Label.

Both drinks were sold in "nip" bottles ie. a 1/3rd of a pint.

[stpetre 12]

Harold Burkinshaw was the Head Brewer and the most feared person I knew in my 40 years at Whitbread. He was responsible for "inventing" Gold Label.

The advert used to say ....(strong as a double scotch and half the price).

Whitbread had their own version namely Final Selection and on the label it read.....Discretion should be used when consuming this bottle due to the high alchol content. Ironically it was never as strong as Gold Label.

Both drinks were sold in "nip" bottles ie. a 1/3rd of a pint.

 

What was the difference between ' Final Selection ' and 'Gold Label' Barley Wines, (wine ?), Were they both Tennant-(Whitbread) products ?

[Sheff2006 10]

I did that one night 27 years ago....after 3 or 4 I was hammered

 

---------- Post added 07-01-2016 at 15:53 ----------

 

[/b]

I was selling them in my old pub a couple of years ago..

 

Bet those bottles would be collectable now - full or empty.

 

Why was the strength reduced from over 10% to the current (7.5%?)?

[TORONTONY 10]

Bet those bottles would be collectable now - full or empty.

 

Why was the strength reduced from over 10% to the current (7.5%?)?

Like everything else, surely you have noticed food in smaller packages for the same price, as before, The consumer is being screwed as usual.

[native son 10]

Our regular drink innth early 80s in Sheffield clubs such as steeleys was snakebite nade with a gold label.

Powerful stuff

[Library 10]

I am wondering if the decrease in strength is to do with the Excise Duty. As I understand it (and I might be wrong) an ABV of 7.5% puts a beer in the general beer category: above 7.5% it becomes a high strength beer and rather more duty is payable.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowance-excise-duty-alcohol-duty is where the appropriate rates are given

 

I haven't touched the stuff since I was a student (first time around) and, like others have said, it was a cheap way to get "merry". Not sure I really liked the taste, although it is so long ago now that I can't remember it.

Edited January 10, 2016 by Library

[darra 10]

I am wondering if the decrease in strength is to do with the Excise Duty. As I understand it (and I might be wrong) an ABV of 7.5% puts a beer in the general beer category: above 7.5% it becomes a high strength beer and rather more duty is payable.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowance-excise-duty-alcohol-duty is where the appropriate rates are given

 

I haven't touched the stuff since I was a student (first time around) and, like others have said, it was a cheap way to get "merry". Not sure I really liked the taste, although it is so long ago now that I can't remember it.

The taste was awful for the first, like drinking battery acid but you got used to it and after the third you didn't care . Seem to remember some used to add a dash of lime,never tried it myself can't think it improved it any probably made it worse.

[TORONTONY 10]

The taste was awful for the first, like drinking battery acid but you got used to it and after the third you didn't care . Seem to remember some used to add a dash of lime,never tried it myself can't think it improved it any probably made it worse.

 

Having never tasted battery acid, I can't really compare lol, but I loved the stuff and wish it was available in Canada. Once snuck in a 4 pack of cans in a suitcase many years ago. Never get away with that these days, metal detectors and the like. Remember first emigrating and bringing in some of my favourite hand tools in one of my cases, no problem.

Edited January 10, 2016 by TORONTONY

[arrodbo 10]

What was the difference between ' Final Selection ' and 'Gold Label' Barley Wines, (wine ?), Were they both Tennant-(Whitbread) products ?

 

Good Question.....and the answer is that Gold Label was Tennant bros of Sheffield product invented by Harold Burkinshaw the Head Brewer, and Final Selection was 100% a Whitbread product.

I still have bottles of the 2 products from the 1960s

[darra 10]

Having never tasted battery acid, I can't really compare lol, but I loved the stuff and wish it was available in Canada. Once snuck in a 4 pack of cans in a suitcase many years ago. Never get away with that these days, metal detectors and the like. Remember first emigrating and bringing in some of my favourite hand tools in one of my cases, no problem.

 

Managed to get six cans of Canadian beer back for a mate when I was over there about 3 years ago. Stuffed them inside trainers and shoes then inside socks in the suitcase. As for battery acid I used to work in a lab so tasted it many times mostly accidentally,its sulphuric acid BTW. I would say the nearest you can get to the old Barley Wine taste these days would be Special Brew

Edited January 11, 2016 by darra