What the heck happened to Bass Ale?

[scotchpine]

Many on this forum may not care about this, but back in my Dylan Thomas days, when I used to go around with an empty Bass Ale bottle stuck on my finger, this beer was like mothers milk to me. I just had one the other night, poured from a bottle. This is not the same beer I remember fondly as the first rung in the ladder upon which I rose above drinking piss-water beers. The label says "imported by" and "in the proud tradition of", but I don't think it's brewed at Burton on Trent anymore. The water has to be different from what I remember. It's sort of like what happened to Loenbrau back in the 70's when they started brewin it in Fort Worth, the water just made the beer taste different. Any comments on this?

[Rhoobarb]

Maybe it's not the beer that's changed, but you.

[mabrungard]

I have to admit that I haven't enjoyed the bottles or drafts of Bass that I've had in the past 6+ months. I wouldn't be surprised if there has been a change. Not as good as I remember it.

[JohnF]

What was Bass has been out of the brewing business for over a decade now. The draught product is produced at a Coors owned plant in Burton I believe and the bottled product at an AB-Inbev plant elsewhere.

[Charlie]

What was Bass has been out of the brewing business for over a decade now. The draught product is produced at a Coors owned plant in Burton I believe and the bottled product at an AB-Inbev plant elsewhere.

Great Leaping Horned Toads! Contract Beer!

I guess that "Saved" the company, but what a price to pay.

Charlie

[JohnF]

What was Bass has been out of the brewing business for over a decade now. The draught product is produced at a Coors owned plant in Burton I believe and the bottled product at an AB-Inbev plant elsewhere.

Great Leaping Horned Toads! Contract Beer!

I guess that "Saved" the company, but what a price to pay.

Charlie

It didn't save the company. Listen to the last podcast that Bamforth was on. The government limited how many pubs a brewery could own. Smaller "big" breweries like Fullers got to keep all their pubs. Bass would have needed to sell most of them. Pubs make more money than breweries so they kept all of the pubs and sold the brand. They were doing fine on both sides of the business until the Government got involved.

[Kbar]

Maybe it's not the beer that's changed, but you.

+1

Bass like beers were great in our youthful pre-homebrew addicted days. We are better now and expect much more and have experienced a world of better beers.............no offense Bass

[Bugeater]

It's been a couple years since I had a Bass Ale. That one was so skunked that when the bartender sat it down in front of me I could smell it before even picking it up. He tried to tell me that that was the way it always is. I flagged down the owner and complained. He took one whiff, dumped it down the drain and gave me a different beer for free. I haven't bothered ordering one since.

Wayne