William Lees-Jones, the Managing Director, led proceedings with a canter through the history of the brand and how AB InBev, trading as Budweiser UK came to the agreement for Lees to revive the cask version of the brand which has been in abeyance for fourteen years, since it was last brewed for what was then InBev by fellow Manchester brewers Hydes. (Boddingtons at 3.4% is still brewed for keg and can at Salmesbury).It was actually interesting to learn that historically, despite its national distribution, 46% of Boddingtons production was sold in or around its North West homeland. It was also to me, at least, quite astonishing to learn that at its peak well over 300,000 barrels were produced.
The new beer will be pitched between premium and superpremium segment of the market following market research, with the byline "Cream of Manchester back on cask." It was a humorous and interesting talk before William handed over to the Brewing Director Michael Lees-Jones, who would get down to the nitty-gritty of the product. In the background, the brewing team were busily filling pints in new branded glasses while Michael described the beer as the assembled crowd eyed them thirstily.The beer is brewed with JW Lees house yeast, as the risk of cross contamination was considered too large to use a Boddington derived yeast. Originally Boddingtons was hopped with Fuggles, Goldings and Whitbread Goldings Variety, but the new beer is hopped with Goldings and Jester to give the flavour profile that is now required. This will impart a touch of grapefruit bitterness. The beer has 15.5 colour units and 29 European Bitterness Units. The original gravity is 1038, with an abv of 4%.
So, where can you get this beer? Firstly, it won't be sold in any Lees pubs with the exception of Founders Hall, Lees showcase pub in Manchester City Centre. Lees's free trade reps are busily signing up North West outlets to the cause and eventually, it will go out to carefully selected distributors throughout the nation. JW Lees also intends to have us all back in a few months to tell us how it is going. In the meantime, there will be a What's App group for feedback.
So, there you have it. Boddies is back and it is very good. Seek it out and see what you think.
This is a very quick post as I have to go out, but I thought it worthwhile to give the basic gen about this iconic beer. Photo of William and Michel Lees-Jones and the beer and glass.
On the way out we also were given a gift box with a glass, a bucket hat and a very yellow T shirt. Fab or what?
17 comments:
Surprised they are generally not selling it in their pubs, although I get the reason. Let's be honest its not bodies. It's using a brand as it looks good on social media etc. I get it, why not, not harming anyone. But it's not Boddington. But if its a good beer I'll drink it. That's all that is important. Seems a long way from the original
By 'ek
Thanks for the early, Peter. It should boost trade in the Founders Hall (previously Duttons ?), just in time for re-opening of the town hall !
Not selling it in their own pubs? A premium ale, only in posh pubs Not in 'Spoons pubs then. I can remember the taste of the original Boddies & this is just "Badge Brewing" as the late Neil Richardson would call it (I was his regular postman for many years). Price somewhere north of £5 a pint then? I will try a pint if I see it (unlikely) just for old times sake then.
Big Linda here from the Crackers Arms. I'll drink anything me. That's why I'm a fat old bird and can only fit into XXXXL tee shirts. Normally black so the slop stains don't show. It better be cheap though, I'm not overpaying. My old dog Barny liked the boddingtons
Hi ho, hi ho, it's back to Founder's Hall I go...! I've had some well-kept pale beers there - they serve a good pint of MPA, and I have very fond memories of "Summit Iconic", a seasonal collab with Thornbridge which was basically an MPA/Jaipur cross. William L-J introduced MPA at its launch by saying they’d put the cream back into Manchester (“and by ‘eck, it’s gorgeous”) - so it'll be interesting to do a compare-and-contrast with this one.
A strong national brand is good for cask ale. It might not be Boddingtons as it was, but Boddingtons was a beer that evolved year in year so it's a bit meaningless to say it's not like my memory of it because our memories are all different and relate to different versions. If it's good and widely available, I'll take that. Well done Lees.
"A strong national brand is good for cask ale."
But I thought everyone was gagging for obscure beers they've never heard of !
It sounds good, but it will be interesting to see what distribution they get, and whether they sign up any major pub operators.
Sounds like a great jolly and I for one am eager to try the beer. Fwiw, JW Lees Bitter has made the occasional appearance down here in the West Country - my Stonegate local has it on its list of ales the pub can buy - and it goes down very well indeed. Increasingly rare to find a proper Northern bitter these days and such a nice change from the disappointing line-up of golden and pale ales I increasingly come across.
Hey up Linds. Never knew you were a reader of Tandleman. You a lot of beer blogs mate? Who yer fav one. See you on Sunday for the darts
The Town Hall is finished? Who knew?
They are proceeding with caution on that one.
Glad you've enjoyed some Lees Bitter Prof.
There's room for big brands and obscure beers hopefully! Both ways to keep hand pulls in use in different kinds of pub.
It might be a trick of the light, or perhaps it's down to the camera. It might be a combination of both, but where's the straw-coloured bitter I remember from 50 years ago?
If you're going to do nostalgia, then you've got to get it right, although full judgment is reserved until I've had the chance to taste the JWL version.
I had three pints of it last night. It didn't remind me of the Bodds I drank in the late 70s and early 80s. My memory is obviously open to question but it was darker, less dry, less bitter, and tasted unlike I remember it. A nice beer but a new beer that is more similar to other beers I've had recently. If you're putting Jester hops in it you are saying to the world that you are not attempting to recreate the beer.
I'm reluctant to be negative about this, but it seems to me that it is capitalising on nostalgia for something that hasn't been what people imagine it is for forty-five years. I moved to the Manchester area forty years ago, and never found Boddies particularly special.
The 1990s boom was largely built on the "Madchester" trend rather than the beer itself, and in its last decade or so Boddies cask bitter always seemed gloopy and eminently forgettable.
Will be interesting to see if it makes it down here. The only JW Lee's beers we tend to get are those on the Spoons list, but Boddies was widely available back in the day and presumably the brand will still have some nostalgic cachet.
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