Carlsberg Marstons

[Rodcx500z]

Well thats Marstons ruined now they have been allowed to merge with carlspiss

 

[terrym]

Its not a merger. See here and the rest of the thread.
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...-uk-forming-a-joint-venture.87289/post-907832

 

[Clint]

I thought Marston's gave up making decent beer years ago...

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Just don't have the pedigree

 

[Clint]

Oof! Me sides are splitting...

 

[Galena]

Yes it is a merger my mate who works for Marston's said "Carlsberg want in on the bitter and ales market currently they only have Tetley's. Also gives them a place on the bar which they struggle to get against carling and fosters. Marston's gets £270 million. No intentions to kill off Marston's beers etc... in fact we bottle around 15 x more a year than them. "

 

[Galena]

I thought Marston's gave up making decent beer years ago...

Mainly they did sadly, Pedigree was a great drink many years ago, but it was dumbed down to make it more stable and easy for publicans without any skill or interest to keep. I quite like Old Empire though.

 

[terrym]

Yes it is a merger my mate who works for Marston's said "Carlsberg want in on the bitter and ales market currently they only have Tetley's. Also gives them a place on the bar which they struggle to get against carling and fosters. Marston's gets £270 million. No intentions to kill off Marston's beers etc... in fact we bottle around 15 x more a year than them. "

No it isnt.
its a Joint Venture which is different to a merger.
They are still independent companies and will have their own stock market quotations
The Joint Venture has a separate board.
Although how it all works at the sharp end remains to be seen

 

[Rodcx500z]

If 2 companys join it is for the good of one lets see what pans out, if a company cant compete with carling and fosters there is something wrong with it or maybe they make the best lager in the world

 

[Galena]

No it isnt.
its a Joint Venture which is different to a merger.

You are correct and I knew this but used bad terminology without thinking, thanks for the correction.

 

[Linalmeemow]

Two pretty awful breweries joining forces - what could possible go right?

 

[MickDundee]

TBF Marstons managed to turn Hobgoblin Gold from a spectacular beer to a bland could-be-any-golden-ale in the space of 2 years without Carlsberg’s help.

 

[Clint]

Ruined it!

 

[Linalmeemow]

TBF Marstons managed to turn Hobgoblin Gold from a spectacular beer to a bland could-be-any-golden-ale in the space of 2 years without Carlsberg’s help.

Is that what happened? I keep seeing people on here saying Hobgoblin is good beer and I just don't get it at all, it's always been as bland as bland can be as long as I can remember.

 

[Clint]

It used to be good when it had Nelson Sauvin...

 

[MickDundee]

It used to be good when it had Nelson Sauvin...

Yep. When it first came out I was blown away. It was a “British” style gold ale but it had a massive twist (mainly because of the NS). Last time I had a bottle it could have been any bottled golden/pale ale. Gutted.

 

[Clint]

Wonder if "wychwood" would divulge an original recipe?
Email sent...

 

[trummy]

Years ago the pubs around me served either Marstons or Bass, a few Everards and the odd Ruddles pub - The Pedi was good and the Bass 'matured in Russian Oak casks to give it its unique flavour' they said was also good as I recall All gone, Pedi recipe has changed. Bass abandoned the old brewing system and its now brewed by Marstons. Ruddles moved else were and at the moment Everards contract most of their beers out. Thank goodness for the diversity thats now available . - although in large areas around Burton Marstons own the majority of the pubs so choice is still stifled

 

[MickDundee]

Wonder if "wychwood" would divulge an original recipe?

@AdeDunn pointed me in the direction of a version he did a couple of years back which came out pretty close. I can’t be bothered to go and find his exact post, but this is what I entered into BF from it:

He didn’t have Magnum as his bittering hop (i only did that because I have some “in stock”), he had a combo of Pilgrim and Target IIRC. He said he used Liberty Bell as his yeast.

 

[peebee]

I thought Marston's gave up making decent beer years ago...

Mainly they did sadly, Pedigree was a great drink many years ago, but it was dumbed down to make it more stable and easy for publicans without any skill or interest to keep. I quite like Old Empire though.

Interesting. I'm referring to Pedigree if I'm ever writing "some publicans do not vent their beers effectively" (hence commercial hand-pumped beer can be a bit "over carbonated"). Marsden's Pedigree is (for historical reasons?) fairly common over here in N. Wales. This is the first suggestion I've heard that the over carbonation might be due to design?

But on the whole "Pedigree" is still as I remember it (I was bought up in S. Derbyshire). But I did live away from it for many years, so perhaps I taste it through rose-tinted spectacles now (should that be a "rose-tinted straw"?). Marsden's do seem to have positioned themselves as the UK modern day "Big Six" (old 1960/70 breweries).