It’s not often that a beer can celebrate half a century in production – still less often that it reaches 90 years! So H & C News was delighted to seize the opportunity to learn more about Wadworth’s famous 6X, as well as to sample both the original brewing recipe (or as close to it as possible) and its modern successor.
Our conclusion? We favour the modern version, but recommend any reader to try the 90-year-old – if you get the chance!
Thoroughly decent, thoroughly drinkable and thoroughly British.
Ninety years ago in a small, unpretentious Wiltshire town, a new beer was brewed: coppery gold in colour, modestly malty and fruity in flavour, and gently hoppy on the palate. It was named 6X, and became a ‘classic’ beer.
Fast forward to 2013 and the same classic beer is still being brewed at the same great brewery. It’s still delicious, still intense, and still one of the nation’s favourite ales. This thoroughly decent pint has seen Wadworth drinkers through two world wars, a General Strike, a winter of discontent, a World Cup victory, two home Olympics, 16 prime ministers and four monarchs.
A ‘beer of choice’ in pubs and bars
It got its famous name from an ancient tradition and has become a modern talisman in the pubs and bars of Britain. It is the beer of choice for many a pub-goer through good times and bad. Wherever you are across the land, you can depend on a consistent pint of 6X with the same trademark characteristics of strength, colour, palate and aroma.
The recipe has been tweaked across the years, but remains basically the same flavoursome brew. Special editions of the popular ale include this years’ 90th Anniversary version – given a festive note for the celebrations, but still retaining the distinctive 6X flavour notes.
And the name?
The beer acquired its famous name right from the start. The X was developed during the middle ages when most people couldn’t read, so barrels of ale were marked with an X to denote strength – the more Xs, the stronger the brew.
This tradition continued into the modern era, and at different times Wadworth brewed an XX Mild, an XXX ale and an XXXX pale ale. When XXXXXX was introduced as a stronger variant it’s believed that one of the lads in the brewery shortened this to 6X – and the rest, as they say, is history.
All that’s required in a high quality pint
“We are very proud of 6X here at Wadworth,” said Sales and Marketing Director Paul Sullivan. “We believe it to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest, beer brand, and its popularity and staying power is down to its remarkable flavour and ultimate drinkability. It has the character to appeal afresh to each new generation of drinkers, providing all that is required in a high quality pint.”
Historic highlights of an exceptional beer
Wadworth Head Brewer, Brian Yorston picks out the vital dates in the 90-year history of 6X.
- Pre – 1914: A beer called XXXX is brewed. The term X originated in the Middle Ages when the monks who brewed the beer marked the casks in a particular way. The more Xs on the cask the stronger the beer, so the term X, XX, XXX and XXXX were easy to understand for a population which was at that time largely illiterate.
- 1917: The law changes to insist on breweries producing lower alcohol beers, known as Temperance beers. Wadworth therefore brew a reduced strength XXXX. This is probably due to two reasons: Many, including Prime Minister Lloyd George, worried that overuse of alcohol was affecting the war effort. And secondly, once the war started it became more and more difficult to impart barley from America, and the shortage meant that brewers were forced to brew lighter beers.
- After the end of the war, Wadworth brewers find themselves brewing two strengths of XXXX – the original strong 5.8% to 6% abv version, and the lighter one of 4 to 4.3% which had been brewed during the war years. It is thought that the lighter ale was brewed during the summer months and was known as Harvest Ale.
- In December 1923 the brewery decided to rename the stronger beer 6X, probably to reflect its original strength of approximately 6%, and the first beer of this name was brewed. All the records since its conception have always called the beer 6X and never XXXXXX.
- The two beers were brewed at the same strengths until April 1941 when the Second World War once again resulted in restrictions being imposed on the strength levels of beer. 6X and XXXX both continued to be brewed, but they varied in strength, both reducing their alcohol content.
- In 1943 the abv of 6X settled at 4.3%, and the mellow beer we know today has been brewed at this level ever since. In 1947 the last brew of XXXX ever was brewed.
- 2013 – the 90th anniversary of 6X is celebrated with a special anniversary 6X ale. Head Brewer Brian Yorston and Second Brewer Colin Oke re-create the original 1923 brew for the anniversary event. The original recipe is interpreted as closely as possible, and the same Fuggles and Goldings hops are used but in different proportions than they appear in the modern 6X.