(St. Louis, MO) – Beernews.org has intercepted a letter sent out from AB InBev regarding one of the world’s oldest beer brands.
With Stella Artois sales surging in the U.S. thanks to a heavy marketing push, AB InBev now has its sights set on lifting sales here for another famed import brand, Bass Pale Ale.
Here is the bulk of the letter…
Bass Pale Ale, the Original Pale Ale, has a rich history dating back centuries. Its classic red triangle was England’s first registered trademark and still serves as the brand icon today. This brand’s authenticity and enduring past earn it the credibility to shape its future.
In 2012, we will reintroduce Bass to consumers by investing in a variety of liquid innovations, packaging options and unique taste experiences. These actions will allow expansion of the brand in the United States and make Bass a more formidable competitor in the high end.
To set the stage, we will begin brewing Bass for the U.S. market at the Baldwinsville brewery in June. This change will result in an immediate and significant benefit for wholesalers and retailers while requiring some minor adjustments at retail to accommodate the transition.
The immediate benefit is more draught beer for the same price. As a result of shifting from the European to U.S. standard half barrel, each keg will have approximately 25 additional 16 oz servings. By selling at the same price per keg, this is a great opportunity to expand distribution and target competitive import/craft handles immediately.
Craft reps, look out.
Just one year ago, The Times Online reported that AB InBev was looking to sell the Bass brand (excluding trademark rights and international rights outside of the UK).
I bought a six pack of Bass and when I got home and cracked one open i thought I had a old or bad batch. I opened a second bottle and poured it in a clean glass but again a bland taste. I looked at the label for an expiration date and did not find one. I did find that it was brewed in Baldwinsville, NY!! This isn’t even close to real UK Bass, very sad attempt and illusion behind a well known trademark. I am disappointed that this legendary brand is being copied as a poorly flavored variation of Budwieser.
I picked up a sixer tonight thinking I was buying something reliable that I could enjoy before bed. This is shit, and led me to seek out what was changed in the beer online, which brought me eventually here to speak out. Give me a freakin’ break. Yuck. True British classics should remain what they always were. their time will come around again. I’ve been raving to my friends lately how the classic British bitters haven’t yet trended toward the front of the current brew hype, but the Marstons, Fullers, Youngs, Sam Smiths and Belhavens will have their day. My current favorite is the Wells Bombardier, an easy everyday bitter. Piss on InBev for letting this happen to the poor old Bass Pale.
I agree with other commentators that although brewing Bass in the USA makes commercial sense there are those like myself who buy beer imported from England because they happen to believe it has to be better due to the long history and experience in maintaining a particular flavor – which creates fervent brand loyalty in England.
When did the change take place? Today, after 20 years of enjoying my daily taste of home I felt something was amiss. No boost of morale – more like induced torpor. Then looked at the bottle’s label and all was revealed. Hiding behind the red tryangle this is a very unpleasant headache-inducing impostor.
So that means returning to Newcastle Ale (despite its inferior taste) which when I last looked is still imported and costs no more than this cheaply produced imitation of a truly historic Made in Britain beer.
SucH a disappointing experience. Taste is poor in comparison to British Bass. Way lame. It’ll be sad to see what happens to such a great brand.
Bass brewed in New York is overpriced and the opposite of good.
A recent Bass purchase has left me disappointed. I had not drunk Bass in a few years and when I opened my first bottle, I initially though my taste had changed. It was not until I looked more closely at the label that I found it is now a domestic brew. I am not against domestics (Sam Adams is among my favorites) but I find this new Bass without character now. I honestly don’t know if is because of the change in breweries / recipe – but I will not buy it again.
Beware, they did the same thing to Becks. It is no longer brewed in Germany. Now brewed in St Louis. Taste like a budweiser. What a shame.
Why does my head hurt after just one of the new US beers????
I ‘had’ been a Bass Ale drinker here in the U.S. for the last 15 years or so. After purchasing a 12 pack recently, I noticed a total lack of flavor and checked the bottle to see that my ‘go to’ brew is now made in Baldwinsville, New York. What the f**k, are they using Hudson River water with no hops or caramel? Tastes like crap – no flavor. Shame on you AB InBev. You’ve lost a long-time customer here. Any suggestions for a good American craft pale ale I can find?
J.P. Mitchell
Abita from New Orleans. Hard to get here in New England. For imports I stick with Smithwicks.
Troeggs Pale Ale
Victory Headwaters Pale Ale both from Pa.
Bass is a different (worse) beer now. Used to have deep rich flavor and creamy head, now a thin raw flavor and just fizzy foam. Suspiciously like a caramel-colored Budweiser. Brewed in New York state now.
To be fair, it had been going downhill for a while, even while it was still being brewed in England. But it is now a shell of its former self, and no longer a value for me. I won’t be buying it at anything over $8 a 12-pack.
This is typical of progressive quality degeneration we’ve seen in all manner of brands. Brands that used to be quality in taste or manufacture, got bought up by larger organizations, and the quality gets hollowed out to maximize profitability. Examples: Eddie Bauer, Yuban coffee, Lowenbrau, Bass Ale….
I “used” to be a loyal BAss Ale drinker. I can say that I will never buy Bass Ale unless it is once again imported from the UK. This tripe they are calling Bass Ale here, now tastes like shit. Why did they have to F*(& with this. It WAS perfect. Now it tastes like a skunked coors lite mixed with rotten eggs. These greedy American MOOKS thought they could pull this off without true brew lovers realizing the difference.
The sad part is, I wouldn’t even MIND paying more for the real stuff, but being charged for an import when I’m getting a cheap local alternative is robbery. RIP Bass, 1777-2011.
I totally agree. One day I loved Bass (for the past 20yrs!) and it tasted….well American (not SA but Bud like). WTF???? Dumbing down the brew for the masses.
Yuk, not worth drinking this Bass made in USA. For a few months, after drinking this beer for years, I thought I had flat bath. It had no body, no head!
Now I know why.
Sad that the good old days are over.
Now that Bass Ale is lost to the US, try Old Speckled Hen … if you can find it. My local pub in Monterey California, Crown and Anchor, had/hopefully still have it … on tap! Not the same type of beer as a Bass, but worth a try. You may end up putting it on top of your favorite’s list.
I am a Flemish Belgian … so … you know what that means in the world of beer.
Let me put it this way, once I found out that Bass is American made, I stopped buying it. Per Bass.com “In America, the drink has become a staple in pubs from Boston to San Francisco and everywhere in between.”
Why do you need to “invigorate” a market where the beer is “everywhere in between” by revamping the recipe, the label, while still paying the same price for a non-imported beer? I’d drink a PBR over the new Bass any day that’s how awfull the new Bass is.
Go here for Bass and Beck’s info and why InBev killed them
Not American Greed folks.. these boys are Brazilian
The Plot to Destroy America’s Beer – Businessweekwww.businessweek.com/articles/…/the-plot-to-destroy-americas-beer
If I’m going to pay import prices I want an import beer. Sorry Bass you lost a customer.
Having drunk Bass for years, I had a very similar experience. Unwittingly bought a six pack of the Baldwinsville brew, took it home, peeled one open, took a long pull, and ugh! Definitely not the same ole Bass we all know and love. Did these guys learn nothing from the new Coke/old Coke fiasco?
No more Bass for me.
I always considered Bass my go-to beer when I was in the US. On my first sip I knew something was wrong. I came online to see what the problem was and saw the above comments. What a shame. This is nothing like the original UK Bass that I know and love. Lets hope this is a case of new-coke and AB InBev will quickly realise the error in their ways. Until then, Bass you have lost a customer.. Let me know when you come to your senses.
My hometown is Burton Upon Trent, The home of Bass. Bass and other breweries in Burton all have their own wells and draw water from them. The gypsum causes the water to have a special hardness, essential for brewing.
I love Bass beer but my real favorite is Marston’s Pedigree.
I moved to USA 20 years ago and proudly tell people about my home town and about the first registered trademark being on a bottle of Bass beer.
The packaging for a 6 pack, now brewed in Baldwinsville, NY is deceiptive and may even be illegal, as unless you turn it over you are lead to believe that it is an English beer ( on all 4 sides of the pack). Only on the underside do you see Baldwinsville!!!!
The beer lacks the caramel of traditional Bass and has zero Head retention.
It is a poor imposter sold at an import price and the Fed. trade Commission should investigate such deceiptive practices.
This is the last 6 pack that I will buy until it returns to its origins as an imported beer from Burton Upon Trent.
Merry Christmas .
I just had my first Baldwinsville made Bass – it tastes awful! I thought there was something wrong with the batch I had until I checked the label. I won’t be buying any more unless I can find an imported somewhere here in VA
I loved drinking Bass in the mid90s. Got a 6er tonight after picking up a pizza pie and was dismayed. Who put the Schlitz in the Bass bottle and charged me import prices? Thought maybe it was an old batch but now I see its this NY water bit. For what I was paying I too thought I was getting a real import still. Back to Smitty’s for UK flavor or some fun local brews.
i realized that n.y bass tasted different compared to u.k. version but didnt realize HOW different untill i got my hands on some original imports hiding in a local liquor emporium… i can say unequivocally that n.y bass SUCKS! stay away, its all marketing hype and backwash combined in one!!
How can AB ignore these comments. I always considered Bass the best beer in the world. NY bass is terrible. They have lost it all. Well at least Saranac Pale Ale is acceptable. What a way to lose what market share they had.
Glad to know Im not the only one. Bass is now terrible just like Becks. Bass is now watered down sour swill and Beck’s tastes like Butt-weiser now. They ruined everything! Shame on them. Bunch of cheapskate jerks. You think we cant taste a difference? Stop ruining our beer. And stop watering everything down. Now I wont buy ANYTHING made by these beer molesters! Way to go jerks! Guess I will just have to drink good beer now. Spaten will replace Becks for me and Brooklyn Brown will replace Bass from now on. FU inbev you suck!
Some Other Beers They have DESTROYED over the last few years:
Beck’s…..watery fizz
Bass….sour watery fizz
Rolling Rock….watery and no longer from the glass lined tanks of Old Latrobe
Budwieser…is now even more watered down as well as Michelob
Lowenbrau……crap
Honey Brown….new bass in a different bottle
I suspect next they will ruin:
Guinness
New Castle
Heineken….they are off to a good start with the new and stupid long neck bottle
St Pauli Girl
Corona…..as if it were not already bad enough
Amstel
Sierra Nevada\Long Trail
Magic Hat
Oh yeah, remember back in the 90’s when Sam Adams tasted good. Its gotten worse every year since. I suspect Coors and Miller to start following the current trends and buying up good brands to cut them with water and destroy them as well. WIMPS!
Bass tastes like ASS….I knew It instantly after taking one sip, I looked at the bottle and saw made in U.S.A…. I used to drink bass back in the day, but it’s been a few years… but after one sip….I knew it…..It has joined the ranks of Becks, Heineken, Rolling Rock,….beers that tasted way better back a few years ago…..especially Heineken in my opinion, Heineken used to be the top shelf beer….It was crisper, had better hop taste , better head ….now it taste like piss… I was in Amsterdam recently and the Heineken there for there domestic market taste like the Heineken in the U.S.A back in the day…. they must be sending us a cheaper inferior version
you guys are nuts. either you drink too much IPA or smoke too many cigarettes, because NY brewed Bass is 100000x better than any of the stale old garbage to come across the pond. Much better flavor than that stale water that was being bottled/canned. Sorry old geezers, but you are all wrong here.
Baldwinsville BASS sucks. InBev can kiss my ass….ruin a great product for short term profits..FU. I have stopped buying Stella too. Unfortunately is was the surge in popularity of Stella that gave these corporate weenies the cash flow to buy Bud and with it came the shuttered Baldwinsville plant.
Saranac is the next best Pale Ale out there that’s available in quantity.