Adnams Southwold Bitter - are they lowering the ABV?

[clarets7]

I was planning to visit Southwold in a month or so, but that has now fallen through, so I thought I'd see if I could buy a cask for my local co-op pub. Looking on the Adnams website I was horrified that clicking through to their core beer selection page the Southwold Bitter is listed as 3.4% ABV, down from 3.7%.
I could only find one reference to this when I searched on the internet - one comment asking the same question on a horse racing forum! However, what I did find was another Adnams page that also listed their cores beers, but this time with the original 3.7% ABV. So I am confused.
I have emailed Adnams to get some clarification, but I just thought I'd ask on here if anyone has heard anything about this.

[clarets7]

I do realise why they would think of doing this, due to the beer duty rules, just think it would be sacrilege

Links to pages: =
https://adnams.co.uk/pages/corebeerscollection
https://adnams.co.uk/pages/trade-products

[soupdragon]

There'll be no decent beer left the way that trend is going.

Cheers Tom

[clarets7]

I've just had a reply from Adnams - they are indeed lowering the ABV from 3.7% to 3.4%. It will apply to cask, bottles and mini-kegs as well. They have 3.7% mini-kegs in stock still though, I might get one as a farewell...
If anyone else wants to do the same you've got till the end of the month, the change happens from April

[Cobnut]

Pretty sure my local had Southwold listed at 3.4% wh/en I was in there last week (Southwold is a beer they usually have on draught). As others have said, this is doubtless to reduce revenue costs. Although, AFAIK there is 0.5% tolerance on the declared ABV, so why not list it at 3.4% and continue to brew it as before?

[Eric]

Beers at 3.4% ABV qualify for the same relief in duty as do small brewers, regardless of output. It was inevitable beers produced by larger brewers would reduce ABV to 3.4% for the majority of session beers.

[Eric]

Beers at 3.4% ABV qualify for the same relief in duty as do small brewers, regardless of output. It was inevitable beers produced by larger brewers would reduce ABV to 3.4% for the majority of session beers.

[clarets7]

Pretty sure my local had Southwold listed at 3.4% wh/en I was in there last week (Southwold is a beer they usually have on draught). As others have said, this is doubtless to reduce revenue costs. Although, AFAIK there is 0.5% tolerance on the declared ABV, so why not list it at 3.4% and continue to brew it as before?

I think the Inland Revenue might have something to say about that