Burton brewer Molson Coors has defended the strength of Carling lager after it was criticised over the ale's alcohol content.

The criticism featured in the national press with claims the firm had misled customers over the lager's strength and came after the firm was involved in a tax tribunal over a £50 million tax bill.

The firm was taken to the tribunal by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Molson Coors won the case but it emerged during the hearing that even though it says on cans and kegs of Carling that its alcohol strength (ABV) is four per cent it can sometimes be less.

Molson Coors, which did not have to pay the bill after winning the case, had argued that brewing is a natural process so alcohol level was sometimes less than four per cent and this was allowed by law.

Molson Coors said the labelling on its cans and kegs was correct and was 'entirely consistent with the law' as there is a legally allowed variation in the percentage of brews.

Brewers are allowed a variation of 0.5 per cent in the alcohol level, due to it being part of a natural process so the labels on Carling are correct, said Molson Coors.

According to documents from the tax tribunal, which was held earlier this year, HMRC had claimed that Molson Coors had to pay more than £50 million to cover unpaid tax between September 1, 2012 and January 31, 2015.

A spokesman said the company abides by all legal requirements

The government body had argued that the owners of Carling should have paid tax according to the four per cent alcohol strength stated on cans and kegs. However, the firm argued that the actual strength of the lager meant that the amount of tax paid was correct.

A spokesman for Molson Coors said this week: "Media coverage of the legal dispute which Molson Coors won earlier this year, and related commentary about Carling, have oversimplified what is a complex and technical topic.

"A number of factual inaccuracies have since been reported. As a major brand, the trust of our consumers is paramount. We abide by all legal requirements in the brewing and labelling of Carling.

"The natural process of brewing means individual brews of Carling can vary fractionally in alcohol content.

"However, all brews are well within the tolerance legally permitted for all beers, as was confirmed in the recent court decision. It is completely normal for consumable products to have a slight variation, for example the allowed variation for wine is one per cent.

"We would never compromise on the quality of our beers. We carry out over 300 quality checks before our beer leaves the brewery. We regularly do taste testing with consumers. They tell us Carling has never tasted better.

"We want to thank our local employees, local community and loyal local consumers in and around Burton for their continued support."

Carling lager has been brewed in Burton since Molson Coors took over the former Bass Brewery in 2005.

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