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Craft Beer Co. (Craft Beer Company)

We believe this building is NO LONGER a pub

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Buxton - Buxton SpaExceptional1
Kernel (The Kernel) - India Pale Ale - Motueka Pacific JadeExceptional1
Kent - Craft PaleExceptional1
Hopdaemon - Green DaemonExcellent1
Ilkley - Crafty Jane Cranberry Milk StoutExcellent1
Ilkley - GoldExcellent1
Fyne - RuneExcellent1
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - CoalitionExcellent1
Evil Twin - Wet DreamExcellent1
Weird Beard - Single Hop AmarilloExcellent1
Ilkley - PaleExcellent1
Siren Craft - 1/2 Mast, Quarter IPAExcellent1
Ilkley - Siberian NightsExcellent1
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Baize Chocolate Mint StoutExcellent1
Summer Wine (SWB) - TeleporterExcellent1
Dark Star - Indian SummerExcellent1
Cairngorm - Black GoldExcellent1
Mikkeller - WillametteGood1
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - KarhaGood1
Cromarty - Happy ChappyGood1
Blue Monkey - Infinity IPA (was Infinity)Good1
Tiny Rebel - The Full NelsonGood2
Evil Twin - NymphomaniacAcceptable1
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Twin PeaksAcceptable1
Dark Star - Winter MeltdownPoor1
Magic Rock - Dark ArtsNot Tried0
Kent - Brewers ReserveNot Tried0
Dark Star - Summer MeltdownNot Tried0
Marble - Reddish AleNot Tried0
RedWillow - ShamelessNot Tried0
Kent - PaleNot Tried0
Blue Monkey - Guerrilla StoutNot Tried0
Ilkley - Mary JaneNot Tried0
Dark Star - The Art of DarknessNot Tried0
Blue Monkey - Ape AleNot Tried0
Ilkley - BlackNot Tried0
Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPANot Tried0
Blue Monkey - 99 Red BaboonsNot Tried0
Ilkley - Lotus IPA (was 5.6%)Not Tried0
Marble - Ginger 5.1Not Tried0
Blue Monkey - Funky Gibbon (previously called Sanctuary)Not Tried0
Ilkley - Stout MaryNot Tried0
Beer Geek - Legend of the Golden GeekNot Tried0
Ilkley - SiberiaNot Tried0
Binghams - Hot Dog Chilli StoutNot Tried0
Ilkley - Summer (superseded by 4% version)Not Tried0
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - JaipurNot Tried0
Ilkley - Joshua JaneNot Tried0
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - LumfordNot Tried0
Marble - BitterNot Tried0
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Saint Petersburg Imperial Russian StoutNot Tried0
Marble - Lagonda IPANot Tried0
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord MarplesNot Tried0
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Craft UnionNot Tried0
Marble - Manchester BitterNot Tried0
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - AshfordNot Tried0
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Mocha PorterNot Tried0
Dark Star - Hylder BlondeNot Tried0
Dark Star - Smoked PorterNot Tried0
Cairngorm - StagNot Tried0
Marble - Pint (was 3.9%)Not Tried0
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - SequoiaNot Tried0
Cairngorm - WildcatNot Tried0
Summer Wine (SWB) - DiabloNot Tried0
Magic Rock - CuriousNot Tried0
Cairngorm - GoldNot Tried0
Marble - DraftNot Tried0
Picture 1. Craft Beer Co., Islington, Central London
Picture 2. Craft Beer Co., Islington, Central London
Stephen Harris

Visits Details

14 Dec 2013 (Jack William)
Late Saturday afternoon - busy but not heaving - good atmosphere. About 8 pumps on the go as usual but didn't get chance to note them all.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Buxton - Buxton Spa4.10ExceptionalWhat a treat - such bittersweet, hoppy flavour and top class condition.
Hopdaemon - Green Daemon5.00ExcellentThat green hoppiiness that is becoming popular. Excellent condition - went down a treat.
Ilkley - Lotus IPA (was 5.6%)5.50Not Tried
19 Oct 2013 (Jack William)
Busy Saturday afternoon - good ambience - shame about the chap who was having a "sober October" for charity - not the venue that I'd choose for that gig!
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Craft Pale3.80ExceptionalWonderful - especially after the Winter warmer sludge.
Dark Star - Winter Meltdown5.00PoorLove the brewery's light ales so was tempted to go for this "truly winter warmer" - wish I hadn't flat and bordering on the unpleasant.
13 Oct 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Robert S and I came in here in the late afternoon. Nice atmosphere at this time of day and not at all crowded.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Ilkley - Gold3.90ExcellentVery nice. Balanced, golden and flavoursome.
Weird Beard - Single Hop Amarillo7.50ExcellentOn keg dispense. Clear, with none of the cloudiness or hint of sourness that I encountered before in a cask version (not necessarily negative attributes in my view anyway). Has a heavy hop load.
Siren Craft - 1/2 Mast, Quarter IPA2.80ExcellentA good, refreshing, hoppy, low-strength pint on which to start.
Dark Star - Summer Meltdown4.80Not Tried
Summer Wine (SWB) - Teleporter5.00Not Tried
Kent - Pale4.00Not Tried
Dark Star - The Art of Darkness3.50Not Tried
Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPA5.80Not Tried
Marble - Ginger 5.15.10Not Tried
10 Sep 2013 (Judy G Garland)
Evening Session
BeerABVScoreNotes
Summer Wine (SWB) - Teleporter5.00Excellent
Dark Star - Indian Summer6.00Excellent
Marble - Bitter3.90Not Tried
Marble - Lagonda IPA5.00Not Tried
Marble - Manchester Bitter4.20Not Tried
Dark Star - Hylder Blonde4.20Not Tried
Marble - Pint (was 3.9%)3.40Not Tried
Summer Wine (SWB) - Diablo6.00Not Tried
Marble - Draft3.90Not Tried
Kent - Craft Pale3.80Not Tried
Kent - Brewers Reserve5.00Not Tried
02 Jul 2013 (Stephen Harris)
I missed last night’s ‘Meet the Brewer’ event with Ilkley Brewery, but hoped some of the beers might still be on – they were!
BeerABVScoreNotes
Ilkley - Pale4.20ExcellentPale golden in colour. A big mouthful of fruity and bitter hops, on a decent malt base.
Ilkley - Siberian Nights5.00ExcellentThis is a dark reddish brown version of the Siberia rhubarb saison. Some of the citrusy hop flavours of the original are lost, replaced by a chocolate malt taste. I think I marginally prefer the original, but this is still a very classy beer.
Ilkley - Mary Jane3.50Not Tried
Ilkley - Black3.70Not Tried
Ilkley - Lotus IPA (was 5.6%)5.50Not Tried
Ilkley - Stout Mary4.50Not Tried
Ilkley - Gold3.90Not Tried
Ilkley - Siberia5.90Not Tried
Ilkley - Summer (superseded by 4% version)3.90Not Tried
Ilkley - Joshua Jane3.70Not Tried
24 Jun 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Early Monday evening and the pub is quiet and relaxed. Good conditions for reading the newspaper, supping beer and listening to the Velvet Underground CD that was playing.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Cairngorm - Black Gold4.40ExcellentVery full-flavoured, black beer with roast barley and liquorice tastes and a touch of sweetness.
Fyne - Rune3.50ExcellentSoft, golden, sessionable beer.
Cairngorm - Stag4.10Not Tried
Cairngorm - Wildcat5.10Not Tried
Cairngorm - Gold4.50Not Tried
Kent - Craft Pale3.80Not Tried
Kent - Brewers Reserve5.00Not Tried
RedWillow - Shameless5.90Not Tried
04 Mar 2013 (Stephen Harris)
A much-anticipated “Meet the Brewer” night with Thornbridge Brewery, and there are at least 15 of that brewery’s beers spread across keg and cask formats. In fact, too many people have been much-anticipating the event, and by 7:15 the pub is impossibly crowded. It’s all too much for me and I leave before the speeches commence. A few doors away, another pub appears to be completely empty – they must wonder what they are doing wrong.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Coalition7.40ExcellentA rye-based, collaboration beer with US brewery Terrapin. It is copper-coloured, with a fruity (grapefruit, orange, peach) and spicy taste. Thick and hefty.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Baize Chocolate Mint Stout5.50ExcellentA very tasty, near black beer. Initially very bitter, it mellows into rich chocolate and sharp spearmint tastes.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Karha5.00GoodAn interesting, spiced, red ale. Bittersweet with candy sugar and spice (cinnamon?) tastes.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Twin Peaks5.00AcceptableThis is the beer that everybody is making a beeline for – an interesting collaboration brew with Sierra Nevada Brewery – even the Thornbridge Brewery team are all keen to try it. To my disappointment, it is only available on old-school keg dispense and it is too cold and way too fizzy. There is a tropical fruit flavour, and I know it is full of great hops like Citra and Willamette – but all real flavour is killed by the kegging process.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur5.90Not Tried
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples4.00Not Tried
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lumford3.90Not Tried
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Sequoia4.50Not Tried
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Saint Petersburg Imperial Russian Stout7.40Not Tried
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Craft Union5.00Not Tried
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Mocha Porter6.00Not Tried
06 Feb 2013 (Stephen Harris)
It didn’t take long for this pub to catch on – busy in the early evening, but I find a perch at the bar. It’s all gone a bit Blue Monkey tonight.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Blue Monkey - Infinity IPA (was Infinity)4.60GoodInterestingly, this is nothing like the beer of the same name I drank a few months ago at the Fox – tonight it is a very decent, chestnut-coloured best bitter. I wonder which one had been wrongly labelled?
Mikkeller - Willamette6.80GoodDispensed by some kind of new-fangled keggery with low pressure but definitely some carbonation. An orange-coloured and very murky, single-hop beer. I liked the strong Willamette hop presence a lot, was unsure about the sweet, caramelly malt background and disliked the price intensely. Overall – undecided.
Blue Monkey - Guerrilla Stout4.90Not Tried
Blue Monkey - Ape Ale5.40Not Tried
Blue Monkey - 99 Red Baboons4.20Not Tried
Blue Monkey - Funky Gibbon (previously called Sanctuary)4.10Not Tried
Beer Geek - Legend of the Golden Geek4.50Not Tried
Binghams - Hot Dog Chilli Stout5.00Not Tried
Kent - Craft Pale3.80Not Tried
29 Nov 2012 (Stephen Harris)
An evening of strongly-flavoured and distinctive beers, with Robert and Simon. This is a fine new establishment.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kernel (The Kernel) - India Pale Ale - Motueka Pacific Jade7.20ExceptionalOn keg dispense. Fabulous. Typical Kernel, hazy golden beer. Full of hop flavours.
Tiny Rebel - The Full Nelson4.80ExcellentReddish-gold in colour. Sweetish malt background with full on tart, grapefruity hop tastes, presumably from Nelson Sauvin hops.
Ilkley - Crafty Jane Cranberry Milk Stout4.70ExcellentHighly complex, dark beer. Immediate lactose sweetness on first taste, mellowing into a bitter finish, with understated cranberry flavours coming through.
Evil Twin - Wet Dream6.80ExcellentOn keg dispense. Dark brown, roasted malts and chocolate. Some citrusy hop and a hint of wine.
Cromarty - Happy Chappy4.10GoodUS-style pale ale, with good but not dominant hop flavours.
Evil Twin - Nymphomaniac5.50AcceptableOn keg dispense. Amber-coloured and hazy. Big hoppy nose. A bit too carbonated for me. One of my friends loved it, but I found it dominated by caramelly, butterscotch tastes.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples4.00Not Tried
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Ashford4.20Not Tried
Dark Star - Smoked Porter5.40Not Tried
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Sequoia4.50Not Tried
Magic Rock - Curious3.90Not Tried
Magic Rock - Dark Arts6.00Not Tried
Kent - Craft Pale3.80Not Tried
Marble - Reddish Ale4.80Not Tried
20 Nov 2012 (Martin the Mildman)
Getting quite busy after 5pm on a Tuesday.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Tiny Rebel - The Full Nelson4.80AcceptableDarker then expected with a rather harsh dose of hops giving a rather sharp flavour for my taste. My score 14/20.

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About the Craft Beer Co.

The pub sign. Craft Beer Co., Islington, Central London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional4
Excellent28
Good18
Acceptable9
Poor1

The pub is found in Islington, Central London, N1 9PP.

The fifth in the Craft/Cask chain (sixth if you count the short lived Cask at Brighton). This pub was established as the Lord Wolseley by 1876 and for 135 years was a rather unremarkable, side street pub, located close to the Angel in White Lion Street, Islington. In latter years it was a Greene King house. It reopened as Craft in November 2012, following a brief closure for refurbishment. Three distinct drinking areas plus a garden. 10 handpumps.

We have visited this pub 30 times, seen 165 different beers and tried 57 of them.

Map location

Postcode: N1 9PP