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The Crooked Billet (Young's)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Clouded Minds - N253 Oatmeal Pale AleExcellent1
Redemption - TrinityExcellent1
Kent - Altered StatesExcellent1
East London (ELB) - NightwatchmanExcellent1
Clouded Minds - Luppol Ale Golden AleExcellent1
Signature Brew - SessionExcellent1
Five Points - Five Points PaleExcellent2
Hammerton - N7Excellent1
By The Horns - CollaborativeExcellent1
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Champions AleExcellent1
Siren Craft - Love of WorkExcellent1
East London (ELB) - Pale AleGood1
Triple fff - Citra SonicGood1
East London (ELB) - LamplighterGood1
Siren Craft - DriftwoodGood1
Weird Beard - Hive MindGood1
By The Horns - Stiff Upper Lip (downgraded from 3.8% in 2023)Acceptable1
Redemption - HopspurNot Tried0
East London (ELB) - JamboreeNot Tried0
Hackney - Golden AleNot Tried0
Adnams / Camden Town Collaboration - South TownNot Tried0
Five Points - Red RyeNot Tried0
Belleville - Battersea BrownstoneNot Tried0
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked LadiesNot Tried0
Sambrook's - WandleNot Tried0
Sambrook's - Pumphouse Pale AleNot Tried0
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Gold TopNot Tried0
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - RunnerNot Tried0
Clouded Minds - Clout StoutNot Tried0
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Four GrainsNot Tried0
Milestone - Shine OnNot Tried0
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Bengal LancerNot Tried0
East London (ELB) - Foundation BitterNot Tried0
Sambrook's - Powerhouse PorterNot Tried0
Hammerton - N1Not Tried0
Beavertown - Smog RocketNot Tried0
Windsor & Eton - GuardsmanNot Tried0
Moncada - Notting Hill Ruby RyeNot Tried0
Weird Beard - Fade to BlackNot Tried0
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - SwiftNot Tried0
Hackney - Hackney HomegrownNot Tried0
Portobello - American Pale AleNot Tried0
Sambrook's - JunctionNot Tried0
Dark Star - RevelationNot Tried0
Picture 1. The Crooked Billet, Clapton, Greater London

Visits Details

20 Jan 2016 (Stephen Harris)
Late afternoon / early evening. A very welcoming place this.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Five Points - Five Points Pale4.40ExcellentThe landlord here has an arrangement to get this beer unfined “for extra flavour” and it is indeed a particularly tasty pint.
Siren Craft - Love of Work3.60ExcellentGolden beer with hops and Earl Grey tea – very lovely.
Windsor & Eton - Guardsman4.20Not Tried
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Runner4.00Not Tried
Hammerton - N75.20Not Tried
02 Nov 2015 (Stephen Harris)
A rather sparse scattering of customers here in the early evening.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Five Points - Five Points Pale4.40ExcellentAll Five Points beers are good in my experience, and this one was excellent.
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Champions Ale4.70ExcellentA very nice, brown-coloured Premium Bitter, enlivened by southern hemisphere hop flavours.
East London (ELB) - Foundation Bitter4.20Not Tried
Hammerton - N14.10Not Tried
24 May 2015 (Stephen Harris)
Still plenty of people chomping on Sunday dinners in the early evening and the garden is particularly busy.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Clouded Minds - Luppol Ale Golden Ale4.20ExcellentSlightly hazy, golden and hoppy. Tasting very fresh from cask.
Triple fff - Citra Sonic4.10GoodAmber-coloured and hoppy, although not dominated by hops.
Sambrook's - Wandle3.80Not Tried
Milestone - Shine On4.00Not Tried
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Runner4.00Not Tried
08 Jan 2015 (Stephen Harris)
Time for a quick pint in here in the early evening before taking a bus to Leyton. CAMRA discount claimed.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Clouded Minds - N253 Oatmeal Pale Ale3.90ExcellentYellowish-gold in colour. Citrusy smell and fruity hop tastes. I’m assuming for now that N253 is an as yet unnamed hop variety.
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies4.40Not Tried
Dark Star - Revelation5.70Not Tried
Belleville - Battersea Brownstone4.80Not Tried
Clouded Minds - Clout Stout5.60Not Tried
12 Nov 2014 (Stephen Harris)
I met a friend here in the early evening when the pub was quiet.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Siren Craft - Driftwood4.30GoodDark Mild with bitter chocolate tastes. Somewhat flat condition.
Sambrook's - Wandle3.80Not Tried
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Gold Top4.30Not Tried
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Runner4.00Not Tried
10 Oct 2014 (Stephen Harris)
Early evening visit and I found myself propping up the bar with Ray and Bill, as the pub started to fill with after-workers.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Signature Brew - Session4.00ExcellentA pale beer, nicely-hopped with NZ Pacifica.
Hammerton - N75.20ExcellentA really nice, hoppy, Pale Ale.
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Swift3.90Not Tried
Belleville - Battersea Brownstone4.80Not Tried
16 Apr 2014 (Stephen Harris)
Evening visit – this is the first pub on an extensive CAMRA pub crawl of the area. It is a large, and loosely organised group, and I find that there are only one or two folk here that I know.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Redemption - Trinity3.00ExcellentVery enjoyable light, hoppy pint.
Kent - Altered States4.70ExcellentWell-hopped brown ale.
Dark Star - Revelation5.70Not Tried
East London (ELB) - Jamboree4.80Not Tried
Adnams / Camden Town Collaboration - South Town4.90Not Tried
29 Nov 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Beer festival in progress, pitting West London beers on a stillage in the back garden against East London beers on the main bar. It becomes so busy that the rear bar has to close for a while in mid-evening. Samples being passed around from a couple of forthcoming London breweries.
BeerABVScoreNotes
By The Horns - Collaborative5.90ExcellentThis is apparently the same beer as the one formerly called ‘Black & White’. A tasty, dark wheat beer.
East London (ELB) - Lamplighter4.50GoodDeep ruby red.
Weird Beard - Hive Mind5.60Good
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Four Grains4.50Not Tried
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Bengal Lancer5.00Not Tried
Sambrook's - Powerhouse Porter4.90Not Tried
Beavertown - Smog Rocket5.40Not Tried
Moncada - Notting Hill Ruby Rye5.20Not Tried
Five Points - Five Points Pale4.40Not Tried
Weird Beard - Fade to Black6.30Not Tried
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Swift3.90Not Tried
Hackney - Hackney Homegrown4.00Not Tried
Portobello - American Pale Ale5.00Not Tried
09 Oct 2013 (Stephen Harris)
I join a CAMRA social group here at this busy and likeable pub.
BeerABVScoreNotes
East London (ELB) - Nightwatchman4.50ExcellentDark beer in very good form here.
East London (ELB) - Pale Ale4.00Good
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies4.40Not TriedThis one ran out.
Sambrook's - Pumphouse Pale Ale4.20Not Tried
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Runner4.00Not Tried
15 Aug 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Doing a good trade in the early evening, with most outside in the large garden.
BeerABVScoreNotes
By The Horns - Stiff Upper Lip (downgraded from 3.8% in 2023)3.40AcceptableGolden. Some fragrant hops. But lacking body and lacking condition. Fell flat very quickly.
Sambrook's - Junction4.50Not Tried
Redemption - Hopspur4.50Not Tried
Hackney - Golden Ale4.00Not Tried
Five Points - Red Rye6.00Not Tried

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About The Crooked Billet

The pub sign. The Crooked Billet, Clapton, Greater London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional-
Excellent13
Good5
Acceptable1
Poor-

Website.

The pub is found in Clapton, Greater London, E5 9JP.

One of the longest established pubs in the area, in Upper Clapton Road, the Crooked Billet was present here in Clapton by 1731, when the landlord was fined five shillings for opening on a Sunday. The present, large building dates from the 1950s and is now opened out into a single large room. A Watney’s pub in its day, it became Jack Beard’s (at the Crooked Billet) in 2002, by which time fortunes were somewhat faded. The pub closed for refurbishment in 2013 and re-opened under independent ownership in July of that year. In one of those “only in Hackney” moments, the former car park has been covered in decking to become an extension of the rear garden. There are plans to install an in-house micro-brewery. Since late 2023 operated by Young's.

We have visited this pub 11 times, seen 47 different beers and tried 17 of them.

Map location

Postcode: E5 9JP