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Old Fountain (Free House)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Old Fountain Brewhouse - Bloody PorterExcellent2
Beerbliotek - SabotageExceptional1
Bad Co. - Love over GoldExcellent1
Bad Co. - Wild GravityExcellent1
Beerbliotek - Bobek CitraExcellent1
Beerbliotek - Not Guilty! The OJ IPAExcellent1
Beerbliotek - Whoop AssExcellent1
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Captain LockwoodExcellent1
Box Social - Gingerbread Campfire PorterExcellent1
Brew By Numbers - 11/17 Session IPA: Citra MosaicExcellent1
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London PrideExcellent1
Moor - RawExcellent1
Oakham - CitraExcellent1
Orbit - Raspberry NicoExcellent1
Rooster's - White Rose Charity Pale Ale (Henshaws Society for blind people)Excellent1
Seven Sisters - IPA – Idaho 7 DDHExcellent1
Siren Craft - Spin BotanyExcellent1
Tring - HayloftExcellent1
Charnwood - White FoxGood1
Hammerton - Life on MarsGood1
Lawman - Mr BeastGood1
Oakham - Shot in the DarkGood1
Old Fountain Brewhouse - City RoadGood1
Old Fountain Brewhouse - Fountain PilsGood1
Saltaire - Long Day IPAGood1
Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPAGood1
Wiper and True - Doves and RavensAcceptable1
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%)Not Tried0
Five Points - Railway PorterNot Tried0
Five Points - XPANot Tried0
Hammerton - N7Not Tried0
Moor - Berri Txarrak Do It TogetherNot Tried0
Moor - Nor'HopNot Tried0
Old Fountain Brewhouse - AmberNot Tried0
Purity - Bunny HopNot Tried0
Purity - Pure GoldNot Tried0
Redemption - Fellowship PorterNot Tried0
Redemption - Pale AleNot Tried0
Redemption - South Pacific Pale Ale (collaboration with Weird Beard)Not Tried0
Redemption - TrinityNot Tried0
Saltaire - White Christmas AleNot Tried0
Signature Brew - Roadie - All-Night IPANot Tried0
Siren Craft - Under CurrentNot Tried0
Stod Fold - DarkNot Tried0
Three Sods - Mud PuddlerNot Tried0
Tiny Rebel - The Full NelsonNot Tried0
Tring - Tea Kettle StoutNot Tried0
Picture 1. Old Fountain, Old Street, Central London

Visits Details

08 Jul 2019 (Stephen Harris)
A spur of the moment visit as I was passing.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Tring - Hayloft4.20ExcellentUltra pale. Lots of orange flavour from Amarillo hops. A bit oily.
Orbit - Raspberry Nico4.80ExcellentFrom keg. A lot of raspberries in this.
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Moor - Raw4.30Not Tried
Tring - Tea Kettle Stout4.70Not Tried
Signature Brew - Roadie - All-Night IPA4.30Not TriedRan out.
Five Points - XPA4.00Not Tried
02 Oct 2018 (Mitch)
This pub stands head and shoulders above anything else in the vicinity. An absolute treasure, good independent traditional pub but run by a landlord with an eye for the modern drinkers who clearly takes pride in his pub and is interested in his clientele. Up to 8 ales on hand pumps and tasters readily offered and a massive range of unusual canned and bottled beers. Excellent food menu, cooked in a kitchen adjacent to the bar. Tasty, good value too. Siren Suspended in Rainbows 4%, Market Bosworth Autumn porter 5%, London Pride 4.1%, Moor Raw 4.3% (unfixed), Oakham Citra 4.2%, Redemption Rock the Kazbek 4.1%.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Excellent
Moor - Raw4.30ExcellentUnfined as are all the Moor beers
30 Jul 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Mid-afternoon on a Monday. A quiet time here.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Seven Sisters - IPA – Idaho 7 DDH5.80ExcellentMurky gold and well-hopped. Dry, fruity and bitter.
Siren Craft - Spin Botany3.60ExcellentHazy pale gold. Like a salty gin and tonic beer cocktail.
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%)3.40Not Tried
Five Points - XPA4.00Not Tried
Moor - Berri Txarrak Do It Together5.20Not Tried
20 Jan 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Early evening visit. An old friend arrives just after me and we have some catching up to do.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Box Social - Gingerbread Campfire Porter7.00ExcellentA heavy, black Stout with loads of ginger.
Old Fountain Brewhouse - Fountain Pils4.20GoodFrom keg – the only Old Fountain beer available. Crisp, golden, clear, a slight sweetness. A good example of the style.
Wiper and True - Doves and Ravens3.80AcceptableA hazy, red/brown ale. Nothing special, although I suspect it was no longer in best condition.
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Purity - Pure Gold3.80Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Moor - Nor'Hop4.10Not Tried
Five Points - Railway Porter4.80Not Tried
Five Points - XPA4.00Not Tried
05 Sep 2017 (Jack William)
Mid afternoon - busy, but not uncomfortably so - we got a table and partook of their rather good burger and chips.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Oakham - Citra4.20ExcellentTip top
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Captain Lockwood5.00Excellent
Hammerton - Life on Mars4.60Good
Redemption - Fellowship Porter5.10Not Tried
11 Apr 2017 (Stephen Harris)
Rather uncomfortably crowded between 8 and 9pm. Fortunately it is a mild evening and the roof terrace is open, plus plenty are standing out on the pavement.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Bad Co. - Love over Gold4.10ExcellentGolden (obviously) with very nice hops.
Saltaire - Long Day IPA3.80GoodPale gold in colour. Nice hop flavours, but I found this beer a little thin.
Lawman - Mr Beast5.00GoodReddish-brown in colour. A well-hopped rye beer. I found it a bit too sweet, although I enjoyed the rye tingle.
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Moor - Raw4.30Not Tried
Hammerton - N75.20Not Tried
Three Sods - Mud Puddler4.90Not Tried
Purity - Bunny Hop3.50Not Tried
05 Dec 2016 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit for our Friday Evening Group's Christmas social. A pub that seems to have lost its way from its real ale beginnings. Tonight the selection boards were packed with foreign fizz beers at overblown prices on a brewery takeover night. For real ale it must be the most difficult pub I know to select, with chalked clips on the lower level, no clips on the higher level and a cramped wall board displaying ales in no order that I could identify. On the plus side all the beers I tried were in good order.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Old Fountain Brewhouse - Bloody Porter4.00ExcellentGreat fruity nose, brewed on the premises
Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPA5.80Good
Oakham - Shot in the Dark4.10GoodUnusual to get a dark beer from Oakham
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Saltaire - White Christmas Ale4.50Not Tried
Redemption - Trinity3.00Not TriedRan out
Tiny Rebel - The Full Nelson4.80Not Tried
Redemption - South Pacific Pale Ale (collaboration with Weird Beard)6.20Not Tried
Stod Fold - Dark4.80Not TriedRan out just I was about to order one
05 Dec 2016 (Stephen Harris)
Another of the pleasing upsurge in Monday night beer events. This pub is hosting a ‘Meet the Brewer’ and ‘Tap Takeover’ tonight with the very well regarded Beerbliotek brewery from Gothenburg. Nine of their beers are on keg at just about affordable prices. Not surprisingly, there is a big crowd here in the early evening.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Beerbliotek - Sabotage6.60ExceptionalOn keg dispense. A fabulous, smooth, mellow, juicy Black IPA.
Old Fountain Brewhouse - Bloody Porter4.00ExcellentA first rate, fruity, black Porter.
Beerbliotek - Bobek Citra5.50ExcellentOn keg dispense. A beautifully-hopped, pale gold beer.
Beerbliotek - Not Guilty! The OJ IPA7.50ExcellentOn keg dispense. A cloudy gold colour. A strong, serious, fruity, dry IPA.
Beerbliotek - Whoop Ass3.50ExcellentOn keg dispense. Very pale and cloudy. A slightly sour, acidic Berliner Weiss, heavily flavoured with oranges and/or tangerines.
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPA5.80Not Tried
Oakham - Shot in the Dark4.10Not Tried
Redemption - South Pacific Pale Ale (collaboration with Weird Beard)6.20Not Tried
Stod Fold - Dark4.80Not Tried
01 Sep 2016 (Stephen Harris)
Busy and hot. Good to find a couple of the pub’s own brew available on cask.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Rooster's - White Rose Charity Pale Ale (Henshaws Society for blind people)4.00ExcellentGolden and hoppy.
Charnwood - White Fox4.40GoodPale gold in colour. A mellow, clear, Wheat Beer.
Old Fountain Brewhouse - City Road4.30GoodA cloudy (unfined), amber-coloured Pale Ale. Fresh and fruity with a bitter finish.
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Siren Craft - Under Current4.50Not Tried
Saltaire - Long Day IPA3.80Not Tried
Old Fountain Brewhouse - Amber2.90Not Tried
25 Jul 2016 (Stephen Harris)
Early evening. There is an emergency plumber at work in the gent’s toilets and the whole place is more than a little whiffy. Unsurprisingly, most customers are up on the roof garden or standing outside.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Bad Co. - Wild Gravity5.20ExcellentAn impressive, full-on, Yorkshire / India Pale Ale.
Brew By Numbers - 11/17 Session IPA: Citra Mosaic3.80ExcellentFrom key keg dispense. Great beer!
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Redemption - Pale Ale3.80Not Tried
Moor - Raw4.30Not Tried
Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPA5.80Not Tried

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About the Old Fountain

The pub sign. Old Fountain, Old Street, Central London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional8
Excellent129
Good80
Acceptable33
Poor2

Website.

The pub is found in Old Street, Central London, EC1V 9NU.

Just off the City Road near Old Street tube station and just behind Moorfields Eye Hospital. Entrances, in fact, on two separate streets. The pub was established in the mid-18th century, possibly originally as the Old Fountain Knights, and for a while there was another pub just around the corner called the New Fountain. Historically a Whitbread‘s pub, ownership has now been with the same family for many years. The pub has a split-level ground floor bar and a popular roof terrace. Traditional interior, with a longish dark wood bar. Ground floor upper level bar has 5 handpumps and the lower level bar has 4 handpumps.

We have visited this pub 129 times, seen 297 different beers and tried 216 of them.

Map location

Postcode: EC1V 9NU