Siren Craft Broken Dream Breakfast Stout

Tasting Summary

These comments are the opinion of the individual reviewer and represent what they thought of the beer on a particular day in a particular pub. If a review is less favourable, it may be because the beer suffered somewhere in the supply chain between them and the brewery.

The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	10 Aug 2026	Record breaking?
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	09 Aug 2026
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	09 Aug 2026
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	08 Aug 2026
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	06 Aug 2026
Hogan Sampling		06 Aug 2026	2nd beer of this visit: Now its 6th or 7th day on and so was not surprised it had little head or lacing lasting on this breakfast stout from the 2013-launched brewing operation in Finchampstead in Berkshire. I instead bought it for its rich flavours and where it commenced with a malty smoky first bite. US Apollo hops came at me with their grapefruit, lime and orange peel flavours. These hops dissolve during boiling leading to this stout’s bitterness due to being high in alpha acids, the chemical compounds in hop resin. A touch of earthiness, woodiness and cannabis* and light spices also there. Espresso coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, toffee, vanilla and dark fruits emerging from its Malted Barley, Wheat and Oats and aided by chocolate malt and lactose (milk sugar). A dry chocolatey maltiness prevailing on my taste buds. *Hops and cannabis are botanical cousins of the same Cannabinaceae family and share the exact same aromatic chemical compounds called terpenes.
Philip Pirrip		04 Aug 2026	Full on taste but no condition
Hogan Sampling		04 Aug 2026	3rd beer of this visit: Now either its fourth or fifth day on and not holding its head and lacing for long on this breakfast stout from Finchampstead in Berkshire where brewing and set up in 2013. A malty, chocolatey first bite. Its smoky flavours have vastly diminished for me since first trying it on Sunday. My taste buddies preparing to do battle with the onslaught of US Apollo hops with their grapefruit, lime and orange peel flavours in their infantry. High in alpha acids, the chemical compounds in hop resin, these hops dissolve during boiling leading to this stout’s bitterness. Did I get its earthiness, woodiness, touches of cannabis* and light spices? To a degree but its fruity battalion won for me. Flavours coming up from the rear of espresso coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, toffee, vanilla and dark fruits emanating from its maltiness comprising Malted Barley, Wheat and Oats and aided by chocolate malt and lactose (milk sugar). Certainly, a dry malty chocolatey note hanging on in there for me. Again, as on Sunday, not holding its head and lacing and now no doubt due to its days on. *What do hops and cannabis have in common? They are botanical cousins of the same Cannabinaceae family and share the exact same aromatic chemical compounds called terpenes.
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	03 Aug 2026
Hogan Sampling		02 Aug 2026	3rd beer of this visit: A little head and lacing but not lasting and no doubt reflecting this was either its second or third day on for this breakfast stout from Finchampstead in Berkshire where brewing and set up in 2013. Quite a smoky first hit for me. Its US Apollo hops unleashing on my taste buddies grapefruit, lime and orange peel flavours and said to also have an earthiness, woodiness, touches of cannabis* and light spices. These hops are high in alpha acids, the chemical compounds in hop resin that dissolve during the boiling process to lend bitterness. A maltiness rising from its Malted Barley, Wheat and Oats and aided by chocolate malt and lactose as in milk sugar. Its maltiness lending it flavours of espresso coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, toffee, vanilla and dark fruits. A dry malty chocolatey note lingering for me. Not holding its head and lacing was not a good sign and little conditioning presented that it might have certainly started with when fresh on. *Hops and cannabis are botanical cousins of the same Cannabinaceae family and where they share the exact same aromatic chemical compounds called terpenes.
Philip Pirrip		02 Aug 2026	Poured like a Shrove Tuesday pancake. So unappetising when like this
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	01 Aug 2026
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	05 Feb 2026
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	05 Feb 2026
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	03 Feb 2026
Philip Pirrip		02 Feb 2026	Holding up after a few days on. Losing condition slowly
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	01 Feb 2026
Philip Pirrip		01 Feb 2026	A good heady strong ale
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	31 Jan 2026
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	18 Apr 2025	Ran out
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	17 Apr 2025
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	17 Apr 2025
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	15 Apr 2025
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	15 Apr 2025
Philip Pirrip		13 Apr 2025	A real mouthful of flavour but little condition which is needed to really carry this one off
Hogan Sampling		13 Apr 2025	Only its second night on and not much head and lacing and did not last on this stout from south-west of Wokingham. A very dry and smokey first hit. A heaviness about it in the mouthfeel like a thick soup in consistency. A dry bitterness in its malty flavouring and a smokey dryness to the end.
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	12 Apr 2025
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	21 Feb 2025	Its 8th night on, on Friday 21st February.
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	20 Feb 2025
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	20 Feb 2025	7 days on this Thursday, 20th February.
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	18 Feb 2025
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	18 Feb 2025
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	16 Feb 2025
Philip Pirrip		16 Feb 2025	Needed more condition for this to really flourish
Hogan Sampling		15 Feb 2025	Not as good as the previous night was this Berkshire stout. It had minimal head and lacing. A smokey and chocolatey first hit. A dry mouthfeel with chocolatey flavours lingering.
Hogan Sampling		14 Feb 2025	In good form head and lacing-wise on its first night on is this Berkshire-based stout. A very dry, smokey first hit. I got the chocolate and roasted coffee beans lingering in the mouthfeel and very moreish it is.
Philip Pirrip		21 Jan 2024	Just a half fortunately. Head disappeared almost immediately - tired and flat
Philip Pirrip		18 Jan 2024	Real disappointment. No head or lacing, quite flat. Even multiple vigorous decantings to and fro with two pint glasses brought minimal life to the ale
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	12 Oct 2023	Must be tiring now
Philip Pirrip		08 Oct 2023	I have had this presented much better
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	31 May 2023
Philip Pirrip		28 May 2023	Full bodied but held little head or lacing
Philip Pirrip		05 Jan 2023	Have had better from this award winning brew
Philip Pirrip		04 Jan 2023	Came on at last knockings. Sensed a little fresh still
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	08 Sep 2022	Hanging on in there
Philip Pirrip		04 Sep 2022	Disappointing with no head, rather flat and little natural condition
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	02 Mar 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	01 Mar 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	28 Feb 2022
Philip Pirrip		27 Feb 2022	No more conditioning over time, flat but I acknowledge its full flavours
Philip Pirrip		25 Feb 2022	Needed more condition to hold a head and make less of a chore to down
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	23 Oct 2021	Holding on by the end of fingertips
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	21 Oct 2021
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	20 Oct 2021	Hanging on in there
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	19 Oct 2021
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	18 Oct 2021
Philip Pirrip		17 Oct 2021	A good creamy nightcap
Philip Pirrip		06 Sep 2020	Loss of condition since Friday but full in taste
Philip Pirrip		04 Sep 2020	In fine form, a heavy brew
Philip Pirrip		18 Sep 2019	Spot on
Philip Pirrip		15 Sep 2019

Star & Garter, Bromley, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	24 Jul 2026
Philip Pirrip		17 Jul 2026	Poured totally dead. No amount of decanting between glasses brought any life
Philip Pirrip		05 Jun 2026	Poured flat but had the taste
Philip Pirrip		13 Feb 2026	4½* Long lasting head and lacing. Near perfect. Best Broken Dream I have had for a few years
Philip Pirrip		12 Sep 2025	6th handpump victim or just tired? Poured and stayed quite flat
Philip Pirrip		05 Sep 2025	Condition served in the glass doomed by 6th handpump dispense once more. Multiple decantings between two glasses produced some subsequent head and lacing
Philip Pirrip		08 Aug 2025	Had all the taste but poured totally flat
Philip Pirrip		01 Aug 2025	Really full of flavour but condition in glass was a victim of the dreaded 6th handpump
Philip Pirrip		25 Apr 2025	Poured through "that" pump so flat and lifeless. Multiple decantings between two glasses livened it up
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	21 Mar 2025
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	15 Mar 2025
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	14 Mar 2025
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	01 Mar 2025
Philip Pirrip		28 Feb 2025	Good nightcap
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	08 Feb 2025
Philip Pirrip		07 Feb 2025	As it should be
Philip Pirrip		24 Jan 2025	Very good yet it was the last out of the cask
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	18 Jan 2025
Philip Pirrip		17 Jan 2025	Heavy and pretty flat
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	16 Nov 2024
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	09 Nov 2024
Philip Pirrip		02 Nov 2024	Good but a little flat
Philip Pirrip		03 Aug 2024	A whole mark lost for being poured through the defective handpump leaving me to decant between two glasses to bring a head, lacing and more condition
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	11 May 2024	On the duff pump so did not bother
Philip Pirrip		04 May 2024	Pouring from this defective handpump never helps. Full of flavour but even multiple decantings between 2 glasses brought little head or lacing
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	10 Apr 2024
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	09 Mar 2024
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	05 Mar 2024
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	02 Mar 2024	On the defective handpump
Philip Pirrip		03 Feb 2024	First rate pour and condition in glass
Philip Pirrip		04 Nov 2023	A tad warm as if been in the pipes a while. Poured with no head or lacing
Philip Pirrip		30 Sep 2023	Alas poured totally flat like engine oil with not an iota of head. Multiple decantings between two glasses brought minimal life and a short lived head. No off flavours
Philip Pirrip		07 May 2022	Just slightly too chilled to enjoy at its best
Magnus Greel	Not Tried	19 Jul 2019
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	26 Jan 2019	The nightcap I should have wanted if I had seen it earlier on the pumpclips at the other end of the bar. Ho hum
ChrisE	Not Tried	17 Jan 2019
Philip Pirrip		01 Aug 2018	Could have been cooler, perhaps first out for a while. Full bodied delight as always though

Great Northern, St Albans, Hertfordshire

Nags Head, Reading, Berkshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
Magnus Greel		24 Oct 2025	Smooth creamy coffee and chocolate nectar.
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	09 Nov 2015

Express Tavern (The Express Ale & Cider House), Brentford, Greater London

The Royston, Broadstairs, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	21 Jun 2025
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	17 Aug 2024
Dosser		26 Jul 2023	Very nice. £4.80 a pint. 12 minutes wait to be served. One bloke couldn't cope here today.

The Partridge, Bromley, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		23 Nov 2024	The best Broken Dream I have ever had

Selden Arms, Worthing, West Sussex

York Tap, York, North Yorkshire

Larkins' Alehouse, Cranbrook, Kent

Artillery Arms, Ramsgate, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Dosser		11 Aug 2021	First one was a little warm but by the third it was the correct temp.
Dosser		04 Aug 2021	Superb. And at 3.70 this was the place to be. Unfortunately I'd been to 4 pubs already!

Beer Merchants Tap, Hackney, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris		04 Aug 2020	I have so missed this kind of thing in cask. Perfection.

Suttons Radio, Lewisham, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		30 Dec 2019	In glorious full bodied form
Philip Pirrip		28 Dec 2019
Philip Pirrip		27 Dec 2019
Philip Pirrip		19 Sep 2018

Royal Albert, New Cross, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	29 Dec 2019	Tempting but too early
Philip Pirrip		27 Jan 2019	Last half out of the cask, that had suffered a bit but still good
Philip Pirrip		21 Jan 2019	Ideal nightcap
Philip Pirrip		20 Jan 2019	Must be a very difficult beer to mess up - superb here tonight
Philip Pirrip		30 Sep 2018	Have had better

The Rusty Bucket, Eltham, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		22 Nov 2019	Glorious night capper
Philip Pirrip		26 Jul 2019	Lacking some natural carbonation
Philip Pirrip		19 Jan 2019	In top notch form, who could serve this beer wrongly?
Philip Pirrip		05 Nov 2018
Philip Pirrip		12 Sep 2018	As excellent as it was a day or two ago
Philip Pirrip		10 Sep 2018	Put simply, a champion beer
Philip Pirrip		13 Aug 2018	Crowned CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain 2018 last week and the pub had been storing a cask of this in the cellar awaiting cooler weather. How fortuitous

The Harp, Charing Cross, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	29 Aug 2019
Philip Pirrip		24 Apr 2017	Slow drinking meal
Philip Pirrip		04 Nov 2016	Last half out of the cask

The Salopian Bar, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stu		01 Aug 2019

Volley (formerly BrewDog AF Old Street; Draft House - Old Street), Old Street, Central London

Jenny Lind, Hastings, East Sussex

Euston Tap, Euston, Central London

Craft Beer Co., Islington, Central London

Waterloo Tap, Waterloo, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Magnus Greel		08 Dec 2018	I fancied a pint of tarmac after all that tropical citrus so teased by a taster I had a pint 'for the road'. Bitter coffee, toasted grains and brown sugar with a creamy smooth texture - nice!
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	29 Dec 2016
Philip Pirrip		19 Apr 2016

Camden Road Arms (formerly The Draft House Camden), Camden Town, Central London

Old Red Lion, Kennington, Greater London

Stormbird, Camberwell, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		21 Jun 2018	Superb head, condition and flavours. Fobbed a lot when pulled as only a couple left in the cask

Chesterfield Arms, Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Tap East, Stratford, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		03 Feb 2017	Has TE's pricing policy changed, thought guests were not usually as highly priced as £4.90 pp. Superb beer though

Leyton Engineer (formerly Leyton Technical), Leyton, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris		30 Nov 2016	A superior, black Stout with oatmeal sweetness.