Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed Runner

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 Shakespeare's Head, Holborn, Central London

The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London

Morden Arms, Greenwich, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	10 Feb 2020
Philip Pirrip		24 Nov 2019	I wonder if this bears any relationship to the original Truman's recipes. Too malty and wet dog for my palate
Philip Pirrip		25 Apr 2019

The Gate Clock, Greenwich, Greater London

Old Ship, Hackney, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	10 Sep 2019
ChrisE		09 Mar 2017
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	26 Oct 2016
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	12 Sep 2014

The Plume of Feathers, Greenwich, Greater London

The Brockley Barge, Brockley, Greater London

The Railway, West Hampstead, Greater London

Hercules Pillars, Covent Garden, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE		25 Jun 2019

The Betjeman Arms, King's Cross / St Pancras, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Magnus Greel		04 Jun 2019	Just about managed a half of this before I gave up, over sweet, over malty and very cloying.

The Newman Arms, Fitzrovia, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE		15 May 2019
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	16 May 2018

The Oystercatcher, Greenwich, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		19 Apr 2019

The Old Shades, Whitehall, Central London

The Bankers Draft, Eltham, Greater London

The Hop Beer Shop, Chelmsford, Essex

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE		29 Sep 2018	I had several of these and would have stuck with it but then the Titanic Vanilla Stout came on.
Magnus Greel		29 Sep 2018	Found this malty sweet brown ale rather cloying

The Watch House, Lewisham, Greater London

Dog & Duck, Walthamstow, Greater London

Larkins' Alehouse, Cranbrook, Kent

Leyton Star, Leyton, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	21 May 2018
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	19 Oct 2017
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	07 Feb 2017
Stephen Harris		02 Jan 2017	A real old-fashioned, dark, traditional Bitter. Just not my thing any more.
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	10 Nov 2016
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	07 Nov 2016
Stephen Harris		18 Oct 2016	Truman’s best-known beer and it is a very traditional dark London Bitter – not a style that much excites me much anymore.

King Charles I, Pentonville, Central London

The Peter Cushing, Whitstable, Kent

Rose & Crown, Mayfair, Central London

The Grenadier, Belgravia, Central London

The Furze Wren, Bexleyheath, Greater London

The New Fox Inn (formerly The Windmill Inn), Willesborough, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE		12 Sep 2017

Station Arms, Southminster, Essex

The Robert Pocock, Gravesend, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		15 Jun 2017	A snip at £1.99pp
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	19 May 2017	Popular tonight cos of Gravesend's close association with Truman's of old perhaps?

Baxter's Court, Hackney, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Magnus Greel		02 May 2017	Smooth and very malty
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	07 Jul 2016
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	01 Jan 2016

The Phoenix, City, Central London

Simmons (formerly Jimi Loves Gloria; Pillars of Hercules), Soho, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Blair		12 Apr 2017	In top condition. One of my favourite best bitters of the moment, seem to be a dying breed.

The Lemon Tree, Charing Cross, Central London

The Dundee Arms, Bethnal Green, Greater London

Bow Bells, Bow, Greater London

The Crown, East Greenwich, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		18 Jun 2016	The best runner I have had in a very long time

Pelton Arms, East Greenwich, Greater London

Woodin's Shades, City, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	04 Jun 2016
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	16 Sep 2015
Nick Willis		15 Nov 2014

The Coal Hole, Charing Cross, Central London

Plough at Swan Wharf (formerly Cygnet), Hackney, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	16 Apr 2016
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	05 Apr 2015
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	14 Sep 2014
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	09 Aug 2014
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	13 Jul 2014
Ian		03 Jul 2014	Good boring brown best bitter
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	29 Jun 2014
ChrisE		26 Jun 2014	The best pint of this I have drunk so far, but I think all of the others were contract brews.
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	31 May 2014
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	16 May 2014
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	11 May 2014

The King's Head, Mayfair, Central London

The Crown, Soho, Central London

The Falcon, Battersea, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
HSB		25 Feb 2016

The Coach & Horses, Greenwich, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		12 Feb 2016	Darker in colour than I recall. Best example of this beer I have had, so a second followed the first

The Buxton (formerly Archers), Aldgate, Central London

The Crooked Billet, Clapton, Greater London

Leyton Orient Supporters Club, Leyton, Greater London

The Cambridge, Leicester Square, Central London

Culpeper, Aldgate, Central London

Three Crowns, Mayfair, Central London

Round Table, Leicester Square, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris		14 Oct 2015	A chestnut-coloured, traditional Bitter – an increasingly rare style. Not hugely to my taste, but in such good condition that I’m giving a ‘good’.

The Junction Tavern, Tufnell Park, Greater London

Old Queens Head, Islington, Central London

The White Swan, Covent Garden, Central London

The York, Islington, Central London

The Metropolitan Bar, Baker Street, Central London

The Walrus & The Carpenter, City, Central London

The Ship, City, Central London

The Silver Cross, Whitehall, Central London

The Argyll Arms, Soho, Central London

The Clachan, Soho, Central London

The Bear & Staff, Leicester Square, Central London

The Porcupine, Leicester Square, Central London

Doggett's Coat & Badge, Southwark, Central London

The Magpie, City, Central London

The New Cross Turnpike, Welling, Greater London

The Prospect of Whitby, Wapping, Greater London

Ye Olde Cock Tavern, Fleet Street, Central London

The Wellington, Covent Garden, Central London

Truman's Brewery, Hackney, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	05 Jun 2015
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	01 May 2015
Stephen Harris		14 Sep 2013	A dark-coloured, old-fashioned bitter.

The Walnut Tree, Leytonstone, Greater London

The Black Friar, Blackfriars, Central London

The George, Wanstead, Greater London

The Devereux, Temple, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	12 May 2015
HSB		30 Apr 2015

The Junction (formerly The Angel), Islington, Central London

Beehive, Tottenham, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE		09 May 2015	The best pint of this that I have had for some time.

The Barley Mow, Marylebone, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
HSB		07 May 2015

The Cross Keys, Covent Garden, Central London

Hoop & Grapes, Aldgate, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
HSB		21 Apr 2015
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	08 Sep 2014

Sir Christopher Hatton, Chancery Lane, Central London

The Gatehouse, King's Lynn, Norfolk

Who	Score	When	Notes
HSB		19 Apr 2015	A surprise find in such an establishment.

The Fellow, Pentonville, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
HSB		19 Mar 2015
HSB	Not Tried	10 Mar 2015

London Tavern, Attleborough, Norfolk

Who	Score	When	Notes
HSB		15 Mar 2015

Ye Olde Watling, City, Central London

Williamson's Tavern, City, Central London

The Ivy House, Nunhead, Greater London

Red Lion, Leytonstone, Greater London

Farr's Dalston (formerly Farr's School of Dancing), Dalston, Greater London

The Foxglove (formerly Cured; The Hop & Berry), Barnsbury, Central London

The Three Greyhounds, Soho, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
HSB		10 Feb 2015

The Albert, Westminster, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
McGargle		15 Jan 2015	Another boring brown bitter. Nothing wrong with serve just the beer.

Henry Addington, Docklands & Isle of Dogs, Greater London

Leyton Technical, Leyton, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris		08 Jan 2015	Reddish-brown bitter on good form tonight.
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	10 Dec 2014
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	12 May 2014
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	12 Apr 2014
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	04 Dec 2013
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	15 Nov 2013
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	09 Nov 2013

The Old Bell, City, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris		03 Dec 2014	Brown bitter – flavours a bit dulled by less than perfect condition.

Sugar Loaf, City, Central London

The Golden Fleece, City, Central London

The Mudlark, Southwark, Central London

The Kings Arms, City, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris		13 Nov 2014	I don’t often drink this beer, but I can see why so many people enjoy it. A traditional Bitter.
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	14 May 2014
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	26 Feb 2014

Compleat Angler, Norwich, Norfolk

Who	Score	When	Notes
HSB		23 Oct 2014	Not as good as it should be.

Princess of Wales, Charing Cross, Central London

Lord Aberconway, City, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
HSB		21 Aug 2014

The Ten Bells, Spitalfields, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	15 Aug 2014
Philip Pirrip		26 Sep 2013	Darker and more intensely malty than I expected for a true London bitter. £3.95 pp hurts of course

The Rum Puncheon, Gravesend, Kent

The Blue Posts (Berwick St.), Soho, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		25 May 2014	Foaming up on dispense - needed a big top up

The Castle, Islington, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Jack William		20 Apr 2014	Good condition but rather bland and a sweetness that was almost sickly.

Railway Tavern, Chelmsford, Essex

The Sir John Oldcastle, Farringdon, Central London

The Crosse Keys, City, Central London

The Cricketers, Richmond, Greater London

Dukes Head, Walthamstow, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris		22 Feb 2014	Straightforward, old-fashioned, brown bitter.

The Sovereign of the Seas, Petts Wood, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
oz11		21 Jan 2014

Kings Stores, Spitalfields, Central London

The Windsor Castle, Clapton, Greater London

Griffin, Shoreditch, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
HSB		19 Sep 2013	Good English Bitter.

Warrant Officer, Walthamstow, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris		10 Sep 2013	Great to taste the Hackney Wick-brewed Truman’s at last (and the brewery launch party is this coming Saturday). Dark, fruity and tangy as when contract-brewed at Everards, but we all thought it was a significant improvement and in a traditional style that remains very popular.