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Old Fountain (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Beerbliotek - Sabotage |  | 1 |
| Oakham - Citra |  | 1 |
| Orbit - Raspberry Nico | | 1 |
| Seven Sisters - IPA – Idaho 7 DDH | | 1 |
| Old Fountain Brewhouse - Bloody Porter | | 2 |
| Bad Co. - Wild Gravity | | 1 |
| Beerbliotek - Bobek Citra | | 1 |
| Siren Craft - Spin Botany | | 1 |
| Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Captain Lockwood | | 1 |
| Brew By Numbers - 11/17 Session IPA: Citra Mosaic | | 1 |
| Bad Co. - Love over Gold | | 1 |
| Beerbliotek - Not Guilty! The OJ IPA | | 1 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | | 1 |
| Rooster's - White Rose Charity Pale Ale (Henshaws Society for blind people) | | 1 |
| Beerbliotek - Whoop Ass | | 1 |
| Moor - Raw | | 1 |
| Tring - Hayloft | | 1 |
| Box Social - Gingerbread Campfire Porter | | 1 |
| Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPA |  | 1 |
| Hammerton - Life on Mars | | 1 |
| Oakham - Shot in the Dark | | 1 |
| Saltaire - Long Day IPA | | 1 |
| Old Fountain Brewhouse - Fountain Pils | | 1 |
| Charnwood - White Fox | | 1 |
| Lawman - Mr Beast | | 1 |
| Old Fountain Brewhouse - City Road | | 1 |
| Wiper and True - Doves and Ravens |  | 1 |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Purity - Pure Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Moor - Nor'Hop | Not Tried | 0 |
| Five Points - Railway Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Five Points - XPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Redemption - Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Moor - Berri Txarrak Do It Together | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Under Current | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tring - Tea Kettle Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Old Fountain Brewhouse - Amber | Not Tried | 0 |
| Signature Brew - Roadie - All-Night IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Redemption - South Pacific Pale Ale (collaboration with Weird Beard) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Stod Fold - Dark | Not Tried | 0 |
| Saltaire - White Christmas Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Redemption - Trinity | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tiny Rebel - The Full Nelson | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hammerton - N7 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Three Sods - Mud Puddler | Not Tried | 0 |
| Purity - Bunny Hop | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
08 Jul 2019 (Stephen Harris)
A spur of the moment visit as I was passing.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tring - Hayloft | 4.20 | | Ultra pale. Lots of orange flavour from Amarillo hops. A bit oily. |
| Orbit - Raspberry Nico | 4.80 | | From keg. A lot of raspberries in this. |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Raw | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Tring - Tea Kettle Stout | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Signature Brew - Roadie - All-Night IPA | 4.30 | Not Tried | Ran out. |
| Five Points - XPA | 4.00 | Not 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%.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | | |
| Moor - Raw | 4.30 | | Unfined as are all the Moor beers |
30 Jul 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Mid-afternoon on a Monday. A quiet time here.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seven Sisters - IPA – Idaho 7 DDH | 5.80 | | Murky gold and well-hopped. Dry, fruity and bitter. |
| Siren Craft - Spin Botany | 3.60 | | Hazy pale gold. Like a salty gin and tonic beer cocktail. |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - XPA | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Berri Txarrak Do It Together | 5.20 | Not Tried |
20 Jan 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Early evening visit. An old friend arrives just after me and we have some catching up to do.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box Social - Gingerbread Campfire Porter | 7.00 | | A heavy, black Stout with loads of ginger. |
| Old Fountain Brewhouse - Fountain Pils | 4.20 | | From keg – the only Old Fountain beer available. Crisp, golden, clear, a slight sweetness. A good example of the style. |
| Wiper and True - Doves and Ravens | 3.80 | | A hazy, red/brown ale. Nothing special, although I suspect it was no longer in best condition. |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Purity - Pure Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Nor'Hop | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Railway Porter | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - XPA | 4.00 | Not 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.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | | Tip top |
| Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Captain Lockwood | 5.00 | | |
| Hammerton - Life on Mars | 4.60 | | |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not 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.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bad Co. - Love over Gold | 4.10 | | Golden (obviously) with very nice hops. |
| Saltaire - Long Day IPA | 3.80 | | Pale gold in colour. Nice hop flavours, but I found this beer a little thin. |
| Lawman - Mr Beast | 5.00 | | Reddish-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 Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Raw | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Hammerton - N7 | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
| Three Sods - Mud Puddler | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Purity - Bunny Hop | 3.50 | Not 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.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Fountain Brewhouse - Bloody Porter | 4.00 | | Great fruity nose, brewed on the premises |
| Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPA | 5.80 | | |
| Oakham - Shot in the Dark | 4.10 | | Unusual to get a dark beer from Oakham |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Saltaire - White Christmas Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Tiny Rebel - The Full Nelson | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - South Pacific Pale Ale (collaboration with Weird Beard) | 6.20 | Not Tried | |
| Stod Fold - Dark | 4.80 | Not Tried | Ran 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.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beerbliotek - Sabotage | 6.60 | | On keg dispense. A fabulous, smooth, mellow, juicy Black IPA. |
| Old Fountain Brewhouse - Bloody Porter | 4.00 | | A first rate, fruity, black Porter. |
| Beerbliotek - Bobek Citra | 5.50 | | On keg dispense. A beautifully-hopped, pale gold beer. |
| Beerbliotek - Not Guilty! The OJ IPA | 7.50 | | On keg dispense. A cloudy gold colour. A strong, serious, fruity, dry IPA. |
| Beerbliotek - Whoop Ass | 3.50 | | On 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 Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPA | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Shot in the Dark | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - South Pacific Pale Ale (collaboration with Weird Beard) | 6.20 | Not Tried | |
| Stod Fold - Dark | 4.80 | Not Tried |
01 Sep 2016 (Stephen Harris)
Busy and hot. Good to find a couple of the pub’s own brew available on cask.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooster's - White Rose Charity Pale Ale (Henshaws Society for blind people) | 4.00 | | Golden and hoppy. |
| Charnwood - White Fox | 4.40 | | Pale gold in colour. A mellow, clear, Wheat Beer. |
| Old Fountain Brewhouse - City Road | 4.30 | | A cloudy (unfined), amber-coloured Pale Ale. Fresh and fruity with a bitter finish. |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Under Current | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Saltaire - Long Day IPA | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Old Fountain Brewhouse - Amber | 2.90 | Not 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.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bad Co. - Wild Gravity | 5.20 | | An impressive, full-on, Yorkshire / India Pale Ale. |
| Brew By Numbers - 11/17 Session IPA: Citra Mosaic | 3.80 | | From key keg dispense. Great beer! |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Pale Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Raw | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPA | 5.80 | Not Tried |
About the Old Fountain
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 8 |
| 129 |
| 80 |
| 33 |
 | 2 |
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.
Postcode: EC1V 9NU