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Birkbeck Tavern (Free House)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Mighty Oak - Maldon GoldExcellent1
Mighty Oak - What's Cookin'Excellent4
Redemption - TrinityExcellent4
Mighty Oak - Hogman AleExcellent1
Mighty Oak - Flaked OutExcellent1
Weltons - It's ChristmasExcellent1
Weltons - It's New YearGood1
Mighty Oak - Mer May'dGood1
Mighty Oak - IPAGood1
Stonehenge - PigswillGood1
Mighty Oak - Captain BobGood1
Oxfordshire Ales - DetoxGood1
Frome (formerly Milk Street) - GulpGood1
Potbelly - AislingAcceptable1
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please)Not Tried0
Sharp's - Doom BarNot Tried0
Loddon - HoppitNot Tried0
Rudgate - VikingNot Tried0
Weltons - Horsham BitterNot Tried0
Dark Star - Hophead (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)Not Tried0
Oxfordshire Ales - Pride of OxfordNot Tried0
Weltons - Odd Shaped BallsNot Tried0
Burton Bridge - Sovereign GoldNot Tried0
Caledonian - 2.8Not Tried0
Picture 1. Birkbeck Tavern, Leytonstone, Greater London
Picture 2. Birkbeck Tavern, Leytonstone, Greater London

Visits Details

05 May 2012 (Stephen Harris)
A busy, alcoholic and at times rowdy, end-of-season drink up after Leyton Orient’s last home game of 2011/12.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Mighty Oak - Maldon Gold3.80ExcellentYou can’t really go wrong with such a good beer as Maldon Gold on the bar.
Mighty Oak - Mer May'd4.00GoodVery pale, very hoppy, typical Mighty Oak.
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please)4.00Not Tried
Caledonian - 2.82.80Not Tried
24 Mar 2012 (Stephen Harris)
This Saturday will go down in history as the day the Birkbeck twice ran out of beer! A large pre-football match crowd apparently drank them dry at lunchtime before heading to the Orient v Sheffield Wednesday game. I was there in the evening when it happened again. The hugely popular ‘Coal Porters’ played live in the Lounge Bar to a more than capacity throng, and all the replacement beer was rapidly drunk.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Redemption - Trinity3.00ExcellentExcellent pale hoppy pint.
Mighty Oak - What's Cookin'4.00GoodReliably pale and hoppy.
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please)4.00Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Maldon Gold3.80Not TriedFirst to run out, before I even got a sniff of it.
Burton Bridge - Sovereign Gold4.00Not Tried
Caledonian - 2.82.80Not Tried
03 Mar 2012 (Stephen Harris)
Comfortably busy on saturday evening.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Redemption - Trinity3.00ExcellentOn top form. A remarkable, full-on, hop-hit for just 3%
Potbelly - Aisling4.00AcceptableA golden, sweet, malty beer.
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please)4.00Not Tried
Weltons - Horsham Bitter3.80Not Tried
01 Feb 2012 (Stephen Harris)
Early evening visit to my local. A dozen or so regulars in, plus a group of musicians grabbing a crafty pint or two before performing to the masses in the upstairs room later on.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Mighty Oak - IPA3.50GoodAn IPA perhaps, but certainly not an India Pale Ale. Pale copper colour with biscuit malt and subtle hopping. In great condition and very moorish.
Mighty Oak - Captain Bob3.80GoodMighty Oak’s standard bitter. Dark amber in colour. Sweetish and well-balanced, with a subtle touch of Nelson Sauvin hop in the finish.
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please)4.00Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Maldon Gold3.80Not TriedUnfortunately this one ran out before I could get may hands on any.
Weltons - Odd Shaped Balls3.70Not Tried
28 Jan 2012 (Stephen Harris)
Pretty busy immediately after the Leyton Orient match just around the corner. In the circumstances however, the mood is not exactly cheerful. Much happier new arrivals brighten the mood; in for the live music later.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Redemption - Trinity3.00ExcellentEvery pub should sell this lovely, light, hoppy beer – and just at the moment it seems that lots are.
Mighty Oak - What's Cookin'4.00GoodPale and hoppy, although it struggles to stand up to the Redemption Trinity on the next pump.
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please)4.00Not Tried
Dark Star - Hophead (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)3.80Not Tried
Oxfordshire Ales - Pride of Oxford4.20Not Tried
17 Jan 2012 (Stephen Harris)
A steady trade, with the local home brewers club in - trading hops and bottles.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Redemption - Trinity3.00ExcellentThis is a remarkable beer. For 3% it has fantastic depth of flavour and is bursting with hops (Cascade according to the experts on the next table). So good I saw no reason to try the other options. Those larger breweries experimenting with low gravity beers should beat a path to Andy's door to learn how it's done.
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please)4.00Not Tried
Weltons - Horsham Bitter3.80Not Tried
10 Jan 2012 (Stephen Harris)
With a CAMRA Good Beer Guide Selection meeting taking place in the upstairs room, it was no surprise to find a good range of beers on in tip-top condition. 10p price rise noted though, to £3:20 for the guest beers.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Mighty Oak - What's Cookin'4.00ExcellentA slight peppary taste from the hops in this beer which I had not really noticed before.
Mighty Oak - Flaked Out3.70ExcellentA very pale, hoppy beer.
Stonehenge - Pigswill4.00GoodMalty, copper-coloured bitter.
Oxfordshire Ales - Detox3.70GoodAn unspectacular, straightforward, mid-brown coloured bitter. Some caramel taste.
Weltons - It's New Year3.80GoodA pleasant, light , hoppy pint.
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please)4.00Not TriedNow priced at £2:90
Rudgate - Viking3.80Not Tried
31 Dec 2011 (Stephen Harris)
Very busy indeed for the New Year's Eve celebrations.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Mighty Oak - What's Cookin'4.00ExcellentA house beer sold on live music nights at the Birkbeck.
Mighty Oak - Hogman Ale4.00ExcellentJet black, roasty and rich. Somewhere between a mild and a stout.
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please)4.00Not Tried
Sharp's - Doom Bar4.00Not Tried
Loddon - Hoppit3.50Not Tried
29 Dec 2011 (Stephen Harris)
Relatively quiet, with just a scattering of locals and a suitably reduced beer offering for the evening.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Weltons - It's Christmas3.80Excellent
Frome (formerly Milk Street) - Gulp3.50GoodA somewhat "earthy" pint which was in excellent condition but not to everyone's liking.
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please)4.00Not TriedBadged here as a house beer 'Rita's Special', after former landlady Rita Delaney.

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About the Birkbeck Tavern

The pub sign. Birkbeck Tavern, Leytonstone, Greater London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional-
Excellent18
Good14
Acceptable2
Poor2

Website.

The pub is found in Leytonstone, Greater London, E11 4HL.

The Birkbeck Tavern is a traditional, back-street, East London boozer - one of the last of a dying breed. It retains separate public and lounge bars, and has long been well-known for its real ales. There is also a secluded rear garden.

We have visited this pub 19 times, seen 46 different beers and tried 26 of them.

Map location

Postcode: E11 4HL