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Old Fountain (Free House)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Moor - Sloe WalkerExceptional1
Moor - RadianceExcellent1
Saltaire - White Christmas AleExcellent2
Siren Craft - DriftwoodExcellent1
Burning Sky - PorterExcellent1
De Kaapse Brouwers - CarrieExcellent1
Moor - Dark AllianceExcellent1
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%)Excellent2
Fyne - JarlGood1
Shiny - New World PaleGood1
Cloudwater - RedGood1
Twickenham / Redemption Collaboration - Eureka!Good1
Moor - EnvyGood1
Siren Craft - Counting VampiresGood1
Plain Ales - InncognitoGood1
Wild Beer Co. - Rod Nam SangGood1
Oakham - InfernoGood1
Cloudwater - BitterAcceptable1
Hammerton - Nut BrownAcceptable1
Waen - Chocolate LimesAcceptable1
Shiny - AffinityAcceptable1
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord MarplesNot Tried0
RedWillow - HeartlessNot Tried0
Moor - RawNot Tried0
Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPANot Tried0
Moor - Unfined ConfidenceNot Tried0
Arbor Ales - Blue Sky DrinkingNot Tried0
Moor - Nor'HopNot Tried0
Oakham - JHBNot Tried0
Moor - StoutNot Tried0
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London PorterNot Tried0
Arbor Ales - ChocolataNot Tried0
Oakham - CitraNot Tried0
Siren Craft - Under CurrentNot Tried0
Hanlons (formerly O'Hanlon's) - Port StoutNot Tried0
Hammerton - N1Not Tried0
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Wild Swan (was 3.5%)Not Tried0
Marble - Pint (was 3.9%)Not Tried0
Marble - DobberNot Tried0
Moor - So'HopNot Tried0
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London PrideNot Tried0
Celt Experience (now brands are owned by Evans Evans) - SiluresNot Tried0
Siren Craft - Ryesing Tides IPANot Tried0
Oakham - Hawse BucklerNot Tried0
Picture 1. Old Fountain, Old Street, Central London

Visits Details

07 Dec 2015 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Second to last to arrive for our Friday Evening Group's Christmas Monday meet. Missed ChrisE but good to see HSB in fine fighting form. A badly balanced beer range here tonight with too many strong and too many dark ales. Must be one of the worst places in the UK to try to select a beer with tatty smudged hand chalked pumpclips and even the overhead blackboard is not in the logical order of brewery then beer name. Breweries' own pumpclips usually give immediate recognition - that was why they were designed.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Siren Craft - Counting Vampires6.10GoodA slow supping blueberry IPA. Also on sale on fizz at over £2 a pint more
Hammerton - Nut Brown4.20AcceptableLacking natural carbonation so rather flat
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Moor - Dark Alliance4.70Not Tried
Arbor Ales - Chocolata5.50Not Tried
Cloudwater - Red4.80Not Tried
07 Dec 2015 (HSB)
15:30 - 18:30 Annual Monday December gathering of the monthly NESW drinking group. One of the rare occasions when Philip Pirrip and myself were in a pub at the same time. An excellent session, my only gripe is the chalked on slate pumpclips. I had great difficulty making out the names of some of the beers.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Moor - Dark Alliance4.70ExcellentDark & hoppy. Best beer of the evening. Had a second pint.
Plain Ales - Inncognito4.80GoodLast one out of the cask again. Still pretty good.
Cloudwater - Red4.80GoodI liked it but others were not keen
Cloudwater - Bitter4.30AcceptableJust about the last one out of the cask
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Hammerton - Nut Brown4.20Not Tried
Siren Craft - Counting Vampires6.10Not Tried
Arbor Ales - Chocolata5.50Not Tried
10 Aug 2015 (Stephen Harris)
As part of the London Beer City week of events across the capital, the Old Fountain is tonight hosting a Moor Beer tap takeover and tasting. Six Moor casks and three more on key-keg are available to choose between, and brewers are present. Good to see groups of beer tourists here tonight from Japan and the USA.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Moor - Sloe Walker7.40ExceptionalNear black in colour, with a brown head, this is a luscious Old Ale flavoured with sloes. Rich and warming and very fruity – think Titanic Plum Porter and then add some. I love it – another 5 star beer (although you should expect to find lots of 5 star beers in a week like this one).
Moor - Radiance5.00ExcellentFull-bodied, unfined Pale Ale.
Twickenham / Redemption Collaboration - Eureka!5.00GoodAn amber-coloured Bitter. Quite light for its strength.
Waen - Chocolate Limes5.80AcceptableA black beer that has chocolate and lime flavours in spades. Subtle it is not.
Moor - Unfined Confidence4.60Not Tried
Moor - Nor'Hop4.10Not Tried
Moor - So'Hop4.10Not Tried
Moor - Stout5.00Not Tried
08 Jun 2015 (Stephen Harris)
Quite busy in the early evening, but I managed to squeeze on to the end of somebody else’s table.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Wild Beer Co. - Rod Nam Sang4.70GoodAn unusual beer, a hazy amber in colour and heavily spiced. There is definitely lemongrass and what tastes like ginger, but I believe is actually galangal.
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples4.00Not Tried
Marble - Pint (was 3.9%)3.40Not Tried
Moor - Raw4.30Not Tried
08 Dec 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening meet up of Friday (yes Friday) evening group. I find it scrappy to have chalked pump clips and have to look at a separate board for full beer details.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Saltaire - White Christmas Ale4.50ExcellentFirst rate well balanced, a professional brew
Shiny - Affinity4.60AcceptableMore citrus hmmmh
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Oakham - Inferno4.00Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not TriedRan out
Celt Experience (now brands are owned by Evans Evans) - Silures4.60Not Tried
Siren Craft - Ryesing Tides IPA7.40Not Tried
08 Dec 2014 (ChrisE)
Evening visit.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Saltaire - White Christmas Ale4.50Excellent
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%)3.40ExcellentThe beer of the evening (until it ran out).
Burning Sky - Porter4.80Excellent
Oakham - Inferno4.00Good
Shiny - New World Pale3.70Good
21 Oct 2014 (Stephen Harris)
Stop two on a five pub crawl – but not for the first time Jeff and I get left behind. I call it a day as he scurries off to the Wenlock to catch up.
BeerABVScoreNotes
De Kaapse Brouwers - Carrie6.20ExcellentOn keg dispense. I’m pleased to see this here, just a few weeks after visiting Kaapse in Rotterdam. A dark amber, strong beer in US IPA style, with toffee and hops
Moor - Envy4.50GoodGolden and unfined. Smooth and hoppy but yeasty.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Wild Swan (was 3.5%)3.40Not Tried
Marble - Pint (was 3.9%)3.40Not Tried
Marble - Dobber5.90Not Tried
Moor - So'Hop4.10Not Tried
08 Oct 2014 (Stephen Harris)
Very busy at around 8-8:30 in the evening. A bit too crowded for comfort so I only stayed for one.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Siren Craft - Driftwood4.30ExcellentA very full-flavoured Dark Mild. It seems Siren can turn their hand successfully to any style.
Oakham - JHB3.80Not Tried
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Porter5.40Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Fyne - Jarl3.80Not Tried
Siren Craft - Under Current4.50Not Tried
Hanlons (formerly O'Hanlon's) - Port Stout4.80Not Tried
Hammerton - N14.10Not Tried
30 Sep 2014 (Archie14)
Gphad Hightower hopes for this pub but was disappointed as the front felt like a cafe with a stainless steel counter where food is prepared. We went to the back of the pub only to find a family sat at the back who's kids were running amok and rolling on the floor! Why do the parents let them do this? We only stayed for one drink as it felt like a crèche.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Fyne - Jarl3.80Good
Oakham - Hawse Buckler5.60Not Tried
RedWillow - Heartless4.90Not Tried
Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPA5.80Not Tried
Arbor Ales - Blue Sky Drinking4.40Not Tried
19 Mar 2014 (Baymart)
One of my favourites, although only been there once. Loved sitting on the rooftop, even though it was raining.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%)3.40ExcellentGolden mix of NZ and USA hops.

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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