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Craft Beer Co. (Craft Beer Company)
We believe this building is NO LONGER a pub
[Back to most recent] [Previous Visits]
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Buxton - Buxton Spa |  | 1 |
| Kernel (The Kernel) - India Pale Ale - Motueka Pacific Jade | | 1 |
| Kent - Craft Pale | | 1 |
| Hopdaemon - Green Daemon |  | 1 |
| Ilkley - Crafty Jane Cranberry Milk Stout | | 1 |
| Ilkley - Gold | | 1 |
| Fyne - Rune | | 1 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Coalition | | 1 |
| Evil Twin - Wet Dream | | 1 |
| Weird Beard - Single Hop Amarillo | | 1 |
| Ilkley - Pale | | 1 |
| Siren Craft - 1/2 Mast, Quarter IPA | | 1 |
| Ilkley - Siberian Nights | | 1 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Baize Chocolate Mint Stout | | 1 |
| Summer Wine (SWB) - Teleporter | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Indian Summer | | 1 |
| Cairngorm - Black Gold | | 1 |
| Mikkeller - Willamette |  | 1 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Karha | | 1 |
| Cromarty - Happy Chappy | | 1 |
| Blue Monkey - Infinity IPA (was Infinity) | | 1 |
| Tiny Rebel - The Full Nelson | | 2 |
| Evil Twin - Nymphomaniac |  | 1 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Twin Peaks | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Winter Meltdown |  | 1 |
| Magic Rock - Dark Arts | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Brewers Reserve | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Summer Meltdown | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marble - Reddish Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| RedWillow - Shameless | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Blue Monkey - Guerrilla Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ilkley - Mary Jane | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - The Art of Darkness | Not Tried | 0 |
| Blue Monkey - Ape Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ilkley - Black | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Blue Monkey - 99 Red Baboons | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ilkley - Lotus IPA (was 5.6%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marble - Ginger 5.1 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Blue Monkey - Funky Gibbon (previously called Sanctuary) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ilkley - Stout Mary | Not Tried | 0 |
| Beer Geek - Legend of the Golden Geek | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ilkley - Siberia | Not Tried | 0 |
| Binghams - Hot Dog Chilli Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ilkley - Summer (superseded by 4% version) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ilkley - Joshua Jane | Not Tried | 0 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lumford | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marble - Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Saint Petersburg Imperial Russian Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marble - Lagonda IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples | Not Tried | 0 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Craft Union | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Ashford | Not Tried | 0 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Mocha Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Hylder Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Smoked Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Cairngorm - Stag | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marble - Pint (was 3.9%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Sequoia | Not Tried | 0 |
| Cairngorm - Wildcat | Not Tried | 0 |
| Summer Wine (SWB) - Diablo | Not Tried | 0 |
| Magic Rock - Curious | Not Tried | 0 |
| Cairngorm - Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marble - Draft | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
14 Dec 2013 (Jack William)
Late Saturday afternoon - busy but not heaving - good atmosphere. About 8 pumps on the go as usual but didn't get chance to note them all.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buxton - Buxton Spa | 4.10 | | What a treat - such bittersweet, hoppy flavour and top class condition. |
| Hopdaemon - Green Daemon | 5.00 | | That green hoppiiness that is becoming popular. Excellent condition - went down a treat. |
| Ilkley - Lotus IPA (was 5.6%) | 5.50 | Not Tried |
19 Oct 2013 (Jack William)
Busy Saturday afternoon - good ambience - shame about the chap who was having a "sober October" for charity - not the venue that I'd choose for that gig!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Craft Pale | 3.80 | | Wonderful - especially after the Winter warmer sludge. |
| Dark Star - Winter Meltdown | 5.00 | | Love the brewery's light ales so was tempted to go for this "truly winter warmer" - wish I hadn't flat and bordering on the unpleasant. |
13 Oct 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Robert S and I came in here in the late afternoon. Nice atmosphere at this time of day and not at all crowded.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ilkley - Gold | 3.90 | | Very nice. Balanced, golden and flavoursome. |
| Weird Beard - Single Hop Amarillo | 7.50 | | On keg dispense. Clear, with none of the cloudiness or hint of sourness that I encountered before in a cask version (not necessarily negative attributes in my view anyway). Has a heavy hop load. |
| Siren Craft - 1/2 Mast, Quarter IPA | 2.80 | | A good, refreshing, hoppy, low-strength pint on which to start. |
| Dark Star - Summer Meltdown | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Summer Wine (SWB) - Teleporter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - The Art of Darkness | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Liquid Mistress Red IPA | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Ginger 5.1 | 5.10 | Not Tried |
10 Sep 2013 (Judy G Garland)
Evening Session
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Wine (SWB) - Teleporter | 5.00 | | |
| Dark Star - Indian Summer | 6.00 | | |
| Marble - Bitter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Lagonda IPA | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hylder Blonde | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Pint (was 3.9%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Summer Wine (SWB) - Diablo | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Draft | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Craft Pale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Brewers Reserve | 5.00 | Not Tried |
02 Jul 2013 (Stephen Harris)
I missed last night’s ‘Meet the Brewer’ event with Ilkley Brewery, but hoped some of the beers might still be on – they were!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ilkley - Pale | 4.20 | | Pale golden in colour. A big mouthful of fruity and bitter hops, on a decent malt base. |
| Ilkley - Siberian Nights | 5.00 | | This is a dark reddish brown version of the Siberia rhubarb saison. Some of the citrusy hop flavours of the original are lost, replaced by a chocolate malt taste. I think I marginally prefer the original, but this is still a very classy beer. |
| Ilkley - Mary Jane | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Ilkley - Black | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Ilkley - Lotus IPA (was 5.6%) | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Ilkley - Stout Mary | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Ilkley - Gold | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Ilkley - Siberia | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Ilkley - Summer (superseded by 4% version) | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Ilkley - Joshua Jane | 3.70 | Not Tried |
24 Jun 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Early Monday evening and the pub is quiet and relaxed. Good conditions for reading the newspaper, supping beer and listening to the Velvet Underground CD that was playing.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairngorm - Black Gold | 4.40 | | Very full-flavoured, black beer with roast barley and liquorice tastes and a touch of sweetness. |
| Fyne - Rune | 3.50 | | Soft, golden, sessionable beer. |
| Cairngorm - Stag | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Cairngorm - Wildcat | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Cairngorm - Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Craft Pale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Brewers Reserve | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| RedWillow - Shameless | 5.90 | Not Tried |
04 Mar 2013 (Stephen Harris)
A much-anticipated “Meet the Brewer” night with Thornbridge Brewery, and there are at least 15 of that brewery’s beers spread across keg and cask formats. In fact, too many people have been much-anticipating the event, and by 7:15 the pub is impossibly crowded. It’s all too much for me and I leave before the speeches commence. A few doors away, another pub appears to be completely empty – they must wonder what they are doing wrong.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Coalition | 7.40 | | A rye-based, collaboration beer with US brewery Terrapin. It is copper-coloured, with a fruity (grapefruit, orange, peach) and spicy taste. Thick and hefty. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Baize Chocolate Mint Stout | 5.50 | | A very tasty, near black beer. Initially very bitter, it mellows into rich chocolate and sharp spearmint tastes. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Karha | 5.00 | | An interesting, spiced, red ale. Bittersweet with candy sugar and spice (cinnamon?) tastes. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Twin Peaks | 5.00 | | This is the beer that everybody is making a beeline for – an interesting collaboration brew with Sierra Nevada Brewery – even the Thornbridge Brewery team are all keen to try it. To my disappointment, it is only available on old-school keg dispense and it is too cold and way too fizzy. There is a tropical fruit flavour, and I know it is full of great hops like Citra and Willamette – but all real flavour is killed by the kegging process. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lumford | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Sequoia | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Saint Petersburg Imperial Russian Stout | 7.40 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Craft Union | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Mocha Porter | 6.00 | Not Tried |
06 Feb 2013 (Stephen Harris)
It didn’t take long for this pub to catch on – busy in the early evening, but I find a perch at the bar. It’s all gone a bit Blue Monkey tonight.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Monkey - Infinity IPA (was Infinity) | 4.60 | | Interestingly, this is nothing like the beer of the same name I drank a few months ago at the Fox – tonight it is a very decent, chestnut-coloured best bitter. I wonder which one had been wrongly labelled? |
| Mikkeller - Willamette | 6.80 | | Dispensed by some kind of new-fangled keggery with low pressure but definitely some carbonation. An orange-coloured and very murky, single-hop beer. I liked the strong Willamette hop presence a lot, was unsure about the sweet, caramelly malt background and disliked the price intensely. Overall – undecided. |
| Blue Monkey - Guerrilla Stout | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Blue Monkey - Ape Ale | 5.40 | Not Tried | |
| Blue Monkey - 99 Red Baboons | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Blue Monkey - Funky Gibbon (previously called Sanctuary) | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Beer Geek - Legend of the Golden Geek | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Binghams - Hot Dog Chilli Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Craft Pale | 3.80 | Not Tried |
29 Nov 2012 (Stephen Harris)
An evening of strongly-flavoured and distinctive beers, with Robert and Simon. This is a fine new establishment.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kernel (The Kernel) - India Pale Ale - Motueka Pacific Jade | 7.20 | | On keg dispense. Fabulous. Typical Kernel, hazy golden beer. Full of hop flavours. |
| Tiny Rebel - The Full Nelson | 4.80 | | Reddish-gold in colour. Sweetish malt background with full on tart, grapefruity hop tastes, presumably from Nelson Sauvin hops. |
| Ilkley - Crafty Jane Cranberry Milk Stout | 4.70 | | Highly complex, dark beer. Immediate lactose sweetness on first taste, mellowing into a bitter finish, with understated cranberry flavours coming through. |
| Evil Twin - Wet Dream | 6.80 | | On keg dispense. Dark brown, roasted malts and chocolate. Some citrusy hop and a hint of wine. |
| Cromarty - Happy Chappy | 4.10 | | US-style pale ale, with good but not dominant hop flavours. |
| Evil Twin - Nymphomaniac | 5.50 | | On keg dispense. Amber-coloured and hazy. Big hoppy nose. A bit too carbonated for me. One of my friends loved it, but I found it dominated by caramelly, butterscotch tastes. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Ashford | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Smoked Porter | 5.40 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Sequoia | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Magic Rock - Curious | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Magic Rock - Dark Arts | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Craft Pale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Reddish Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried |
20 Nov 2012 (Martin the Mildman)
Getting quite busy after 5pm on a Tuesday.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiny Rebel - The Full Nelson | 4.80 | | Darker then expected with a rather harsh dose of hops giving a rather sharp flavour for my taste. My score 14/20. |
About the Craft Beer Co.
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 4 |
| 28 |
| 18 |
| 9 |
| 1 |
The pub is found in Islington, Central London, N1 9PP.
The fifth in the Craft/Cask chain (sixth if you count the short lived Cask at Brighton). This pub was established as the Lord Wolseley by 1876 and for 135 years was a rather unremarkable, side street pub, located close to the Angel in White Lion Street, Islington. In latter years it was a Greene King house. It reopened as Craft in November 2012, following a brief closure for refurbishment. Three distinct drinking areas plus a garden. 10 handpumps.
We have visited this pub 30 times, seen 165 different beers and tried 57 of them.
Postcode: N1 9PP