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The Cock Tavern (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Imperial Stout Fighting Ale |  | 1 |
| Burnt Mill - Denali Fog | | 1 |
| Cloudwater - A-W18 Brown Ale | | 1 |
| Burnt Mill - Layers | | 1 |
| Cloudwater - A-W18 India Porter |  | 1 |
| Boxcar - PAL-021 DDH Pale Enigma | | 1 |
| Ridgeside - Black Night | | 1 |
| Cloudwater - A-W18 One-Off DDH Pale v.1 | | 1 |
| DEYA - What Time Do You Call This? | | 1 |
| Ridgeside - Plato Jester | | 1 |
| Wander Beyond - Loris | | 1 |
| Kirkstall - Break Even Vanity Project | | 1 |
| Cromarty - Brewed Awakening | | 1 |
| Ridgeside - Plato Calypso | | 1 |
| DEYA - Into the Haze | | 1 |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Tropical Deluxe | | 1 |
| Five Points - Railway Porter | | 1 |
| Cloudwater - Helles Tetnanger |  | 1 |
| Track - Mojave | | 1 |
| One Mile End Brew Co. (formerly Mulligans at the White Hart and then WH Brew Pub) - Big Hiyu | | 1 |
| Park - White Stout | | 1 |
| Cloudwater - A-W18 Pale | | 1 |
| Cloudwater - Small Chinook El Dorado Pale | | 1 |
| Five Points - XPA | | 1 |
| Cromarty - Red Rocker |  | 1 |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - House IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hobsons - Best Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Passion Fruit Gose | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marble - Pint (was 3.9%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Five Points - Five Points Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hobsons - Champion Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Pale XX | Not Tried | 0 |
| Gipsy Hill - Hepcat | Not Tried | 0 |
| Moor - So'Hop | Not Tried | 0 |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - IPA No. 3 (West Coast Special) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Burning Sky - Aurora | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harviestoun - Sorachi Pils | Not Tried | 0 |
| Cromarty - Ghost Town | Not Tried | 0 |
| Cromarty - Atlantic Drift | Not Tried | 0 |
| Moor - Nor'Hop | Not Tried | 0 |
| Weird Beard - Black Perle | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fyne - Jarl | Not Tried | 0 |
| Track - Sonoma | Not Tried | 0 |
| Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Swift | Not Tried | 0 |
| Cromarty - Whiteout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Arbor Ales - The Ego Has Landed | Not Tried | 0 |
| Moor - Comrade Games | Not Tried | 0 |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Dinner Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Weird Beard - Mariana Trench | Not Tried | 0 |
| Beer Monkey Brew - Bitter Revival | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
05 Dec 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Pub very busy with survivors from the nearby Pig’s Ear Beer Festival.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wander Beyond - Loris | 7.20 | | From a keg of some kind. Strong, crisp, fruity and tart. |
| Park - White Stout | 4.20 | | A golden-coloured Stout. Disturbing. |
| Fyne - Jarl | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Cromarty - Brewed Awakening | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Swift | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Arbor Ales - The Ego Has Landed | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Dinner Ale | 5.20 | Not Tried |
12 Nov 2018 (Stephen Harris)
An interesting evening here with four Cloudwater Brewery beers in cask – part of that brewery’s ‘cask relaunch’. The pub is packed for this, including many brewing industry faces, and apparently 250 pints of the Cloudwater beers are sold tonight.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudwater - A-W18 Brown Ale | 4.60 | | Superb, chocolaty Brown Ale. Ticks every box. |
| Cloudwater - A-W18 India Porter | 5.30 | | A black Porter with a fruity/winey character. Suffers a little from being alongside the superb Brown Ale, but still excellent. |
| Cloudwater - A-W18 One-Off DDH Pale v.1 | 5.50 | | This completely nails the soft, fuzzy, fruity NEIPA style. |
| Cloudwater - A-W18 Pale | 4.00 | | A comparatively routine Pale when considered alongside the other riches available tonight. |
| Hobsons - Champion Mild | 3.20 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Pale XX | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Tropical Deluxe | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Dinner Ale | 5.20 | Not Tried |
08 Nov 2018 (Stephen Harris)
After-work visit for a quick one stood at the bar.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cromarty - Brewed Awakening | 4.70 | | It is one of life’s little mysteries that I hate coffee as a drink, actively dislike coffee-flavoured chocolates, but really enjoy a good, dry Coffee Stout like this one. |
| Moor - Nor'Hop | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Hobsons - Champion Mild | 3.20 | Not Tried | |
| Cromarty - Whiteout | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Pale XX | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Dinner Ale | 5.20 | Not Tried |
25 Oct 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Quiet enough to find a table here. I commented that the pub smelt of joss sticks. Blank looks all around; apparently they are called incense sticks now.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Mile End Brew Co. (formerly Mulligans at the White Hart and then WH Brew Pub) - Big Hiyu | 5.70 | | A soft, murky gold thingy, but this one is bitter and has a strong alcohol kick. |
| Hobsons - Best Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Cromarty - Red Rocker | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Burning Sky - Aurora | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Cromarty - Ghost Town | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Tropical Deluxe | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - House IPA | 6.90 | Not Tried |
19 Oct 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Having moved on from the Pembury Tavern, we found this pub also to be unusually crowded tonight.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five Points - Railway Porter | 4.80 | | I’m continuing to find this beer very much to my taste. |
| Boxcar - PAL-021 DDH Pale Enigma | 5.50 | | From key-keg. Boxcar are building a very strong reputation locally, and this is a great hop showcase. |
| Five Points - XPA | 4.00 | | Pale and sharply-hopped. |
| Moor - So'Hop | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Pale XX | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - House IPA | 6.90 | Not Tried |
04 Oct 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Busy in here in the evening, with lots of familiar faces. One of our group fails to spend £250 on a Glastonbury ticket via his mobile ‘phone, whilst the rest of us reminisce about the time when tickets were just £16 and if you didn’t have one you just climbed over the fence.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Imperial Stout Fighting Ale | 11.50 | | A special version of this beer that has been matured in Laphroaig casks. It is superb. The best beer I have drunk in a long time. |
| DEYA - Into the Haze | 6.20 | | From key-keg and very nice indeed. |
| Track - Mojave | 4.30 | | From key-keg. A cloudy, pale beer. Sharp and dry, with a bit of a rye burn. |
| Cromarty - Red Rocker | 5.00 | | I’ve enjoyed this beer in the past, but today it just tastes sweet with little balancing hop flavour. |
| Five Points - Railway Porter | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Five Points Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Track - Sonoma | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Pale XX | 5.10 | Not Tried |
27 Sep 2018 (Stephen Harris)
I retreat to here from the crowded Pembury Tavern with a group of friends. It’s busy here too, but we soon manage to collar a table. Lots of key-keg beers from Burnt Mill Brewery remain from an event on Tuesday.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnt Mill - Denali Fog | 7.40 | | From key-keg. The talk of the pub tonight, with everybody recommending it. A stunning, strong, almost clear, hoppy IPA. |
| Burnt Mill - Layers | 8.00 | | From key-keg. Another absolute beauty from Burnt Mill. A fearsome Imperial Stout. |
| Kirkstall - Break Even Vanity Project | 4.80 | | A New England IPA brewed collaboratively with Verdant Brewery (indeed, this is said to be Verdant’s first venture into cask). Typical of Verdant’s output, it is a soft, fruity, hoppy, murky concoction and very delicious. Close to five stars. |
| Hobsons - Best Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Railway Porter | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Hobsons - Champion Mild | 3.20 | Not Tried | |
| Track - Sonoma | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Passion Fruit Gose | 4.50 | Not Tried | An unexpected find in cask. |
03 Aug 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Early evening to see if anything is left of yesterday’s Cloudwater Brewery tap takeover. I’m here ahead of the crowds.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEYA - What Time Do You Call This? | 4.50 | | Apparently DEYA only brew a cask beer once a year, just to keep their eye in. This rare brew is a cloudy, soft, hoppy, fruity beer. |
| Cloudwater - Small Chinook El Dorado Pale | 2.80 | | Not much Cloudwater beer goes into cask, so this is a bonus. It’s in the cloudy/murky/hoppy style. Good body for its strength. |
| Cloudwater - Helles Tetnanger | 4.80 | | From keg. Clear gold and bubbly. Authentic German-style Lager. Clean, malty and refreshing. |
| Weird Beard - Mariana Trench | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Track - Sonoma | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Beer Monkey Brew - Bitter Revival | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Tropical Deluxe | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Dinner Ale | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - House IPA | 6.90 | Not Tried |
20 Jul 2018 (Stephen Harris)
I’ve got some catching up to do on Pubs & Beer – starting at the Cock.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Tropical Deluxe | 3.80 | | Golden. Exceptionally tropical fruity. |
| Cromarty - Atlantic Drift | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Weird Beard - Black Perle | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Track - Sonoma | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Cromarty - Whiteout | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Comrade Games | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Dinner Ale | 5.20 | Not Tried |
09 Jun 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Saturday evening. There was a Tap Takeover a few days ago by Ridgeside Brewery and I am pleased to find three of their beers still available in cask.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgeside - Black Night | 5.00 | | A black Oatmeal Stout. Quite sweet – is this just from the oats or is there lactose too? |
| Ridgeside - Plato Jester | 3.80 | | Single hop, session series. Black pepper and pine resin on a caramel/toffee base. |
| Ridgeside - Plato Calypso | 3.80 | | A pale, single-hop beer. |
| Marble - Pint (was 3.9%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Hobsons - Champion Mild | 3.20 | Not Tried | |
| Gipsy Hill - Hepcat | 4.60 | Not Tried | Final showing for Gipsy Hill in cask? |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - IPA No. 3 (West Coast Special) | 6.90 | Not Tried | |
| Harviestoun - Sorachi Pils | 4.40 | Not Tried |
About The Cock Tavern
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 15 |
| 187 |
| 90 |
| 28 |
 | 1 |
The pub is found in Hackney, Greater London, E8 1EJ.
There was a pub called the Cock in Hackney village as early as the 1650s, and in 1661 it was the venue for ‘Popish Conspirators’, plotting an unsuccessful assassination attempt on King Charles II. Nobody is quite sure if this was the predecessor of today’s pub – but the present pub was certainly around by the 1830s and was rebuilt in its present form by Truman’s Brewery in around 1930. Very much a down-market, high street, strictly ‘no real ale’ sort of place, it closed in early 2012 for refurbishment, and re-opened on 18 July 2012 as a real ale champion, complete with in-house ‘Howling Hops’ micro-brewery (subsequently relocated to larger premises). This pub is sister pub to the Southampton Arms in Kentish Town.
We have visited this pub 124 times, seen 426 different beers and tried 269 of them.
Postcode: E8 1EJ