The Cock Tavern (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
10 May 2018 (Stephen Harris)
It’s Hop Swap night here and the tap takeover this month is by Black Iris Brewery of Nottingham. I’m stood at the bar with a scattering of friends.
Black Iris - Chasing the Sun | 6.50 | | From key-keg. Murky gold. Hoppy and juicy. |
Marble - Piwaka Waka | 6.20 | | A strong. Golden. Lemony IPA with NZ hops. |
Black Iris - Bury Me In Smoke | 5.50 | | From key-keg. Smoked sausage flavours. |
Beer Monkey Brew - Bitter Revival | 3.90 | | A straightforward Bitter. |
Marble - Pint (was 3.9%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Ledbury Real Ales - Ledbury Dark | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Pale XX | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Pale XX | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
06 Apr 2018 (Stephen Harris)
A good Friday evening, short session in here with lots of friends and familiar faces present.
One Mile End Brew Co. (formerly Mulligans at the White Hart and then WH Brew Pub) - Blood Orange Wheat DIPA | 7.40 | | Fantastic to find this beer available in cask format. Reddish-gold in colour. Luscious smell. Gorgeous fruit flavours. Best beer in a while. |
Harviestoun - Sorachi Pils | 4.40 | | An inspired take on a Lager. Pale gold, spritzy in cask. Great hops. Very interesting. |
Cromarty - Red Rocker | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Harviestoun - Old Engine Oil | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
One Mile End Brew Co. (formerly Mulligans at the White Hart and then WH Brew Pub) - Salvation! Pale Ale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Riding Ale | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Pale XX No. 1 | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
One Mile End Brew Co. (formerly Mulligans at the White Hart and then WH Brew Pub) - Speedy Wilson | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
31 Mar 2018 (Stephen Harris)
After an afternoon of brewery adventures, I met up with a couple of friends here for a more conventional drink. I failed to note all the cask beers available.
Cromarty - Red Rocker | 5.00 | | A rye beer. |
One Mile End Brew Co. (formerly Mulligans at the White Hart and then WH Brew Pub) - Morello Cherry Gose | 4.20 | | From keg. Less fizzy than last time I drank this and the lip-smacking cherry qualities are more apparent. |
One Mile End Brew Co. (formerly Mulligans at the White Hart and then WH Brew Pub) - Speedy Wilson | 4.50 | | An old-fashioned Brown Ale. |
12 Mar 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Just time for a couple of quick halves before going to see the RSC’s production of Hamlet, a few doors down the road at the Hackney Empire.
Elusive - Aztec Challenge | 6.00 | | A strong, black Porter, heavily flavoured with chilli. Chilli burn evident from the first sip. |
Siren Craft - Coldblooded Cold-Steeped Porter | 5.00 | | A dark brown Porter with strong cocoa / coffee flavours. |
Cromarty - Happy Chappy | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Brick - Kinsale Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Riding Ale | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Cherrywood Road | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
One Mile End Brew Co. (formerly Mulligans at the White Hart and then WH Brew Pub) - Tinker's Cuss | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - NZ Pale Ale | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
08 Feb 2018 (Stephen Harris)
It’s the monthly ‘Holy Cheese Mountain’ night here and the visiting brewery is Verdant (although they have no cask beer). I realise that it will be busy so leave work early and am here by 6:30. It is already packed however and more keep squeezing in, making the pub a bit uncomfortable.
Box Social - Fubsy | 4.20 | | A slightly sweet, black Oatmeal Stout. |
Track - El Dorado | 4.00 | | A proper murky, golden hopfest. |
Verdant - Track & Field | 7.20 | | From key-keg. This is a great, strong, fresh, juicy, US-style IPA |
Redemption - Victorian Mild (collaboration with The Kernel) | 6.00 | | Dark brown in colour. I don’t enjoy this as much as I was expecting – possibly because it comes immediately after a couple of very hoppy beers. |
Gipsy Hill - Bounder | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
13 Jan 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Mid-afternoon on a Sunday is a quiet session here, probably due to the lack of roast lunch provision. I like it quiet. With Maregade Brewery having relocated to larger premises nearby, I understand that Howling Hops are once again brewing some cask beers here.
Five Points - Derailed Porter | 5.20 | | An excellent, soured and slightly stronger version of the regular Railway Porter. Produced in limited quantities each winter. |
Track - Enigma | 4.00 | | A cloudy, golden, single-hopper. Quite distinctive hop tastes. |
Howling Hops (Former brewery at Cock Tavern) - Ruby Red | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Hobsons - Champion Mild | 3.20 | Not Tried | |
Brick - Kinsale Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
26 Oct 2017 (Stephen Harris)
Very busy in the early evening with people here before an event at the Hackney Empire. Much talk about the pub now accepting plastic payments (formerly strictly a cash-only venue) although I did not see anyone give it a go.
Track - Zaka | 3.80 | | A fresh and fruity Pale Ale. |
New Bristol - 365 | 4.00 | | A hazy brown colour. This is a heavily-malty, traditional Best Bitter. |
Hop Stuff - Fusilier | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Hammerton - Penton (or Pentonville Oyster Stout) | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - Ruby Red Dinner Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Maregade - Amber | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
07 Sep 2017 (Stephen Harris)
It is the monthly cheese night here, with a big crowd present including people from Wylam Brewery (who are the featured brewery) and Mikkeler (who are not). My friend Dave is horrified to find not one dark beer on the bar in any format and resolves to drink cider.
Wylam - Jakehead IPA | 6.30 | | A very nice, strong IPA. |
Wylam - Swipe Right SPA | 4.70 | | A fruity APA. |
Wylam - Galatia | 3.90 | | Very pale and rather sharp. |
Wylam - Cascade | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Wylam - Hickey the Rake | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Maregade - Elderflower Spring | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
09 Aug 2017 (Stephen Harris)
As part of the London Beer City event, this pub is hosting Deya Brewery from Cheltenham tonight. They have brought four key-keg beers with them and the brewers are showing what multi-talented chaps they are by DJ-ing here tonight.
DEYA - Steady Rolling Man | 5.20 | | More murky yellow/gold. A very fine-tasting US-style IPA. Some lemony flavours. |
First Chop Brewing Arm - POD | 4.20 | | A relatively lightweight, but still excellent, Vanilla Stout. |
DEYA - Just a Glimmer | 4.00 | | A thickly-cloudy yellow/gold colour. An APA and full of fruity US hop flavours. |
DEYA - Into the Haze | 6.20 | | Another thick glass of golden murk. A smooth, fruity, strong IPA. |
Pig & Porter - Red Spider Rye | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Maregade - Pale | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Maregade - Amber | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Squawk - Oat Pale Ale Wai-iti | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
22 Jul 2017 (Stephen Harris)
Mid-evening and not crowded.
Squawk - NZ IPA Wai-iti Waimai | 5.50 | | A top-drawer IPA with superb New Zealand hop flavours. |
Track - Two’s Day Juice | 4.40 | | A collaboration beer with Brew by Numbers, available from key-keg. A murky yellow colour. Juicy and lemony. |
Maregade - Amber | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Brick - Peckham Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
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