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Earl of Essex (Graceland)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Five Points - Railway PorterExcellent1
Arbor Ales - Three Little WolvesExcellent1
Blueball - Black PennyExcellent1
Wild Beer Co. - FreshExcellent1
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%)Excellent1
Brightside - DuneExcellent1
Tiny Rebel - Goldie Lookin AleGood1
Fordham Brewing Company - Rams Head IPAGood1
Arbor Ales - Phantom DennisGood1
Earl's - Belgian BlondeAcceptable1
Earl's - Earl's IPAAcceptable1
Earl's - Red MedicineAcceptable1
Hop Studio - Dark RosePoor1
Brewster's - HopheadNot Tried0
Marble - Lagonda IPANot Tried0
Hopcraft (experimental side of Pixie Spring) - CitraicNot Tried0
Salopian - The BendsNot Tried0
Atom - IPANot Tried0
Dark Star - Hophead (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)Not Tried0
Moor - Unfined ConfidenceNot Tried0
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord MarplesNot Tried0
Summer Wine (SWB) - Oregon Pale AleNot Tried0
Botanist - Humulus LupulusNot Tried0
Hand Drawn Monkey - Jerk StoutNot Tried0
Lamb - One in the BushNot Tried0
AllGates - Gin PitNot Tried0
Offbeat - Outlandish PaleNot Tried0
Eden Mill (formerly Eden (St. Andrews)) - Advantage Pale AleNot Tried0
Picture 1. Earl of Essex, Islington, Central London
Picture 2. Earl of Essex, Islington, Central London

Visits Details

15 Oct 2016 (Magnus Greel)
Number 4 on our crawl though easily passed seeing a row of unbadged pumps only to walk in and see the menu on the wall. Busy afternoon visit we managed to find a table towards the rear of the pub.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%)3.40Excellent
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples4.00Not Tried
Summer Wine (SWB) - Oregon Pale Ale5.50Not Tried
21 Jul 2016 (Stephen Harris)
Dave and I move on here and are joined by Mary. It’s hot and the pub is crowded. The garden is standing room only. The in-house brewery appears not to be in use. Three cask beers on at £4:40 a pint.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Wild Beer Co. - Fresh5.50ExcellentA very nice, tasty, strong-ish, fresh-tasting Pale Ale.
Dark Star - Hophead (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)3.80Not Tried
Moor - Unfined Confidence4.60Not Tried
08 Aug 2015 (Jack William)
Mid Saturday evening - unpleasantly busy - even the narrow pavement area was crowded and being monitored by security staff. No draft - all craft -- at Islington prices. I had a half of a very cold and fizzy Jakehead IPA @ 6.3% and £5.60 a pint and swiftly left.
BeerABVScoreNotes
20 Dec 2014 (Andrew)
Really nice, well conceived pub in a quiet residential area.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Five Points - Railway Porter4.80ExcellentTop porter. Roasted and not too sweet.
Tiny Rebel - Goldie Lookin Ale4.50GoodNice gold fruity light grapefruit and lychee flavoured beer
Salopian - The Bends5.20Not Tried
Atom - IPA5.60Not Tried
23 Nov 2014 (Stephen Harris)
Busy, on a rainy Sunday lunchtime. We propped up one corner of the bar. My friends were keen to push on, and I let them go when I discovered they had six more pubs in mind for their crawl.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Arbor Ales - Phantom Dennis3.70GoodToasty and black. Perhaps a little bit thin.
Earl's - Belgian Blonde6.40AcceptableOn keg dispense. Golden and cloudy. Did not taste to strength.
Brewster's - Hophead3.60Not Tried
Marble - Lagonda IPA5.00Not Tried
Hopcraft (experimental side of Pixie Spring) - Citraic5.20Not Tried
18 Mar 2014 (Baymart)
A gem of a pub for real ale enthusiasts, and on the evening I was there it had 5 cask ales available and 13 others. With no fault attached to the pub, I made a poor choice of beer, but I still enjoyed the atmosphere, and general homeliness.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Hop Studio - Dark Rose3.50PoorNot really worth the £4.00 poor choice by myself
27 Feb 2014 (Stephen Harris)
Quite crowded in mid-evening. I find the practice of not using handpump clips to be irritating and it led to confusion here when we tried to order. It later turned out that all the evening’s beers are listed and described on a printed sheet, but these were in short supply and lighting levels were very low.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Arbor Ales - Three Little Wolves4.80ExcellentA good, hoppy, brown ale.
Earl's - Red Medicine4.50AcceptableSweet red ale with some hop character. Let down tonight by flat condition.
Offbeat - Outlandish Pale3.90Not Tried
Eden Mill (formerly Eden (St. Andrews)) - Advantage Pale Ale4.50Not Tried
04 Aug 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Sunday lunchtime visit before the crowds arrive. Good to see a home-brewed beer available, even if it is not in the best condition.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Earl's - Earl's IPA5.20AcceptableAmber in colour and hazy. The first taste suggested a good, fruity IPA in the US style. But the pint very quickly fell flat in the glass and lost flavour. Work in progress I think.
Botanist - Humulus Lupulus3.80Not Tried
Hand Drawn Monkey - Jerk Stout7.40Not Tried
Lamb - One in the Bush4.20Not Tried
AllGates - Gin Pit4.30Not Tried
24 Jun 2013 (Stephen Harris)
This is now a brew pub, with Earl’s Brewery active on site – none of its beer on tonight though. I sat in the back garden, chewing the fat with Roland, and never got around to noting all the beers that were available – about five in cask and a dozen or so interesting kegs. This pub is not a cheap option.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Brightside - Dune3.70ExcellentA rather good, pale, hoppy beer.
Fordham Brewing Company - Rams Head IPA7.50GoodOn keg dispense, with a light carbonation. An amber-coloured, USA IPA. Malty smell, but predominately hoppy taste. Dry and bitter. But the hops do not really shine – possibly not as fresh as it might have been.
20 Nov 2012 (Martin the Mildman)
Fairly quiet early on a Tuesday evening.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Blueball - Black Penny4.50ExcellentDry roasted stout with a full bodied flavour and good hop balance. Lingering roasty coffee finish. My score 14/20.

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About the Earl of Essex

The pub sign. Earl of Essex, Islington, Central London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional-
Excellent7
Good5
Acceptable3
Poor1

Website.

The pub is found in Islington, Central London, N1 8LE.

Recently reopened and refurbished pub retaining a central bar layout and still with the feel of a back street local. Food is gastropub type but not in your face. Real ales are from craft brewers and an on site brewery, Earl's, has now opened. Keg and bottled beers also feature prominently. Expensive.

We have visited this pub 12 times, seen 33 different beers and tried 16 of them.

Map location

Postcode: N1 8LE