PubsandBeer
History: Home > Great Northern
Great Northern (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Otherworld - KHAOS - Coffee Porter |  | 1 |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | | 1 |
| Banks's - Wainwright Gold a.k.a.The Golden Beer | Not Tried | 0 |
| Renegade (sub-brand of West Berkshire then became name when West Berkshire went under) - Schnapps - Peachy Lager | Not Tried | 0 |
| Black Iris - Ngaru Iti | Not Tried | 0 |
| Renegade (sub-brand of West Berkshire then became name when West Berkshire went under) - Cherry Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - The Joy of Six | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Memento | Not Tried | 0 |
| Coley's - Charmed by Harlequin | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brew York - Hop Cat Citra Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Jiddler's Tipple (cuckoo at By The Horns) - Swifty - Session IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Black Iris - Lightning Beard - Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brew York - Mind The Tap - coffee stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | Not Tried | 0 |
| New Bristol - Cinder Toffee Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
18 Apr 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
First stop on this St Albans’ visit: Second one in on its opening at 12 noon and just minutes from St Albans City, the town centre’s second railway station. This pub was reached by going past St Albans' old preserved signal-box, now a museum, and along some quiet backstreets. A warm friendly welcome and prompt service for their freshly-on range of six beers on the inside and six in the rear garden in a wooden shed called the Dog House. Quite a few real ale enthusiasts got in shortly after me, including some from the GLC (Greater London Council) Real Ale Society. All of The Great Northern's beers had been drunk dry the day before by all accounts and thanks to extra footfall created by the CAMRA Members' Weekend and AGM at St Albans’ Arena from Friday 17th April to Sunday 19th April 2026. On top of this, St Albans was hosting the City of Ale festival, featuring several beer trails and pub-based events such as mini-beer festivals.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | | 1st beer of this visit: Fresh on as announced by the barmaid, this dark brownish-ruby hued mild from Maldon in Essex*, notable for winning the CAMRA Supreme Champion Beer of Britain in 2011, exuded a creamy head and lacing and lasting very well. A dry, fruited first hit. Dark fruited flavours rising for me with hints of blackcurrants, red berries and the odd red grape dancing on my palate. A bitter dryness with hoppy notes winning over from its Challenger hops. A gentle malty flavouring paddling out with hints of chocolate, coffee and a touch of liquorice aided by its Maris Otter Pale, Crystal and Black malts. A very moreish dry hoppiness lingering on the mouthfeel. Served in top nick. *The Mighty Oak Brewing Company, founded in 1996 in Brentwood, Essex, moved to its current Essex location in Maldon in January 2001. |
| Otherworld - KHAOS - Coffee Porter | 4.00 | | Good head and lacing presented on this porter from Otherworld Brewing, an independent craft brewery set up in November 2020 in Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland, and lasting all the way. A defined smoky first hit. A dry bitterness rising. A dark fruited hoppiness veering up and winning over with for me hints of freshly roasted coffee*, liquorice and dark chocolate delighting my taste buddies. A biscuity, burnt sugar-sweet and roasted malt concoction with caramel-infused flavours lingering. A hoppiness** prevailing with some ripe tropical flavours playing out. A moreish hoppy dryness paddling out. Very moreish and in perfect nick as also fresh on. *Its Shantawene coffee is from Ethiopia and is roasted by Obadiah Coffee Roasters in Edinburgh. **Otherworld is likely using traditional UK or European varieties such as Slovenian hops, like Styrian Dragon and Wolf, and German varieties such as Hallertau Blanc and Tettnang, aiding a balanced bitterness to not overshadow the coffee and roasted malt flavourings. |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - The Joy of Six | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Banks's - Wainwright Gold a.k.a.The Golden Beer | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Coley's - Charmed by Harlequin | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Hop Cat Citra Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Jiddler's Tipple (cuckoo at By The Horns) - Swifty - Session IPA | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Black Iris - Lightning Beard - Pale Ale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Mind The Tap - coffee stout | 4.80 | Not Tried |
01 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
1st visit of the outing: Ticking over for my early afternoon arrival with 6 real ales on but wished to try a local one and so headed to the next pub up the road in eager anticipation. The friendly barmaid told me the local South Hertfordshire CAMRA branch behind today's outing had moved on only minutes before I got here.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| New Bristol - Cinder Toffee Stout | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Banks's - Wainwright Gold a.k.a.The Golden Beer | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Renegade (sub-brand of West Berkshire then became name when West Berkshire went under) - Schnapps - Peachy Lager | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Black Iris - Ngaru Iti | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Renegade (sub-brand of West Berkshire then became name when West Berkshire went under) - Cherry Stout | 4.20 | Not Tried |
About the Great Northern
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | - |
| 2 |
 | - |
 | - |
 | - |
The pub is found in St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 1PQ.
This independently-run neo-Jacobean pub at 172 London Road dates from circa 1900 and reopened in 2015 after a major refurbishment which saw its central semi-circular bar replaced by one at the side of the main area you walk into. It is grade II-listed and is next door to an independent Art Deco cinema called The Odyssey which has also been restored. It aims to offer at least one Hertfordshire ale alongside a range of others. On the November 2025 visit, there were 6 cask ales on, including Fuller’s and two from Renegade Brewery, west of Reading. CAMRA details it holds bi-monthly brewery tap take-overs and offers 10% off all cask ales and real ciders every Thursday for all, and a 10% discount to CAMRA members at all times. It holds an annual summer beer festival on the first weekend of July and a Stout and Porter festival every January.
We have visited this pub twice, seen 16 different beers and tried 2 of them.
Postcode: AL1 1PQ