The London Craft Beer Festival is a lot of beer in a field, and what more could you need? Breweries you already know sit shoulder to shoulder with ones you’ve never heard of and won’t pronounce correctly, all pouring from the same rotation of tents, stalls and vendor carts. Food stands have a spot too, specifically so you never have to stop drinking for too long, which is either thoughtful or slightly sinister depending on how many tasters in you are.
With a third of a pint glass ready to go, tasters were flying, samples tried, notes discussed.
Here’s what stood out.
Best
Tiny Alchemist, LZO Birrificio – Session New England IPA, 4.5%
Hazy and pale gold, with a soft, pillowy head. The first thing you get is peach, then mango, then a wash of citrus peel that leans slightly bitter without ever turning sharp. Full flavoured for something this low in alcohol.
Hackney Church Brew Co, Reptilian Picnic – Hazy IPA, 6.3%
A cloudy, bright yellow pour that barely lets any light through. Tropical fruit on the nose, mostly pineapple and mango, carrying straight through into the taste alongside a squeeze of orange. Heavier on the tongue than the Tiny Alchemist, and it drinks like the stronger beer it is.
hackneychurchbrew.co | @hackneychurchbrewco
Good
Jiddler’s Tipple, Textbook Pilsner – Czech-style, British hops, 3.8%
Golden with a thick white head. Honeyed and malty up front, with a gentle, spiced bitterness settling in afterwards rather than hitting straight away. Finishes clean, not dry, and easy to keep drinking.
jiddlerstipple.com | @jiddlerstipple
Recraft, MilkoĊak – Milk Stout, 5.2%
Nearly black in the glass with a thin tan head. Roasted malt and coffee on the nose, with a milky sweetness in the taste that softens what would otherwise be a fairly bitter beer. Went down easier than a 5.2% stout has any right to.
5 Points, Pale Ale, 4.4%
Citrus forward, mostly grapefruit and orange, with a light bitterness that never overstays. A familiar pour for anyone who spends time in north London taprooms, but it earns its place regardless.
fivepointsbrewing.co.uk | @fivepointsbrew
Paulaner Pilsner, 4.8%
Pale gold, clean, a bit grassy. The tent had one of the longest queues of the day, which says more about the pull of a well known German name than anything unusual in the glass.
