Hackney Brewery
American Pale Ale
4.5%
Hackney, London, UK

Hackney Brewery was set up in 2011 by Jon Swain and Peter Hills following many years working in pubs, including one of my favourite pubs in London, The Charles Lamb. At present the brewery has a core range of four beers including this APA (American Pale Ale).

I am not that accustomed to APA style beers but really love pale ale so surely they can’t be much different, right? Well wrong actually. On smell alone this APA by Hackney Brewery reminds me of several of my favourite London pale ales, however the taste is slightly different. With London pale ales there is a lot of hoppy flavours but this particular APA by Hackney Brewery has a more ale taste to it. By that, if someone served me it and told me it was a “golden ale” I wouldn’t think anything of it.

It certainly is gold in colour but my main criticism of it is that it isn’t hoppy enough. This is the description, “This beer is brewed with American Cascade hops that make it refreshing and hoppy. It has a rich malt base giving it a warm amber colour.” All of that I am on board with apart from the hoppy part. I’d like more hops and a bigger flavour. It is a nice beer, but not what I expected at all.

If I spotted this in a pub I would most definitely order it but couldn’t see myself scouting it out around London.

OVERALL: 2.5 / 5