BREWER: Camden Town Brewery, North London
STYLE: Pale Ale
ABV: 4%
VESSEL: 330ml tin
TWITTER: Not currently on Twitter
MOB RATING: 84%
SAMMY SAY’S…
Camden Town Brewery has ridden the crest of a wave on the back of a number of their products, Camden Pale Ale being one of them. Their rise to popularity has been in large parts down to the boom of craft beers. Although not quite as popular as some other offerings from these hipsters, Camden Pale Ale is not a rarity and is easy to come across both on tap and canned up. I never believe in the term ‘sell out’; if a product is good it stands to reason it will do well. And let us be honest, all businesses set out with one goal: to make money. What needs to be tested with booming craft beer companies is the strength of their products and how they stand up in the increasingly over-crowded market.
With Camden Pale Ale, it is simple: this is a good all-rounder. It’s great on the nose. It’s great on the palate. It loses none of its interest on the second, third, fourth, fifth,….pint. The taste comes somewhere between a lager ale crossover, with a definite nod towards the ale end of the spectrum. There are bitter notes that are tempered by the hops. The length of flavour has depth, but it’s by no means over bearing and leaves you with no nasty surprises.
It comes packaged up in what could only be a Camden Town Brewery beer. Their unique branding is evident and you’d be hard pressed to miss one of their products. Whether you like the style or not is almost irrelevant; it serves its purpose. It’s there in your face and you know what you’re reaching for.
Most of us have veered into the territory of Camden Pale Ale on more than one occasion. If you haven’t, it’s about time you did.
Sammy’s Rating: 82%
JYMI SAY’S…
Camden Town. An area of North London that for centuries has dared to be different. Known for its quirky and care free attitude folk used to flock from the world over to pick up crazy bits of furniture that they would struggle to find anywhere else. Nowadays people still come from all corners of the globe just to see London and what Camden Town has to offer.
So have Camden Town Brewery captured the quirky, dare to be different feel with their Camden Pale Ale offering? No.
Do I care? No. Not one iota.
Why not? Because this is an absolutely terrific Pale!! It is packing bags of flavour and seeing as it’s only 4% it is actually amazing quite how much of a punch that CPA is bringing to the table. Plenty of citrus upfront and then a long almost ultra bitter hoppy finish. Very good indeed I assure you. I think what is also the key to this Pale being a real champ is it’s got plenty enough going for it if you’re just having a quick beer. If you’re only having a couple, CPA put’s it’s hand up once again and delivers. Furthermore, it works as a session beer too. Impressive stuff.
Now you could accuse Camden Town Brewery of failing to deliver an exciting tin design and name seeing as it’s from Camden. However, I am not. I actually admire the simplicity of design, name, colour and font. They could have gone all out IN YOUR FACE CAMDEN but no.. an understated approach was taken which somehow sums up this area of North London that dares to be different. Don’t ask me how but it just…. works.
I am a big fan of this Pale Ale which seems to be becoming more accessible with each day that tick’s by, and that can only be a good thing.
Jymi’s Rating: 86%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 84%
MOB review next weekend: PRIDE & JOY by VOCATION BREWERY
MUSE ON BOOZE SUMMER OF GIN IS COMING……. #MOBSOG
MUSE ON BOOZE 