BEER REVIEW: 371

BREWER: Camden Town Brewery, North London, England

STYLE: Stout

ABV: 4%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

X: @CamdenBrewery

INSTAGRAM: camdentownbrewery

DATE OF POST: 15th November 2024

 

JYMI SAY’S…

The tall pilsner glass was selected for today’s beer review, not because we’re reviewing a pilsner, because clearly, we’re not. But because of the message to the drinker that Camden Town Brewery have put on the back of the tin.

It’s OK to be big headed. Especially when it comes to Stout. We use nitrogen bubbles to give our smooth stout its thick, creamy head and fresh finish. Packed full of character, this is our fresh take on a classic style. So, in the spirit of being big headed, we think it’s the finest stout in the land.

Just take a look back at the picture of this brew. Then read above again. Just laughable really. And the beer is about as meh as it gets.

Total fail. I’ve got nothing more to say.

Jymi’s Rating: 28%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Camden Stout comes with its share of promises, but sadly, it falls short in pretty much every facet.  This is especially true with its disappointing nitrogen widget. While the label claims a big, creamy head, the nitrogen effect is minimal at best, resulting in a thin, lacklustre pour with arguably no foam whatsoever. The widget fails to create the expected “Guinness effect,” leaving you with a stout that looks like a deflated balloon.  As an aside, the dinking experience is not enhanced at all by the failing nitrogen shot, either.

In the taste, it’s what you’d expect from a stout—earthy barley and coffee notes, but nothing particularly enticing or robust. There’s little hints of chocolate and burnt barley but it’s all so weak that you are left searching for anything remarkable all the way throughout the drink.  It leaves the overall impression of being quite hollow and incomplete.

Camden may claim their stout is top of class, but in all truthfulness, it misses the mark entirely. The nitrogen gimmick doesn’t deliver, and with little body or depth, this stout struggles to distinguish itself in flavour once you get over the annoyance of the unmet promises. Unfortunately, it’s a beer I’d skip in favour of many other stouts.

Sammy’s Rating: 45%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 36.5%

MOB review next weekend: RUDDLES BEST by GREENE KING

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

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