North East Beer Review

Libertalia Brewing Co is a new brewery to me, somewhere actually introduced to me by my girlfriend’s parents who had visited Leyton and brought a couple cans back for me. The cans included a Hazy IPA called Personality Crisis and a lager called Identity Lager. I have been looking forward to trying it ever since I received the cans and today is the day to review the Lager. I know some craft beer drinkers don’t really rate lager, so what did I think? To find out I will cover the history of this brewery, the beer and I will touch on the pour and flavour profile. Cheers

Two friends start a brewery

Libertalia Brewing Co was founded in 2023 by Christos Daskalopoulos and Matt Dean who had worked together at the Athens Brewpub. After this, Matt went to Meantime and Christos went to 3 Locks which was an Offshoot of Greek Brewery 56 isles.

In 2023, the pair started Libertalia and took over the arch which formerly contained Gravity Well Brewing on Leyton Midland Road. It was originally opened as bar in the August but then a 8hl kit was installed and they started producing beer in the November. The name is borrowed from a legendary 17^th century utopian colony founded by pirates, which practised equality for all irrespective of colour and creed.

Libertalia produces a large number of beer styles ranging from lagers to hop forward ales such as the Hazy IPA you see today. Credit to desdemoor.co.uk for the information on Libertalia Brewing.

Libertalia Brewing Identity Lager is brewed using Saaz hops and has an ABV of 5.2%. This is marketed as a crisp and clean Lager and was first brewed for the breweries anniversary.

A crisp lager pour

Libertalia Identity pours a clear golden colour which is topped by a moderately sized foamy white head. This is retained throughout most of the session and left a small amount of lacing. This was a lively beer and this was shown for the steady stream of bubbles that often rise to the top. Overall, a lager you would definitely expect. To note this beer is unfiltered

A lager with a bite

Aroma

When observing the aroma of this lager it immediately releases the malt bill which is that of a sweet and bready flavour. This is followed by a herbal bite which offers a bitter tone to this beer. Overall, a clean aroma which is quite inviting.

Taste

When it comes to the taste of Identity Lager, it very much follows the aroma. It leads with a bread like maltness which presents a sweet and refreshing tone. This is followed by a herbal tone which offers a degree of bitterness. The finish is clean and dry, inviting you for another sip. Overall, a refreshingly decent lager.

Time for my verdict

Overall, this was a decent lager which I feel offers a great drinking experience. This is accessible for those beer drinkers who aren’t quite into craft beer but want something different to usual stuff mass produced in the United Kingdom. At 5.2% ABV this is typically stronger than most lagers produced over here, so this could catch you out. In terms of flavour, this was well balanced and tasted extremely fresh. Overall, I rate this a solid 4 out of 5. Cheers

Where did I purchase this lager from?

As I stated earlier, this was a gift from my Girlfriend’s parent during their trip down to London. This was purchased directly from the brewery itself.

Thanks for reading my review of Identity Lager. If you enjoyed this review you will love my review of 1936 Swiss Lager.