Founded in 2014 by brothers Ed and Sim Cotton, The London Beer Factory operates from South-East London’s increasingly trendy West Norwood. Dedicated to crafting beers with character, unique flavours and distinctive qualities, they are also the first ever UK brewery to use 360° cans, with a unique ring pull design that allows the lid to be removed completely, allowing a full spectrum of tastes and aromas to be enjoyed, without the need for any glassware (or washing-up). What’s more, alongside their five-strong core range of beers – each month sees a brand new experimental beer from The London Beer Factory, launched as part of their Pilot Range, which aids the team’s constant search for new recipes and brewing practices.
Taken from the brewery’s core range of beers, Paxton IPA is heavily inspired by classic British India Pale Ale, commonly exported to India in the early 19th century, with a huge hop count in place as a preservative for the beer. As a result, Paxton IPA has an unsurprisingly vast hop character, brewed with a combination of four different varieties –Vic’s Secret and Ella, both from Australia, and American Cascade and Amarillo. When poured, what’s most prominent is the foaming white head that tops the beer’s cloudy amber body, joined by some visible carbonation. On the nose, the hop character delivers distinct citrus notes (particularly tangerine), slight hints of pine, and tropical aromas of passion fruit, which are accompanied by gentle notes of pale malt sweetness. Upon tasting, the citrus flavours cascade onto the palate and are joined by notes of peach juice and a light, refreshing bitterness. Finishing with a clean bitterness that progresses into a lasting mouth feel of fruit sweetness, Paxton IPA is a remarkably enjoyable, highly summer appropriate take on classic India Pale Ale.
Further information on The London Beer Factory can be found at thelondonbeerfactory.com.