Whitbread Beer Company

Commercial Brewery in City of London, Greater London, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Established in 1742

Closed in 2000

Contact
52 Chiswell Street, City of London, EC1Y 4SD, England
Description
NOTE: This listing is for beers brewed by Whitbread Beer Company discontinued following its sale in 2001. Any beers still produced post-sale are separately listed.

The Whitbread Beer Company officially stopped making beer in May 2000, and sold its brewing operations and beer brands to the Belgian brewing group Interbrew in 2001 (which later became part of Anheuser-Busch InBev).

Some Whitbread-branded alcoholic beverages are still available in the UK, such as canned Whitbread bitter, but these are not produced by Anheuser-Busch InBev, but rather under licence by other producers.

When Whitbread sold its historic brewing business to Interbrew in 2001 (later to become AB InBev), its main London brewing operations and headquarters were located at 52 Chiswell Street, London, EC1Y 4SD. Whitbread moved its central headquarters to Dunstable in 2006. This move followed a brief relocation to Luton in 2005 as the company closed its London offices to centralize its operations and reduce costs.

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7/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7.5 Texture 7 Overall 7
Bottle at CBJ Tasting. Dark glossy brown. No head. Aroma is sour with underlying dough. Flavourwise it is boozy with dark dough and kreosote. Medium bodied. Soft carbonation. Long dry astringent finish. OK actually.
Tried from Bottle on 03 Jul 2026 at 19:56

7.4/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 7.5 Texture 7 Overall 7.5
Has aged quite well. Still a fair bit of kick. Meaty malts. Earth, little toast, burnt toffee, wood. In impressive shape.
Tried from Bottle at Craft Beer Junction on 02 Jul 2026 at 18:35

7.3/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7.5
2nd July 2026
Bottleshare at CBJ. Thanks to LKS for this historic brew. Near clear deep amber beer, a few tan bubbles. Light smooth palate, modest fine carbonation. Rich toffee malts, a little cream, yeah oxidised caramel but, it fits in here. Ripe fruits. Slightly bitter caramel on the finish. Very tasty and drinkable museum piece.
Tried from Bottle on 02 Jul 2026 at 18:31

6.8/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 6.5 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 6.5
Tried from Bottle on 02 Jul 2026 at 18:29

Actually not this vintage, it says best by 1990. Not very good, heavy oxidisation BUT it does have a classic roasty finish. The inside of the cap is a shade darker than the stout itself 😆 fun tick
Tried from Bottle on 16 Aug 2025 at 15:36

4.2/10 Appearance 4 Aroma 4 Flavor 4 Texture 4 Overall 5
354ml bottle @ monthly tasting, Chez Sophie, April 24. Thanks Jeremy for plucking this dusty relic from your beer shelf. Aroma of strong toffee, barley wine, caramelised malt. Quite thin as expected. Actually bizarrely not undrinkable for a 43 year old beer.. no cobwebs or dust.
Tried from Bottle on 02 Apr 2024 at 10:53

6.1/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
354ml bottle shared by me with four others on 1st April 2024, in Chez Sophie during our monthly tasting. Deep and slightly murky brown, no head. Soft and smooth body, mellowed sweetness and booziness, just about drinkable. It was 43 years old (and I have looked after it).
Tried from Bottle on 02 Apr 2024 at 08:27

7/10
Tried on 07 Nov 2023 at 18:36

6.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7
7/11/2023. Bottle shared by Colin, cheers. Pours very dark brown with a small bubbly off-white head. Aroma is boozy, dusty, cocoa powder, chocolate, dark malts, dried fruits and nut. Moderate sweetness and aged bitterness. Medium bodied, quite smooth, average carbonation. Boozy bitter cocoa finish. Warmed to it.
Tried from Bottle on 07 Nov 2023 at 13:20

6.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
Bottle split a the 2nd CBJ tasting, thanks to Seth, 31/08/23. Dark mahogany brown with light khaki head. Nose is umami, soy, dark malts, spice, stewed fruits. Taste comprises dark malts, toffee, oxidised notes, dates, herb. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, drying close. Not bad for the age.
Tried from Bottle on 02 Sep 2023 at 21:49