Normally, these kinds of beers are just a novelty or a marketing gimmick. However, this one strangely works quite well actually. Due to the fact that there is actually marmite flowing through this ale, it is quite dark to the eye, however, the yeast extract product in this beer is extremely subtle and is surprisingly well balanced.
Camden Town Brewery are known for doing simple things really well, but with the Love-Hate Marmite Ale, they've successfully ventured into the unknown and have done so extremely well.
The initial flavour profile of this Marmite Ale is very yeasty, however, not unpleasantly so. The Munich Malt that is evidently present throughout this beer, provides a smoky & bready profile that is so reminiscent of marmite. There is also, however, a real pang of Camden Hells lager that comes from the Perle Hops, as confirmed by Camden Town Brewery.
This makes the Marmite Ale a real yeast bomb but is balanced out by the crisp smoothness of a lager or pale ale. While this is generally not a bad beer at all, you can definitely tell this is somewhat of a novelty brew. One for the marketing team to shout about, while being fun to drink nonetheless.
As you would expect, the vessel of the Love-Hate Marmite Ale... well, looks like a jar of marmite. Predominantly black with a yellow lid and the infamous red and white 'Marmite' logo, it is unmistakably branded as everyone's favourite yeast toast topping. It actually works well with the red white and black colours of the Camden Town Brewery logo.
I have to say though, I am very glad this brew comes in a 330ml can, as I honestly don't think I could drink much more than that in one sitting. As nice as it is, it definitely isn't a session beer and is one to enjoy in moderation and as a bit of a novelty.
MARMITE BEER? YES REALLY.
There's beer yeast in Marmite, and there’s Marmite in this beer. Brewed with Perle hops, same as our classic Hells Lager, we added real Marmite along with toasted Pilsner and Munich malt for a smoky, bready balance. So whether you love it or hate it, it works just as well as marmite on toast. We'll toast to that.
