Books, Kings & a Pint Before Noon: Beer #4982 at Penderel’s Oak

From the Desk of JT, the Beer Logger (B-Logger)

Mission: 50 Beers to 5000
Beer #: 4982
Location: Bloomsbury / Holborn, London
Beer: Big Sea IPA
Brewery: Mad Squirrel Brewery
Vibe: Cozy pub meets accidental history lesson
Mood: Relaxed, curious, and pleasantly surprised

🍺 Beer #4982: Mad Squirrel Big Sea IPA (Rating: 4.0)

London mornings hit different — especially when you wake up at The Rosewood London, stretch the legs, and decide to “just take a short walk.”

Famous last words.

Because in London, a short walk almost always includes a pub.

And sure enough, wandering the Bloomsbury neighborhood near Holborn, we stumbled upon Penderel’s Oak — doors open, lights on, and quietly inviting like it had been expecting us.

Morning walk?
Upgraded to morning pint.

🏛️ A Pub with a Backstory (Because of Course It Does)

Penderel’s Oak sits close to Holborn Tube Station, right in the heart of Central London. It occupies the ground floor and cellar of Penderel House, named after Richard Penderel — a man whose quick thinking quite literally changed British history.

Back in 1652, at the end of the English Civil War, Richard Penderel helped King Charles II escape from Cromwell’s troops by hiding the royal fugitive in…
👉 an oak tree on his country estate.

Yes. A king. In a tree.
And now there’s a pub named after it.

History, but make it pint-sized.

🍻 The Pub Itself: Calm, Comfortable, and Bookish

Unlike some Wetherspoons that feel like airports with taps, Penderel’s Oak was genuinely comfortable.

This spot had:

Cozy seating
A quiet, relaxed morning crowd
Shelves of books that actually made you want to browse
That unmistakable “locals before lunch” energy

It felt like a place where:

You could read a chapter
Nurse a pint
And forget you’re in the middle of London for a moment

Exactly my speed.

🌊 The Beer: Big Sea IPA

For Beer #4982, I landed on Big Sea IPA from Mad Squirrel Brewery, and honestly?
Great call.

This was one of those “sit, sip, exhale” beers.

JT Pint Breakdown:

Drinkability level: Very high
Crowd energy: Quiet, conversational, civilized
Vibe check: Perfectly matched to the setting
Surprise factor: Better than expected for a casual morning stop
JT rating: 4.0

Bright, fresh, and easygoing without being boring — exactly what you want when your day has already included luxury hotels, cocktail bars, and a questionable bottled-beer decision the night before.