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Beer of the Week (w/e 26th May 2024) with Spinko
on the Pub Forum
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about Tamworth Tap
CAMRA national pub of the year two years in a row, at street level a dark woody traditionally furnished single room, there’s a lower level courtyard garden reached via a ginnel at the left hand side of the building and more seating upstairs. Eight pumps of smaller brewery products on the counter half way in, and on a front counter a few kegs and a good number more keg taps lurking in the back area of the servery. Lots of brewery ephemera as decor, hiding in amongst which is a blackboard of “coming soon”, so don’t be mislead as some were, and there’s a laser display screen of what’s probably on. Many Camra awards cover an alcove at the rear called “Camra Corner”. Dangly hops are also part of the decor. The toilets upstairs have urinals which are cut open kegs, ho, ho, ho. I didn’t really get the hype surrounding this place although some of our party did.
On 26th May 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3293 recommendations about 2999 pubs]
Thuck Phat left this review about Tamworth Tap
Having visited the Tamworth Tap on various occasions since shortly after opening it felt like time for a review.
This is probably the best shop to pub conversion that I've visited with a great deal of care taken to create a cosy, atmospheric, pub style drinking establishment. Lighting is clever and gentle with well designed, dark wood seating, plenty of breweriana including attractive, traditional tools and well placed hop sprays. There is also a wood burning stove which has been welcome on chillier evening visits.
The place was already fairly busy at 4.15 and a mixed bunch of punters continued to arrive until our early evening departure. I've always found it well frequented without it being uncomfortably rammed both before and after the 2022 and 2023 CAMRA National Pub of the Year awards. I'm sure this is helped by a decent sized room upstairs and a well appointed garden overlooked by the castle for sunnier days.
As ever, our welcome was friendly, smiling and chatty and, having sat close to the bar, we noticed it was extended to allcomers. Informed, intelligent and relevant advice is also given on beer choices when asked and tasters are freely offered.
There is a small cabinet by the bar with rolls and pies but at 5 o'clock a more extensive menu (picture added) was brought round from which two excellent pork pies were had.
Other features include live music on Sunday evenings with the next 6 months or so booked, a "Request an Ale" pot on the corner of the bar complete with forms and pens and a small but perfectly visible board above the door displaying live train times. Useful given Tamworth's multiple rail connections.
The beer selection has always been excellent although they no longer seem to brew which is something of a shame as I had one or two crackers from them in the past. On this occasion the 9 handpumps were pulling: Bristol Beer Factory Everytime, Attic Beams, Ponoma Island Amateur Historian, Thornbridge Jaipur, Holden's Golden Glow, Burning Soul Mild Obsession, Ossett White Rat, Bradfield Farmers Stout (Vanilla) and Three Tuns Charter. A very solid range with the Attic Beams being replaced by Tiny Rebel Fruit Machine. None are eye-wateringly priced with Jaipur at 5.9% being the most expensive at £4.50 a pint. We tried a few and all were in excellent condition and expertly poured.
There were also 8 craft beers available with breweries such as Vocation, Deya, Homerton and Pomona Island represented and then another bank of pumps to the bar to the left which seemed to have some more esoteric and Belgian beers on.
I've thoroughly enjoyed each of my visits here and hope for many more. An absolute gem.
On 21st May 2024
- rating: 10
[User has posted 680 recommendations about 679 pubs]
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Tamworth Tap
Town-centre brew-pub in a micro-pub size converted shop, with a few small tables squeezed in beside the brewing equipment and a compact counter (and one more chair can be found at the bottom of the staircase leading up to the toilets!). Also has an upstairs room and a few small tables out on the front patio strip. Traditional furniture but more modern lighting. Use It or Lose It from Round Corner Brewing (£4.00 with Camra discount) from a great selection on the eight handpumps on this revisit. Excellent place, although possibly suffering from its recent fame as there can be door staff restricting the numbers trying to enter because of the limited seating and no space to stand around the bar.
On 25th February 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8159 recommendations about 8159 pubs]
Will Larter left this review about Tamworth Tap
Since my visit nearly two years ago this pub has won Camra's national Pub of the Year award. I raised an eyebrow at the news, since my memory told me that the place is badly designed, with the bar counter forming a cramped area and causing a bottle neck for people going past. It was just as busy as I remember it from my previous visit, possibly busier, and I felt a bit rushed in choosing my beers, so plumped for a pint of Bathams Bitter, a name that I recognised. I well remember having this beer for the first time in Bridgnorth but this was not in such good condition, and wasn't helped by its big frothy head. I found a less crowded area upstairs, but there was loud background music here that I found intrusive. Luckily, I hadn't been part of the assessment process for Pub of the Year.
On 17th October 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3795 recommendations about 3523 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Tamworth Tap
An early evening visit between trains on my way home from Stafford, and as it turned out my train was 10 minutes late so I could have stayed for another half. It was quite busy and I didn't have the opportunity to look around. The bar counter felt a little cramped, with eight hand pumps serving a wide variety of beer styles from mostly well-established independent breweries (Thornbridge, Oakham, Chalk Hill, Twickenham, Beowulf, Uley), plus the never-heard-of Bang the Elephant (from Langley Mill) and just one beer from the premises behind the bar. I went for Tamworth Ale, not realising that it was actually a murky grapefruit pale and not to my taste at all - the first time I have not finished a beer for a very long time. I swerved the beer from Langley Mill (an "alpine snow strawberry pale stout" which I presumed would live up to the brewery's slogan "Subvert the Stereotype", but wasn't prepared to invest the time or money to find out) and went for Uley Harvest Special, a bitter made with fresh hops, and this one went down a treat.
As I said, it was busy here with what I took to be a post-work crowd of mainly younger people, but I found myself a seat near the front window and within beneficial distance of the stove and had a little chat with two men of not quite my age who were drinking the Twickenham Yakima Valley ABA (an American brown ale) which they said was very good. As has been mentioned previously, Tamworth is coming up in the world in terms of pubs and beers for the discerning consumer, and I will certainly be back before long.
On 28th November 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3795 recommendations about 3523 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Tamworth Tap
Home to both Tamworth Brewing and a superb shop conversion to an atmospheric boozer,this visit was a revelation.So much thought has been given to the pub fit out,there is a wall of Belgian metal beer adverts to the left,a small seperate craft keg servery,a newly installed wood burner kicking out good heat,traditional pew seating at the front,small tables and chairs near the side facing real ale bar ,while nooks and crannies have been created around the staircase to the first floor room.The beer garden giving views of the castle looked a very classy place.
All 8 handpumps operational on a Wednesday evening with a regular two decicated to Tamworth output which on my trip meant their Tamworth Ale (NBSS 3.5) and Whopper (a 6.5% IPA described as outstanding by my beer campanion). The rotating guests were Oakham Citra,Broad Town Brewery BTB Fettlers Finest,Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout (NBSS 4.5),Front Row Brewing Rucked,Crafty Brewing Crafty 1 and Wilde Child Obsidian Phantom (NBSS 3.5).That's a great line up of differing styles and strengths and pleasing to see several high ABV options so often lacking in real ale havens.
Although I love the intimacy of the Kings Ditch,their limited opening hours hand The Tamworth Tap the award on the best real ale venue in Tamworth IMHO.The owners is an engaging fellow and he has created a fantastic outlet.Has to be full marks from me,and a must visit.
On 7th November 2021
- rating: 10
[User has posted 2756 recommendations about 2756 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Tamworth Tap
Easily the best of the three visited in Tamworth. You need to have a mooch around. There's an upstairs and a large outside patio in the shadow of the castle.
The landlady is super friendly.
Good choice of ales, as well as the Tamworth Brewing own range. Not often you see a Three Tuns Stout, Bathams and Sarah Hughes dark ruby competing for your £3.50.
Predictably, I had the bathams. Wonderful condition.
On 8th March 2020
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1357 recommendations about 1342 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Tamworth Tap
Look and feels like an upmarket micropub on approach but don't be fooled, there are three storeys to this brewpub (Tamworth Brewing Company) with plenty of little rooms and nooks to be found. The action is on the ground floor in a really nice space which is atmospheric; heated bench seating, dried hops strung around and dimmed sodium style filament lamps. Head up the rear stairs for other rooms, each individually styled. To the rear is a tidy garden area with views of Tamworth castle. Eight ales on, two from Tamworth, Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby, Bathams Bitter, Beowulf Dragon Smoke Stout, Wily Fox Karma Citra, Mad Squirrel Sapling Session, Bristol Beer Factory Mission Bay, plus a load of cider. I tried both the Tamworth brews (NBSS 3.5) and the Bathams (3.5 though no sparkler, oddly). The downside was that the two young staff members disappeared for long periods doing chores so you felt like a lemon standing at the empty bar. That said, the lass asked if I was CAMRA (am I that obvious?). It filled up quickly with a relaxed crowd of imbibers. I really enjoyed it in here and it ended-up being my favourite of the day despite some stiff competition. If wasn’t for the Houdini staff it’d have got close to a 10.
On 5th March 2020
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5197 recommendations about 5180 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Tamworth Tap
We also didn't get to try their Tamworth beer on our Saturday afternoon visit, as the barmaid told us that they had run out last weekend. Four handpumps with two beers on, which were Beowulf Double Decadence and Blyth Brewery Sublime, we tried both which were fine and in good order. Seating was church pews, some low tables and chairs and a couple of easy chairs in the front window. I might have scored a little higher if I'd tasted some of their own beers.
On 1st August 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3394 recommendations about 3394 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Hurdle left this review about Tamworth Tap
An excellent microbrewery bar. The brewery is in the same room as the bar. It can be seen in the left hand window of double fronted entrance with the bar area to the right. It could be described as a micro pub but the landlord prefers "microbrewery". There was one Tamworth beer on hand pump which was excellent. I did not try the three guest ales.
A great view of Tamworth Castle from the beer garden/barrel store.
On 8th April 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 709 recommendations about 646 pubs]