please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I was hoping I might catch the Congleton Leisure Centre open, as they apparently serve a few decent ales. But sadly it is no longer open at weekends. But the brewery tap for Beartown is not to far away. Only Beartown beers are stocked on the handpulls - Black Bear, Bearly Literate, Full Bodied Ruby Bear, Bear Ass, Bearskinful & Kodiak Gold was the choice. No real cider is served. There are 3 small rooms, making this a real traditional boozer. Music is played. But conversation seems to be the order of the day. Well worth a visit if in town.
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I'd heard, from sources I trust, that this pub had taken a turn for the worse, which upset me, as it is a great favourite of mine. i was therefore very relieved to find that nothing much seemed to have changed since i was last there; same quietly convivial atmosphere, same fine choice of well-kept beers. I enjoyed my first experience of the excellent Polar Eclipse stout. The only negative was that they seemed to be burning scented candles; something anyway was producing a 'fragrance' that irritated my nostrils and didn't enhance the flavour of the beer.
But I'm not going to write the place off quite yet!
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Excellent little pub and home to one of my fave breweries in the country, the ale was superb,the pub full of interesting bear related curios and the service very friendly and welcoming. They also do take out's of their ales in bottles, 8/10
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Friendly little pub, a slight walk from the town centre but well worth the effort to get there. A main bar area with two rooms either side of it and another one up some stairs, which caters for sports lovers or so it seemed to me.
A small range of Belgian beers were on display and very reasonably priced i might add, naturally the full range of Beartown beers were also available. All beers sampled were good/excellent, especially the Black Bear ale which was outstanding. The interior is rather spartan in appearence, although this doesn't detract from the overall atmosphere which is warm and welcoming and Jill the landlady is a genial hostess.
We need more pubs like this, go and enjoy.
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I gather there have been some changes in management since I last reviewed this pub over 4 years ago - but to the occasional visitor like me it seems unchanged, and unchanged in its excellence. This is a model which many less successful pubs could do well to copy: great beer, great atmosphere, no rubbish. Absolutely first rate.
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Good no-nonsense, no frills drinking pub with some excelllent beers. Refreshingly free of the sun dried tomato twaddle that infests large areas of Cheshire. Well worth a look, unless you are a braying twerp speeding between John Lewis and the local Porche dealer.
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As the name indicates, the Beartown Tap is the brewery tap for the local Beartown Brewery situated only a couple of hundred yards away, and which started brewing in 1999.
Situated slightly away from the town centre, it's a smallish single bar pub with two separate lounge areas as well as a drinking area around the bar. The interior is comfortable and pleasant, but rather nondescript and a collection of posters and enamel signs from German and Belgian breweries reminded me of The Borough Arms in Crewe ( also incidentally a brewery tap ) where I had been the previous day. In addition, there's some fine old photos of Congleton to admire. There's an outside garden at the back down some stairs.
6 Beartown beers were on and, as is usual, all bore the "bear" name and branding. The Beartown name is in recognition of the fact that Congleton used to have a Bear Warden whose role was to supervise the bear baiting that took place when fairs came to town. The Bearskinful - � 2.30p - was in good form. The pub has been a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular in recent years and has won local CAMRA Branch awards.
This pub is well worth seeking out
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Very traditional pub will the full range of Beartown Brewery ales all in excellent condition plus a couple of guests.Interesting interior with seperate drinking areas and a warm and friendly welcome.This is no place to drink pish lager,get you gob round the Ginger Bear and swill.Top pub a little off the main town circuit.Full marks from me.
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Very unique pub. Tiny bar stocking what seems like hundreds of beers. Diverse and friendly crowd of beer-lovers. Definitely one of the best real pubs..
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Well when I was there (April 08 on a Tuesday night) it was full of CAMRA types and bikers who were even older than me. I am talking ancient. But nice. And the beer is simply sensational, and there is no music, no fruit machine and no TV.
Best pub I know of currently in England and I know a few.
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Visited this pub recently, and I cannot understand the comment about a "frosty reception". I haven't seen under forty for a few years now, and as I have only ever been there once I am not what you could call a regular, but I was met with a smile and quick word, my questions about what was on and what the beer was like were met with genuine answers, even though they had said this a couple of thousand times before. All in all, a lovely little pub, great beer selection (something for everyone) and a walm welcome. Sorry, but that ticks all my boxes.
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I agree with the comments posted by other users. Pub is nice, but unless you're a regular and under 40 the reception can be somewhat frosty! Perhaps a little less stereotyping and a little more welcoming might be in order!?!
anonymous - 10 Aug 2007 01:08 |
Back again the other week, and pleased to report that the Tap's unfailingly high standards seem to be being maintained.An absolutely top class establishment, and I'm pleased to see now getting an average rating closer to what it deserves.
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An essential visit for beer lovers in Cheshire. 5 beers from the Beartown brewery round the corner plus a guest and a selection of Belgian bottled beers. Snug little no smoking area and a little room to drink in upstairs. Just a few minutes from the bus station and town centre.
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It's a real gem this place. Though I live miles away my parents live in Congleton so after saying hello to them on arrival home my first port of call in the Tap. Tremendous beers, well kept.
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How can this place have such a low rating? It's an absolutely classic example of what a pub ought to be. Excellent beer (my first encounter with Beartown ales - first rate) in excellent condition, and lots of people just getting on with it, drinking, talking and enjoying themselves. 'NO jukebox, NO fruit machines, NO swearing' it says on their ad. in the local CAMRA newsletter; sounds pretty good to me. I'll certainly be back.
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Cidre Merveilleux De M�tier Disponible Ici. Chat Sup�rieur
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Perhaps the finest beers in Britain. A proper drinking pub.
John E - 8 Sep 2004 12:25 |
