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History: Home > 163 Upper Street (formerly The Taproom)
163 Upper Street (formerly The Taproom) (Free House)
We believe this building is NO LONGER a pub
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| 360° - West Coast Pale |  | 1 |
| Arbor Ales - Motueka |  | 1 |
| Cornish Crown - IPA | | 1 |
| Crate - Porter | | 2 |
| Crouch Vale - El Dorado | | 1 |
| Five Points - Five Points Pale | | 1 |
| Great Heck - Voodoo Mild | | 1 |
| Hammerton - Blank Slate | | 1 |
| Hammerton - Geist Weiss |  | 1 |
| Ilkley - Pale | | 1 |
| Ledbury Real Ales - Paiute IPA | | 1 |
| London Fields - Easy IPA | | 1 |
| London Fields - Harvest Ale 2013 | | 1 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Conservation Bitter | | 1 |
| Otter - Bitter | | 1 |
| Revolutions - Beat Red | | 1 |
| Silver Brewhouse (formerly Raw) - Solstice | | 1 |
| XT Brewing - Animal Brewing Aardvark | | 1 |
| XT Brewing - No. 1 Fresh Hop Blonde | | 1 |
| 360° - APA | Not Tried | 0 |
| 360° - Single Hop Amarillo | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Mosaic Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Buxton - Moor Top | Not Tried | 0 |
| Crouch Vale - Anchor Street Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dancing Duck - 22 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - The Art of Darkness | Not Tried | 0 |
| East London (ELB) - Foundation Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Five Points - Best Fuggles Hops | Not Tried | 0 |
| Five Points - Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Five Points - Railway Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hackney - Best Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hardknott - Katalyst | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hop Back - Crop Circle | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hop Stuff - A.P.A. (Arsenal Pale Ale) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ilkley - Mary Jane | Not Tried | 0 |
| Jarrow - Rivet Catcher | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ledbury Real Ales - Ledbury Dark | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ledbury Real Ales - Ledbury Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Little Valley - Stoodley Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| London Fields - Broadway Blond California Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| London Fields - Love Not War | Not Tried | 0 |
| London Fields - Shoreditch Triangle IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Legally Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Rascal | Not Tried | 0 |
| Rooster's - Fort Smith | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Ryesing Tides IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Under Current | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Yu Lu | Not Tried | 0 |
| Southwark - Bermondsey Best | Not Tried | 0 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples | Not Tried | 0 |
| Titanic - Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wild Weather - Rip Tide | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
23 Jan 2020 (ChrisE)
My furst visit here, and the last pub on a full day crawl of the area. Definitely the best pub on the tour, we all liked it.
Happy two hours with cask ales priced at £3.40.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| XT Brewing - Animal Brewing Aardvark | 4.60 | | |
| Five Points - Railway Porter | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Best Fuggles Hops | 4.10 | Not Tried |
07 Jan 2019 (Stephen Harris)
A late evening visit after seeing the superb production of Richard II at the Almeida. The Clapton Craft presence has gone; perhaps it was just a pop-up.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 360° - West Coast Pale | 5.20 | | |
| Siren Craft - Under Current | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| 360° - Single Hop Amarillo | 4.10 | Not Tried | A lovely, clear, golden beer. Oranges and lemons. |
17 Oct 2018 (Stephen Harris)
The front part of this pub now operates as a bottle shop, under the Clapton Craft banner, which gives a new dimension. On the negative side, there were just three cask beers to choose from tonight, all of which were pale and hoppy. Whilst I was perfectly happy, this kind of beer makes my friend Dave angry and he started to pine for some Doom Bar or GK IPA, so we soon moved on.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| XT Brewing - No. 1 Fresh Hop Blonde | 4.20 | | A green hop version of the usual Blonde, and it was indeed fresh-tasting. |
| Siren Craft - Yu Lu | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| 360° - APA | 5.00 | Not Tried |
22 Jan 2017 (Stephen Harris)
This pub turns out to be near enough to the Arsenal Stadium to have a big post-match trade, including a contingent from far-away Burnley.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crouch Vale - El Dorado | 3.90 | | Golden-coloured, single-hop beer. Tasty, and quite full-bodied for its strength. |
| Hammerton - Blank Slate | 3.20 | | A well-balanced, pale, easy-drinking sort of beer. |
| Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Crouch Vale - Anchor Street Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Ledbury Real Ales - Ledbury Dark | 3.90 | Not Tried |
24 May 2016 (Blair)
Cool little brewpub with elements of a micropub thrown in. Very quirky and I loved the way the beer was dispensed. I'll come back again when I'm not in such a rush.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revolutions - Beat Red | 4.50 | | I think it had been on a couple of days but it was still very pleasant if slightly flat. |
13 Aug 2015 (Stephen Harris)
A Tap Takeover by London Fields Brewery – although it is only really a partial takeover, with four casks and two more on keg. I pop in for a quick one in the mid-evening and end up staying for two.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Fields - Easy IPA | 5.00 | | A very decent, amber-coloured, IPA in excellent condition on gravity dispense. |
| Hammerton - Geist Weiss | 5.00 | | Cloudy orange/gold. A Wheat IPA. Very wheaty and some hop character, but taste compromised by warm temperature. |
| Little Valley - Stoodley Stout | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| London Fields - Love Not War | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Ledbury Real Ales - Ledbury Gold | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| London Fields - Shoreditch Triangle IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Adnams - Mosaic Pale Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| London Fields - Broadway Blond California Pale | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Wild Weather - Rip Tide | 5.00 | Not Tried |
17 Feb 2015 (Stephen Harris)
I’m early to meet a friend at a nearby restaurant and there is time for a couple of quick ones in here. At 6pm I was the only customer, but the pub started rapidly filling around me. Other beers as listed yesterday by thebrewingman.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crate - Porter | 4.10 | | A bit flat off the stillage, but still an excellent, smooth, chocolaty Porter. |
| Ledbury Real Ales - Paiute IPA | 6.00 | | Initially sweet but then bitter. A full hop hit. |
16 Feb 2015 (thebrewingman)
Quiet as had only just opened at 4pm on Monday. I really liked everything about this place.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Heck - Voodoo Mild | 4.30 | | |
| Five Points - Five Points Pale | 4.40 | | Unrefined version. |
| Crate - Porter | 4.10 | | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| East London (ELB) - Foundation Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Rascal | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Hop Stuff - A.P.A. (Arsenal Pale Ale) | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Ledbury Real Ales - Paiute IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried |
09 Nov 2013 (Jack William)
Saturday mid afternoon - busy but not too crowded - good ambience - old blues background music - nice.
These do a rack of three thirds - useful.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otter - Bitter | 3.60 | | Excellent condition, dry with a hint of nuttiness. |
| Ilkley - Pale | 4.20 | | Pleasant enough, good condition but not very distinctive. |
| Arbor Ales - Motueka | 3.80 | | Fruity and lively |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Conservation Bitter | 4.10 | | Good condition but a slightly metallic or medicinal notes - not to my taste. |
| Hardknott - Katalyst | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Ryesing Tides IPA | 7.40 | Not Tried |
03 Oct 2013 (Stephen Harris)
First night of a weekend beer festival and this pub was quickly filling up during my early evening visit.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Brewhouse (formerly Raw) - Solstice | 3.80 | | Golden, hoppy and fresh-tasting. |
| London Fields - Harvest Ale 2013 | 5.00 | | Amber-coloured, robust, green hop beer. |
| Cornish Crown - IPA | 5.00 | | A classic, English-style IPA. Well-balanced. |
| Hop Back - Crop Circle | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Jarrow - Rivet Catcher | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Titanic - Stout | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Ilkley - Mary Jane | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Dancing Duck - 22 | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Buxton - Moor Top | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Rooster's - Fort Smith | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Hackney - Best Bitter | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Legally Blonde | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - The Art of Darkness | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Railway Porter | 4.80 | Not Tried |
About the 163 Upper Street (formerly The Taproom)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | - |
| 11 |
| 7 |
| 2 |
 | - |
The pub is found in Islington, Central London, N1 1US.
This pub in Upper Street began its life in November 2012 as a pop-up real ale bar, with an expected life-span of just 21 days. By February 2013 it had been announced that the pub had become a permanent fixture. It is a shop conversion on Upper Street, almost opposite Islington Town Hall, with a room that is somewhat longer than it is wide. The bar has four handpumps and a cooled stillage at the rear. Decor is very much the stripped-back, bare walls shabby-chic sort of thing. There is a little yard at the rear, which has genuine German Biergarten trestle tables. Downstairs is a smaller room that is mostly used as a music venue. Relaunched and renamed in summer 2020 as wine bar and kitchen. Now a Vietnamese restaurant.
We have visited this pub 10 times, seen 53 different beers and tried 19 of them.
Postcode: N1 1US