Latest reviews from Finchampstead
| 82 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “We came here early on a Sunday afternoon after a bus ride (no.3) for about 30 minutes from the train station in Reading. Decent, quite colourful, taproom with long tables and benches. Outdoor seating, as well. Nine of their own beers on tap added by two fridges with bottled and, mostly, canned beers from the brewery supported by a few guest ales. Their draught beers are available in thirds. Coffee, tea, and merchandise options. Informative and friendly service. We spent a long time here drinking decent Siren beers with tunes from Kinks, Who, Van Morrison, AC/DC, Cat Stevens, and Supertramp in the back. (Visited with Finn, 01.10.2023).“ |
| 80 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “Located in a modern industrial estate at Finchampstead. They have 8 beers on tap and a huge can selection plus some merchandise for anyone that might be interested in that kind of thing. Friendly and very helpful staff. No WiFi. Food is available. Brewery tours can be booked in advance.“ |
| 70 /100 ELUSIVE BREWING, UNIT 5, MARINO WAY “*Online webshop review*
Ordered beer Tuesday 12th October 2021 and it arrived Thursday 14th October 2021 via DPD. Website, simple but straightforward, works well. About 7-8 different beers available including the reason for my online order, i.e. purchasing what was appearing very tricky to track down, namely the Oregon Trail. Prices were very good. No problems at all with delivery, all arrived in one piece, I genuinely thought that there was only going to be six cans in the box, however there were 12, and this is my only criticism, the reason for this was there was no real protection for the cans, like I said mine were fine but that might not always be the case with others.“ |
| 86 /100 ELUSIVE BREWING, UNIT 5, MARINO WAY “Simple but efficient tap room; not huge so can get busy but beer selection and service make it worth the trip. Siren is just across the road so a tap room crawl is definitely possible.“ |
| 90 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “Hard to get to but worth it if you like Siren beers. Excellent selection and always in top condition, can get busy but you can always hop across the road to Elusive if full. Better in the Summer when you can sit on the grass outside etc.. Good to cycle to if you're local. Good stock of Siren beers in the fridges and you can order online and pick up from the tap yard etc.“ |
| 72 /100 ELUSIVE BREWING, UNIT 5, MARINO WAY “Review for a recent online delivery. All of the most recent Elusive brews on sale plus a curated range of 20-25 guest beers. Pricing is reasonable, quick service with decent packaging. All good.“ |
| 80 /100 ELUSIVE BREWING, UNIT 5, MARINO WAY “Great to have this addition to the Hogs Wood Estate and a minutes walk from The Siren Tap Yard, making this the Craftiest corner in Berkshire now, and a handy 10 minute drive for me. The Tap Room is comfortable and cosy, a converted unit on the estate, adjoining the microbrewery. The bar is adequate, with 8 taps, normally 6 from Elusive and 2 guest taps. The place is relaxed and friendly, as is Andy, the brewer, who serves the beer and is great to chat to. Along with the 8 taps there is a well appointed and stocked beer fridge, with all the current Elusive beers in bottles and around 30 well chosen guest brewer cans to choose from, making this place a convenient bottle shop and the best outside of the Grumpy Goat in Central Reading. Well worth a visit and one to combine with Siren, if you are travelling far.“ |
| 76 /100 ELUSIVE BREWING, UNIT 5, MARINO WAY “A completely new review now that they've opened a proper tap room. The brewery has expanded to take over the neighbouring unit and the tap must take up one quarter of the building. The one thing they had forgotten to order were signs but on my second visit they at least had a sandwich board outside advertising that they were open. Inside you have a bar and toilet on the left with 5 tables to the right. At the moment the decor is sparse with walls just having been painted and a few banners having been erected. However keeping with the brewery's console game branding there are games consoles on each table with screen attached to the wall. Focusing on the beer there are 8 taps - from memory there are around 5-6 Elusive beers on and then guests from the likes of Double-Barrelled and Vibrant Forest. There is also a fridge with around 30 beers including their own plus new released from Double-Barrelled, Unity, Vibrant Forest, Wander Beyond and others. Also some non-alcoholic and hard sodas plus some wine and gin. The two Fridays I visited Andy was manning the bar on his own so ended up just chatting to him. I guess it'll get busier, as it seemed to do good trade o n the soft opening. To be fair Siren was not much busier last week as I was there at around 15:00. I intend to go as often as possible to pick up new rates and Andy is a welcoming host.“ |
| 80 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “A shame it's so hard to get to, because this is great. Eight taps, most of which were their core range rather than the usual that you see in pubs all the time. Reasonably priced bottles in the fridge, both the core stuff and more exciting things. On a Sunday afternoon there was a van outside selling pizza. Really great, just a shame it's in the middle of nowhere - if this was in London and anywhere near a tube stop it would be rammed.“ |
| 78 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “New review of the Taphouse: the taphouse is what I guess would have been the reception area for their office/industrial space. Perhaps need to make the door more obvious as I thought it may just be a fire exit. Walked in to find some sort of live blog interview taking place. Later three guys who must work on the industrial estate came in. Interestingly the guy being interviewed explained that they ran it so people could have beer and not for any particular profit. Decent sized area with black benches and long tables. 8 Siren beers on - the very chatty barman explained that they avoid having core beers to have a more interesting array. All their available bottles on in a large fridge to the rear, plus three Elusive bottles. Today a Naparbeer colab, only available from them. Barman was extremely friendly, talking to me and the other guys at length. Sounds like it gets more busy on a Saturday but having only just opened they are expectng the word to get around. A bit of a gem at the back of an industrial estate. Soft drinks available. Food limited to crisps and what looked like jerky. Will be back, probably of an evening - using taxi or bus, the one drawback being the location.
This is mailorder review. I had been meaning to visit, however as there is no taproom anymore thought I’d just save time and order over the net. Could drive there in about 25 min and pick up but was happy to pay £6 for the convenience. Very prompt dispatch. Arrived within two days (may have been next day but sent it to the office so was in the postroom for a few days). Selection is limited to their beers but you of course get limited editions (I got a left over box of the Rainbow Project 2016 beers). Would order from again the next time they have a few specials I want. I guess also cheaper than in shops.“ |
| 86 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “Not the easiest place to reach by public transport, usually involves a taxi from Wokingham Railway Station - although the brewery have laid on minibuses for some events previously.
This review is from a couple of events held at the brewery over the past two or three years. I think the new tap room is imminent. The events I’ve been to have been well organised, with a good atmosphere and friendly service.“ |
| 76 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “Great trip down for an event, well laid out, great selection , but it was a festival ,a nd of course beers in great nick“ |
| 68 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “NOTE: the Tap Room is currently closed due to expansion of the brewery. Bottle sales are still available.
This place is very much a working brewery with a few tables and benches to allow visitors to take refreshment from the bar while watching the whole place operate. At quiet times the "barman" is more likely to be out the back stacking pallets than waiting behind the bar, so service is rather relaxed. A pleasant place to sit and watch the day go by, with an excellent beer to hand.“ |
| 80 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “Came to the brewery during the 2015 Session & Sour Fest. It was a fun event, well organised and and fairly efficient despite having considerable crowds. During the festival, the beer selection was fantastic. If you’re visiting during normal operations (i.e. not during a special event) then the experience would be drastically different, although a visit would still be worthwhile. You can typically get all the flagship beers, in addition to seasonals and special release bottles. The value is pretty good. The staff is friendly. The brewery itself isn’t particularly attractive given its industrial estate location; but it gets the job done. To reach the brewery from the nearest train station (Wokingham) you would likely need to take a cab (c. £12). Certainly worth a visit for a festival or if you happen to be traveling through the area.“ |
| 78 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “Visited 11/07/15 for Siren Session Sour Fest. The brewery’s located in a pretty typical industrial park about 15 minutes from Wokingham. The event was pretty well organised. Gaining entry was a breeze. The bars were logically laid out and easy to navigate. Plenty of places for attendees to congregate and drink were provided. Prices for half pint pours were very generous. A large bottle selection complemented the 30ish beers on tap. Overall, one of the better brewery festivals I’ve attended.“ |
| 72 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “Visited for the Maiden 2015 Festival of Wood which celebrated Siren’s second anniversary so I can’t comment on what it’s like at normal times but the festival was a great event; to be recommended. I was quite surprised how large the brewery is. Apparently it’s now open every day except Sunday and there’s a small, basic bar fronted with slices of barrels just within one of the doors. It’s a bit of a trek from civilisation - too far to walk and a 10-15 minute taxi ride from Wokingham station. There were 7 seater minibuses laid on by Siren for festival goers, which worked quite well on the way there (I was on my ownsome at the back of the queue so I jumped at the chance of a single seat that was going spare). On the way back there was a long wait and when we got to the front of the queue it transpired that the minibus that turned up next wasn’t paid for by Siren so it cost us £2.50 each. I mention this not as a gripe (I think it was a bargain!) but just to give an idea of how much a taxi might set you back - perhaps c.£10-£15 if it were a normal taxi.
(Visited 7 March 2015).“ |
| 82 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “A little hard to find but finnaly did it. Tap room is located in an industrial magazine. There’re lots of barrels used to aging but especially to make a decor in craft-streem brewery style. Basic wooden tabels and benches inside but unfortunattely extremally cold in january. About 4-5 taps with core products and one brilliant sour Imperial IPA. Great quality of beers indeed.“ |
| 80 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “A 10 minute taxi ride from.Wokingham Stn finds you in this small.industrial park. Inside the brewery, everything changes. Massive racks of wooden barrels dominate and bring an air of seriousness and intent. Lots of benches and tables to sit at (well.there was for the special event I.went to). Service is friendly but the tap pours a bit on the slow side for various reasons that are not the staffs fault. The Scotch egg I had here was lovely. Naturally a good selection of Siren bottles. All in all with cracking Siren beers here, well worth the trip.“ |
| 74 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “I visited here on 20th November returning an empty cask. Siren had yet to open the tap room however Ryan gave me a viewing and it was clear that this place was very, very close to opening. The brewery and tap are situated as many modern micro breweries are now, I.e. on a trading estate. I am not that familiar with Finchampstead or the immediate environment but Colin’s explanation of how to get there is almost certainly extremely accurate, I came via Windsor & Eton brewery and was heading on to Henley Community Hospital afterwards so I wasn’t really stopping to take much notice of the scenery or surroundings. I didn’t try anything at the brewery or tap room, however I did buy quite a few bottles incl: core range plus a number of the Impy Stouts. The tap room was rectangular in shape and bordered down one side by a large quantity of huge wooden casks. There were no tables, chairs, leaners or stools when I went so I am unsure how it finally looks. We will have to take the camper down there sometime soon and I understand an Indian takeaway is setting up on the same estate. Whilst I was able to buy beers here (bottled) and therefore I have considered value, selection, service etc on a brewery visit and a tap room viewing please note I do need to review again now all is up and running.“ |
| 74 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “Visited on Saturday 14th December at 2pm.
Finchampstead is a little off the beaten track but has decent enough road links. If coming on public transport (namely train), Wokingham is your likely destination for a 2.5 mile taxi ride or walk on a summers day. In a newish build industrial unit the Siren Tap room is very much modelled in a US style working brewery tasting room.
8 keg taps, 6 were on during my stop, serving the 4 core beers plus one or two of the non regular line up such as Ryesing Tide. Beers are only served in 2/3rd pints and my Ryesing tide was £4.10 so certainly a saving on what you’d pay in CLondon - say £5.30 for the same product.
There are a few bench tables to leave your glass on and a beat up sofa near the entry door if you need to rest your legs.
There were 4 other dinkers there during my visit and as such service was prompt.
Bottles are also available to go but were limited to the core range once again. They expect to bottle some different stuff next week.
Decent enough first impression, I will head back in the new year and hopefully see a few different beers abailable.
A lot of the BA project is on show in the tap room, I counted 3 or 4 varieties of their 1st anniversary beer alone (Barrelled in Feb ’13) stacked up to the side.“ |
| 88 /100 ALBERTO HOUSE, UNIT 18 MARINO WAY “great brewery with passionate owner/brewer, happy to chat and talk about their many brewing projects. I will definitely be back“ |
