The Snuffbox, Devizes

Seeing the Snuffbox described as "a craftykeg place" by Quinno in the previous review, is a little amusing, considering it can now be found in the Good Beer Guide. Even the WhatPub site specifies that they don't sell real ale and this is correct. They don't serve any cask ales, only KeyKeg beers and some bag-in-the-box ciders. The KeyKeg beers aren't denoted on the list behind the bar and I suspect that CAMRA would not class most of the ciders as real either. So, I don't quite know under what terms it has made the Good Beer Guide! Nevertheless, I really liked this bar. It is a single-room affair similar to a micropub and offers the Devizes something a bit different, especially with the dominance of Wadworth in the town. During my visit, quite a few locals were walking in to get some beer to take away, whilst others were arriving for a Friday night session. Beers listed were Play Brew Co. Black Forest Gateau Stout, Brew York Calmer Chameleon, Pomona Island Factotum, RedWillow Perceptionless x Citra, Vault City Passion Fruit Martini, Gipsy Hill/Cloudwater Precipitator, Gipsy Hill/Amundsen Noice & Amasty Simple Measures. The boxed ciders were SeaCider Hardcore, Medium & Medium Dry, Snail's Bank Orchard Dry, Lilley's Strawberry Cider, Mango Cider, Rhubarb Cider, Apple & Blackberry Cider, Cherries & Berries & Raspberry Mojito Cider & Pulp Mango Daiquiri. The Black Forest Gateau Stout I had was enjoyable and seemed to be popular amongst the locals. I could have quite happily stayed here for a few more if I hadn't got more pubs to visit. Strangely, the toilet was outside to the rear. I guess they wanted to maximise drinking space inside. A nice addition to the Devizes drinking scene, but I suspect somebody has made a faux-pas by including it in the Good Beer Guide! Let's see if it makes next year's!

A craftykeg place in a hideous modern block with a fairly neat interior which has an industrial feel but doesn't go OTT - button back banquettes, modern dark varnished planks and two-tone green walls. Nine on over 10 kegs with three non-UK beers, as well as half a dozen boxed ciders. Prices were fair for the genre, my Puhaste Rahu third clocked in at under 4 quid for third, served-up by a friendly barman. Not bad at all.

Official site of The Snuffbox - thesnuffbox.co.uk

Official site of The Snuffbox - thesnuffbox.co.uk

New micropub.