Jim's Bottleshop, Leeds

A bottle shop with a bar counter up a step to the rear and with beers dispensed from a hard-to-spot unit at the back, amounting to not much more than a few taps attached to a box. So, not a lot like a pub, then. Still, it attracts a crowd of regulars who seem to feel at home, and who made me feel more welcome than in any of the other pubs in Horsforth (with the Horsforth Brewery Tap a close second). From what I could see, there were two ciders and four beers on draught, but I may have misinterpreted the signage, and there was a bit of a scrum around the bar counter so it was hard to be sure. WhatPub says the beers are real, so I'm assuming that the key keg system is involved. The lass behind the bar assured me that the Beavertail Apple Pastry Pale 5.5% that I went for had not been notified by the brewer (Northern Monk) as having lactose in it. The taste is supposed to replicate a Canadian apple pastry, which I guess was successful, with apple and cinnamon and no evidence of any custard, though it's a lot less like a beer. To compensate, I bought a couple of cans from the interesting shelves in the shop part, both from Lord's Brewery of Golcar, near Huddersfield. I'm sure if I lived in Horsforth I would be back here from time to time.

Facebook page of Jim's Bottleshop - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Jim's Bottleshop - www.facebook.com