Exale Taproom, Higham Hill, E17

Pub SignMan left this review about Exale Taproom

At the risk of repeating myself, this is another well presented old warehouse, now occupied by a brewery on this industrial estate. You enter via a compact outdoor seating space with hard bench seating, a fair bit of cover and some sort of BBQ food operation from a small hatch. There's also a first floor level out here, that offers comfier seating and views down to the front apron and across the estate. A passageway leads into the main bar space, past all the brewing gear to the right, eventually emerging into a concrete floored, square space with whitewashed walls, a high gabled ceiling and the usual post-industrial features. The bar is to the left and has a purple counter and white tiled bar back dominated by an orange and pink beer board that lists the full keg range, which unusually for this estate, is dispensed from taps on the bar counter. High tables and stools stand opposite the bar, with a banquette to the left and tables and chairs through the space in between. There's also a drinking ledge with bar stools under the brewing kit and a mezzanine space which offers tables and chairs best suited to those eating from the BBQ menu, with the kitchen visible on the back wall. Various black and white photos have been put on display along with a mural above the DJ booth. Most striking of all were the strange, cloud-like sculptures hung from the beams above, whilst fairy lights under the mezzanine level make it feel like a cosy, low ceilinged space. Dance and R&B tunes were playing quite loudly and, like most venues here, the place had a good late afternoon buzz from a sizable crowd.
I counted eleven Exale brews on the bar plus two cider options, and ended up with a pint of Skoosh Sesion IPA for £5.65, which was a very drinkable example of the style. The staff were a bit brusque, but dealt with a constant stream of customers in a very efficient manner, so that no-one ever seemed to be hanging around waiting to be served.
I thought this was a decent enough example of an industrial estate taproom which did nothing wrong but didn't do too much to stand out from the crowd either. The mezzanine is an interesting feature and the seating in general was of a higher standard than most such bars, but it's ultimately nothing you won't have seen before and ranks mid-table on my crawl around this estate.

Date of visit - 4th May 2024

On 28^th August 2024 - rating: 6
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