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Disappointment of the week with Quinno
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Detail Pages
The Hop Pole, Aylesbury
Aylesbury
HP19 9AZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Hop Pole Inn
Nine beers plus a cider pull, the brew pub home of Aylesbury Brewhouse Co and on my visit a major outlet for Vale brewery. L shaped and stripped back although fortunately it retains plastered walls. Furnishing is traditional wood chairs and tables with a few leather armchairs. As well as the eight Vale beers there is a large fridge of Belgian bottles, advertising for which also figure in the decor, these appear more popular than the cask. No ABC beers on the bar but a blackboard promised Gamma, a black IPA was "in tank now" and three were on gravity in a space round the corner from the bar with a fourth conditioning. Eight keg taps of mostly mundane beers complete the beer side of things. There's a large long dining area at the back to the side. Somewhat lacking in atmosphere but probably worth the half mile walk from the town centre.
On 25th June 2017
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3230 recommendations about 2939 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Hop Pole Inn
How do I follow that last review. We enjoyed our visit yesterday, and the good ales we had were Aylesbury Convergence, Aylesbury Horton and Vale Best Vale IPA. It is possible to see the brewery from the back room which was set for diners, and the bottle shop there with it's 2 beers served by gravity from casks was worth a visit.
On 4th December 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Hop Pole Inn
Located on a main road leading West out of Aylesbury town centre, the Hop Pole is a well kept pub run by the Vale Brewery, with their off-shoot project – Aylesbury Brewhouse Company (ABC) – located on site. You enter past a decent front patio terrace into a large bare boarded room with a tongue and groove servery opposite on the rear wall. The bar back has been tastefully decorated with various jugs, beer bottles and spirit miniatures along with some intriguing jars full of bar snacks. Two large bay windows on the front wall, filled with standard and tub chair seating under flimsy light shades, are arguably the best spots to grab and were unsurprisingly both occupied on my arrival. There are two fireplaces, facing each other towards the front of the pub, each similarly sized with a plain mirror above. Some nice wing back chairs were arranged in front of one of the fireplaces, but the rest of the room had to make do with standard tables and chairs or some high stools around a large upturned barrel next to a pillar in the centre of the room. Some nice, aged breweriana, mainly in the form of weathered enamel advertisements, covers much of the wall space and a TV screen to the right was showing a muted men’s singles match from Wimbledon. The room extends to the rear past the left hand side of the bar, where you’ll find some high tables and stools next to a lone slot machine, before a step down takes you into a surprisingly large rear restaurant style area with rows of standard tables and chairs in a somewhat more formal setting. Behind the servery, there is a small brewery shop, where three ABC brews were on stilage, offering customers the chance to take cask conditioned ales back home with them. Various bottled beers, including more ABC and Vale brews plus a sizeable selection of Belgian beers, were also up for grabs.
There is plenty enough on the bar to negate the need for take-outs though, with a long row of hand pumps dispensing ABC Valknut and Single Hopped Red Citra, Vale Best, VPA and Gravitas, Hambleton Nightmare, Milestone North Rock, Nottingham Dreadnought and ELB Foundation Bitter. I thought it best to try out one of the beers brewed on site, so tried the Valknut, which was in good condition but seemed to lack balance in its flavour profile. To be fair, the pump clip did state that it was ‘Intensely Hoppy’. The pleasant barman seemed happy that I’d chosen it and I was still able to sup my pint whilst watching the tennis and nosing through the steak and burger based menu.
I really like what Vale have done with what, by all accounts, was once an unloved, run down premises. The place felt relaxed, comfortable and served up some good beers from a brewery whose output I have always very much enjoyed when drinking around Bucks. This is definitely worth the short walk out of town and was the pick of the pubs I encountered during my afternoon in Aylesbury.
On 12th July 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Hop Pole Inn
Unremarkable-looking pub located some distance from the centre of town. Partly opened out inside to leave a 'L'-shape bar with a rear room down a couple of steps. Plain wooden furniture throughout, and a selection of breweriana, all in keeping with a proper ale house. Small front terrace. Nine of ten handpumps in use when I visited, with two Vale beers (Best and Gravitas, £3.50) and a fine selection of guest beers in a range of styles. Well worth the walk.
On 11th July 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Hop Pole Inn
The building is well described below but this Vale Brewery owned emporium really is worth the short stroll out of the town centre to visit.
My general impression, without repeating the detail, was of a large airy interior with lots of scrubbed pine tables, a friendly welcome and atmosphere aided by those playing ukeleles enjoying their art and those not, united in enduring it.
Ales on were: Aylesbury Brewhouse Hornswoggler and Illumination Porter, Vale Best and King of Snow, Ilkley Best, Moles Elmos Fire and Bath SPA. An interesting selection and everything we tried was in good shape with most of the other customers also on the ale. I was slightly disappointed not to see more of Vale's, generally very good, beers on but it was a Tuesday in early January so this probably changes as the weekend draws near.
This and the Farmers Bar make Aylesbury well worth a visit.
On 23rd January 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Hop Pole Inn
A little out of the main town drag ,and no bad thing,the Hope Pole features ales from The Vale Brewery (Brill) and is home to The Aylesbury Brewhouse which is also owned by Vale and is used by them to experiment and test market some new brewing ideas.The pub itself is a typical ale house,the bay windowed frontage opens into a wide tap room with a bar with 11 handpumps,not all functional on our midweek trip..The wooden flooring and trad furniture including benches reinforce the vibe .As you might expect there is a vast array of pump clips given that guests ales also feature here,there were two on our trip.There is a more discreet back bar with a flat screen ,gaming machines,the lavs but no bar access.
The friendly barmaid was as surprised as we were by the arrival of a group of ukelele enthusiasts who quicky out numbered the drinkers.They were the guests of the landlord and their sound lent a quirky charm to the evening but their rendition of "A Message For You Rudy",accompanied by kazoos was certainly not Special,in fact a little bizarre.
The ale quality was very good as befits a GBG regular and the Vale and Brewehouse beers were both tasty and interesting.A must visit if you are pub crawling,and a boozer worth spending a good length of time in.It will always be on my hit list on any future visit to Aylesbury.
On 11th January 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Hop Pole Inn
Excellent bare board ale house, with stools and barrell-tables, along with a mix of other furniture. Reminded me a bit of the old Firkin pubs.
8 real ales
Only down side to me is the busy road and industrial site.
On 22nd September 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Hop Pole Inn
Located on a busy road out of the town centre opposite an industrial estate, this was formerly a small run-down pub, taken over and refurbished by Vale Brewery a few years ago. 10 real ales now feature, four of them from Vale and the rest from micros – all well kept. There’s also real cider alongside Budvar for the lager drinkers and continental beers in the fridge. The interior is fairly basic, the light bay-windowed front bar has exposed floorboards, the walls decorated with old photos and an ever-expanding range of pump clips of past beers served snake around the ceiling. There’s a TV in the back room for sports fans. Food is available. Occasional live music and pub quizzes also feature.
Well-worth a visit.
On 1st November 2009
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Michael Zawadzki left this review about The Hop Pole Inn
Very friendly staff. I don't drink any more, but all my friends love the place. Great choice of micro brewery beers.
On 12th September 2008
- rating: 10
[User has posted 2 recommendations about 2 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Hop Pole Inn
A haven for the real drinker,Up to 10 real ales from all over the country.Large front bar with a smaller back bar.A fair walk from the railway station but well worth it.
On 3rd February 2008
- rating: 10
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]