The Taiwan Beer Bar, Taipei

I was really looking forward to this place (85 Bade Road Section 2, 02-2771-9131). Setup as a retail extension to the Taiwan Beer factory, it promised not only cheap alfresco Taiwan Beer, but also beer on tap, which I was hoping would resolve the issues that I was having with the taste of the stuff.

It was a bit of a letdown when we arrived though. The outdoor tables were swarming with flies and the indoor area was dimly lit (in the daytime, anyway), giving it a bit of a musty feel. I must have built up the wrong expectation in my head; I was thinking of something nice like the Heineken brewery in Amsterdam with a gift shop and all, but this was a pretty run-down hole (gotta love the wall created with empty kegs though).

Well, never mind the appearance...how was the beer? Unfortunately, I still didn't like that aftertaste. Sure, it wasn't as bad as it was when it was in the can, but I still didn't care much for its bitterness. They did have some interesting bar snacks though. We grabbed some edamame, which was quite shocking when it first arrived as it was covered in oil and black pepper. But it tasted much better than it looked, especially since it was infused with Chinese five spice or something. It was definitely an interesting experience to come to, but probably not one that I'll go back for.