Turn out the lights the party's over. Hard to succeed brewing just IPAs, unpleasant attitude as well.

If you are taking in the beer scene in Halifax, the three breweries I would highly recommend paying a visit are Good Robot, Propeller, and Unfiltered. Speaking of Unfiltered, their Exile on North Street was easily the best beer I sampled during a brief visit. They also feature an orange DIPA that was excellent. They have a small spot on North Street that is nothing fancy but is a good place to be social. However the beer is the star and in Halifax you don't want to miss this place. They do have small snacks but if you are looking for a place with excellent beer and food I would recommend Good Robot, not far away from Unfiltered. read more

Unfiltered Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

I would give more stars if I was ONLY reviewing the beer, but in this case I am not. That said, the beer is quite good, their DOA is solid and I'd like to try the Imperial Stout. Unfortunately the location lacks any sort of feel to it. Not only is it just a small strip mall with almost zero signage, the inside also lacks any discernible character beyond stickers of other breweries. The service wasn't that attentive, and the place seemed relatively boring for the 1.5 hours I was there. I was actually disappointed from what I had heard. I would return for a growler or cans, but it wasn't inviting or cool enough to stay again. read more

Unfiltered Brewing - Exile on Main IPA. - Breweries Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

After my first taste of Unfiltered DOA IPA at Stillwell Beer Garden, I was a fan. A trip to the small brewery on North Street became a "must-do", and I was not disappointed. Seven beers in tap, and seven thumbs up! Their IPA's are, for me, really well-balanced... definitely hoppy, but with just the right amount of malt to even things out. All IPA's are delicious, as are the low alcohol slightly sour Daytimer Berliner weisse and their Play With Fire, a smoked imperial schwarzbier! Great looking bites, grungy nouveau metal punk tunes (no girly hip-hop crap or banjo picking here!), friendly service, and attitude! Andrew, the owner, is not one to hold back on his disdain for mediocre craft beer or trendy hipsters strolling by; hence the "Charm School" portion of their name. Add this to his mission of making Unfiltered a Canadian beer mecca, and you have a winner! Not to be missed! read more

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Still some of the best craft beer you will try in Eastern Canada. Specializing in HOPS. Don't wear your tu-tu, these people don't f@&$ around. We're lucky to have this place in Halifax. They are far ahead of the game. Their tap room is a great spot to crush a few. Careful though, you can get a nice buzz off 1 or 2 beers here. read more

Just went in to grab a couple beers and the woman working is a TERROR. She needs to be spoken to about her approach to clients. I love UB beers but the experiences everytime I go in, make me never want to go back. I walked into the store and immediately was met with blasting heavy metal music. The woman working yelled over the music to me without saying hello and said "THIS IS ALL WE HAVE LEFT." Okay, great start. I said no worries, let me grab these kinds. She grabbed them from the fridge and slammed them down on the cash and yelled CASH OR CARD? No hospitality or friendliness whatsoever. Just completely ignorant customer service. read more

TL;DR Nash the brewmaster/ founder is to hops what Micheal Bay is to explosions! I can't believe I haven't reviewed a local brewery yet! I will remedy that with a review of the newest kid on the block, Unfiltered Brewing. I would consider myself a staunch supporter of the local craft beer scene and followed Unfiltered's opening closely. These guys picked a great location right in the hipster heart of the North End- only a few blocks from fellow brewers Good Robot and North Brewery. I'll break this review into two parts the business storefront and, of course, the beer I read a recent interview from a local mag on the owner/brewer who apparently has been fired/quit due to personality (his) conflicts from almost all the other breweries in town. There was a quote in the article that to paraphrase said that they weren't trying to be the customer's friend which I though was an odd position to take. I put preconceptions aside and dropped into the store to give Unfiltered Brewing a try. Couple things right off the bat I wasn't impressed with: they don't do samples. If I haven't tried your beer before how will I know what kind that I might like; and, even between batches, the same beer can taste different from a small brewery. I always appreciate the opportunity to try before buying. The guy working at the counter assured me that I'd like everything which I found assuming to say the least. Note: Unfiltered doesn't do deposits like every other craft brewery in town; you have to buy the bottle from them because, as their website explains, they "don't do that deposit $hit". Dollar sign my addition. "Hmmm... I thought to myself what if I don't like the beer that means I am stuck with the bottle". I went with the smallest $6, 1 litre "snarl". I liked hops but knowing that these guys are heavy on the hops I picked the beer with the lowest hop content the Hoppy Fingers APA. I found the hops to be way to bitter; like twist-up-your mouth, make a face strong. I did find it got more palatable towards the end of the bottle. Although, not what I am looking for from a beer when I am sipping away at a growler for the afternoon or evening. Since then, I have tried the Exile on North street (similarly too hoppy) and Daytimer which was way too full of citrus for my tastes; like grapefruit juice and beer mixed together, All in all, I found the Unfiltered offerings to be way to hop-heavy with overpowering flavours. Checking over their website and even the back of their bottles I was surprised to see swear words; including liberal use of the f-bomb. Sure, okay I'm not offended but I don't think you should have to use profanity as part of your marketing strategy; THE BEER should be able to stand on its own. Looks like in-your-face marketing to sell similar in-your-face tasting beer. Well, I guess the article was prophetic: the beer nor the policies are customer friendly; at least to this customer. But hey but I later discovered that I can get the snarl filled at Good Robot so that's something. read more

Unfiltered Brewing - Hoppy Fingers - Breweries Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

I walked in to this place and got a bottle of swill. I had to pay for the bottle, which they didn't tell me wasn't a returnable deposit. Apparently it's on the website...which helps me when I walk in off the street.... I took it home and poured a glass ... took a gulp and spit it right in the sink. There is unfiltered balanced crisp and hoppy. This was like sucking on an alcohol swab. Went to take the bottle back and the cashier said I bought it but she would refill it. Nope. Waste of time and money. Not to mention their tasting bar is misogynistic in it decore as it's rei forcing the idea of finishing schools for girls... because you know it's 1945..... read more

I went in for the first time today and this Brewery is the Hop master of Canada I don't care what anyone says. The absolute best beer I've had in years. I'm from Muskoka and Muskoka Brewery makes great beers. Their double Mad Tom IPA is phenomenal. But there is not a beer at this joint that doesn't top it. Insanely hoppy beer and if you want a kick in the pants hop you've come to the right place ! It's amazing and I would recommend it to a number of friends! The staff is so friendly and informative! I will absolutely be back probably within a few days ! read more

Unfiltered Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Worst attitude. Worst bar. Keep cursing and thinking your cool. Park your Golf somewhere else

I've wanted to make a trip to the Maritimes for years. Unfiltered Brewing was a highlight of my trip to Nova Scotia, PEI, and New Brunswick. Andrew Murphy and Greg Nash have created a consummate place to hang out, get some good pub grub (pulled pork is the highlight), and most of all, taste some of the finest brews, anywhere. Don't expect to watch TV there (don't ask), and there are some nice personal touches with a story (the bar is made from recycled bowling alley wood). I live in the Seattle Metro, and we are not short on fine beer--it's hard to keep up with what is good in Washington--there are dozens of excellent brews available where I live. Andrew and Greg would move near the top of the list if they were in the Seattle Metro. They understand the craft, and what it takes to create a niche where people will get a high quality product, and a place worthy of enjoying it at the Charm School Pub. There are multiple growler options--I took about 5 litres home with me. I was geeked to share my find with my friends, but dammit, they drank all of it, and I am left with my mere memories of top notch beer. It is all gone, and it's a long trip back to Halifax. Hop heads will find what they want at Unfiltered, to be sure. What was amusing during my week at Unfiltered was the crowd that came into the pub (groups of men and women). Looking at the list of offerings, someone would inevitably say, "I don't like hoppy beer. What else to you have?" If that is your approach, keep your thoughts to yourself and just try the beer, regardless of its hop profile. Have an open mind, make the investment. Supposedly it's a little more expensive than other tap rooms in the region, but it's worth it. More often than not, the people who proclaimed they didn't like hoppy beer found something they enjoyed at Unfiltered. Every beer was excellent, but if I had to choose a few on which to focus, I'd go with the Flat Black Jesus--I'm usually not a stout drinker, but the flavor profile makes it the best stout I've ever had. I'd also go with the Twelve Years to Zion. It's all good. Go. read more

THE BEST beer in Nova Scotia, not even close. If you ever get a chance to try to DOA, don't miss it. The brew-genius himself, Nash, can often be found enjoying a a cold one in the testing room. Any true beer fan living in or visiting Halifax shouldn't miss this place. Light on marketing, heavy on quality beer. read more

In from Seattle for a brief visit, I was steered to HFXs north end to check out craft brewers there. Unfiltered doesn't have a license for tasting, but I had to try their brand spankin-new fresh hopped "Hop Riot" India Red Ale, so I got a 1L 'taste'. It's true (duh): fresh is better. They report all the hops are from PEI, but the key is local and fresh, and the complexity of the flavor of the hops in this brew basically kicks arse. In WA and OR there is definitely a cultish following of fresh-hopped, in-the-moment beers that 'expire' very shortly after they're made. Not sure what the local hop supply is like out here, but Unfiltered's Hop Riot IRA is a delicious beer that (if it hasn't already) could easily convert locals to the fresh hop tribe. read more

Exceptional beer, for well crafted hop forward styles in Nova Scotia these guys and Bad Apple are the only games in town. Unfortunately they are also maybe the most expensive growler fills I have seen in Canada, bought a fill of the berlinner (super tasty stuff) it came up to $18... for a fill of 3% berlinner with some mosaic thrown in for dryhopping. There is maybe not a cheaper beer to make than a berlinner weisse, even with mosaic thrown in this does not compute. TL:DR Exceptional Beer, Prices are just a notch above reasonable. read more

Great beer. Service was alright. The bathroom is quite literally the darkest place in Halifax.

Came to unfiltered to meet a friend, was really looking forward to trying some local beer. When i entered the place I was the only one there, went to the counter to ask about the beers. Never having been here before I was unsure of what they offered. When I asked to learn about the beers I was given the cold and unhelpful advice to look at the list on the wall. After then asking the employee if any of the beers were light and less hoppy she responded with a very judgemental response stating that all the beers were very hoppy. I did not feel welcomed. Although the beer I had was good, the service will prevent me from ever stepping foot in this institution again. To sum my server was mean and made me feel unwelcome and stupid. read more

Pretty disgusted after going for a drink last night. We live nearby and have always enjoyed and tried to support unfiltered brewing because it's in our local neighborhood. Last night we arrived at around 11.15pm to grab a drink. At just after 12 our bartender walked over to our table and said: "So, it's my last shift tonight and I don't give a fuck; so can you get out". He then walked off. We were both pretty shocked as we had been enjoying our night and weren't really keeping track of the time. We approached a man and his wife at the bar who it turned out to be the owners. The male owner's response to what happened was "that's weird, it's not like him, he must be tired". At no point was an apology of ANY kind offered - the owner then told us that he was "sick of fucking talking about it". We were both shocked. Suffice it to say, We will not be coming to and supporting Unfiltered Brewing again. We will be actively advising our friends in the north end not to attend this place. read more

I stopped in here because I was getting pizza next door and I was so excite to try there beer but I was disappointed. The beer tasted like water rinsed over raw dough in an old wool sock. I would not recommend this beer to any one. read more

I moved here from Toronto about 6 years ago. That winter I drank at a place called Heart & Thistle located downtown on the waterfront. The brewmaster was Greg Nash and on that particular first outing, he had a legion of fans drinking at the bar. I won't get into details, but one such patron wasn't happy with my Garrison selection. Given his 6'4 stature and massive hands I offered nary a shred of protest when he took the pint out of my hands, poured it down the drain and then proceeded to pour one of his favourite brewmasters creations. Greg's product is powerful, hoppy and asks for no forgiveness. The only beer I have ever drank that knocked me on the floor with just a single pint was the kommisar(spell). So when I heard that he and a partner moved to the north end I was curios. Walking into the establishment gave me flashbacks to Queen Street West Toronto. Dark. Functional. Spartan even. The interior design is well thought out. It literally feels like a portal to another city. Its core function is to serve beer. It accomplishes that in spades. The service is actually quite good. The three times I've been there I had a friendly and enthusiastic individual who poured and allowed sampling of the various pints. Another female staff member was on duty another night and knew her ABC's of beer. They don't jump and do somersaults, however, they can carry on a conversation and both had a wide range of interests and activities to keep the chatty crowd interested. The beer on the menu had the usual Nash Codec. Following this beer naming methodology though is a lesson in futility. Each one is unique and each one was appropriately named. The brews he slaved over prior to this establishments opening were powerful and hoppy and entertained with their nomenclature. Their fierce dedication to the "hop" lifestyle made friends with most and a few who thought the elixir was a little potent. The one message I want to share on this review is do not be afraid. I've sampled and drank most of the menu. I was hesitant when I came in because Greg Nash could ride a hop plant past a wolf. He uses them liberally and hell or high water that's his trademark. Times have changed however. The hops are still plenty in the product, however, it's newfound maturity makes EVERYTHING on the menu quaffable. There isn't anything I've tried that doesn't go down easy. Even the 11% barley wine is sophisticated and carries the necessary attitude of nasal burn. Full of flavour. This took me by surprise and I have to say it's one of the most satisfying product around. A warning to the tyro who walks in with a fist full of dollars; this isn't a place you drink 12 beers and call it a day. Good luck on 4. Their potency is only matched by how enjoyable it is to sit there and sip on them in similar company. Well done ! read more

PSA: had a horrible experience at a place called unfiltered brewing on north street. My cousin and I, who has a child in a stroller, ordered food at the chicken chop on North ( which was awesome by the way) and had a bit of a wait. We saw this cute place next door that we wanted to grab a beer at while we waited. As we walked in a young patron made a terrible comment about us coming in with the baby, So I went to the server and asked if we were able to stay with the baby. She said yes so I paid over $14 for two beer. As we stayed in the corner quietly the patrons and staff made shroud comments and made us feel terribly unwelcome. I had a sip of beer and got our order at chicken shop and as I came back to get my cousin with her child other rude ass comments were made. Should probably accommodate everyone who comes into your establishment as I am seriously pissed off abot this whole situation and normally like to support local business". I normally don't say anything on social media but this was truly appalling and a waste of my money. Unfiltered Brewing & Charm School Pub. read more