Tom Lil’s Taproom is a craft beer joint located at 11 Sam Leong Rd, in the heart of downtown Singapore. After our craft beer escapades in Hanoi and New Zealand, we really wanted to check out how the craft beer scene in Singapore has developed in recent years. This visit to Lil’s Taproom showed us that we’re actually on the right track…
About Lil’s Taproom Craft Beer Singapore
Located inside Trio Building, it is actually quite hard to imagine that a craft beer bar such as Lil’s Taproom exists here. After the escalator up 3 floors, we found the entrance to Lil’s Taproom but we were really unsure whether we arrived at the right place until we saw these…
Yup, the beer taps told us that we were at the right place 😁
As we were a little early, arriving just before 12pm (the official opening hours) we were unsure if Lil’s Taproom was open. After verification with the staff, we were able to find our preferred seating in the premise of Lil’s Taproom…
We eventually chose these seats at the corner with views outside. Just that because it was noon, it was actually quite hot within. Hence, instead of sitting next to the window, we sat a seat away. Still, a great seat with a view. Next, it was time to browse through the menu…
We started with the beer menu of Lil’s Taproom. We were afterall here for the beers right?
We actually noticed that the prices here are actually quite steep. The cheapest pint of craft beer at Lil’s Taproom seems to be the Koshihikari Rice Lager (Biiru Please – $16). Compared to the craft beer pints of $6-$8 in Vietnam, it was definitely much more expensive. Of course, the cost of living in Singapore is much higher – so a better comparison would be of the beer itself…
We must say that the Koshihikari Rice Lager (aka Biiru Please – $16) from Lil’s Taproom is really unique. Though it is a lager, we could taste the fragrance of the rice on each taste. Now, this is interesting. Even the cheapest beer on tap was unique. Hm, what should we try next?
But before that, it was time to check out the food menu of Lil’s Taproom…
Lil’s Taproom actually has another name shown on its website. Hambaobao. Which actually means hamburger in Chinese. Hence, it is not surprising at all that the burgers here are the main stay of the menu. This time, we decided to go with The Classic Beef burger ($8.5) and the Crispy Pork Belly Burger ($9.5). The latter because who could resist a good slab of crispy pork belly? 😋
What We Had at Lil’s Taproom Craft Beer Singapore
We particularly enjoyed the Classic Beef Burger…
As you can see from the picture, the beef patty was generous and it looked like it was a hand-craft beef patty. There was a nice beefy flavour that we enjoyed and it was grilled to perfection, leaving the patty juicy yet slightly smoky. An excellent burger.
What we loved about the Crispy Pork Belly was the sauce and the generous cuts given. However, the skin was not as crispy as we expected. Will probably choose the Classic Beef if we were to return for a second time…
To round up our visit here, we tried another craft beer from Lil’s Taproom – the Hop Burp Double NEIPA ($18). As the name suggests, the NEIPA or New England India Pale Ale, is a style of IPA that has big juicy hoppiness and refreshing fruity flavours with a smooth, creamy taste. Even the presentation of the NEIPA itself was enticing – a slightly cloudy appearance with a beautiful golden finish. As touted, the fruity flavours and hoppiness presented itself very clearly with a very slight woody afternote that we enjoyed. Definitely try out this craft beer from Lil’s Taproom as well!
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Just before we left, we chanced upon the fridge at the entrance of Lil’s Taproom…
Within, you’ll be able to find a great selection of craft beers, specially selected by the staff of Lil’s Taproom. This time we bought the Deed’s Peanut Butter Imperial Stout as well as a very danky (choice of word by the staff) QIPA – Quadruple IPA that we never knew existed! However, after trying out the QIPA, we still think that DIPA is a good balance. Hoppy but not too over. The QIPA is really an acquired taste. Just like how stout was for us when we first tried it. So as the name suggests from IPA to DIPA to TIPA to QIPA, the taste is actually richer, hoppier and the bitterness and alcholic content increases as well. If you do enjoy your QIPAs, let us know in the comments section below as well – we’d love to hear your take on this “next-level” IPA.
All in all, it was a pleasant visit to Lil’s Taproom. The beers on tap were excellent and the Classic Beef Burger itself is worth a visit. The only downside is that the beers are rather expensive. Hence, do visit them during happy hours or join the membership if you think you’d be a frequent visitor to Lil’s Taproom Craft Beers for discounted craft beers prices!
