Forbidden Brewing Co
Forbidden Brewing Co
4.5
Wednesday
12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
About
Brewery and lounge. Award winning beer available by the glass and growler fills. Exploring the limits of honest beer.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles14 reviews
Excellent
7
Very good
5
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
0

paz752451
london72 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2019 • Couples
After dinner at the Flying Canoe popped in to try some ales.
Really friendly informative service and good ales.
Shame not more widely publicised with better signage as hidden between Best Western and Flying Canoe.
Was unfortunately v quiet but best kept secret.
Highly recommend a visit.
Written September 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MrMrsW50
Brecon, UK671 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019 • Couples
Some great beer here. The location is a little unusual, beneath the Best Western Hotel and next door in the same complex but seemingly nothing to do with the Flying Canoe pub (they didn’t sell their beer). Friendly staff and a steady take away trade. Well worth checking out if you’re in town.
Written August 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Todd Melnyk
Courtenay, Canada14 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Solo
I have held off on reviewing Forbidden until now.

Things have gotten considerably better at this brewery!

Most notably, the beer consistency has improved DRAMATICALLY over the last few visits. A kudos to the brew master on getting things dialed in over the past year.

Nice aesthetic in the tasting lounge, friendly staff, and free pool /pinball.

A nice place to stop in for a pint after work.
Written July 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gardiner W
Vancouver, Canada430 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
If this is the brew pub on the ground floor or the Best Western Mountain View wing...it is closed permanently. I understand the property owner did not renew the lease so farewell...
Written July 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

davenpeggy
Kent, WA156 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Couples
I'll admit that I was drawn here by the name more than anything, but as a part of my attempt to sample as many local brews on Vancouver Island as possible in 10 days, it was a must-go.

Do not come to Forbidden if you want anything like a classy brewery showcase space, or a quaint pub. It's a retail unit in the basement of a Best Western, and while the tables, decor, and art show an effort, it's decidedly not about the ambiance -- unless, like me, you can appreciate a place that is what it is, nothing more or nothing less. This is a place that does a very particular and limited range of beers.

It may not be the best beer you've ever tasted -- it's well above average, but I don't believe in a "best beer" ideal. This is good, crafted beer, with a line (at the time) drawn from some typical options -- my sampler had a witbier, pale ale, black ipa, and stout -- without any of the ridiculous attempts a lot of small breweries make to do something radical or distinctive that winds up being a farce instead. Each of the four offerings were solid, and the witbier (a style I normally dislike greatly) was quite good. The black IPA was a true winner, though -- went back for a pint, and I'm an IPA snob. Very smooth, with all the flavor of a strong IPA but little to no strong aftertaste/stickiness that I find in a lot of microbrew IPAs (and a lot of the more common ones, too). Similarly, they didn't try to add in silly citrus flavorings, but let the flavor of the hops and the brewing process speak for themselves.

Short version: I wish I lived closer. If you're in the Courtenay area, please enjoy one for me!
Written August 1, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jessica M
Calgary, Canada70 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2018 • Couples
I always love going to little town breweries when I have the chance, and this one was no different! It was so unique and fun on the inside. They had 4 beers on tap to choose from. I had a flight of all 4 and they were all delicious! I ended up buying a growler of one to take home. They also had a pool table, pin ball, and many other board games to entertain you while you stayed there! Will definitely be back next time I'm in Comox!
Written January 26, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Malcolm A
Chorley, UK899 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2017 • Couples
Still as good as ever - good range of beers , very good stout. A little out of the way by the Best Western Hotel but they put on a free Jazz night on Friday evenings - it should be busier given the quality of the beer.
Written September 15, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

islandfoodndrink
Canada39 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2017 • Couples
Full disclosure: We're beer people. We'd visited Forbidden in the past and were not thrilled, but recently decided to give it another shot. Not a great decision. There were no real changes to the (limited and basic) beer menu since our last visit. The staff person working the counter knew painfully little about beer in general (we witnessed another customer walk out over this). The only enjoyable part was the large selection of local art on the premises - many unique and inexpensive pieces - but breweries aren't supposed to be about art, they are supposed to be about beer. Thankfully, there are other breweries and taphouses nearby with much more impressive offerings.
Written April 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi isalndfoodanddrink. Sorry that you were not thrilled. We currently have an Organic Pale Ale, Organic Heller Bier,black IPA, IPA, Mild, and a Bitter on tap. We usually have between 6 and 8 different beers on tap. The beer is very good. We are a nano-brewery, don't offer food, but do allow food to be brought in. We highly recommend Scoops and Slices Pizza, its just around the corner, they offer our customers a deal and the delivery is quite fast. We do have staff in training every once in a while, they sometimes need some time to learn about beer, it is a complex subject. We do take pride in our customer service. As you can see, most of our reviews are very good! There are two other good breweries in the valley, maybe give them a try in the future. Best Wishes.
Written April 19, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

andy h
Courtenay, Canada38 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2016 • Friends
Visited the forbidden brewing company as part of my friends bachelor party, the beer here is really good. The flight (row of taster beers) was slightly disappointing because they weren't labelled and so we weren't sure which ones we liked and disliked etc. Still well worth a visit and nice to try locally brewed beer
Written December 11, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Malcolm A
Chorley, UK899 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2016 • Couples
Small brewery almost hidden in the Best Western hotel. We only found it when we walked past the hotel on an evening stroll.

a nice smart small bar with seating - beer flight is worth a try - some excellent beers all brewed fresh on the premises.

No food on offer but but a nice place to drop in for a pint or two
Written September 9, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Forbidden Brewing Co - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Forbidden Brewing Co

Forbidden Brewing Co is open:
  • Wed - Sun 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM