PubsandBeer

History: Home > The Northern Seaman

Change in Pub Status

This pub has changed substantially and we are now adding visits to its new page, the The Dead Pigeon

The Northern Seaman (Free House)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Range Ales - Winter FireExcellent1
G2 - Southern CrossExcellent1
Vale of Glamorgan (VOG) - Dark MatterGood1
Bespoke - Over a BarrelGood1
Stockport - Stock PorterGood1
G2 - OrionGood1
Lytham - Berry BlondeAcceptable1
Spitting Feathers - Old WavertonianAcceptable1
Range Ales - CQB (Close Quarter Battle)Poor1
Range Ales - Double TapPoor1
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Dragon SlayerNot Tried0
Range Ales - Bounty HunterNot Tried0
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Edwin Taylor's Extra StoutNot Tried0
Lytham - StoutNot Tried0
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Shefford BitterNot Tried0
Bespoke - Running the GauntletNot Tried0
Banks & Taylor's (B&T) - Plum MildNot Tried0
Bespoke - Going off half-cockedNot Tried0
Lytham - Summer AleNot Tried0
Bespoke - Hell's BellsNot Tried0
Lytham - AmberNot Tried0
Range Ales - Black OpsNot Tried0
Range Ales - Beach HeadNot Tried0
Cotleigh - Barn Owl BitterNot Tried0
Cotleigh - Seahawk Gold (formerly Golden Seahawk)Not Tried0
Range Ales - Golden ShotNot Tried0
Vale of Glamorgan (VOG) - South IslandNot Tried0
Silver Brewhouse (formerly Raw) - JesterNot Tried0
Flipside - Random TossNot Tried0
Cross Bay - NightfallNot Tried0
Range Ales - Spring LoadedNot Tried0
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Merchant's StoutNot Tried0
Vale of Glamorgan (VOG) - Speak Easy IPANot Tried0

Visits Details

05 Jul 2018 (Philip Pirrip)
Currently closed for major refurbishment and the long intended installation of a brewery in the building's basement. I am agog for a re-opening anon.
BeerABVScoreNotes
27 Apr 2018 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit. Solo guitarist / singer on the upper deck. I echo Stephen Harris's recent post here that this pub would help by properly showing the brewer's name against ALL beers on its blackboard. Tonight the barman told me 1 was a Lytham and 3 were Flipside that I later identified off the web as all being from Bespoke. Cmon get your act together!
BeerABVScoreNotes
Bespoke - Over a Barrel5.00Good
Lytham - Stout4.60Not Tried
Bespoke - Running the Gauntlet4.40Not Tried
Bespoke - Going off half-cocked4.60Not Tried
Range Ales - Golden Shot3.70Not Tried
Range Ales - Bounty Hunter4.50Not Tried
Bespoke - Hell's Bells4.80Not Tried
14 Apr 2018 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit. Thriving with younger folk.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Vale of Glamorgan (VOG) - Dark Matter4.40GoodLight on the blackcurrant flavouring
Flipside - Random Toss4.40Not Tried
Range Ales - Spring Loaded4.40Not Tried
Range Ales - CQB (Close Quarter Battle)4.00Not TriedRan out
Vale of Glamorgan (VOG) - Speak Easy IPA4.60Not Tried
Range Ales - Bounty Hunter4.50Not Tried
14 Apr 2018 (Stephen Harris)
I was here several hours before PP by the sound of it and he did a much better job than me of deciphering the blackboard which, irritatingly, only lists beer names and not brewers. A brewery is planned for the cellar here but progress was described as “slow”.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Range Ales - CQB (Close Quarter Battle)4.00PoorA golden beer. Completely flat and insipid to the point that I found drinking it a chore.
19 Dec 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid evening trip. I could not believe the A board offering real ales at £1pp tonight for CAMRA members but it was as true as night follows day. Good chat about other micropubs in Kent and SE London. The barmaid was left with a lot of to dos in SE London.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Range Ales - Winter Fire5.10Excellent
Stockport - Stock Porter4.80GoodDark and with liquorice overtones
Range Ales - Golden Shot3.70Not Tried
Silver Brewhouse (formerly Raw) - Jester4.20Not Tried
04 Nov 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit. Pity so many beers are poured flat here.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Spitting Feathers - Old Wavertonian4.40AcceptableTasty but little if any condition
Cotleigh - Barn Owl Bitter4.50Not Tried
Cotleigh - Seahawk Gold (formerly Golden Seahawk)4.20Not Tried
Range Ales - Golden Shot3.70Not Tried
Vale of Glamorgan (VOG) - South Island4.20Not Tried
G2 - Southern Cross4.80Not Tried
Range Ales - Beach Head3.70Not Tried
17 Aug 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit, some ad hoc mic singing started. Lots of beers on the blackboard were there as they will be on tomorrow!! Had just walked past the 12 Degrees Micropub between The Flippin' Frog and here on Rochester High Street, all signage up but yet to open.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Range Ales - Double Tap4.10PoorRed malty ale, not my style
Range Ales - CQB (Close Quarter Battle)4.00Not Tried
Range Ales - Black Ops4.80Not Tried
Range Ales - Beach Head3.70Not Tried
08 Jul 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until last orders bell. Apparently Range Ales will re-appear next week.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Lytham - Berry Blonde4.10AcceptableBasically, in words of one and two syllables, as flat as a pancake. However the berry tones did remain through to the end
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Dragon Slayer4.50Not Tried
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Shefford Bitter3.80Not Tried
Banks & Taylor's (B&T) - Plum Mild3.80Not Tried
Lytham - Summer Ale4.00Not Tried
Lytham - Amber3.60Not Tried
02 Jul 2017 (Stephen Harris)
Mid-afternoon visit, with a small scattering of customers at the bar and in the garden.
BeerABVScoreNotes
G2 - Southern Cross4.80ExcellentGolden and full-bodied. NZ hops.
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Dragon Slayer4.50Not Tried
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Edwin Taylor's Extra Stout4.50Not Tried
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Shefford Bitter3.80Not Tried
Banks & Taylor's (B&T) - Plum Mild3.80Not Tried
23 Mar 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until late. A couple of Micropub enthusiasts from Essex extolled the virtues of the Farmers Yard in Maldon High Street. Last one to leave but before closing time.
BeerABVScoreNotes
G2 - Orion3.80Good
Cross Bay - Nightfall3.80Not Tried
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Merchant's Stout4.00Not Tried

[More Visits]

About The Northern Seaman

The pub sign. The Northern Seaman, Rochester, Kent

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional-
Excellent4
Good5
Acceptable4
Poor3

The pub is found in Rochester, Kent, ME1 1DJ.

At the Chatham end of Rochester High Street, originally a shop conversion from former Montys fish and chip shop, into a Micropub. Bar floor is on two levels with a bar counter on the lower floor. Cask ales and real ciders were sold on gravity dispense, served from stillage in a temperature controlled cellar room up 2 steps from the bar. Initially opened on TENs but full licence valid from 29th July 2016. Closed in June 2018 ostensibly to add the brewery in the basement but in July 2018 found boarded up with a notice of forfeiture displayed. Subsequently re-opened as a sports oriented bar called The Dead Pigeon which, after an initial launch with gravity dispensed real ales, has latterly started to emphasise keg, canned and bottled beers with a single handpump for cask ale. After initially being listed on this website under its new name, The Dead Pigeon, and with a number of valid visit entries and beer markings its landlord asked to have the new venue excluded from being listed here in other than by name.

We have visited this pub 22 times, seen 61 different beers and tried 19 of them.

Map location

Postcode: ME1 1DJ