PubsandBeer
History: Home
- Add to:
-
Blink
-
Del.icio.us
-
Digg
-
Furl
Google
-
Simpy
-
Spurl
-
Y! MyWeb
The Bull (Freehouse)
Best 10 Beers Seen
(Show all 168 beers from this pub...)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur |  | 5 |
| Red Squirrel - IPA | | 2 |
| Oakham - Hawse Buckler | | 2 |
| Marble - McKenna's Reprise Porter | | 1 |
| Fat Cat - Ol' Puss | | 1 |
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell | | 6 |
| Brew Dog - Rip Tide | | 2 |
| Brew Dog - Trashy Blonde | | 2 |
| Marble - Dobber | | 4 |
| Pictish - Simcoe | | 2 |
Visits Details
22 Aug 2010 (JeffnJo)
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew Wharf - ABC | 3.00 |  | Great flavour, enjoyably refreshing |
| Marble - Pint | 3.90 | | |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds) - Thoroughly Modern Mild | 6.00 | | |
| Dark Star - Tripel | 8.50 | | Dark golden triple style ale apparently brewed with belgian yeast and candy sugar. Strong but with balancing flavour - could be very dangerous for the unsuspecting! A success for Mark, Rob et al. |
| Marble - Ginger Marble | 4.50 |  | Tail end |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds) - Summer's Day | 4.30 | Not Tried |
31 Jul 2010 (Pedro)
Lunchtime
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Summer Meltdown | 4.80 | | Ginger -yum ! |
| Brew Company - Hop Monster | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - White Squall | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Brew Wharf - Hopfather | 6.10 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Southern Star | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds) - Dogbolter Winter Porter | 5.60 | Not Tried |
06 Jul 2010 (James T)
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - 57 | 5.70 | | Marble just keep going forward! Really good but strong! |
| Brewsters - Decadence | 4.40 | |
12 Feb 2010 (Pedro)
afternoon
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boggart Hole Clough - Jamaican Ginger | 6.00 | | Unusally a dark ginger beer |
| Outstanding - Ginger | 4.50 | | Moreish |
| Dark Star - Hophead Extra | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
| Kelham Island - Roll Away the Stone | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pictish - Brewer's Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried |
05 Feb 2010 (Pedro)
Afternoon visit - didn't get all beers listed.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pictish - Porter | 4.40 | | |
| Pictish - Admiral | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - Marie Celeste | 4.60 | Not Tried |
01 Feb 2010 (Pedro)
Early evening
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pictish - Porter | 4.40 | | Stunning ! |
| Newby Wyke - 2nd Refit | 5.20 | | WOW! |
| Thornbridge Hall - Hark | 4.80 | | |
| Pictish - Admiral | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried |
30 Jan 2010 (Pedro)
afternoon
Coming on Thursday - Moors Sloe Walker 8.0% one of only three casks ever produced !!!!!!!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge Hall - Hark | 4.80 | | |
| Shepherd Neame - Two Kents | 5.00 | | |
| Green Jack - Gone Fishing | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Espresso Stout | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Pictish - Brewer's Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried |
24 Jan 2010 (Dosser)
Our first visit to this excellent award winning pub. Quality real ale and great food served. 8 handpumps though often only 4 beers were on at any one time.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd Neame - Two Kents | 5.00 | | A beer especially brewed for their beer festival in a Thornbridge/Dark Star style. Shows Sheps can brew a decent brew in their micro brewery! |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | |
| Dark Star - Hophead Amarillo | 3.80 | | |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds) - Dark Conspiracy | 4.90 | | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried |
04 Dec 2009 (Whinger)
A busy Friday lunch time, a good mix of locals and visitors.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | | I was beginning to wonder about Hophead, I had just sampled some disappointing very fresh Hophead in The Bridges further down the road, but this was superb. |
| Pictish - Winter Solstice | 4.70 | | Superb |
| Pictish - Brewer's Gold | 3.80 | | Most enjoyable |
| Marble - Pint | 3.90 | | Enjoyable session beer |
| OHanlons - Original Port Stout | 4.80 | Not Tried |
09 Oct 2009 (Dubbel)
A quick pint turned into a three-hour session with samplers being passed around the bar and an obscenely large sausage roll being consumed.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Golden Gate | 4.50 | | Lovely autumnal amber ale. Persistent tangy malts and standout hops. Terrific balance. |
| Marble - Festival | 4.40 | | Bright gold, light in body with a fruit salad tang and aggressive hop finish. |
| Titanic - White Star | 4.80 | | Golden, malt-laden with a very dry and bitter finish. |
| Dark Star - Porter (aka City) | 5.50 | | Chestnut brown porter, sweet, nutty, roasty and toasty but has always come up a little flat wherever I've had it. |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | Fresh on but this one was a little thin for my liking. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried |
02 Oct 2009 (Dubbel)
Due to an untimely visit oop north, I'm going to miss the Kent Pub of the Year party and all the beery goodness it will bring. I ventured up tonight to offer my congratulations and hoping to sneak a preview or two. Garrett graciously obliged.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - Ginger Marble | 4.50 | | Even those who professed to love the old recipe are totally enamoured with this revision. Simply outstanding. |
| Marble - JP Best | 4.30 | | Light and golden. Aggressively hopped. Lemon edge. Wicked dry finish. Excellent "best". |
| Dark Star - Oktoberfest | 5.20 | | Amber gold, huge german malt hit. Really flavoursome. Identifiably Dark Star in the finish with the big malt tang carrying through. Cracking brew. |
| Titanic - Chocolate & Vanilla Stout | 4.50 | | Pitch black. Incredible aroma of cocoa chocoate and vanilla essence. Silk-like smooth palate, dark chocolate predominates and the vanilla sweetness comes in late. It's sweet but not cloyingly so. (I tried mixing it with the Ginger too but it really didn't work.) |
| Dark Star - Sunburst | 4.80 | | Straw gold. Massively refreshing. Eeking the last drops out of the summer. What an incredibly deceptive beer this is. Will always be remembered as being responsible for getting me as pissed as I'll (probably) ever be. |
| Moor - Revival | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried |
29 Sep 2009 (Dubbel)
Headed up for dinner and a couple of jars with James T and his boss. Enviable selection on tonight.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - Pint | 3.90 | | The much anticipated new harvest of hops has arrived and the result is truly spectacular. A hop explosion on the palate, fruity, spritzy and so very very good. Not sure this could possibly be bettered. Unsurprisingly drunk dry while we were here. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | | Fresh, clean and the colour of a summer's day. Turbo grapefruit back in undisputable evidence. Now coming from the state-of-the-art new brewery and it's very nearly back to perfection. |
| Purity - Pure Gold | 3.80 | | Anything after the Pint was going to suffer but this was fresh on and very nice indeed. Interesting malt character and very refreshing hop content. My personal favourite from the Purity stable. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Ported Peat Porter | 4.70 | Not Tried |
25 Sep 2009 (Dubbel)
A real upbeat, happy mood in the bar tonight. Lots of conversation and jovality. I think the amount of Jaipur being sold helped.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | I'm so pleased I found this on tip top form again. Simply wonderful contrast between sultry dark and juicy hopbomb. Takes me back. |
| Marble - Ginger Marble | 4.50 | | Revised recipe. Now much lighter in colour and body and all the more drinkable for it. Sweeter palate, like liquid gingerbread but sessionable with it. Extreme ginger afterburn has been tamed too. Now a beer you can happily stay on all night. |
| Moor - Ported Peat Porter | 4.70 | | Deep hued brown, milky latte coffee palate, roasted coffee beans and a late chocolate reprise. Excellent. |
| Moor - Revival | 3.80 | | Amber session beer, heavily hopped, pine & citrus freshness. Bitter, acrid aftertaste. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried |
19 Sep 2009 (Dubbel)
Headed up at lunchtime to kill an hour or so and to slake my hop thirst with my first ale for two weeks! A dozen top beers are being lined up for the Kent Pub of the Year presentation evening on 3rd October.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Akhenatan | 4.90 | | Dashing gold and extremely hoppy. Soapy lemon bitterness prevails and the full oily hop flavour carries through the finish. Perhaps a little too hoppy at first but increasingly enjoyable as the palate adjusts. |
| Moor - Merlin's Magic | 4.30 | | Deep copper-amber best bitter, bit of bananary ester and sour hops on the finish. Fine condition but not to my particular palate. |
| Dark Star - Sunburst | 4.80 | | Slight diacetyl but still a lovely refreshing brew. Surely the last of 2009. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - Summer Session | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Red Squirrel - Test Brew 1 | 3.90 | Not Tried | Came on just as I was leaving. |
03 Sep 2009 (Dubbel)
Arrived early for the start of the Pictish Brewery Showcase and did not want to drag myself away at the end of the night. Great beer, even better company and our team of dunces won two rounds of the bingo quiz. Smiles all round and no hangover the following day!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pictish - Simcoe | 4.40 | | Spectacular. Amber-gold, bready aroma with a slight malt whisky whiff. Flavour is apple and pearskins and some berry sweetness. Dry, powerful hop oil finish. |
| Pictish - Galena | 5.10 | | Light and full of lovely pineapple flavour. Very drinkable for the strength. |
| Pictish - Brewer's Gold | 3.80 | | Quintessential entry-level session beer. Could sup away on this indefinitely. |
| Pictish - Cluster | 4.10 | | Gold. Pungent, leafy hop flavour with a smack of sweet toffee & butterscotch. Very clean and packing a lot of flavour. |
| Pictish - Alchemists Ale | 4.30 | | Still a bit buttery, but not unnervingly so. Not 100% convinced by this one though. |
| Pictish - Staddle Stone | 4.50 |  | Ruby best in colour. Bizarre flat yet Yankee hopped experimental beer. For me it didn't quite work. |
| Dark Star - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Sunburst | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Brew Dog - Zeitgeist | 4.90 | Not Tried |
31 Aug 2009 (Dubbel)
Pub was positively brimming on a strangely seasonal summer bank holiday. 3-deep at the bar and almost every blade of grass taken in the garden with Blues Abuse's seemingly never-ending riprawing set. A good time was had by all, except the poor, overworked staff!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew Dog - Punk Monk | 6.00 | | Special brewed with Belgian yeast. Really very nice & extremely drinkable, if not instantly recognisable as a Punk derivative. I'm definitely coming round to the Belgian style. |
| Brew Dog - Zeitgeist | 4.90 | | Lovely roasty stouty beast of a beer. |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Sunburst | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Brew Dog - The Physics | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brew Dog - Punk IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brew Dog - Trashy Blonde | 4.10 | Not Tried |
28 Aug 2009 (Dubbel)
Wound down into the weekend (and a 2 week holiday!) with a trip to my favourite pub.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew Dog - The Physics | 5.00 | | Outstanding. Fruity, warming and biting at the same time. The most I have ever enjoyed this beer. |
| Whim - Flower Power | 5.30 | | Sanity reinstated. Still a brutish hop weapon, 3rd barrel of it has mellowed considerably since last week. |
| Pictish - Riwaka | 4.40 | | Single hop I've never heard of. Lager-light, floral & very consumable. |
| Marble - Pint | 3.90 | | Good but less than dazzling today. Tail end of last year's hops. New crop should feature in the next run. |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | Beginning to think there's something wrong with my tongue. Lacking the ususal C-hop power and fruit zing. |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | Disappointing. Nothing wrong with the conditioning but lacking in flavour, hop bite & roasted malt. Basically everything that makes it special. A bit gravy-like. I do worry a bit for Dark Star. |
| Dark Star - Golden Gate | 4.50 | Not Tried |
24 Aug 2009 (Dubbel)
Saw the lineup on the Facebook group page and just had to have me some of it! Garrett now behind the bar on Mondays and as of next week, the pub will be open all day on a Monday.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salopian - Oracle | 4.00 | | Fantastic, sweet golden wonder. Every sip a hoppy joy with an impressionable lasting finish. The most popular beer of the evening amongst the regulars. |
| Pictish - Sauvin Blanc | 4.90 | | Single hopped with Nelsons. Real whiffy sulphurous nose, yeasty body, huge mouth-filling flavour & sapping dry finish. Outstanding. Bring on the showcase, I want to try them all! |
| Dark Star - Golden Gate | 4.50 | | My fuzzled ale memory doesn't recall this tasting like this last year. Very tangy, distinctly English hop & malt flavours. Clean and crisp. Lovely. |
| Whim - Flower Power | 5.30 | | In better form than last Thursday. Shimmering gold and devastatingly hoppy. This is right on the bitter edge of what my tastebuds can endure. One of the most powerful beers I've had. |
| Pictish - Black | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried |
20 Aug 2009 (Pedro)
Afternoon visit to check out what's on for the West Kent PoTY Presentation this evening.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - Pint | 3.90 | | |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | |
| Dark Star - Old Ale (aka Old Chestnut) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Phipps Northampton Brewery Company - India Pale Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Museum - Worthingtons White Shield | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Tawny No. 3 | 5.70 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Pictish - Simcoe | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pictish - Black | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Whim - Flower Power | 5.30 | Not Tried |
20 Aug 2009 (Dubbel)
The place was as busy as I've ever seen it - a total contrast to the laid back visit the night before! Good natured jostling for position around the bar and when the complimentary Caribbean buffet was unveiled. Beer lineup and quality was exceptional. After receiving the CAMRA award for West Kent POTY, talk amongst the customers moved on to the overall Kent and Southeast regional champion awards. Surely a shoe-in?
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pictish - Simcoe | 4.40 | | Delicious and probably my beer of the night. I'd love to work my way through all 30+ of the Pictish single hop variety lineup. Beautifully floral and a good level of hoppy bitterness. Yum. |
| Marble - Pint | 3.90 | | Had to start with a pint of the unofficial Beer of the Year. Lots of people cooing about it. It was excellent but ever so slightly below its awesome best. Apparently the brewers aren't particularly happy with its recent form (!?) and are excited about the quality of this year's fresh hop harvest. Bring it on! |
| Pictish - Black | 4.40 | | I liked this a lot. In the mold of the likes of Castle Rock Black Gold and Dark Star Over The Moon. Great marriage of bitter burnt roasted malts and aggressive US fruity hops. Can't wait for the brewery showcase in a couple of weeks. |
| Marble - Tawny No. 3 | 5.70 | | A world exclusive from the cask. Big hitting IPA with the wow-factor. Ripened fruits and roasted malts battle with the extreme bitterness. Only loses a star due it being pretty heavy going by the end of the pint! |
| Whim - Flower Power | 5.30 | | Another real hop bomb. Interesting nose and I was quite enjoying my pint before someone pointed out that it smelled a bit cheesy. Began to get hop overload by the end of the pint. Would be interested to try some of the lower ABV beers in the range. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Phipps Northampton Brewery Company - India Pale Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Museum - Worthingtons White Shield | 5.60 | Not Tried |
19 Aug 2009 (Dubbel)
Late night visit with James T. A total of 3 punters sat at the bar with Garrett and Lynne. Garrett revealed all for his special celebratory line-up tomorrow night.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Museum - Worthingtons White Shield | 5.60 | | Spicy classical ale with no-nonsense English hops. Complex and mysterious palate but very drinkable all the same. |
| Phipps Northampton Brewery Company - India Pale Ale | 4.20 | | Very decent hoppy sessionable bitter. Hints of banana, particularly upfront. The bitterness comes through the further you get through the pint. Enjoyable. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | Not Tried |
15 Aug 2009 (JeffnJo)
A very special visit to the Brewdog BBQ. What better than a sunny afternoon discussing beer and drinking 4 B'Dog beers.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew Dog - Zeitgeist | 4.90 | | Fantastic flavoursome stout ale |
| Brew Dog - 5AM Saint | 5.00 | | Dark amber colour. Stated as with peach, strawberry, pine and caramel flavours (some more than others). Interesting 'grower' inviting another! |
| Brew Dog - 77 Lager | 4.90 | | |
| Brew Dog - Punk IPA | 6.00 | | |
| Dark Star - Summer Meltdown | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried |
15 Aug 2009 (Ian)
Brilliant pub. From walking in and chatting to the ex Goache's drayman to sitting down and chatting about beers with Garratt, Jeff and Jo and a couple of beer bloggers to saying hello to Andy and the other Saturday afternoon cyclists. Sat in the garden with great weather and some very good beers.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew Dog - 77 Lager | 4.90 | | My favourite British brewed lager. |
| Dark Star - Hophead Extra | 5.80 | | Cellar run. Finally starting to get this beer. Once it was decanted to get some carbonation out of it, the solid malts underlying the hops really worked, extra body from the alcohol too. |
| Brew Dog - Punk IPA | 6.00 | | Really quite different in cask as to bottle. In bottle I think a lot hoppier, in cask fuller in the malt and fuller in the mouth. Drinkable and very good IPA. Marble Dobber and Thornbridge Jaipur are better, but I know that Garratt thinks differently which is great as everyone has their own favourite |
| Brew Dog - 5AM Saint | 5.00 | | I had 2 pints of this and still can't make up my mind. The hop aroma (Simcoes I think, but others say Nelson Sauvin) is brilliant. The biscuit on the malts are brilliant, but then the beer just dies and the finish just disappears. With one or two tweaks this beer could be a world beater. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | | Good hoppy session bitter, rather over shadowed by the higher ABV Brew Dog beers. |
| Brew Dog - Zeitgeist | 4.90 | Not Tried | Jeff and Jo thought this was excellent |
| Dark Star - Summer Meltdown | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried |
14 Aug 2009 (Dubbel)
Headed up with a couple of mates after work for the BrewDog BBQ. Met up with Mark and his better half and Pete B, who told us all about his new job at Hopdaemon. Evening sun shone bright, the beers were typically excellent and Lynne's barbecued Jerk Chicken was spot on.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew Dog - Zeitgeist | 4.90 | | Undoubtedly the best beer of the evening. Stunning depth of flavour, roasted coffee bean and burnt chocolate malt, stout-like viscosity and spiky hops to finish it off. Wowee. |
| Brew Dog - Punk IPA | 6.00 | | I detected an ever-so-slight buttery edge which tempered down the punchy grapefruit a little bit. Still astoundingly consumable though and unanimously enjoyed in the pub. |
| Brew Dog - 77 Lager | 4.90 | | Really good lager-ale. Bitter and more lager-like than previous samples. |
| Brew Dog - 5AM Saint | 5.00 | | I really enjoyed this. Ruby red. Nelson Sauvin hops (I believe) made it taste very American. Big hoppy palate and loads of curve ball fruity flavours vying for attention. I got the strawberries and tangerine notes. Very nice indeed. |
| Dark Star - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Summer Meltdown | 4.80 | Not Tried |
13 Aug 2009 (Dubbel)
Speculation rife over the lineup of super special beers in the wings for the special West Kent Pub of the Year presentation on 20th August Garrett being very coy about it.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | Star of the show. King of beers. Floral, fruity, hoppy, thirst-quenching. Perfection. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds) - No. 7 | 3.80 | | Light, subtly hopped session ale. At first it's all a bit underwhelming but really grows on me a lot through the pint. |
| Dark Star - Summer Meltdown | 4.80 | | Lovely stuff, pale & hoppy with a backlash of ginger that tickles the tongue without burning the throat. |
| Dark Star - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried |
07 Aug 2009 (Dubbel)
A really pleasant visit with my lil' bro'. Sat in the sun-drenched back garden putting the world to rights with Garrett and a couple of the locals quaffing off some immense Marble beers. Set up the weekend beautifully.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | | Possibly even better than yesterday. An outstanding bitter with crisp, fruity hops and really enjoyable interesting malts. Could have happily supped on this forever more. |
| Marble - Dobber | 5.90 | | See 06 August. |
| Marble - Ginger Marble | 4.50 | | Still the most brutal ginger beer I've had the pleasure to tackle. Jnr quipped "Imagine if all Ginger Beer [soft drinks] tasted like this". Indeed. |
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell | 4.60 | | Goddammit. This was as light and refreshing as you would expect but still hasn't recaptured that glittering form of April. As such, I can't help but be slightly disappointed when it's anything less than sheer perfection in a glass. |
| Marble - Lagonda IPA | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried |
06 Aug 2009 (Dubbel)
Opening day of the Marble showcase and the beers were flowing at a right old pace. First barrel of Pint drained by 7pm. The three I sampled were just amazing. Good company in the form of the hosts and jolly regulars. For me, this is what pubbing is all about.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - Dobber | 5.90 | | What a beer! Amber ultra-IPA, massive hops & marmalade palate. You can smell the potent alcohol before it hits your lips. Awesome beer from a brewery and a pub at the very top their respective games. |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | | Deep golden, packed with flavour, hoppy & punchy with some scrumptious malts. Excellent bitter. |
| Marble - Summer Marble | 4.50 | | Gorgeous again. Straw gold, sweet fruity palate, lemon & berries poke through. A harsh dry bitterness rounds it off beautifully. Clever clever guys these Marble folk. |
| Marble - Pint | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Lagonda IPA | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
| Crouch Vale - Summer Breeze | 4.20 | Not Tried |
03 Aug 2009 (Dubbel)
Glorious evening sunshine and a cracking pint. Just a little warmup to tomorrow's GBBF...
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead Extra | 5.80 | | This was delicious. Shiny bright gold, aggressive hops, a greater complexity than its little sibling and a really tasty spicy edge. |
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Milestone - Black Pearl | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Green Jack - Orange Wheat | 4.20 | Not Tried |
17 Jul 2009 (Dubbel)
Laid back visit with James T doing the driving. Had a good chat with Garrett and Lynne and marveled at the amazing beer on offer. Great to see Marble Pint as a semi-permanent at the moment.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pictish - Brewer's Gold | 3.80 | | Truly fantastic. Super-refreshing, sweet and hoppy. Simply delightful. |
| Marble - Pint | 3.90 | | Picture of clarity. Definitely my beer of the year 2009. |
| Dark Star - Espresso Stout | 4.20 | | Seems to morph every time I come back to it. Thought it poured a bit darker than previous. Gorgeous roast coffee bean flavours and an earthy dry quality. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Green Jack - Orange Wheat | 4.20 | Not Tried |
12 Jul 2009 (Dubbel)
After a drawn out Sunday afternoon at a car dealership, we were starving and feasted on colossal trench rolls stuffed with roast pork and apple sauce and lamb and mint, with roast tatties on the side. Oh, and guess what? The beer was pretty good too!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - Pint | 3.90 | | I can't not order this whenever I see it on. Just so crammed full of fruity juicy hop flavours, astounding for a sub 4%-er. |
| Art Brew - Tempest Stout | 4.70 | | Grassy, peaty stout with an added interesting but hard to place flavour in there. |
| Atomic - Fallout | 5.90 | | Amber, fruity boozy punch-like quality. Quite drinkable for strength. |
| Pictish - Brewer's Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hylder Blonde | 4.20 | Not Tried |
26 Jun 2009 (Dubbel)
End of the working week. Where else better to wind down and ease my way into the weekend?
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - Pint | 3.90 | | I love this beer! Chocked full of fruity bittersweet marvellousness. Blew away everything else on the bar. |
| Durham - Black Velvet | 4.20 | | Decent mild. Roasted, toasted. |
| Purity - Mad Goose | 4.20 | | Sulphurous nose eludes to a heavily hopped beer. Palate is a little disappointing in comparison. Nothing wrong but nothing too memorable. |
| Leatherbritches - Hairy Helmet | 4.70 | | Not mouthfillingly flavourful like it has been. Something amiss. |
| Pictish - Alchemists Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | Not Tried |
06 Jun 2009 (Ian)
As I sit here at home enjoying Singapore noodles from the local Chinese, I reflect upon a brilliant day. Ok so yes, it took around a 3 hour return journey to get to The Bull by train, but it was worth it. Sat with Andrew and Dubbel and chatting with Garratt and other locals about beer for an afternoon was one of the best times I've had. Best of the Best weekend. Well it lived up to its billing some great beers and a great pub that is also popular with cyclists.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew Dog - Trashy Blonde | 4.10 | | Now I had this twice and loved it each time. Good condition, much better than Reading BF last year. More flavoursome on the hops and less metallic. Unfortunately it ran out otherwise I would have had it again. Best hops of the day |
| Pitfield - 1792 Imperial Stout | 9.30 | | Black colour. Sour dark bitter choc aroma. Amazingly intense experience in the mouth. Like being slapped with a liquorice police baton. Intense sourish liquorice flavour. Some whisky malt flavours. Bit of heat. Bit of nut quality. Thick and oily in mouth. It leaves you in a very calm place. |
| Marble - Dobber | 5.90 | | Orange gold colour. Lots of nettley leafy hop with some resin on aroma. Very nettley aroma, very intense. For a UK beer amazingly hoppy. Very green leafy hop but this is just so dominating. Really quite amazingly hoppy for a UK beer. |
| Marble - Ginger Marble | 4.50 | | Had this twice so it must have been good. Maybe not as intense as at the Newcastle Arms when I had it, but the earthy ginger is just so intense just great stem ginger flavour over a good pale ale base. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds) - Thoroughly Modern Mild | 6.00 | | Slight haze on a reddish amber beer with no real head. I'm guessing this is a try at a recreation of a pre WWI strong mild. Not overly syrupy but very malty and only slight hop presence. Slightly dry on the grainyness on the swallow. I can't pinpoint why I like this beer but I do. Not showy on the alcohol. Yes decent fruit, yes good mouthfeel, bit ersatz I suppose the sum is better than the constituent parts. Good beer. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples | 4.00 | | No where as good as at Coach & Horses but still a very good brown bitter. Lots of fruit salad and good mid malts. Very drinkable |
| Thornbridge Hall - Kipling | 5.20 | | Having this beer in Kent is a real treat. Bit hazy and according to Haddonsman (beer blogger from Derby) the brewery isn't quite settled at the moment preparing on the move to Bakewell and some yeast problems too. Having said that the hops are unbelievably aggressive. Pale grapefruit aroma, but then on the finish the b nettle hop almost strips the tongue. Anyone who loves Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc or Loire S Blanc should get themselves a mini keg of this stuff. The fruit is sublime |
| Brew Dog - 77 Lager | 4.90 | | Didn't have the diacetyl that it does in the bottles that I've recently, still has great hop and great drinkability for a cask conditioned lager. |
| Brew Dog - Devine Rebel | 12.50 | | syrupy malty barley wine. Better than in bottle. Very malty syrupy, decent hop dryness on finish. A defintie experience beer. Grew on me. Bit too syrupy though. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Redbrick | 4.90 | | Gold/copper colour with no real head. Some earthy hop on aroma. OK mid malts in mouth with some fruit. Decent hop on end. Drinkable but lacking the usual Thornbridge big hit. |
| Brew Dog - Dogma | 7.80 | | Previously known as Speedball. It's a spicy/veg beer, base beer is a toffeeish beer. It's a good beer but not to my taste. Condition is good, perfect almost, I just don't like the spicy beers. Bit too much tea, too spicy, but great condition. |
| Marble - Honey Bee | 4.80 |  | Very pale gold, no real head. Diacetyl on aroma. Bit actic on aroma too. Very buttery diacetyl in mouth. Can't really taste the honey on this, just too buttery for me. |
| Saltaire - Sub-Lime Blonde | 4.00 | | Lime cordial dominates on this beer from aroma to flavour to finish. I mean it's just too much on the lime. Well served and in good condition but difficult to take this beer seriously |
06 Jun 2009 (Martin the Mildman)
My first visit to this pub, for the "Best of the Best" festival. Suitably impressed.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew Dog - Edge | 2.70 | | Lots of fruit and malt, good body for its strength. |
| Brew Dog - 77 Lager | 4.90 | | Should get 4.5 stars if there was such an option. Just the right balance of hops and malt in the mouth, then hops kick in at the finish. |
| Marble - Dobber | 5.90 | | Very hoppy but with fruity sweetness rather than dry bitterness. Long hoppy finish. |
| Marble - Honey Bee | 4.80 | | Slightly caramelly and not a lot of honey evident, making a quite sweet beer with a hint of dry hop. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Redbrick | 4.90 | | Well balanced in the mouth, fairly dry finish. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds) - Thoroughly Modern Mild | 6.00 | | Not overkeen on this, quite a dry, bitter malty taste and a very dry almost astringent finish. |
06 Jun 2009 (Andrew)
First time for me. After a 1.5 hour train ride and a walk across the fields it was good to finally reach the Bull. The inside wasn't too busy as most people were in the garden. The beer festival being held was well supported and some of the beers had already gone. Spent most of the time chatting to Ian, and later Dubbel, on various random subjects.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - Pint | 3.90 | | Light gold colour. Marigold dry hop flavour. Grapefruit and elderberry flavours too. Dry grapefruit hop finish. |
| Pitfield - 1792 Imperial Stout | 9.30 | | Rich, oily, tart, bitter, wood resin, chilly heat, sherry oak, sourness in the background and some blackberry. |
| Pitfield - 1839 India Pale Ale | 7.00 | | Rich, slight bubblegum flavour, soft, rose perfume. |
| Saltaire - Cascade Pale Ale | 4.80 | | Soft, floral, pink grapefruit hop, and bitter |
| Brew Dog - Edge | 2.70 | | Coffee, inside of a 70's games room, grapefruit. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds) - Gadd's Dr Sunshine's Special Friendly English Wheat Ale | 4.20 | | Cardboard, tart, gooseberry flavours. Should have had my mate, No.7, instead |
| Saltaire - Sub-Lime Blonde | 4.00 | | In good condition but clearly a comedy beer. Could have been a glass of Lemonade and lime. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | | Very buttery (i.e. stuffed full of Diacetyl) for a beer that isn't suppose to be. Not the pubs fault; a brewing problem |
31 May 2009 (Dubbel)
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leatherbritches - Goldings | 3.60 | | Light, refreshing, idyllic. Could drink all day. |
| Leatherbritches - Ginger Helmet | 4.70 | | Light with a mild, sensible infusion of ginger that tingled the tongue but doesn't overdo it. Good sweetness, well balanced. |
| Leatherbritches - Spiced Berry Mild | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - Brutus | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - Bear Island | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Bristol Beer Factory - Stout | 4.00 | Not Tried |
08 May 2009 (Ian)
Phil Lowry had also made it up to town and he offered me a lift home via the Phoenix beer showing at The Bull. Met up with Garratt, Lynn along with Dubbel and his friends. Pictish hadn't delivered their beers, so there were 6 Phoenix beers on instead.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge Hall - Ashford | 4.20 | | Kelly from the brewery says this is his favourite Thornbridge beer. I like this very much, lots of very good roasty toasty malts and served in very good nick. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Phoenix - Arizona | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Phoenix - Hopsack | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Phoenix - West Coast IPA | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Phoenix - White Monk | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Phoenix - Wobbly Bob | 6.00 | Not Tried |
01 May 2009 (Dubbel)
A cellar refurb has created space for over 20 casks to be racked and readied. A further 3 to 5 handpumps are due to be installed very soon. Brugse Zot and Fruli complimenting the cask range. World domination is nigh.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | Tangy, bittersweet and always awesome. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | | Magnificent, as ever. Demanded some take out. One of many in the cellar too. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Brock | 4.10 | | Black with smooth velvety burnt dark malts and a very subtle chocolate undertone. St Petersburg's little brother - classy and refined. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge Hall - Kipling | 5.20 | Not Tried |
28 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
Had a good chat with the locals. Garrett mocked me by putting Thornbridge Brock on two minutes after I had walked out of the door!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | | Remains by far and away the most popular and biggest selling beer in the pub. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Kipling | 5.20 | | Not at its cintilating best. They still have a yeast problem. |
| Leatherbritches - Dragon Chaser | 4.40 | | Pretty basic. Not my favourite from the LB range. |
| Boggart Hole Clough - Rum Porter | 4.60 | Not Tried |
23 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
Lynne was busily preparing for a special St. George's Day medieval feast, complete with tankards, when I arrived after work.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | See March 21. |
| Green Jack - Canary | 3.80 | | Decent session pale, nice shiny amber colour and malts but lacking vital bite from the hops. |
| Green Jack - Orange Wheat | 4.20 | | Not as heavenly as last time. Marmalade flavours tempered down, some estery banana creeping in. |
| Hog's Back - Old Tongham Tastie | 6.00 | Not Tried |
18 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
Trade was steady on Saturday lunchtime. Garrett was a bit more presentable having finally had time for a haircut and beard trim! Good to see some Green Jack beers on.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | See 21 March. |
| Green Jack - Orange Wheat | 4.20 | | Mid-coloured, clear gorgeous fruity wheat ale, none too sweet, with a super rounded hop finish. |
| Green Jack - Canary | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Hog's Back - Old Tongham Tastie | 6.00 | Not Tried |
11 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
A rowdy rugby team were in full song in the garden and a wood-burning old skool fire had the place smelling like bonfire night. Managed to snap up a couple of ultra-rare 13% Belgian stouts for future enjoyment. Moules and frites went down a treat with draught Maredsous 6. There is seemingly nothing that this place fails to pull off spectacularly well.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | | Shimmering gold, biting hops and grapefruit/lemongrass notes. Britain's premier session ale back to its brilliant best. Hurrah! |
| Leatherbritches - Dr. Johnson’s | 4.00 | | A rather dull brown bitter. Robust enough but didn't do much for me. |
| Leatherbritches - Dovedale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Boggart Hole Clough - Rum Porter | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Brew Dog - Paradox Arran Edition | 10.00 | Not Tried |
09 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
The Belgian fest was in full swing with six draught beers available (six more to come) and around 30 bottles to work through. After scooping what was 'required' on the bar I dabbled in some tasters (being particularly impressed by the Gordons Scotch Ale, Chimay Blue and Westmalle Dubbel) and polished off some curly Belgian sausages and stoemp.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boggart Hole Clough - Rum Porter | 4.60 | | Huge rum flavours (which I fortunately enjoy) vanilla and bubblegum in there too. Full bodied but just a little flat. |
| Leatherbritches - Dovedale | 4.40 | | Decent brown bitter with burnt malts and unusual hops. |
| Leatherbritches - Hairy Helmet | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - IPA | 6.20 | Not Tried | |
| Brew Dog - Paradox Arran Edition | 10.00 | Not Tried |
07 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
Lots of busy bods setting up the marquee in the garden ready for the Belgian Beer Festival starting Thursday. Surprised to see a couple of lingering BrewDog casks containing the leftovers from the weekend's showcase.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - IPA | 6.20 | | Goodness, is it that time of year already? The strong, big hitting copper-blonde IPA returns, fruit salad flavours and buckets of hops certainly let you know you're drinking it and absolutely loving it. |
| Leatherbritches - Goldings | 3.60 | | So glad I came back to this after last week's wrong foot intro. Crisp, straw coloured session beer magnifique. Chewy notable hop finish. No shrinking violet and continues to improve the more you drink it. |
| Leatherbritches - Spiced Berry Mild | 3.80 | | Ruby mild with a brambley aroma, cough syrup palate and spicy, tangy spikey hop finish. A very different drop but well executed. |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Brew Dog - Zeitgeist | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Brew Dog - Paradox Arran Edition | 10.00 | Not Tried |
04 Apr 2009 (Ian)
Brew Dog brewery showcase and another brilliant afternoon at the joint best pub in Kent (along with the Butcher's Arms). Lots of beer related banter at the bar, great beers and Garratt holding the whole thing together. I had a couple of bottles of Orval too now that the pub takes beers from CaveDirect. Belgian beer festival 9-11 April and Summer BF 4-7 June.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew Dog - Rip Tide | 8.00 | | Along with Dark Star Imp Stout, this is my favourite cask UK impy stout. Really lovely choc, coffee, wide mouthfeel, bit of intense tar, Belgian dark choc |
| Brew Dog - Zeitgeist | 4.90 | | Lovely roasted flavour. Bit of bite on end. Good stuff |
| Brew Dog - Chaos Theory | 7.10 | | I think my first time on cask. Bit metallic, tea and toffee, but never my favourite strong IPA |
| Brew Dog - Paradox Arran Edition | 10.00 | Not Tried | Blended a half with Rip Tide |
| Dark Star - Espresso Stout | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried |
02 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
BD day finally arrived. The place was heaving for the BrewDog showcase with beer buffs from far and wide making the journey to the small Darent Valley village to enjoy rare cask offerings from the mischievous Scottish micro. Bingo quiz and free buffet, comprised of a variety of chicken, beef and veggie bean curries, rice and hot wings, followed by a selection of cheeses. Perfect.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew Dog - Chaos Theory | 7.10 | | A darker, copper coloured US-influenced IPA. Uber-hopped with, astonishingly, just a single variety. My first sample of this beer from the cask and a big improvement on the bottled version. Just fantastic. |
| Brew Dog - Rip Tide | 8.00 | | Such a dangerously drinkable 'imperial' stout. Super condition, gloopy chocolate flavours, grade A malts and characteristic hops. A serious contender for beer of the night and best stout in the UK. |
| Brew Dog - Trashy Blonde | 4.10 | | Dry and floral with a hoppy bite. Sessionable enough to warrant a pint. Popular. |
| Brew Dog - Punk IPA | 6.00 | | A gorgeously fruity and brutish IPA, surpassed only by Jaipur for me. Sparklingly clear but loses a star for being just a couple of degrees too warm on the stillage in the busy bar. |
| Brew Dog - Paradox Arran Edition | 10.00 | | The most subtle of the Paradox editions. Smooth oaky vanilla and chocolate flavours prevail against a subtle, background whiskey warmth. Served headless on handpump. Finished the night beautifully and guaranteed a persistant headache the next day. |
| Leatherbritches - Goldings | 3.60 | | Unfortunately this only came on midway through the evening. I was very keen to try it and was persuaded by a barfly that, despite its low ABV, the flavour was prominant enough to stand up against the BrewDog palate bashers. It wasn't. Must try again under more favourable circumstances. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Espresso Stout | 4.20 | Not Tried |
31 Mar 2009 (Dubbel)
After missing out on Hairy Helmet at the weekend, with the barrel being drained in a pub-record 3.5 hours, I was pleased to see another one put on today. Engaged in much beery conversation around the bar and even managed to grab the last portion of Chicken and Bishops Farewell pie. Result.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leatherbritches - Hairy Helmet | 4.70 | | Magnificent. Pale, hugely hoppy, dry hopped with a tingling, warming finish. Like a premium strength Hophead but a little less fruity. Expect to see this make regular future appearances here. |
| Dark Star - Espresso Stout | 4.20 | | With the recipe tweaked for 2009, this decants blacker and with a slightly less 'in yer face' coffee bean explosion. A tad more rounded and approachable and better for it. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Kipling | 5.20 | | A knockout ale, so fruity and exotic. Thornbridge beers too often coming out the barrel with a slight haze on of late. Apparently a yeast issue acknowledged by the brewery. Fortunately the flavour was not noticeably affected. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Hog's Back - A over T | 9.00 | Not Tried |
27 Mar 2009 (Dubbel)
A little quiet when we arrived but the place soon filled up. I wasn't driving, so could hit the A Over T. Garrett was telling me about the Leatherbritches beers he had picked up that would be on in the coming days - an unheard of brewery in these parts. Jimbo's Chicken and Bishops Farewell pie was obscenely good.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Saison | 4.50 | | More 'estery' than the mouth of the Severn. (Sorry) A joy and wonderfully different. |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | It's been a while since I've had this. Like meeting an old friend, the times we've shared... |
| Hog's Back - A over T | 9.00 | | Really strong, yet somehow mellow and smooth. So pleased that beasty beers like this are stocked and sell so well here. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | | Another variance on the classic taste sensation. This time a real fruity nose which transfers to the palate before a muted butterscotch finish pushes through. |
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell | 4.60 | Not Tried |
25 Mar 2009 (Dubbel)
Details of the Belgian Beer Festival to be held over the Easter weekend have been announced, with 12 draught and 30 bottle beers available together with authentic Belgian cuisine. Genuine excitement in the bar about the BrewDog showcase next week.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | Managed to squeeze in a half before legendary regular Paul single-handedly drained the rest of the barrel. Bastard. |
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell | 4.60 | | Top of the barrel. Pure enjoyment in a glass. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Ashford | 4.20 | | Cleaner and more pronounced coffee flavours that before. Lovely. |
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | | Not sure why, but this beer just doesn't excite me like it does other people. Nothing wrong with it but not spectacular like most others in the fabulous Oakham range. |
| Hog's Back - A over T | 9.00 | Not Tried |
21 Mar 2009 (Dubbel)
Headed up with the guys for Curry Night - choice of four home-crafted curries and a pint for £7. With Jaipur the pint of choice, that equated to £3.80 for the curry. Pretty much a full house and usual convivial atmosphere. The ale range was stupidly good tonight. It didn't matter that all were of a similar colour and style, we couldn't have hoped for better.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | Another fresh barrel (the APA seems to be selling out within a day lately). Immense creamy, sweet, hoppy, lemony, sherberty wonder. Just insanely good. The South's best beer? Restored my faith in Dark Star. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | | When pushed to give an answer, I would have to say that this is my favourite beer. Consistently supreme and oh so right with the curried goat. |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | | Top of the barrel and fresh as a daisy, hoptastic, so light and drinkable. This does precisely what lager should do. |
| Dark Star - Saison | 4.50 | | Had tempered down overnight and was now smoother, a bit clearer and much more approachable. Couldn't put it down. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried |
20 Mar 2009 (Dubbel)
Congratulations to Garrett & Lynne. Local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year again and fully fully deserved. Presentation in the pub on 14th May with some special beers being lined up to celebrate. Walked through the door and presented with a range of beer like this, why would I want to go anywhere else?
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell | 4.60 | | Sex. See 17 March. |
| Dark Star - Saison | 4.50 | | Lovely pale Belgian wheat style ale. Packed full of bitter hops and a distinct Saison yeasty aftertaste. Feels about 4% stronger than it actually is. Delightful. |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | Only to be consumed by the pint. Basket of fruits vying for attention and the most palatable of US hops make the mouth water uncontrollably. It can only be APA. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Ashford | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried |
17 Mar 2009 (Dubbel)
Dinner and a few swift halves with the boys. Engaged in beery conversation at the bar. Same smiley, friendly atmosphere.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell | 4.60 | | I'll never get over this beer. Especially when its served like this. Magnificent. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Ashford | 4.20 | | More of a sweet milk chocolate than cocoa flavour. Plenty of hopping to battle against the malts. Very well put together. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Kipling | 5.20 | | Had settled some since its lively introduction yesterday. Fruit flavours even more pronounced. Subject of much praise from the pub's experienced palates. |
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | Not Tried |
16 Mar 2009 (Dubbel)
Classic sign of a bad start to the working week - a Monday night jaunt to the pub. One of the locals was particularly pissed tonight and stole half an hour of my time that I'll never get back again.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otley - Dark-O | 4.00 | | Mysterious dark gravy malts with a whack of chocolate followed by rounded bitterness. Splendid dark ale. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Kipling | 5.20 | | The main event. Spritely citric beast of a pale ale. Rasping grapefruit and lime mingle with softer kiwi and mandarin notes in spite of the foggy appearance. Not quite at showcase condition. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | | 2009's hops just don't match up to the 2008 vintage. |
| Hog's Back - Spring Call | 4.00 | | Hazy, green, soapy, malty mess if I'm brutally honest. One to dismiss as an anomaly. |
| Dark Star - Original | 5.00 | Not Tried |
06 Mar 2009 (Blair)
After 2 trains, 2 hours and a wrong turning we finally got to The Bull. I was understandably in a slightly bad mood, I hate trains. My mood soon lifted though, this is a brilliant pub. The beer was great, the atmosphere was great and having the bloke from Dark Star there was quite cool as well. Had a bottle of Mikkeller - Beer Geek Breakfast just before heading home and it well and truly finished me off. The journey back seemed to take a couple of minutes...
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Best Bitter | 4.00 | | I really liked this beer and I think it's a definate challenger to Harvey's sussex best for the best best. |
| Dark Star - Sussex Extra Stout | 4.50 | | Certainly a good beer, but I was expecting a little more from a stout by Dark Star. Roasted malt and a little chocolate but a little thin in the mouth and not particularly strong flavoured. |
| Dark Star - Old Ale (aka Old Chestnut) | 4.00 | | Once again, a good beer but disappointing considering how good Dark Star can be. Little roasted malt with some chestnuts and toffee. |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | I think this was better when I had it at the Butchers Arms. Good but had a strange aftertaste that I don't remember noticing before. Lots of hops, caramel and chocolate. Very smooth right up until the end. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Six Hop Ale | 6.50 | Not Tried |
06 Mar 2009 (Dubbel)
Cracking atmosphere yet again. Beer appreciators from far and wide flocked to hear Toby from Dark Star give a thoroughly interesting talk on the brewery and brewing in general. Got over the immense disappointment of missing out on the American Pale Ale by sampling some of the newly-acquired Mikkeller bottled range, which, it has to be said, even outshone the cask range.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Six Hop Ale | 6.50 | | Fantastic. And selling at an astounding rate at 7 in the evening! |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | Ever so slightly buttery on the finish. But with the scrumptious dark malts not as noticable as in the Hophead. |
| Dark Star - Sussex Extra Stout | 4.50 | | Still a top stout and what Guiness can only aspire to be. |
| Dark Star - Old Ale (aka Old Chestnut) | 4.00 | | A restrained dark ale with some roasted bitterness. Preferable to the Best for me though. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | | Marred by what Ian refers to as 'diacetyl'. This was a regression to the turn of the year. When challenged the man from Dark Star say there has been no change to the brewing process and the difference in taste can only be the difference in this year's hop harvest. Hmmm. |
| Dark Star - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - Bear Island | 4.60 | Not Tried |
25 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
I munched off the tender, flavourful rabbit pie again. As usual there was a scoop to be had on the bar. Heavy promotion of the upcoming Dark Star brewery showcase both inside and outside of the pub. The £3 midweek specials have done a great job of bringing the punters in earlier in the week. Locals argued amongst themselves over whether to have muted live coverage of the Liverpool or West Ham game on the TV. The West Ham lot eventually won the battle but not the match.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newby Wyke - Lord Ancaster | 4.00 | | Very light, perfect clarity, lemony hops with a counteracting floral sweetness. One of their better efforts. |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | Bovril malts and flowery hops. Yummy. |
| Meantime - London Stout | 4.50 | | See 16 Feb. |
| Dark Star - Original | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - Bear Island | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Victorian Ruby Mild | 6.00 | Not Tried |
23 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
I've been doing a lot of pubbing lately, even for me. I blame the stress of an economic downturn and widescale redundancies at work. Sometimes only a pint or two in your favourite alehouse will ease the strains of the day. Typical Monday evening with the usual Bull disciples.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Victorian Ruby Mild | 6.00 | | Yes yes yes, a vast improvement on earlier batches. Much more smooth and a pleasant rum-chocolate flavour, touch of port and warming spice. A sheer joy to sup. |
| New -K-Ham - Eddie Stone | 4.20 | | Definitely more Newby Wyke-like than Oakham-esque. Pale golden, with bitter verging on astringent hopping. Pleasant but of little distinction when compared to others in the NW range. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Original | 5.00 | Not Tried |
21 Feb 2009 (JeffnJo)
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Six Hop Ale | 6.50 | | Perfectly served. Rich in flavours - exquisite. A great ale to gently sup and enjoy its complexity. |
| Crouch Vale - Essex Nights | 4.10 | | Distinctly Jo's type of flavour. Good for a 4.1 but weakness lets it down slightly. Dark roasted with slightly chocolate undertone. Bitter dryness. |
| Bottle Brook - Roadrunner | 4.80 | | Light ale. Cideresque. Diasappointingly 'flat' despite a frothy head |
18 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
Tender curried goat on the bone with rice was the £3 midweek special of choice. Typically strong lineup of ales were as well received as ever.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crouch Vale - Essex Nights | 4.10 | | Dark ruby-black 'mild' type dark ale. Roasty malts provide a long, satisfying finish. Impressive. |
| Dark Star - Six Hop Ale | 6.50 | | Strong and powerful yet still sweet and palatable. Terrific. |
| Newby Wyke - Bear Island | 4.60 | | Pale, dry, hoppy and refreshing. Great condition. According to others, my description of "a poor man's Bishop's Farewell" did it a disservice. |
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold | 4.00 | Not Tried |
16 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
I was alerted to the Tera's second coming so Jnr & I headed up for a post-work scoop. Meantime London Stout has also been added to the keg lineup to accompany the London Pale Ale.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meantime - London Stout | 4.50 | | Unpasturized keg black stout, dispensed far too cold but splendid once it's warmed through. Sweet and nutty before the dry roasted malts take precedence. Delicious on draught. |
| Oakham - Tera | 4.20 | | Copper brown, enticing spicy nose that stings the nostrils. Bitter, soapy hops, fresh as a daisy. |
| Dark Star - Festival | 5.00 | | Dark, malty with subtle liquorice notes and a marmite finish. |
| Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold | 4.00 | | Not the best batch, a bit bland, slight buttery taste, lacking fruit hit and complexity. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Meantime - London Pale Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried |
14 Feb 2009 (Ian)
It was Valentine's Day and I wanted to treat myself, so I came here to this fabulous pub. After reading Dubbel's reports, I was eagerly anticipating this and I wasn't disappointed. Garrat and Lynne run an excellent pub, with good locals, good food and with a real wish to serve quality real ales in pristine condition. Lovely garden at the rear too. I sat at the bar chatting to Garrat and the locals about beer and life in general. Although it is a 1.5 hour journey to get here from Ashford involving 3 trains and a bike ride, I will definitely be coming back on a regular basis. One of the best pubs in Kent.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | | We finished off one firkin of this and then Garrat went and changed it to a new barrel which was unbelievably good. Pale gold, lasting white head. Really quite tart, but a lovely light piercing citrus fruit beer. Almost lime like. Really great condition too. Wow, that lime/hop is exceptional. Stunning. The freshness on the new barrel was amazing with a harsh mango fruit edge. |
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell | 4.60 | | Enormously good. Outstanding. Love the hop, almost like shards of glass bursting over the tongue. Stunning. I had this side by side with the fresh Inferno afterwards. Hard to pick a winner, but the Inferno just about won out. |
| Dark Star - Original | 5.00 | | Deep brown, lasting beige head. I'm not a real fan of this beer, but this is the best I've had it. Toasty, roasty, even some dark plum fruit, then some dry malt/fruit and hop on the finish. Really very good. Some good choc. Oddly enjoyable. Just more flavours and textures than I've had before with this beer. |
| Newby Wyke - Homeward Bound | 6.00 | | Clear chestnut. Strong syrupy malt flavour, some hops on finish. Again, enormously good condition. An English strong ale I guess, the malts calm down as it opens up and the hop on the finish really comes through. A kind of stinging East Kent Goldings hop finish. Some very good stone fruit flavours with just the merest touch of choc malt. It's a little hot, from the alcohol, some good malts and nice hop on end. Surprisingly good. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | | Very popular in the pub and Garrat and I talked about the slight diacetyl edge it had. He likes it, I unfortunately don't. Purely personal opinion here as to it being a 3/5, but served in great condition. |
13 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
With the promise of a top scoop in the shape of Oakham Tera I counted down the hours to clocking off time. Alas, it had run dry but an East Midlands feast cushioned the blow. Lots of diners also enjoying Lynne's homemade chips.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell | 4.60 | | Chocced full of grapefruit and lime, dry yet fruity finish, some discreet strawberry never previously detected. In the form of its life. |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | | See 05 Feb. |
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | | Light and delicately hopped. Not as brash as most of the Oakham range. Fine condition. |
| Newby Wyke - Homeward Bound | 6.00 | | Good ruby warmer with a big hitting boozy finish. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried |
05 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
Thornbridge Brewery Showcase kicked off in style. Six Thornbridge brews from gravity, plus Wild Swan on the handpumps along with three others. Garrett and Lynne hosted the Bingo Quiz which kept everyone interested for the vast majority of the evening. Big attendance and customers were also thanked with a complimentary finger buffet rounded off with fine cheeses to pair up with the ale. A fantastic night.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge Hall - Kipling | 5.20 | | South-pacific pale ale laden with antipodean hops, giving tropical, kiwi and passion fruit flavours the like of which I have never tasted before. Wonderful. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Ashford | 4.20 | | Nu-skool brown ale, deliciously flavoured with thick chocolate malts. |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | | Massively refreshing, bitter lemon hoppy masterpiece. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | | Most surprisingly, probably the only one of the Thornbridge brews sampled not to be on tip top form. The slightest haze ever so slightly dulled down that trademark grapefruit smack, although it could well have been the result of having it straight after the Kipling. |
| Thornbridge Hall - St. Petersburg Imperial Stout | 7.70 | | Dark, rich, packed full of all the right flavours and just so devastatingly drinkable for its strength. Deserves every accolade coming to it. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Wild Swan | 3.50 | | A pale session-strength beer that has won a lot of fans. It's good but for me a little too subtle, especially when compared directly with Hophead. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Handel | 6.60 | | Belgian dubbel style ale with an immediate bananary hit, heavy Belgian yeast and perfectly complimented by the creamy stilton on offer. Did become a bit heavy going for me towards the end of the pint though. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - White Squall | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples | 4.00 | Not Tried |
03 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
Had my arm twisted to head up here again in the snow and ice. As ever, very glad that I did. The incredible £3.00 rabbit pie with mash, three veg and gravy was complimented perfectly by some outstanding golden ale. Thornbridge casks were racked up and settling nicely for the weekend's brewery showcase. Pleased to report Garrett was back on his feet and soldiering on!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | Immaculate dispense, hugely creamy, citrus and floral flavours poke through then the creaminess kicks in again and persists through the finish. |
| Crouch Vale - Amarillo | 5.00 | | Golden, crisp and delightfully hopped with one of my absolute favourite hop varieties. Princely beer. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - White Squall | 4.80 | Not Tried |
30 Jan 2009 (Dubbel)
Landlord laid up after damaging his back lugging casks around the cellar. Five prime ales still in top condition.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | | See 23 Jan. |
| Bottle Brook - Full Moon | 4.60 | | Amber-brown, full bodied best. Fruity bouquet, sweet malts, spicy twang and a long, juicy hop finish. Gorgeous. |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | Seems to change colour intermittently. Distinctly brown today and served cool. Delicious roasted malt whack and lipsmacking hop finish. Blinding pseudo 'mild'. |
| Newby Wyke - White Squall | 4.80 | | PGHB - Pale Golden Hoppy... Bitter. Thin, very bitter hops. Decent but today's poor relation. |
| Newby Wyke - Kingston Topaz | 4.20 | Not Tried |
26 Jan 2009 (Dubbel)
Quiet Monday evening with only a handful of die-hard regulars around the bar. Also the owners' day off so had a good chat with long-standing barmaid Joyce.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pictish - Liberty | 4.60 | | Was pinning my hopes on a single-hop world beater here but alas was not to be. Still very nice, golden with a greenish tinge, a thin body, biscuity malts and a classic yankee hop finish but a little disjointed and just not quite full enough. |
| Dark Star - Victorian Ruby Mild | 6.00 | | Nice again. Had mellowed slightly over the weekend but I still prefer the Sarah Hughes effort. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Winter Solstice | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Beowulf - Finn's Hall Porter | 4.70 | Not Tried |
23 Jan 2009 (Dubbel)
Very lively Friday evening. Some of the afternoon stragglers were leaving in a merry state as I arrived just after 6pm. As always, the happy, sociable atmosphere lifted me out of my workday blues.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | | Fragrant and punchy. After a couple of surpar batches, this king of session beers is back to its awe-inspiring best. |
| Beowulf - Finn's Hall Porter | 4.70 | | Opaque black, meaty nose, liquorice notes and heavy smoky malts. Thick with a drying finish. Wonderful |
| Dark Star - Victorian Ruby Mild | 6.00 | | Deep ruby, strong red malts dominate a complex vineous, full bodied finish. Has potential to grow on me. |
| Newby Wyke - Kingston Topaz | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Winter Solstice | 4.20 | Not Tried |
16 Jan 2009 (Dubbel)
A splendid line-up of beers. The only way to unwind after a long week.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat Cat - Ol' Puss | 6.00 | | Fantastic mahogany-brown spiced ale. Thick and bursting with flavour. This got a unanimous thumbs up from all around the bar (apart from the Fosters philistine who found it "revolting"). |
| Pictish - Brewer's Gold | 3.80 | | Delicious bright golden, delicately hopped with pleasant citrus notes. A session beer to really throw down your neck with glee. |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | Much fruitier than last time and a pleasure to drink. Almost back to its sublime best. |
| Greenfield - Monkey Business | 4.00 | | Gold with an 'arsey' hop smack and strong earthy flavour. Rough and ready but no disaster. |
| Dark Star - Sussex Extra Stout | 4.50 | Not Tried |
03 Jan 2009 (Dubbel)
After a long two week gap, order was restored with a Saturday night visit. It's not often I go this late in the evening. The atmosphere was very relaxed, log fire crackling away with a mixture of friendly regulars and a couple of parties of first-time visitors. The hosts were both suffering from the lurgy but still made the effort to welcome and chat with everyone. Currently serving two draft Meantime beers in addition to the usual five cask ales.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Sussex Extra Stout | 4.50 | | Now labelled 'Traditional Sussex Stout' and a permanent brew for 2009. Oaty and wholesome with some liquorice notes and grassy hops. Cracking. |
| Meantime - Chocolate | 6.50 | | First time I've had this on draught. Thought a pint of it might prove too rich but I dove in as it's soon to be replaced by Winter Time. Pudding-like dark chocolate malts, silky smooth with some sweetness but not too cloying, unlike the Robinsons Chocolate Tom. |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale | 4.70 | | First batch of the new year-round APA rushed onto the pumps. A bit 'green' and probably needed a day or two to develop fully into the awesome all-rounder that we loved so much last spring. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Fuzzy Duck - Shining Wit | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's - ESB | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Meantime - London Pale Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried |
19 Dec 2008 (Dubbel)
After work on Friday the pub was busily being readied for the Christmas Party crowd, the food looked amazing. Plenty of loyal regulars surrounded the bar enjoying huge complimentary mince pies too. 18 pint polypin take-outs currently available for the holiday season.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newby Wyke - Red Squall | 4.40 | | See 02 Dec. |
| Coniston - Special Oatmeal Stout | 4.30 | | Excellent oaty traditional stout, strong dark malts and a leafy dry finish. Very drinkable. |
| Newby Wyke - England Expects | 4.50 | | Golden, lemongrass notes, heavily-hopped lively beer has a dry, slightly bitter finish. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Gale's - HSB | 4.80 | Not Tried |
04 Dec 2008 (Dubbel)
Lively convivial atmosphere with the Bingo Quiz coinciding with the start of the Marble Brewery Showcase. Some fantastic beers available and a free buffet provided.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - McKenna's Reprise Porter | 4.50 | | Textbook porter: thick, black, nutty, burnt, coffee hints with a boozy port/brandy finish. Could not be improved. |
| Marble - Pint | 3.90 | | Eminently drinkable, light, refreshing and delicately hopped with citrus and piney flavours. More please! |
| Dark Star - Brewers Reserve | 4.50 | | Once-a-year special ale provided to the brewery's top 50 customers with no expense spared in the production. Shimmering gold with Japanese Sorachi Ace, Glacier and Galena hops and a selection of three malts that gives a unique bizarre flavour. |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | | Delicious biscuity light golden ale with crisp hops. |
| Marble - JP Best | 4.30 | | Amber gold, dry and grassy, juicy bitter hops and orangey undertones. Excellent. |
| Marble - Ginger Marble | 4.50 | | Dispensed with a slight haze but flavour was unaffected. Knockout ginger ale, probably the best example of its kind. |
| Marble - Lagonda IPA | 5.20 | | Amber hues, peppery palate and long, bright hop finish. |
| Oakham - Hawse Buckler | 5.60 | | Not quite as exceptional as the sample from 25 Nov. More bitterness this time with not so many ripe fruits to counterbalance the astringency. |
| Newby Wyke - Red Squall | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's - ESB | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Critical Mass | 7.80 | Not Tried |
02 Dec 2008 (Dubbel)
Just the 3 ales available yesterday as the stock is cleared in preparation for the Marble Beers Showcase starting Thursday. Rather quiet evening too. Midweek specials for £3 still in plentiful supply - the Pheasant Stew (hunted by one of the villagers) was scrumptious.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newby Wyke - Red Squall | 4.40 | | Deep ruby with cockle-warming red malts and ripened fruits and a fresh, easy-drinking finish. Pick of the bunch. |
| Dark Star - Winter Meltdown | 5.00 | | See 15 Nov. |
| Dark Star - Smoke | 5.00 | | Disappointing when compared to previous samples. Strong 'rauchy' smoked cheese nose and flavour but this time lacking the voluptuous porter-like body that would normally make this a stand-out 5 star brew. Bad batch. |
25 Nov 2008 (Dubbel)
Lured down for an early week visit by the presence of the statuesque Oakham Hawse Buckler. Tuesday to Thursday the pub also sell Lynne's midweek specials, a choice of about five main courses, for £3. The lamb rissoles with mash and seasonal veg were outstanding value.
Ales coming soon include: Dark Star Brewer's Reserve 4.5%, Dark Star Critical Mass 7.8% and Oakham Attila 7.5%
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Hawse Buckler | 5.60 | | Described by the landlord as "quite possibly the best ale we've ever had on", and they've had some corkers recently. Selling very well for its strength. Thick, carbon black, strong porter scent and an explosion of ripened fruits and burnt charcoal flavours. Simply magnificent. |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - Kingston Topaz | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - White Squall | 4.80 | Not Tried |
22 Nov 2008 (Dubbel)
Busy Saturday lunch. Home-made lamb shank pie stood out among the daily specials. Lively atmosphere during the England v South Africa mauling. Beer faultless as ever.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newby Wyke - Deck-Aid | 4.00 | | Very pale, 2 varieties of US hops providing a bright, zesty palate and a subtle, almost smoky finish. Very good indeed. |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | | This ran out shortly after we arrived. Still on top form however. See 15 Nov. |
| Red Squirrel - IPA | 4.10 | | Amber with a tight white head. Big hitting yankee hopped bruising pale ale. Bitter hops and a strong phenolic warmth throughout. Not for the easily offended. |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 | | First pint from the barrel. Clear, clean and crisp with a sharp lemon bite. Less inspiring for me than most of the Oakham range. |
| Dark Star - Golden Gate | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell | 4.60 | Not Tried |
15 Nov 2008 (Dubbel)
Much needed tonic after a few days out of the country. Friendly faces surrounded the bar. England v Australia on the TV.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | | Light and fruity conversion ale. Easily approached, served from gravity on the back of the bar. |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | | Very pale, very dry bitter, ridiculously drinkable. |
| Dark Star - Winter Meltdown | 5.00 | | Hardwood brown malty premium bitter with addition of ginger spice which works as well, if not better than the golden Summer Meltdown. |
| Gale's - HSB | 4.80 | | In as fine a form as 07 Nov. |
| Dark Star - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried |
07 Nov 2008 (Dubbel)
Regular Friday evening after-work jaunt. Landlord, Garrett, has this week implemented a scrolling plasma screen beer board listing and detailing the ales currently on and forthcoming events, rendering the trusty blackboard redundant. This will soon be linked up to the pub's website (which will be relaunched very soon) providing real-time online info on which beers are currently on sale.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Golden Gate | 4.50 | | Dull amber coloured Autumnal brew with trademark DS heavy/late hopping that leaves a dry, bitter finish. Eminently drinkable. Gorgeous. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | | 4th or 5th cask on sale in the last six weeks. The regulars can't get enough of it! Sold incredibly well for such a strong beer. Would never get bored of the whiffy hop aroma, punchy grapefruit and rasping dry finish. A Desert Island Ale. |
| Gale's - HSB | 4.80 | | Deep brown malt-laden classic served to perfection. Mr Gale would have been proud. |
| Thornbridge Hall - Juno | 4.60 | | Citric, zesty, cloudy wheat beer with a hint of banana and clove spices. A true palatable quaffer. |
| Dark Star - Hophead | 3.80 | Not Tried | A virtual house regular, served by gravity more often than not. |
About The Bull
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 57 |
| 135 |
| 62 |
| 13 |
| 5 |
 | - |
The pub is found in Horton Kirby, Kent.
Outstanding genuine freehouse. Ever-changing selection of guest ales and ciders, many rare to the area served in consistently excellent condition. Regular beer festivals, discos, BBQs and various other events. Monthly brewery showcase (1st weekend of the month) with at least six ales from one particular enterprising brewery. Friendly atmosphere and great home-cooked food (Tues-Sun) made with locally-sourced ingredients. Gravesend & Darent Valley CAMRA Pub of the Year 2008 and 2009 and West of Kent Pub of the Year 2009.
We have visited this pub 75 times, seen 167 different beers and tried 139 of them.
Postcode: DA4 9DF