Goacher's Green Hop Ale - Experimental EG40

Tasting Summary

These comments are the opinion of the individual reviewer and represent what they thought of the beer on a particular day in a particular pub. If a review is less favourable, it may be because the beer suffered somewhere in the supply chain between them and the brewery.

The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		31 Oct 2026	Fresh on and displaying very good head and lasting lacing. A very fresh hoppy first hit on this Goacher's Brewery's experimentally hopped green beer and with brewing set up way back in 1983, resurrecting commercial brewing in Kent's County Town for the first time since the early seventies. They turned their home-brewing caper into a proper business at the old Hayle Mill down in the Loose Valley on the fringes of Maidstone, before in 1990, shifting their mashing coppers over to Tovil Green Business Park also in Maidstone. A pleasantly oily hoppiness rising on this green hopped pale golden ale and where the brewery first rolled out their annual Green Hop harvest brew in 2015. A gentle maltiness joining in. Its Maris Otter winter barley malt that was carefully floor-malted lending a sweet and bready biscuit flavouring. With the toastiness of a morning bakery, a crisp, crackery flavouring rising on my taste buds. A dry but fresh hoppiness from its brewers rushing off to Brenley Farm near Faversham to hand-pick completely un-dried, straight-from-the-bine EG40 hops. This is a rare, experimental variety bred by Wye Hops that crosses the stalwart UK Target with a wild US male vine. These wet, unkilned cones retain delicate oils usually lost to the fire, with Target providing a sharp bitterness, while the wild American bloodline behind an uncharacteristic burst of tropical sweetness. A fragrant, resinous perfume of damp, sun-warmed English hedgerows mixed with exotic fruits passing my snout. On hitting the back of my mouth, a fleshy finish bursting with juicy notes of lychee, sweet citrus and ripe mango. On writing this at the of the day later, it had all been supped before my Sunday evening visit such was its popularity. Its oiliness aiding its slide down my hatch on my Saturday tasting of it and I was sticking resolutely to it then. Served in top nick and very moreish with plentiful carbonation.

Marden Village Club, Marden, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		24 Oct 2026	1st beer of this visit: Pleased to try this again having first sampled it at Gadds’ taproom on the Broadstairs/Ramsgate borders and also in the River Ale House in East Greenwich. Served from the main bar on handpump, it presented with a very good head and lasting lacing on this golden coloured green hopped pale from brewing set up in 1983. Goacher's is the oldest independent micro-brewery in the county of Kent, in a former paper mill at Hayle Mill, on the outskirts of Maidstone, before in 1990 shifting the whole kit and caboodle down the road to Tovil Green Business Park, still in Maidstone, where they have been boiling the coppers ever since. A first hit of floral hoppiness from an experimental hop that puts a new twist on a green hopped English pale ale. An oiliness rising up with faint hints of its lychee and stone fruits detailed on its pump clip. The freshly plucked EG40 hop variety is a prized experimental and crossbred by Wye Hops using the robust British Target and a wild American male hop. Hand-picked at Brenley Farm near Faversham and rushed straight into the copper while still wet and un-kilned, a good punch of essential oils. The wild American bursts with sun-drenched notes of sweet citrus, tropical mango and exotic lychee adding great depth of flavour for me. Floor-malted Maris Otter barley, sourced from traditional masters like Warminster Maltings lending a sweet and bready biscuit base. An oily dry but fruited hoppiness prevailing with a juicy splash of tropical fruit tap-dancing on my taste buds before the plunge down my hatch with a lingering bitterness. Served in excellent nick and extremely moreish.

Gadds' Beer Shop & Taproom, Broadstairs, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		10 Oct 2026	2nd beer of this festival visit: There were two Goacher’s Green Hop Ales on both at the same strength, one with Goldings hops, the other with Experimental EG40 hops. So to decide, a sample of each. The one with the experimental EG40 hops was the clear winner as it had much more of the green hop oiliness for my delighted taste buddies. The other tasted thinner. The EG40 hopped one exhibited a frothy white top and lasting lacing to boot. It had a very potent oiliness on its first kick leaving my taste buddies in ecstasy from a brewing outfit which laced up its proper boots and got cracking way back in 1983 and so standing proud as the oldest independent micro-outfit in the whole of Kent. From setting up shop inside an old, dusty paper mill in the Loose Valley, on the fringes of Maidstone, it grew in 1990 with the whole shebang carting their coppers down the road to Tovil Green Business Park, still in Maidstone. A very fresh, moreish hoppiness rising from the Green Hop Experimental EG40 that was mashed in the copper, grabbing hold of those virgin, un-kilned green bells the very morning after they were plucked straight off the bines. A floral fruitiness rising for me from this golden hued green hop pale with its stars of this copper, the un-kilned, fresh-picked EG40 hops, an experimental Kentish crossbreed cooked up by the bright sparks at Wye Hops, matching the sturdy British Target variety with a wild American male plant. From this mix juicy notes of sweet citrus, lychee and mango hitting my taste buddies with a meadow-fresh, tropical fruit sweetness but leaving a dry crisp bitter bite across my palate. A touch of maltiness in on the mix from traditional Maris Otter winter barley malt lending an oven-fresh bready and biscuit crust flavouring for me after its time spent dancing in the hot mash tun. Its hops’ oiliness prevailing right to the slide down my hatch. Served in exceptional tip-top condition.