Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) The Miller's Ale (originally 4.5%)

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
Philip Pirrip		22 Oct 2026	Lost the haze from its first night on on Tuesday. Little condition
Hogan Sampling		22 Oct 2026	1st beer of this visit: Now its third day on for this Canterbury ruby bitter and not presenting anything like the murkiness when first served on Tuesday evening. Still exhibiting good head and lacing and lasting all the way. A fruited hoppy first hit. A dry bitterness surfacing and a touch of maltiness prevailing. Served in an entirely more acceptable condition. For my full tasting notes, see my entry for it on Tuesday 20th October 2026 and when it was fresh on.
Hogan Sampling		20 Oct 2026	2nd beer of this visit: This Kentish ruby bitter from just outside Canterbury replaced Mighty Oak’s Captain Bob which had just run out. It was heavily murky which is not the norm for Canterbury Ales unless they have gone totally vegan-friendly on this one. As further pints were being poured for customers, it resolutely refused to lose its soup-like consistency. Amazingly its appearance was much worse than its bite, although it did possess a good head and lacing which it also hung onto, and with its first bite for me a very dry fruited bitterness. Canterbury Ales was set up 2010 as a craft micro-brewery pitching its tents on the leafy outskirts of the historic cathedral city at the Stour Valley Business Park in Chartham, Kent. As for the tipple itself's background, it was among the first batches to boil in their eight-barrel kit. Its name, The Miller’s Ale, was inspired by the flour-dusted pilgrim created by the 14th-century poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, whose work, The Canterbury Tales, brought the diverse voices, humour and gritty reality of medieval society to life in the everyday language of its time. A dry but lightly fruited bitterness rising. A red berry-infused hoppiness emerging from the brewers tossing a bundle of fruity British and New World hops into the boiling copper. The fruity British variety for me imparting a sharp, refreshing quality. Its New World aromatic hops delivering a citrus and punchy applely flavouring. A lightly sweet malty note prevailing from a heavy wallop of specialised Toffee Malts mixed with its pale barley base. For me the toasted grains dropping a sweet, biscuit-like foundation, and the caramelised roasting malts lending a buttery treacle sweetness but not too much so for my taste buddies with a touch of meat pie flavouring filling my cheeks. Served in a none too handsome state as a well-kept pint of it pulled from a traditional cask should be clear and bright. So here someone has made a right mess of the cellar work.
Philip Pirrip		20 Oct 2026	New cask tonight, second pint out, hazy, not settled. Taste full on
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	02 Apr 2026
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	02 Apr 2026
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	17 Jun 2025
Hogan Sampling		17 Jun 2025	Third night on and has lost much of its conditioning from trying it on Sunday. Not holding its head and lacing very well and a few decants only woke it up temporarily. A malty first hit on this ruby bitter from south-west of Canterbury itself. A malty first hit. A toffee-infused bitterness rising up and lingering.
Philip Pirrip		16 Jun 2025	OK condition for this darkish ale
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	15 Jun 2025
Hogan Sampling		15 Jun 2025	Fresh on today was this ruby bitter, south-west of Canterbury, and holding its head and lacing to the end. A very bitter first hit. A sweetish maltiness from its toffee notes coming to the fore. A dry bitterness aided by those fruity hops winning over and lingering. Very moreish.
Hogan Sampling		21 Feb 2025	Only did a half as very sweet the night before. Good head and lacing. A very bitter and toffee-infused first hit. Those toffee notes were definitely having a party in my mouthfeel with a maltiness lingering.
Philip Pirrip		20 Feb 2025	Good condition - truly too malty for my palate
Hogan Sampling		20 Feb 2025	Fresh on literally when I requested it as the Kent Cobnut had just moved on and was now a deceased ruby ale. This ruby bitter coincidentally came with good head and lacing and following on from the Cobnut's on Tuesday when I sampled it. This one was like drinking a liquid toffee apple and my blood sugars are still up with the gods of real ale! In its favour, and flavour, was that it was also very bitter to the bottom of the glass! It was aided by its toffee malts and fruity hops in this Thursday premier serving. A very dry moreish aftertaste lingered on.
Hogan Sampling		31 Jan 2025	Very good head and lacing on first being served this Canterbury ruby bitter. A very malty first hit. A good bitterness in the mouthfeel and lingering. A sweetness also from the toffee malts but not overly with a dryness also lingering. A bit of decanting was required on the ones ordered before last bell and some 15 to 30 minutes onwards.
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	31 Oct 2024
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	31 Oct 2024
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	30 Oct 2024
Hogan Sampling		29 Oct 2024	Not a lot of head and lacing despite it being only the second night on. Described as a Red Best Bitter, it was certainly a sweet mouthfeel with toffee malts. It had a bitter aftertaste.
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	26 Jul 2024	Yesterday's tasting sufficed.
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	25 Jul 2024
Hogan Sampling		25 Jul 2024	Just on and so tasted a little fresh but good lacing on side of glass in first one tried. The toffee malts were unmistakeable. Second one I tried had less lacing so decanted to achieve some carbonation again.
Philip Pirrip		04 Apr 2024	Good basic bitter but uninspiring
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	09 Apr 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	02 Feb 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	01 Feb 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	10 Oct 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	09 Oct 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	26 May 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	25 May 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	05 Nov 2021
Philip Pirrip		04 Nov 2021	Overly malty and cloying, no great pleasure to drink it
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	30 Jul 2021
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	29 Jul 2021
Philip Pirrip		15 Oct 2020	Tiring somewhat
Philip Pirrip		14 Oct 2020
Philip Pirrip		13 Oct 2020
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	29 Dec 2019
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	26 Dec 2019

The Unicorn, Canterbury, Kent

Bell & Crown, Canterbury, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Andrew	Not Tried	28 Feb 2026
Andrew	Not Tried	21 Feb 2026
Andrew		12 Feb 2026	A decent slightly fruity malty bitter with hint of rubber.
Alenomore	Not Tried	23 Sep 2013
Andrew	Not Tried	23 Jul 2013

The Man of Kent Ale House, Rochester, Kent

Sonder (formerly The Thirty-Nine Steps Brewhouse; The Thirty-Nine Steps Alehouse), Broadstairs, Kent

Carpenters Arms, Coldred, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Jack William	Not Tried	16 Sep 2025
Jack William	Not Tried	27 Jun 2025
Jack William	Not Tried	16 Oct 2020
Jack William	Not Tried	07 May 2018
Jack William		19 Jan 2018	A fruity ruby. Good winter warmer.

Three Daws, Gravesend, Kent

The New Inn, Minster (Thanet), Kent

The Haywain, Bramling, Kent

The Magnet (formerly The Magnet Micropub), Broadstairs, Kent

Chickenstock, Sittingbourne, Kent

The George & Dragon, Fordwich, Kent

Furlongs Ale House, Faversham, Kent

The Just Reproach, Deal, Kent

The Door Hinge, Welling, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		04 Apr 2023	First out of a new cask just put on - a bit fresh
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	09 Oct 2020
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	23 Oct 2015

Ye Olde Thirsty Pig, Maidstone, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE		27 Jul 2021
Archie14	Not Tried	12 Apr 2014

The Mole Hole, Gravesend, Kent

Hooden Smokehouse & Cellar (formerly Hooden on the Hill), Willesborough, Kent

The Broken Drum, Blackfen, Greater London

The Long Pond, Eltham, Greater London

The Flippin' Frog, Rochester, Kent

Old Bay Alehouse, Minnis Bay, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
beery steve		25 May 2017

The Crown Inn, Finglesham, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		03 Mar 2017

The Famous Ship Inn (formerly The Ship Inn), Sandgate, Kent

The Royal Oak, Blean, Kent

Falstaff Hotel, Canterbury, Kent

Artillery Arms, Ramsgate, Kent

The Churchill Tavern, Ramsgate, Kent

The Tickled Trout, Wye, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Andrew		27 Dec 2014	Fruity and earthy.
Trevor		08 Dec 2014
Trevor	Not Tried	10 Nov 2014

The Elephant, Faversham, Kent

East Malling Beer & Cider Festivals 2012 and 2013, East Malling, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
oz11		01 Sep 2012

The Four Candles Alehouse, St Peter's, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE	Not Tried	10 Aug 2012
Philip Pirrip		09 Aug 2012	Flattish malty bitter brew

The Flower Pot, Maidstone, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Pedro	Not Tried	08 Aug 2012	ran out
Pedro	Not Tried	06 Aug 2012
Pedro	Not Tried	06 Aug 2012
Martin the Mildman		03 Aug 2012	Now shown as 4.2%. Reddish amber in colour and brewed with rye which seems to impart an extreme bitterness to the beer which is not to my taste. Combined with a bitter hop, the finish is very dry and bitter. My score 9/20.
Dosser	Not Tried	26 May 2012
Pedro	Not Tried	23 May 2012
Pedro	Not Tried	20 Dec 2011
Pedro	Not Tried	19 Dec 2011
Pedro		19 Dec 2011
Pedro	Not Tried	18 Dec 2011
Alenomore		18 Dec 2011	In good nick.
Pedro	Not Tried	22 Oct 2011
Ian		22 Oct 2011	A really good brown bitter in excellent condition.
Pedro	Not Tried	21 Oct 2011
Pedro		21 Oct 2011

The Swan, Ashford, Kent

The Foundry Brew Pub, Canterbury, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Pedro		08 Oct 2011

Leas Lift Beer Festival, Folkestone, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
thebrewingman		23 Sep 2011

The Conqueror Alehouse, Ramsgate, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Blair	Not Tried	08 Feb 2011
Blair		05 Feb 2011	This wasn't great. Poor condition, very wishy-washy with just a hint of malt and fruit. Shame but I'm sure it will improve in time.