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Westerham Brewery Tap Room & Shop (Westerham Brewery)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale |  | 1 |
| Westerham - British Bulldog | | 1 |
| Westerham - British Bulldog "BB" (was 4.3%) | | 1 |
| Westerham - Spirit of Kent XXX Pale Ale |  | 2 |
| Westerham - Summer Perle | | 1 |
| Westerham - Bohemian Rhapsody | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - 500 miles | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - Hop Rocket BFR | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - It Means Nothing To Me | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - Helles Export | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - Natural Born Keller | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - Nitro Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - Helles Belles | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westerham - British Bulldog | 4.10 | | 3rd beer of this visit: Served with very good head and lasting lacing on this Westerham-brewed amber-coloured best bitter. A fruited bitter first hit with hints of apricot and orange peel. A biscuity caramelised maltiness with toffee-infusions rising from its sweet caramel malt emanating from its British Maris Otter Pale malt and Crystal 150 malt. A dry fruited floral bitterness winning over from its 100% Kent-grown traditional English hops, specifically Northdown, Whitbread Golding Variety (WGV) and Progress, before the downwards slide with a lingering spicy blackcurrant jelly flavouring to my taste buddies. In very good form with great conditioning throughout and no doubt aided by the historic, re-cultured heritage yeast strain sourced from the original Black Eagle Brewery in Westerham before its closure in 1965. |
| Westerham - Summer Perle | 3.80 | | 1st beer of this visit: Presented with good head and lacing and lasting on this Westerham pale from a brewing operation which commenced in 2004 at Grange Farm in Crockham Hill, which is directly south of Westerham in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, before moving to its current custom-built facility on Beggars Lane in Westerham, Kent. A very hoppy first hit on this light golden coloured pale first brewed in 2004 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Canterbury Beer Festival. A mildly fruited hoppiness rising with notes of orange citrusy marmalade and grapefruit from its Kent-grown First Gold, Yakima Valley (USA) Cascade, and German Hallertauer Perle, the latter giving this pale its name. A subtle fresh-baked white bready taste from its extra pale ale malt, light Munich malt behind its bready, biscuity sweetness with faint hints of honey and lightly toasted nuts, and dextrin aiding its mouthfeel lending it a creamier body. A touch of citrus in the dry hoppiness prevailing. A hoppy floral, spicy fruitiness lingering on in the paddle out. Served in good nick. |
| Westerham - Spirit of Kent XXX Pale Ale | 4.00 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Good head and lasting lacing presented on this golden pale ale. A dry hoppy first hit. A very dry resinous grape-like hoppiness rising for me with touches of citrus and lemon. Its sweetly malty flavours from its Pale Ale (Maris Otter variety) and Caramalt balancing its hoppy bitterness. A dry fruited hoppiness brewed with 9 different Kent-grown hops, WGV (Whitbread Golding Variety), Early Choice Goldings, Bramling Cross, Progress, Target, Pilgrim, First Gold, Sovereign and Finchcocks' Hop X, sliding downwards. On top form. |
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westerham - British Bulldog "BB" (was 4.3%) | 4.10 | | Great head and lacing on this Best Bitter. A very dry bitter, bitter first hit was followed by a moreishly malty and fruit-infused mouthfeel but not sweet to taste. A wonderfully dry bitterness interwoven with maltiness persisted. Like the first taster of the pale, I could have easily drunk more of this such was its huge appeal! The recultured yeast from the original Black Eagle Brewery is said to be recreating the flavours here and as they would have been enjoyed by Sir Winston Churchill. |
| Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale | 4.80 | | Another great appearance of a frothy head and lacing lingering to the end. This special bitter was an absolute pleasure with a dry and fruity first hit on the palette. A touch of apricot was to blame and in the eventful mouthfeel. A superb bitterness and maltiness presented themselves. The tasting notes tell us it has been brought to us care of Greensand aquifer water, as flavoured by layers of rock, and ably aided by exclusively Kent-bred and grown hops mixed with the old Black Eagle Brewery heritage yeast strains. Could certainly have done another sampling with no hesitation at all but a walk into Westerham village beckons. |
| Westerham - Spirit of Kent XXX Pale Ale | 4.00 | | My first of a trio of thirds and like the other two thirds, this was showing great signs of life with a lively head and lacing that carried on to the bottom of the glass. A very dry first hit from all of those 9 hops involved. A subtle fruitiness in the mouthfeel from its combined hoppiness and where I read that most of the hops are picked and dried at the National Trust’s only hop garden at Scotney Castle in Lamberhurst, Kent. A very moreish dryness lingering and could easily have sampled more of this. |
| Westerham - Helles Belles | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - Bohemian Rhapsody | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - 500 miles | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - Hop Rocket BFR | 6.40 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - It Means Nothing To Me | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - Helles Export | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - Natural Born Keller | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - Nitro Stout | 4.50 | Not Tried |
About the Westerham Brewery Tap Room & Shop
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | - |
| 3 |
| 3 |
 | - |
 | - |
The pub is found in Westerham, Kent, TN16 1QP.
Westerham Brewery Tap Room is in Beggars Lane, just outside Westerham. The brewery was established in 2004 and aims to bring back many of the flavours of the old Black Eagle Brewery in Westerham, which closed in 1965. The taproom is open for on and off-sales, with opening hours in winter reduced. 3 Westerham cask ales plus seasonal cask are available in addition to craft ales. Wines and spirits are also offered inside and out when the weather is clement. Street food stalls serve meals on days indicated on the website. Saturday morning brewery tours are available by booking. Live music and food, classic car meets and special tastings are also advertised on the brewery’s website. Children welcome until 6pm. You can drive and park in their spacious carpark, or you can take the number 246 bus starting from Bromley North Station via Bromley South and also going via Hayes Station, getting off at Force Green. Walk back along the bus route and turn into, what is then on your right, Force Green Lane and taking the first marked footpath, labelled Public Footpath, on your right. This takes you over a footbridge over the M25 and then the brewery is on your left and well signposted. Beware that it can be very muddy in places along this path. This takes about 20 minutes or you can also walk from Westerham village itself and which takes about the same time across a playing field and following the footpath beyond this to Beggars Lane where you turn right and the Brewery and taproom slip road is almost opposite on the other side of the road. This route is typically less muddy. Make sure to cross where you can see both ways as it is a bit of a blind bend where the slip road entrance into the brewery is located.
We have visited this pub twice, seen 13 different beers and tried 5 of them.
Postcode: TN16 1QP