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The South Park Tap (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Long Man - Best Bitter |  | 2 |
| Larkins - Traditional |  | 1 |
| Stay Wild - Sasquatch - Citra SMaSH | | 1 |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Wife of Bath's Ale | | 1 |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition |  | 1 |
| Long Man - Long Blonde | | 1 |
| Tonbridge - Coppernob | | 1 |
Visits Details
14 Mar 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
3rd visit of the outing: This little micro, now my third visit since December 2025, was full of a walking group with their hiking boots and rucksacks for my late afternoon visit. A dry day and so the walkers’ mud that they left behind was easily swept up by the friendly barmaid who served me promptly on each occasion from their selection of three local real ales on and one I had not tried before and so delighted to see this on.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Wife of Bath's Ale | 3.90 | | 3rd beer of this visit: Came with very good head and plenty of lacing lasting all the way on this American-style session golden bitter from Chartham, south-west of Canterbury, Kent. A fruity-sweet first bite. A hoppy citrusy bitterness rising from its US hops with floral and herbal notes all clocking in with flavours of grapefruit, lemon and lime. A gentle maltiness climbing up with hints of marmalade from its malted barley. A good dose of hoppy fruitiness lingering on the slide downwards. Perfectly presented and in top condition. |
| Stay Wild - Sasquatch - Citra SMaSH | 4.10 | | 1st beer of this visit: As I recall my first ever tasting of Stay Wild Brewing Company’s ales, a modern cask-led nanobrewery founded in 2022 and based locally in Shoreham, Kent, within the Darent Valley, and which started brewing in 2023. Known for producing small-batch quality craft beers, typically brewing only six casks per run, it is rarely seen but from my first visit to this micro, I was aware they had it on cask from time to time in asking the barman on that visit about where it was from in observing the pump clip for it. Their Sasquatch - Citra SMaSH ((Single Malt and Single Hop, meaning it uses only one type of malt and one variety of hop) is an American-style pale ale and for me had a formidable name as not a great lover of citrusy ales but I bravely gave it a go. It was presented with very good head and lacing and lasting superbly. It had a hazy unfined look about it. A very dry hoppy first hit despite its emerging sweetness. A subtle grapefruity note veering up from its Citra hops and set against a lightly crisp malt base. A dry hoppy fruitiness prevailing but not overly fruited to my absolute delight with a moreishly dry hoppiness lingering in the aftertaste. Perfectly palatable and I could almost have had another one but for there being another two real ales on to also try. This beer has been awarded a Silver medal for cask beer in the SIBA (the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates) South East awards. |
| Tonbridge - Coppernob | 3.80 | | 2nd beer of this visit: This copper-coloured bitter from East Peckham in Kent, north-east of Tonbridge itself, presented a very healthy head and lacing and lasting the whole course. A fruited hoppy first bite. A dryish hoppiness veering up with hints of fruit such as apricot, alongside herbs and spice in on the mix from its blend of Kentish hops, including Northdown, Challenger, Goldings and Fuggles. A malty note or two from its British malted barley getting in on the act with hints of bread and toast as well as biscuit and subtle caramel flavours. A dry hoppy earthy bitterness paddling out. Very quaffable indeed and in superb condition. |
10 Jan 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
3rd visit of the outing: Ticking over late afternoon with customers in the main front area that I remained in of this smallish micropub, situated on the end of the windy by otherwise direct route from Sevenoaks station in taking the quieter back route away from the Tubs Hill main road. Warm, friendly service from the barman as before when first visited on 13th December 2025. I was joined by a fellow real ale enthusiast from south-east London who happened to share his disappointment with the barman that there were no dark winter ales on. You cannot please everyone all of the time but I was happy with my selection of two blondes and a best bitter that had just come on and the very same bitter I had enjoyed on my previous visit.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Man - Best Bitter | 4.00 | | 3rd beer of this visit: Very good head and lacing presented and lasting on this Sussex amber-coloured bitter brewed at Polegate, north-west of Eastbourne. A hoppy bitter first hit from its Fuggles and Goldings hops. A healthy bitterness emerging with biscuity and caramel notes. A very dry bitter spicy maltiness mixed with, for me, a not too fruited hoppiness lingering on. Very moreish indeed! |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | | 2nd beer of this visit: This Kentish Blonde brewed at East Peckham, north-east of Tonbridge, had just replaced another taken off and so totally fresh on but suitably ready for consumption having served its time with its second fermentation in the barrel. Very good head and lacing and lasting. A very fruited first bite. A lightly fruited hoppiness rising from its Kent-grown Challenger and First Gold hops. A citrusy flavouring tap dancing on my palate and joined by a grapefruit-infused and spicy fruitiness lingering on. |
| Long Man - Long Blonde | 3.80 | | 1st beer of this visit: This Sussex golden ale brewed by the Long Man Brewery from Polegate, north-west of Eastbourne and set up in 2012, presented very good head and lacing and lasting. A hop-infused fruited first hit. A lightly fruited hoppiness rising from its Cascade and Brewers Gold hops. A hoppy dryness sailing out with a pleasant hint of fruitiness prevailing from its citrus, floral and honey notes. Very refreshing on my palate. |
13 Dec 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
8th visit of the outing: Just minutes from The Anchor is this very recent addition to Sevenoaks’ drinking holes in only opening in 2023 and so even by micropub standards, very much a new kid on the block. Although petite in size as all micros are to qualify, a bar counter is found on the left. I lost the rest of my party of 8 into a rear area they sat down in, but took this opportunity to converse with the friendly barman on the range of real ales on, as two had just replaced another two in the last half hour before we got here and share my love of micropubs generally in recreating the old-style smaller pubs of yesteryear. It was busy on our arrival at about half past seven and thinned out a bit shortly after that. Service was prompt with the one staff member on. They mentioned a local miniature brewery called Stay Wild surrounded by woodland I had not heard of which they stock from time to time and from just outside the village of Shoreham, near Sevenoaks, in the Darent Valley. It only produces enough to fill six casks after each brew and so qualifies to be called a nanobrewery. Another reason therefore presented to me to come back. We stayed here long enough for me to try two different halves and both in excellent condition.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Man - Best Bitter | 4.00 | | 2nd beer of this visit: This Sussex bitter brewed by the Long Man Brewery from Polegate, north-west of Eastbourne and set up in 2012, came on just the day before I was told by the barman. It certainly presented a very good head and lacing and lasting throughout. A dry, slightly fruited first bite. A very hoppy dryness rising from its Fuggles and Goldings hops. A malty taste emerging with a caramelised, biscuity hint mixed with some dark fruit flavours on its sleigh positioned on my palate for its downwards slide with a refreshing bitterness lingering. |
| Larkins - Traditional | 3.40 | | 1st beer of this visit: This bitter was one of the two fresh on and so presenting very good head and lacing and lasting but not too fresh to indicate that it had not had time to settle and go through its second fermentation in the cask before being served*. A pleasantly dry hoppy first bite from this Chiddingstone-based brew in Kent. Set up in 1986, it is one of the few breweries in the UK to grow its own hops on-site, ensuring a "farm-to-glass" freshness. A hoppy bitterness gently rising and ebbing out. This magic all originates from its four acres of hops in on the mix, comprising Goldings, Bramling Cross and Whitbread Goldings. The hops are processed in a traditional oast house built in 1935 (rebuilt in 1948), using classic drying and pressing machinery. The ale is fermented with a unique and guarded strain of live ale yeast used by the brewing family since 1993. Very moreish indeed! *For a successful second fermentation, the cask must be properly managed and it typically requires 48 to 72 hours of preparation and settling before it is ready to be served. It must be vented to release excess gas and allow the beer to reach its optimal condition for consumption. This achieves the perfect level of natural carbonation. Venting is performed using wooden pegs called spiles, which are driven into the shive (the bung on the side of the cask). A hard spile (non-porous) is driven into the shive and removed after a short period to let the initial burst of gas escape and this is followed by a soft spile (porous wood) being inserted. This allows CO2 to slowly seep out over 24–48 hours while preventing air from entering. Once visible off-gassing stops, indicated when the soft spile is dry and no longer bubbling, it is replaced with a hard spile to seal the cask until it is ready for service. |
| Long Man - Long Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried |
About The South Park Tap
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 1 |
| 4 |
| 3 |
 | - |
 | - |
The pub is found in Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1AN.
May 2023 opened micropub in a former café in South Park just off the High Street. Green tiled frontage and several drinking areas inside.
We have visited this pub 3 times, seen 7 different beers and tried them all.
Postcode: TN13 1AN