The Elephant (Free House)
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Visits Details
04 Jun 2025 (Magnus Greel)
Late afternoon just a few regulars in and the long standing friendly welcoming and amusing barmaid with her limitless supply of banter..
Rother Valley - Level Best | 4.00 |  | Ubiquitous cooking bitter with a grainy aftertaste. |
Hop Fuzz - Goldrush | 4.00 |  | Full bodied creamy hoppy fare with a bitter kick. Not too acetic to ruin the experience. |
Adnams - Lighthouse | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Burning Sky - Aurora | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
Left Handed Giant - Dark Mild | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
27 May 2025 (Magnus Greel)
Just enough time for a quick mid afternoon pint before my bus. Fairly busy with a few groups enjoying their beers.
Musket - Fife & Drum Golden Ale | 3.80 |  | Refreshing hoppy earthy thirst quenching nectar. |
Rother Valley - Level Best | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Rother Valley - Boadicea Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Mighty Oak - Maldon Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Hop Fuzz - Black Jack | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
16 May 2025 (Magnus Greel)
Just after 15.00 opening, a couple of others in so far though am sure this will change exponentially as the afternoon progresses.
Kent - Rogue 25 | 6.00 |  | A vicious full bodied hoppy piney syrupy sweet acetic beverage for medicinal purposes only. |
Hop Fuzz - Goldrush | 4.00 |  | Rich bitter creamy hoppy and biscuity fare with an acidic aftertaste. |
Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Adnams - Southwold Bitter | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Adnams - Mosaic Pale Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
22 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Packed for my early evening visit but amazingly I did not need to queue at the bar and where they do not allow you sensibly to linger once served. Attentive service and then retreated to the rear garden where it had just gently pitter-pattered but the wooden benches remained stubbornly dry and so impervious to this short-lived and gentlest of showers. They have fish in their pond almost the size of baby sharks! One of the beers on had a handpump badge of "Mighty Oak Elephant" but then underneath it was a handwritten note labelled "Barley Wine 7.4%". There was a Mighty Oak Elephant from looking this up but at 4.7% and this was a special pale golden ale in April 2018.
Triple fff - Moondance | 4.20 |  | Served with superb head and lacing. A dry bitter first hit on this Alton-based brewery's best bitter, and brewed south of Basingstoke. A pronounced fruity mouthfeel giving it a touch of sweetness and with a bitterness soon gathering pace. A moreishly dry aftertaste lingered.
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Kent - Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Rother Valley - Anthem | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Hop Fuzz - Black Udder | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
21 Feb 2025 (Magnus Greel)
A fair few in already not long after opening shows the popularity of this superb boozer. Friendly and welcoming with a decent selection of ales to try before my last bus home in around 2 hours time.
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - Mild Kentish Stout | 4.00 |  | A smooth, mild black stout with gentle roast malts and soft fruity hop notes and a clean fruity finish. |
Kent - Mystic | 4.50 |  | Hoppy with distinct flavours of blackcurrant, citrus and passionfruit. |
Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass | 5.50 |  | A complex rich full bodied smoky peaty fare with a fruity apricot finish. |
Brains - Bread of Heaven | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Rother Valley - Northiam Old Bitter | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
28 Dec 2024 (Magnus Greel)
Late afternoon not as busy as expected. Friendly and welcoming cosy warm atmosphere with an open crackling fire helped by chunky logs burning away and soft 60's background music playing made for a pleasant relaxed atmosphere for an hour's stay before my last bus home.
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - Mild Kentish Stout | 4.00 |  | Like chomping into a freshly baked crusty oatmeal brown loaf of bread combined with subtle chocolate and a creamy coffee cinnamon toffee bun. Outstanding. |
Hop Fuzz - Uncle Sam | 4.20 |  | Dry refreshing hoppy with a hint of honey and sherbert. |
Rother Valley - Level Best | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Titsey - Gower Wolf | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Titsey - Joub Joub | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
01 Nov 2024 (Magnus Greel)
Mid to late afternoon visit and very busy already in another welcome refuge from the Shep's local influence. Thankfully no music at all blasting away as per my previous visit nearly 8 years ago.
Kent - Mandarina | 4.50 |  | Tropical fruits with a subtle orange and bitter sweet finish. Superb. |
Pig & Porter - Galvanise | 5.10 |  | A rich dark fruits figgy refreshing fare unlike the sticky syrupy sweet nightmare I was expecting. |
Adnams - Old Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Adnams - Mosaic Pale Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Musket - Trigger | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
14 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Very busy for early evening visit. My first visit and great to see a range of ales that are not the local Shepherd Neame beers for a change. Friendly service aided me to make my selections.
Musket - Trigger | 3.60 |  | Good head and lacing on this Kentish Pale Ale. Light citrusy flavours with a hoppy finish. |
Mighty Oak - Gorgeous George | 4.20 |  | Presented with a very creamy head. Toffee and fudge flavouring in this Copper Best Bitter from Maldon and which I recently enjoyed visiting. |
Rother Valley - Smild | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Kent - Chinook | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - KPA Kent Pale Ale | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
19 Dec 2023 (Andrew)
Not been here for a while. Looked just like I recalled. We sat in a small booth.
Mighty Oak - Saxon Strong | 6.50 |  | Very sweet and fruity. Lots of plum. Low hoping. |
Mighty Oak - The Old Man and The Sea | 4.10 |  | Tart black beer with black current fruity notes. Hint of powder. |
Musket - Fife & Drum Golden Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Adnams - Evening Gleams (collaboration with Verdant) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Mighty Oak - Elephant | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
04 Oct 2023 (Jack William)
Early evening, a few in.
Friendly welcome. Not been here for a while - I’m impressed by the garden but not by the huge sign over the bar that says “ you’ve got your beer now move away from the bar”. A hangover from COVID times apparently, well worth disposing of. Very good beer choice.
Rother Valley - Boadicea Ale | 4.50 |  | Well kept pale ale. |
Rudgate - Ruby Mild | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Shivering Sands - Spring Tide | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Adnams - Secret Springs (collaboration with Siren Craft) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
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