Saturday early opening and busy already. A few beers sold out and many heavily tipped. Kent University Real Ale Soc had a 30 strong turnout.
Evening. Superb venue - had never been inside the building in all my hundreds of Dover visits. All beers at £3 per pint.
Goacher's - 1066 Old Ale | 6.70 | | Woody and exceptionally moreish. Went back for seconds later |
Blue Anchor - Spingo Middle | 5.10 | | Sweeter than I recall from the past but went down a treat |
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Tsar Top | 8.00 | | The killer blow! Each sip gives a message that it'll soon be time to go home |
Salopian - Vertigo | 7.20 | | Recommended by a departing CAMRA bigwig and quite rightly too |
Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - India Pale Ale | 5.50 | | Last knockings from cask almost tilted upright but still clear as a bell and full flavoured |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Black Pearl Oyster Stout | 6.20 | | |
Mauldons - Black Adder | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
Larkins - Porter | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Hopdaemon - Leviathan | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Burton Bridge - Stairway To Heaven | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
RCH - Double Header | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried | One of the first to run out |
Tring - Death or Glory | 7.20 | Not Tried | |
Bank Top - Port O'Call | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Goddards - Winter Warmer | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Falstaff - Smiling Assassin | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Brunswick - Black Sabbath | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Frog Island - Fire Bellied Toad | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Skinner's - Jingle Knocker | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
Triple fff - Comfortably Numb (spent a while at 5.4%) | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Triple fff - I Can't Remember ! | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Goffs - Black Knight | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
Tring - Colley's Dog | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Buffy's - Ale | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
Hopdaemon - Green Daemon | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Funfair - Cake Walk | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Loddon - Forbury Lion Strong I.P.A. | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
Abbeydale - Absolution | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
Fat Cat - Marmalade Cat | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
Burton Bridge - Bramble Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Kinver - Khyber | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
Swannay (formerly Highland) - Orkney Blast | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Whitstable - Kentish Reserve | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Westerham - Audit Ale | 6.20 | Not Tried | |
Ascot - Winter Reserve | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Rudgate - Volsung | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Kent Pale Ale | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Wantsum - Hengist | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Westerham - Double Stout | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
Elmtree - Nightlight Mild | 5.70 | Not Tried | |
Ilkley - Lotus IPA (was 5.6%) | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
Elland - 1872 Porter | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Box Steam - Derail Ale | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Milestone - Game Keeper | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Kent - Porter | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
Amber Ales - Imperial IPA | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Wantsum - Ravening Wolf | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
Kissingate - Mary's Ruby Mild | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Saltaire - Stateside IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Canterbury Brewers - Street Light Porter | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
Hunter's - Black Jack | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Snow Top | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Windsor & Eton - Conqueror 1075 | 7.40 | Not Tried | |
Dark Star - Revelation | 5.70 | Not Tried | |
Downton - Chimera IPA | 6.80 | Not Tried | |
Grain - India Pale Ale | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Moor - Somerland Gold | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Swannay (formerly Highland) - St Magnus Ale | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Sunny Republic - St Wite's Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Maldon - Farmer's Golden Boar | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Cambridge Moonshine (see also Moonshine) - Chocolate Orange Stout | 6.70 | Not Tried | |
Ripple Steam - Black IPA | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
Saltaire - New World Red | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Acorn - 10th Noel | 6.70 | Not Tried | |
Rother Valley - Northiam Old Bitter | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
Acorn - Strisselspalt IPA | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Ballards (now a sub-brand of Greyhound) - In the Drink | 7.40 | Not Tried | |
Battledown - Special | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Blindmans - Premium | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Bullmastiff - Special Reserve | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Piddle (Dorset Piddle) - Little Willie | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Elgood's - Black Eagle Imperial Stout | 8.70 | Not Tried | |
Griffin - Ding Dong | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Mauldons - Suffolk Comfort | 6.60 | Not Tried | |
Arrived at 1-30 and was already busy, met with a load of old drinking buddies.
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Tsar Top | 8.00 | | Waited till the end to try this, stunning, complex, sweet sour rich, bitter sweet, stunning, could have drunk more but sanity prevailed. |
Larkins - Porter | 5.20 | | Complex, fruit, sweet, sour, milky. It's Larkins! |
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | | Jaipur on form, enough said, Lovely. |
Hopdaemon - Green Daemon | 5.00 | | Pale and nice, still not sure about this one but I enjoyed it. |
Downton - Chimera IPA | 6.80 | | Nice hoppy IPA |
Triple fff - I Can't Remember ! | 6.00 | | Nice, roast malt, choc and coffee. |
Kinver - Khyber | 5.80 | | Nice but a little bland. |
Saltaire - Stateside IPA | 6.00 | | Nice enough but lacking the hops I was expecting from the name. |
Here early with Pete. Not as busy as it has been in the past, but still a good atmosphere. Stumbled off home about 7.30.
Windsor & Eton - Conqueror 1075 | 7.40 | | My beer of the day. Black yes, IPA yes. Good stuff. |
Elland - 1872 Porter | 6.50 | | If in doubt... excellent as usual. |
Saltaire - Stateside IPA | 6.00 | | Proper IPA, golden, bubbly head, top bitterness. |
Ilkley - Lotus IPA (was 5.6%) | 5.50 | | My notes just say "nice" - may have been getting a bit late in the day. |
Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - India Pale Ale | 5.50 | | Good example of a golden IPA, usual stingy hop. |
Acorn - 10th Noel | 6.70 | | This was the only beer that I can remember having that wasn't based either on an IPA or a porter. Nice, quite fruity, inoffensive which is sometimes what you need! |
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Tsar Top | 8.00 | | Had it on my radar all day and saved it until last, which was maybe unfair as I'd had a few more than planned. It was drinkable but incredibly sour. I'd put in a decent shift but this was too much for me. |
Cambridge Moonshine (see also Moonshine) - Chocolate Orange Stout | 6.70 | | Crisp, bitter flavour. Don't get any orange though. Bit flat in body, but quite OK. Something strange like stilton or marmite in the aftertaste. |
Ripple Steam - Black IPA | 5.80 | | It's black and not a bad beer, but an IPA it's not. |
Met up with the usual reprobates. Good atmosphere until the band started soI left.