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The Plough (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Wife of Bath's Ale |  | 1 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter |  | 3 |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | | 3 |
| Sharp's - Sea Fury | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
04 Jul 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
2nd visit of the outing: Ticking over with punters on the inside and outside of this ancient pub perched halfway up a steep hill with a decently sized rear garden with barbecue. Usual friendly attentive service. Good banter to be had at the bar with local gossip from a Borough Green resident made this a very welcome stop on this afternoon visit.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | 1st beer of this visit: Arrived with good head and lasting lacing on this copper-amber coloured bitter from Lewes in East Sussex where the brewery was set up in 1790. A fruited hoppy first hit. Sussex Best Bitter was first brewed in 1955 and marked reverting to pre-war gravities after wartime rationing ended. A maltiness rising from its Maris Otter malted barley, joined by a dash of Crystal malt for its colouring and caramel hints. A doughy fresh bread, caramelly malt and biscuit flavouring emerging. A fruity floral hoppiness winning over with banana and orange pith hints leading to its jammy fruitiness and subtle flavours of stewed fruits. A touch of herbal spice in its lingering bitterness from its blend of four traditional whole hop varieties in Sussex, Kent, and Surrey, comprising Fuggles, Goldings, Progress, and Bramling Cross. Served well and holding its conditioning. |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Presented with a fine head and lasting lacing on this West Yorkshire golden-amber hued bitter from the brewery’s Knowle Spring site in Keighley which it moved to 1863 after being founded in 1858 on Cook Lane in the centre of Keighley. A dry fruited first bite on this bitter first brewed as a cask ale in 1953. A hoppy fruitiness rising from its whole leaf hops and from a blend of Styrian Goldings, Goldings, and Fuggles hops. A hint of biscuity maltiness with caramel and toffee notes winning over and lingering from its Premium Golden Promise barley malt. A lingering dry peppery hoppy bitterness paddling out. Served in good nick. |
| Sharp's - Sea Fury | 5.00 | Not Tried |
09 May 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
1st stop of my visit to Borough Green and its environs: Just a few assembled on my early afternoon arrival inside this ancient and weathered-looking pub which grew out of three cottages originally. In the late 2010s, a property developer purchased the building with plans to convert or redevelop the site. Local villagers banded together in 2017 to protect the pub, successfully designating it an Asset of Community Value. 120 local residents pooled their capital to buy the freehold and The Plough successfully reopened in 2020 as a community-backed independent pub. A warm welcome from the couple running it as an independent pub and who I also remember from my first and last visit exactly a year before. A pleasant amble along the footpaths from Borough Green and past some local geese also ambling along the very quiet approach road to the hamlet of Basted past an old mill pond. A couple at The Plough joined me on the bench seating in the pub’s pleasant rear garden and told me they were local at Borough Green and told me the two geese I spotted on my walk here are a local feature of the neighbourhood. They also told me there used to be a paper mill near Mill Lane which I happened to mention for my walk to the Old House at Ightham Common and which became a key supplier of the secure paper stock used to print British and colonial postage stamps. Very good banter to be had.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | 1st beer of this visit: Very good head and lacing and lasting all the way on this amber-coloured East Sussex best bitter from Lewes. A very fruited first bite from its hints of banana, orange peel and earthy spice. A gentle hoppiness climbing aided by its blend of four local hop varieties from Sussex, Kent and Surrey, with traditional English Fuggle and Goldings hops at their best. A hoppy bitterness winning over with touches of dried fruit, orange marmalade and butterscotch. A fruited maltiness from its British Maris Otter malted barley, alongside a dash of Crystal malt, giving rise to its bready flavours mixed with toffee and caramel. Harvey's in-house yeast strain, used for over 60 years, lending it hints of banana and citrus derived from its fruity esters, being its aromatic, volatile chemical compounds arising from its fermentation. A dry hoppiness paddling out. Served in good nick with a pleasant mouthfeel. |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Presented with good head and lacing and sticking to the sides of the glass on this West Yorkshire bitter from Keighley and first launched in 1952 to target local miners. A hoppy fruited first bite. A dry hoppy bitterness rising from its 100% whole-leaf hops lending hints of wood resin, and specifically Goldings behind its spicy, earthy, and honey-like flavours, Fuggles behind its herbal, woody and grassy touches, and Savinjski Goldings aiding its zesty citrus and fruity flavourings. The latter hop originates from Slovenia following British Fuggle crops being imported to Slovenia in the early 1930s to replace disease-ravaged local roots and where they mutated to exhibit much more of a citrusy note than from their earthy English Fuggle ancestors. A yeasty fruitiness rearing up for me. A hoppy bitterness prevailing with a biscuity maltiness from its exclusively used premium-grade Golden Promise malts imparting a caramelised and honeyed sweetness. A dry bitter fruitiness paddling out. A slightly hazy appearance perhaps suggesting it was nearing its end. A tad tired, methinks, but still served with all its visual hallmarks as in lasting lacing and not flat-tasting. |
| Sharp's - Sea Fury | 5.00 | Not Tried |
10 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
My second visit of the day and now late afternoon after some very scenic walks around the countryside surrounding Basted. Never so thirsty and so ready to try their other two real ales also on, on this fine sunny day. A warm welcome and prompt service and made for the rear garden which was where all the punters were hanging out and supping their ales.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Presented with very good head and lacing and remained throughout on this Lewes-based bitter. A fruity bitter first hit. A fruit-infused malty bitterness rising up from its Maris Otter malted barley in the mouthfeel and a sweet hoppiness lingering on from its blend of four local hops. |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | | Came with good head and lacing and lasting on this pale ale from Keighley in West Yorkshire. A fruit-infused hoppy first hit. A hoppy bitterness then presented itself on the taste buds and lingered. |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Wife of Bath's Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried |
10 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for my early afternoon visit to this old country pub which grew out of a row of three farming cottages in the hamlet of Basted just outside Borough Green. A warm welcome and prompt service.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Wife of Bath's Ale | 3.90 | | Came with good head and lacing and lasting on this Canterbury golden bitter. A hoppy first hit. A fruity bitterness rising up on the taste buds and a grapefruit and citrus-infused hoppiness lingering. Very refreshing and following my walk along many a footpath from Borough Green and its café close to the station. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | Not Tried |
About The Plough
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | - |
| 1 |
| 6 |
 | - |
 | - |
The pub is found in Basted, Kent, TN15 8PS.
In Plough Hill, on a steep hill on a narrow lane, a pub with separate restaurant.
We have visited this pub 4 times, seen 4 different beers and tried 3 of them.
Postcode: TN15 8PS