The Harvest Moon (Wetherspoon)
We believe this building is NO LONGER a pub
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Visits Details
30 Sep 2012 (Alenomore)
12:00 visit. Whilst my Bro. visited the Model Rail Expo nearby, I thought I'd while away and hour in here. Not been to this area for a couple of years and a bit of a beery desert by all accounts. This place is pleasant enough and attracts the usual local, early bird regulars.
Has been a gbg in; 1998/2002/3/7
Westerham - British Bulldog "BB" (was 4.3%) | 4.10 | | In top condition. Nice to see this place supporting the LocAle brewery. |
Springhead - The Leveller | 4.80 | | A1. Another dark type. |
Banks & Taylor's (B&T) - Edwin Taylor's Extra Stout | 4.50 | | In tip top condition. Heaven! |
Blindmans - Icarus | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Westerham - William Wilberforce Freedom Ale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
30 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
A momentous day - a 5/5 beer at a Wetherspoons. So good I summoned a mate over after work to get stuck in too.
Oakham - Hare Flick | 4.20 | | Outstanding. A picture of golden clarity. Had been on about an hour when I first tried it. Delicious sweet juicy US hops. One of the best ales sampled all year. A pure joy and best of the fest so far. |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Umbel Magna | 5.00 | | Smells like a herb garden. A solid porter well spiced and very drinkable. I still think the coriander works better with the lighter Umbel Ale though. |
Moorhouse's - Old Boss | 4.30 | | Pale, mid-strength, grassy leafy notes, good mouth-puckering hoppy bitterness. Would definitely order again. |
24 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
After coming here in fits and starts for four years, I think I've finally become recognised as a regular. Looking around me, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.
Brains - Dark (aka Red Dragon Dark) | 3.50 | | Sweet malted mild, nutty and resinous. True to the style and in cracking condition. |
Batemans - Dragon's Den | 4.10 | | Pale, amber, malty, inoffens... sorry, nodded off while I was drinking it there. |
Greene King - Gosnold's Glory | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Westerham - British Bulldog Gold | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
23 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
St. George's Day and there was an attempt of sorts at an olde English theme with the beers. I celebrated with England's favourite national dish - a curry.
Meantime - London Pale Ale | 4.30 | | Expecting much and a tad disappointing. Opaque and a little under-conditioned, muted fruit flavours. Improved a little through the pint. |
Greene King - Gosnold's Glory | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Batemans - Dragon's Den | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Elgood's - CXXX | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Westerham - British Bulldog Gold | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
20 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
Festival selection a bit more wide today. They seem to have abandoned the gravity cask at the back of the bar. Probably best given the warm weather today.
Marston's - Sinebrychoff Porter | 6.20 | | Can't get away from this at the moment! Proof that great beer can still be brewed at Marstons. |
St Georgenbrau - Kellerbier | 4.90 | | An old JDW imported favourite from Bavaria. Bottom fermented and oak matured. Clean tasting and brew quality shows through as do the unusual hops. |
Sharp's - Red Sloe Ale | 4.00 | | Good red fruity malts, bitterness and spice added by a fresh hop finish. Actually really quite nice the more you drink it. |
Jennings (since closure now brewed at Marston's) - Golden Host | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - Gosnold's Glory | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Hook Norton - Jackpot | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
16 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
Polished off a Curry Club Feast for two with a colleague. The jalfrezi really is quite good, you know. Again, just a couple of festival ales to choose from. Still, better few and far between and well conditioned than multiple vinegar samples.
Bend Brewing - Wild Blue Yonder | 4.80 | | This is an excellent yankee ale, chocolate brown in colour with an alluring fruity nose and sweet palate and spicy dry hop reprise. Not too daft with the hops. Very drinkable indeed. Even my colleague conceded that it had a lovely flavour, then went back to drinking his Fosters. |
Adnams - Gunhill | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
15 Apr 2009 (Dubbel)
Wetherfest Day 1. Surprisingly only a couple on to choose from. Very pleased to see one of the foreign beers available from a cask balanced on the back of the bar, a first for this pub. However, it was almost 20 degrees outside and the cooling jacket was having trouble doing its job.
Barons - Bush Berry Porter | 4.50 | | Aussie ale, black with a nettle soup aroma and rich stout-like oatiness. Only the late discreet dark fruits (raisins) made it feel portery. Very nice but would like to try it again a little cooler through a beer engine. |
Theakston - Cooper's Butt | 4.30 | | Occasional beer given a run out especially for the fest. Cellar cool and crystal clear amber, distinctly English pale ale. Straight-laced, no-nonsense bittering hops dominate some lemon and lime hints. Decent enough. |
Westerham - Grasshopper Kentish Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
04 Mar 2009 (Dubbel)
As busy as I have seen the place, particularly midweek, with barely a seat to be found at 2pm. Is JDW's daytime custom directly related to Orpington's rising unemployment figures, I wonder? The strain was showing though. As well as the beer availability incident, one (but oddly not both) of my fried eggs was crispy with a hard yolk, the chips had been cooked more than once and there was rather too much gelatine with my ham. I won't order the dish again but I'll persevere with the pub.
Highgate - Irish Whiskey Ale | 4.60 | | The merest snifter of whiskey on the nose and in the palate means this beer is not an overly harsh novelty piece. All in all a pretty well balanced ale that I took my time over. |
Elgood's - Thin Ice | 4.70 | Not Tried | Instinct nagged at me to try a sample of this before committing to a purchase and I'm glad I did. It wasn't very nice. |
Purity - Mad Goose | 4.20 | Not Tried | I honed in on this as my first choice as it was a 'required' scoop from a respected brewery. Alas the pumpclip was apparently just there for prestige and the beer had gone. The service-conscious barman apologised to me but the offending clip was still displayed when I left. |
05 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
Busy with usual variety of families, OAPs, office workers and all-day-wasters. I'm a sucker for the Curry Club Jalfrezi and guest pint for under £6.
Palm - Palm | 5.20 | | Belgian amber ale casked at 5.0% ABV exclusively for 'Spoons. Distinctive Belgian yeasty/malty character, bit bananary, weak hops. Decent conditioning as always under current regime but not really my thing. |
Tring - Jack O Legs | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
30 Jan 2009 (Dubbel)
Medicinal lunchtime pint after a tough morning. Was pleasantly surprised by the £2.99 jacket potato with tuna mayo too. Lunch and a pint for under a fiver, mustn't grumble.
Saltaire - Titus Black | 4.50 | | Dark brown porter with a bright white head. Dark malts and grassy flavours dominate. Good balance and nicely drinkable without being a stunner. |
York (now brewed by and at Black Sheep) - Centennial | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
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