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Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Club (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Burning Sky - Dark Mild |  | 1 |
| Five Points - Best Fuggles Hops | | 1 |
| Gun - Old Ale | | 1 |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - London Best | | 1 |
| Otherworld - NYX - Historic Porter | | 1 |
| Almasty - Small IPA |  | 1 |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | | 1 |
| Bristol Beer Factory - Overtime | | 1 |
| Lakedown - Sussex Pale | | 1 |
| North Riding Brewery - Mocha Porter | | 1 |
| The Project Brewery - Victorian Old Burton | | 1 |
| Downlands (formerly South Downs) - OMB |  | 1 |
| Goacher's - Best Dark Ale (aka Original) | | 1 |
| Lakedown - Kicking Donkey Best Bitter | | 1 |
| Neptune - Ezili | | 1 |
Visits Details
07 Feb 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
1st visit of the outing: The Tonbridge Juddians 12th Winter Beer & Cider Festival for 2026 was held on Friday, 6th February and Saturday, 7th February 2026. Filling up for my early afternoon arrival at the Tonbridge Juddians' RFC clubhouse. 21 cask ales on, along with various ciders and perries. Met up with a few fellow real ale enthusiasts from SE London and welcome seating to be afforded at a nearby table to the festival bar and stillage area.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otherworld - NYX - Historic Porter | 5.10 | | 2nd beer of the visit: Pleasingly, although based on an ancient recipe, this so-called historic Midlothian porter, 7 to 8 miles south-east of Edinburgh's centre, presented a very healthy head and lacing with a good layer of creaminess on top and all lasting. A mildly chocolatey first hit. A dark malty bitterness veering up emanating from its Chevalier malt, known for its strong, lingering roasted flavours, and this certainly delighted my taste buds. A dry bitterness prevailing aided by hops such as East Kent Goldings and winning over its malty touches. Very welcome and presented well and so aided making it very moreish! |
| Howling Hops (Brewed at Hackney Wick) - London Best | 3.90 | | 6th beer of the visit: This amber-coloured East London best bitter from Hackney Wick was delivered to my glass with a very good head and lacing and lasting throughout. I was pleased to end on such a fine specimen of a traditional ale. A biscuity bitter first bite from its caramelised malt. A dry hoppiness rising from its Fuggles and Challenger. The merest hint of herbal fruitiness present with its moreish bitterness winning over. A malty note putting in an appearance with the flavouring of a toasted bread crust before a very bitter infusion slithering downwards. A very good balance of the malts and hops and indeed a very fine specimen to end this very entertaining festival of beers on. My fellow real ale enthusiasts were all in agreement that overall all the beers had been shining unlike the sun on this somewhat damp overcast day in a very sodden environment in Tonbridge where the river and rain have taken over some of the nearby park. The rugby club is thankfully suitably on higher ground for its entrance and its construction ensures it is well off ground-level and given Tonbridge's recent history of floods such as in 1968 and 1987. |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | 4.50 | | 4th beer of the visit: I accidentally ordered this one by mistake due to the somewhat faint numbering on the festival's tasting notes. I have had this Bermondsey-based brewery's pale a good few times before unlike the other ales I was sampling here and this one certainly did not disappoint.* It presented good head and lacing and almost lasting. A deliberate hazy appearance alongside a fruity hoppy first bite. A host of fruits typical of modern pales rising with orange, pineapple, white grapes and ripe mango all joining in to give a sweet biscuity and spicy hoppy aroma. A hoppy fruitiness also shared with my taste buds care of Citra, Nectaron and Hallertau Blanc hops adding their flavours before sailing out. A touch too citrusy for me and so will now revert back to the more old-fashioned beer styles that are on at this well-stocked festival on its second day with no signs yet of anything running out despite the venue filling up even more throughout my afternoon's visit and coinciding with the Six Nations Rugby tournament, with the England vs. Wales match live on the club's big screens from 16:40. *They now brew at their modern production facility in Croydon which became their main brewing site in 2020. Their specialist brewing is still undertaken in The Arch House in Bermondsey, and the brewery's original home on the so-called Bermondsey Beer Mile, referring to about a mile of railway arches with many deployed for brewing. |
| The Project Brewery - Victorian Old Burton | 9.00 | | 1st beer of the visit: The Project Brewery which produced this Victorian Old Burton ale* is located in Caerphilly, South Wales. Little head and lacing presented and not lasting on this ruby/brown-coloured old ale recreated and likely to be achieved from the use of chocolate malt or amber malt. A sweet, caramelised first hit. A malty biscuity bitterness rising from its Maris Otter pale malt. A hedgerow-fruitiness emerging with hints of red berries. A sweet bitterness lingering emanating from such hops as Goldings and Fuggles and mixed with blackstrap molasses which is the concentrated, nutrient-rich by-product of the final stage of sugar cane refining to increase its gravity and aid toffee-like sweetness. One half certainly sufficed as too sweet and strong but it soon ran out on this festival's second day, the festival having only opened for the evening on the day before. Certainly not badly priced at £2.50 a half, and the maximum that could be got in one go of this potent ale, and reflecting the price for all the other ales as well at much lower and normal gravities. *Burton-on-Trent was the premier brewing centre of the Victorian age, known for dark, sweet and fruity ales that were typically aged or "cellared" for months. |
| North Riding Brewery - Mocha Porter | 4.50 | | 3rd beer of the visit: Good head and lacing presented and nearly lasting on this coffee-infused porter from Snainton in North Yorkshire, 9 to 10 miles west of Scarborough.* A very good coffee-infused first hit. A chocolatey maltiness rising from its five different malts in on the mix. A hoppy bitterness winning over aided by its English Bramling or First Gold hops used. A lively coffee bean or two performing somersaults on my taste buds and achieved by either its specialised infusion of mocha flavouring post-fermentation or by just the right blend of coffee and chocolate mixed in. A hint of caramel tantalising my taste buds, too, with this porter's infusions merging with its hoppiness winning over. A lingering minty chocolatey note pervading in its aftertaste. *North Riding Brewery is said to be highly regarded by CAMRA at some of its festivals for this brewery's flavoured porters. |
| Bristol Beer Factory - Overtime | 4.40 | | 5th beer of the visit: This is one I would have had just now instead of the Anspach & Hobday's Hop Pickers' Pale. Good head and lacing presented and lasting on this American brown ale brewed in Bristol. A very dry bitter first hit. A malty hint most certainly rising from its 8 different malts making it a cross between an amber and a porter in style by exuding caramel, pecan (an edible nut from a species of hickory tree native to North America) and buttery biscuit flavours. A hoppy fruitiness standing to attention from its old guard US hops, Centennial and Amarillo, rather than more modern ones being deployed, leading to just a hint of light floral and citrusy flavouring. A bitter mouthfeel winning over. A mildly sweet fruity touch lingering before its descent. |
03 Feb 2024 (Ian)
TJs 10th winter beer festival. 21 beers on and half a dozen ciders. Held in the rugby club bar.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five Points - Best Fuggles Hops | 4.10 | | Brilliant bitter Fuggles hops dance on the tongue |
| Gun - Old Ale | 4.50 | | Good jammy dark fruit. |
| Burning Sky - Dark Mild | 3.20 | | Cracking condition and True to the style |
| Almasty - Small IPA | 3.20 | | Pineapple |
| Lakedown - Sussex Pale | 4.20 | | White stone fruit peach apricot nectarine |
| Goacher's - Best Dark Ale (aka Original) | 4.10 | | Thin body not good condition |
| Neptune - Ezili | 4.00 | | Some citrus but vegetal flavour |
| Lakedown - Kicking Donkey Best Bitter | 4.20 | | OK brown bitter |
| Downlands (formerly South Downs) - OMB | 3.80 | | Boring golden bitter |
About the Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Club
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | - |
| 5 |
| 6 |
| 4 |
 | - |
The pub is found in Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1HR.
Rugby Club in The Slade. Regularly hosts beer festivals.
We have visited this pub twice, seen 15 different beers and tried them all.
Postcode: TN9 1HR