The Four Candles Alehouse (Free House)
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Visits Details
21 Jun 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Fifth visit of the day was this late afternoon one and my highlight in being the most quintessentially micro-pubby there is. No music, no tv, no fruit machines. Just the place where the art of making conversation reigns supreme. Prompt and friendly service as always from the barmaid and a change of beer as we arrived from one of their own home-brewed to a Gadds' and brewed for Gadds' head brewer's son's brithday by all accounts. Not overly busy even in here as many are otherwise still deployed sun-worshipping.
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Stan the Man | 4.20 |  | Fresh on and I think my first tasting of this limited edition Gadds' brew. Good head and lacing and lasting throughout on this session pale ale.
Aided by new age British Hops, Mystic, Harlequin and East Kent Goldings, a hoppy first hit. A hoppy-infused tropical fruitiness rising up to delight the palate and a pleasantly dry fruitiness, aided by all those hops in the mix, living on. |
Four Candles - Triple Hop - Wheat IPA | 4.80 |  | Good head and lacing and lasting to the end on this Four Candles' home-brewed Wheat IPA. A slightly dry smokey first hit I thought. A moreish bitterness ascending and a dry oily hoppiness pervading. The odd fruit-infused note or two playing on. Very tempted to have an encore but another local micro still to fit in on this visit. |
Four Candles - Best Bitter | 4.40 |  | Came with good head and lacing and lasting. A bitter first hit on this home-brew from the Four Candles' own nano-brewery. A moreish bitterness scaling up and a sweet fruit-infused hint or two aided by its maltiness. A pleasant hoppy dryness lingering. |
14 Jun 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Not overly busy for our late afternoon visit to this gem of a little micropub and micro-brewery rolled into one on the boundary of neighbouring St Peters and Broadstairs. The usual warm welcome from the barmaid and promptly served from their selection of 3 home-brewed cask beers on.
Four Candles - Triple Hop - Wheat IPA | 4.80 |  | Presented with very good head and lacing and lasting to the end on this Wheat IPA. A lightly fruity first hit. A moreish bitterness rising up and a dry hoppiness winning over and lingering. Very tempted to have another but a few more micros still to visit in the local area. |
Four Candles - New Zealand - Session Pale | 3.90 |  | Came with good head and lacing and lasting on their first home-brew on this visit to sample, this session pale. A hoppy first hit. A touch of fruitiness rising up among the hop-infused flavouring on the mouthfeel and moreishly lingering. |
Four Candles - Best Bitter | 4.40 |  | Very good head and lacing on this home-brewed best bitter and lasting throughout. A hoppy-infused bitter first hit. A touch of maltiness rising up and a hoppy note or two playing throughout its performance. A pleasantly malty aftertaste with the odd fruitiness playing on. |
19 Apr 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
After a good walk back from Gadds' taproom, ready for a little light refreshment at St Peters, just outside Broadstairs at this little micropub that has its own micro-brewery in the cellar. Busy for our late afternoon arrival but seats to be had for our party of three. The usual warm welcome and prompt service from the friendly barmaid.
Four Candles - Target Bitter | 4.40 |  | Came with very good head and lacing and lasted throughout. A dry bitter first hit. A hoppy fruitiness coming to the fore and a moreishly dry bitterness lasting. |
Four Candles - Cascade IPA | 4.50 |  | Very good head and lacing and lasting to the end. A hoppy first hit. A dry fruitiness in the mouthfeel and lingering with an oily hoppiness. |
Four Candles - Aurora - Session Pale | 4.00 |  | Very good head and lacing on this session pale. A fruity and hoppy first hit. A pleasant hoppiness in the mouthfeel and a moreish dryness lasting. |
18 Apr 2025 (Andrew)
Pub no. 8. We had to wait outside for someone to come and open up. At least it wasn't raining. Great pub this. Ian had cheese and crackers. I tried the cheese and for some reason it caused me to lose my voice. It came back eventually.
Four Candles - Target Bitter | 4.40 |  | Proper old school brown bitter. |
Four Candles - Aurora - Session Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
Four Candles - Cascade IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
26 Oct 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Slightly drizzly now on the outside and so only did a quick walk around the town on arriving via the Loop bus from Ramsgate. Late afternoon visit and the place was busy when I arrived but a seat was to be had. Friendly welcome and prompt service. The place got even busier shortly after I got here and met up with two chums here from Ramsgate who missed me at the Conqueror earlier.
Four Candles - Southern Cross Pale | 4.40 |  | Best of the trio sampled here. Very good head and lacing. Lightly fruity with a lingering dryness which made it very moreish! |
Four Candles - Goldings Bitter | 4.10 |  | Good head and lacing. A dry hoppy, lingering bitterness made it very moreish. |
Four Candles - Aurora - Session Pale | 3.90 |  | Came with a good head and lacing. Lightly fruity with a hoppy aftertaste. |
05 Oct 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Fresh from my walk back from the Gadds' Green Hop Festival, a warm welcome from the friendly barmaid led me to try another of their Green Hop Pales and this time in this busy, little micropub setting.
Four Candles - Juniper Rye | 4.50 |  | Also tried this fine IPA on my most recent previous visit at the end of August, and I was not again disappointed in the least. Good head and lacing. A pleasingly dry, moreish mouthfeel and a lingering, dry aftertaste with a hint of juniper fruit flavouring to give it that extra zing. |
Four Candles - Green Hop Pale | 4.80 |  | Great head and lacing once again as was the case at the Gadds' taproom earlier. A lovely hoppy mouthfeel with a dry aftertaste. |
Four Candles - Goldings Bitter | 4.10 |  | Wonderful head and lacing. A pleasant bitterness in the mildly fruity mouthfeel. |
Four Candles - Harlequin - Session Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
31 Aug 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
After a walk to North Foreland lighthouse via a footpath just past a farm with graceful horses next to it and free-range chickens which greeted me and my canine companion at the entrance to the farm, I was certainly ready to sample the delights from very micro-ish brewer, the Four Candles. It was packed with its friendly regulars and prompt service was rendered as always. Like visiting someone's home and one of the two brewers was in enjoying their homemade brews when I first got there, followed by head brewer in from early evening. Looking forward to another visit soon to sample their green hop beers in late September and October.
Four Candles - Juniper Rye | 4.50 |  | This one was marked up as 4.8%. Could taste a certain berry or two in this IPA but only lightly fruit-flavoured so as not to mix it up with a fruit sundae. Its higher gravity hit me on first tasting it and very, very moreish! The best in here on this visit and so third time around, even luckier than with the previous two home-made real ales also enjoyed on this visit. |
Four Candles - Target Bitter | 4.40 |  | Superb head like the others with a great bitter mouthfeel. |
Four Candles - Challenger Session Pale | 3.80 |  | Great carbonation and lightly hoppy in taste with a very moreish, dry aftertaste. |
17 Aug 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Very busy but a small micro in the truest sense with mainly locals from seeing them on earlier visits. Our party of 3 packed in and were all seated. Very prompt service from roving barmaid as too small for a bar in there.
Four Candles - Southern Cross Session Pale | 3.80 |  | In fine form and 3.9% on board. A hint of caramel and hoppy aftertaste. |
Four Candles - Mosaic | 4.40 | Not Tried | 4.8% APA on board. |
Four Candles - Target Bitter | 4.40 | Not Tried | 4.2% on board. |
03 Aug 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Just before 1pm half-hour visit before train to Herne Bay. Busy with lunchtime regulars and usual friendly welcome from barmaid.
Four Candles - Southern Cross Session Pale | 3.80 |  | 2nd half and this was marked as 3.9%. Very moreish and in fine form. |
Four Candles - Citra | 4.00 |  | In fine condition and a refreshing taste after walk from Viking Bay. 3.9% on blackboard. |
Four Candles - Mosaic | 4.40 | Not Tried | APA as described on blackboard. |
Four Candles - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | 4.5% on blackboard. |
20 Jul 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy but small after all! My 4th visit now of the year and all-time favourite for me in the area. Almost as many dogs as people and my faithful hound added to this. Friendly welcome from barmaid and served instantly and so good timing.
Four Candles - Mosaic | 4.40 |  | The stronger of the trio here as marked as 4.8%. A full taste in this APA and good conditioning. |
Four Candles - Citra | 4.00 |  | A fine Citra session pale marked as 3.7% and good tasting and in good form. |
Four Candles - Best Bitter | 4.00 |  | Was marked as 4.5% on blackboard and tasted good. |
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