PubsandBeer
Nags Head (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Binghams - Vanilla Hoppy IPA |  | 1 |
| Loddon - Hullabaloo | | 1 |
| RCH - Hewish Mild | | 1 |
| Wolf - Lupus Lupus | | 1 |
| Binghams - Doodle Stout (with ginger) | | 1 |
| Butts - Barbus Barbus | | 1 |
| Sherfield Village - Pioneer Stout | | 1 |
| Triple fff - I Can't Remember ! | | 1 |
| Arbor Ales - Inferiority Complex | | 1 |
| Castle Rock - Stone Loach | | 1 |
| Triple fff - Citra Sonic | | 1 |
| Vale - Black Beauty Vanilla Porter | | 1 |
| Ascot - Beer on the Rails | | 1 |
| West Berkshire - Swift Pale Ale | | 1 |
| Arbor Ales - Smokehouse Porter | | 1 |
| Butts - Blackguard Porter | | 1 |
| Crouch Vale - Yakima Gold | | 1 |
| Art Brew - Hip Hop Riwaka |  | 1 |
| Triple fff - Old Dray | | 1 |
| Butts - Barfly | | 1 |
| West Berkshire - Dr Hexter's Healer | | 1 |
| Bespoke - Over a Barrel | | 1 |
| Binghams - Smiled - Smoked Mild | | 1 |
| West Berkshire - Madge & Edgar's Christmas Whirl | | 1 |
| Triple fff - Pressed Rat & Warthog | | 1 |
| Sarah Hughes - Dark Ruby | | 1 |
| Little Ale Cart - Duke of Rothesay | | 1 |
| Loddon - Hocus Pocus | | 1 |
| Sherfield Village - Christmas Beer |  | 1 |
| Downton - Gooseberry Wheat | | 1 |
| Art Brew - I Beer | | 1 |
| Wild Weather - Sundowner | | 1 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mister Squirrel (superseded by 4% version) | | 1 |
| Hardknott - Millom 1873 |  | 1 |
| East London (ELB) - Orchid Vanilla Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| White Horse - Black Beauty | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sherfield Village - Quintessential 2 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Jack Black | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bowman - Warbler | Not Tried | 0 |
| Art Brew - Hip Hop Columbus | Not Tried | 0 |
| Blue Monkey - Tie a Yellow Gibbon | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ascot - Emperor Penguin Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Loddon - Ferryman's Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Triple fff - Alton's Pride | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hop Back - Entire Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Stonehenge - Great Bustard | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Original | Not Tried | 0 |
| Box Steam - Funnel Blower | Not Tried | 0 |
| Humpty Dumpty - Humpty Dumpty Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Arbor Ales - Old Knobbley | Not Tried | 0 |
| Moles - Double MM Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ascot - 5/4 Favourite (formerly Alligator Ale) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vale - Gravitas | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Roman Imperial Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bristol Beer Factory - Sunrise | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wolf - Battle of Britain | Not Tried | 0 |
| Weltons - Heat Was In The Very Sod | Not Tried | 0 |
| Jo C's - Norfolk Kiwi | Not Tried | 0 |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tring - Brookman's Winter Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tring - Bring Me Sunshine | Not Tried | 0 |
| Triple fff - Ramble Tamble (previously 4.6%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sherfield Village - Solo Southern Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Franklins - Grumpy Guvnor | Not Tried | 0 |
| West Berkshire - Maggs' Magnificent Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Box Steam - Golden Bolt | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wentworth - WPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hop Back - Spring Zing | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - Piston Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Castle Combe (formerly Braydon) - YerTiz | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Milton - Dionysus | Not Tried | 0 |
| XT Brewing - No. 8 Dark Roast | Not Tried | 0 |
| Great Orme - Welsh Black | Not Tried | 0 |
| Windsor & Eton - Windsor Knot | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - May Bee Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brodie's (latterly contract brewed by Rhymney) - Summer Saison | Not Tried | 0 |
| Windsor & Eton - Conqueror 1075 | Not Tried | 0 |
| East London (ELB) - Quadrant Oatmeal Stout (now please use 5.5% entry | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ramsbury - Silver Shadow | Not Tried | 0 |
| XT Brewing - No. 6 Rich Ruby | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Under Current | Not Tried | 0 |
| Andwell - Porter No 1 | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
11 May 2013 (Stephen Harris)
My first visit to this excellent pub. Fantastic beer selection. I arrived 10 minutes into the FA Cup final and there appeared to be just one seat available – I soon realised that it was the one seat in the building that did not have a view of a TV screen. So I ended up standing at the bar with many others.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triple fff - Citra Sonic | 4.10 | | Amber-coloured. Not just a lovely Citra sharpness, but balancing malt too. |
| Binghams - Smiled - Smoked Mild | 3.40 | | Dark and very smoky. |
| Wild Weather - Sundowner | 3.40 | | Amber coloured. A bit too lightweight I thought. Bit of a cereal malt taste. |
| Wentworth - WPA | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Combe (formerly Braydon) - YerTiz | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Triple fff - Ramble Tamble (previously 4.6%) | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| XT Brewing - No. 8 Dark Roast | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - May Bee Mild | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| East London (ELB) - Quadrant Oatmeal Stout (now please use 5.5% entry | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Under Current | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| White Horse - Black Beauty | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Bowman - Warbler | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Ascot - Emperor Penguin Porter | 7.00 | Not Tried |
03 May 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Always a magnificent beer exhibition here and friendly atmosphere.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binghams - Vanilla Hoppy IPA | 5.00 | | Played with the palate |
| Binghams - Doodle Stout (with ginger) | 5.00 | | Heartwarming |
| Sarah Hughes - Dark Ruby | 6.00 | | £3.20 pp great value making a mockery of some prices in Godalming earlier today |
| Stonehenge - Great Bustard | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| West Berkshire - Maggs' Magnificent Mild | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Humpty Dumpty - Humpty Dumpty Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Ascot - 5/4 Favourite (formerly Alligator Ale) | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Bristol Beer Factory - Sunrise | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Jo C's - Norfolk Kiwi | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Tring - Bring Me Sunshine | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Franklins - Grumpy Guvnor | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| East London (ELB) - Orchid Vanilla Mild | 3.60 | Not Tried |
06 Mar 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loddon - Hullabaloo | 4.20 | | |
| Sherfield Village - Pioneer Stout | 5.00 | | Unfined |
| Loddon - Hocus Pocus | 4.60 | | New on - replaced the Oakleaf which ran out |
| West Berkshire - Dr Hexter's Healer | 5.00 | | |
| Hardknott - Millom 1873 | 3.90 | | Felt is was as flat as a pancake and lacked any flavour. Gracefully swapped over by bar staff which is admirable service |
| Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - Piston Porter | 4.60 | Not Tried | Ran out during visit |
| Milton - Dionysus | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Windsor & Eton - Windsor Knot | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Windsor & Eton - Conqueror 1075 | 7.40 | Not Tried | |
| XT Brewing - No. 6 Rich Ruby | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| East London (ELB) - Orchid Vanilla Mild | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Jack Black | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Blue Monkey - Tie a Yellow Gibbon | 4.30 | Not Tried |
08 Jan 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening - last visit of the day.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triple fff - I Can't Remember ! | 6.00 | | Just a thimble taster that came on just as I was leaving |
| Bespoke - Over a Barrel | 5.00 | | Rather flat |
| West Berkshire - Madge & Edgar's Christmas Whirl | 4.20 | | Flattish |
| Triple fff - Alton's Pride | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Butts - Barbus Barbus | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Hop Back - Entire Stout | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Box Steam - Funnel Blower | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Moles - Double MM Mild | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Roman Imperial Stout | 9.00 | Not Tried | Coming on next - what a pity as would have made a superb nightcap |
| Weltons - Heat Was In The Very Sod | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Tring - Brookman's Winter Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Sherfield Village - Solo Southern Gold | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Box Steam - Golden Bolt | 3.80 | Not Tried |
23 Nov 2012 (HSB)
Late afternoon. Bustling. Good beer and snacks.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crouch Vale - Yakima Gold | 4.20 | | |
| Butts - Barfly | 6.00 | | |
| Downton - Gooseberry Wheat | 4.40 | |
25 Oct 2012 (Martin the Mildman)
Very busy with a visit from the Thursday evening mild drinkers.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triple fff - Pressed Rat & Warthog | 3.80 | | Dark brown mild on the hoppy side but with some toasted malt flavour too. Dryish fiish. My score 15/20. |
| Art Brew - Hip Hop Riwaka | 4.30 | | Good pale hoppy beer with citrus notes. Some malt for balance. My score 15/20. |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mister Squirrel (superseded by 4% version) | 4.30 | | Amber bitter with a sweetish character but not much hop or malt flavour. My score 14/20. |
07 May 2012 (Philip Pirrip)
Bank Holiday evening visit - well packed. Large screen TV showing Blackburn Rovers v Wigan Athletic Barclays Premier League relegation battle including a chicken invading the pitch egged on by fans. Impressive array of 12 beers with boards above showing what will be the next beer on each pump.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butts - Barbus Barbus | 4.60 | | Best of the evening. Full bodied bitter |
| Castle Rock - Stone Loach | 5.00 | | A rare sharp hoppy bitter from Castle Rock |
| West Berkshire - Swift Pale Ale | 3.80 | | |
| West Berkshire - Maggs' Magnificent Mild | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Hop Back - Spring Zing | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Great Orme - Welsh Black | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brodie's (latterly contract brewed by Rhymney) - Summer Saison | 8.00 | Not Tried | |
| Ramsbury - Silver Shadow | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Andwell - Porter No 1 | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Sherfield Village - Quintessential 2 | 4.50 | Not Tried | Was offered a taster. Distinctive burnt caramel taste |
| Art Brew - Hip Hop Columbus | 4.30 | Not Tried |
31 Dec 2011 (Martin the Mildman)
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Ale Cart - Duke of Rothesay | 4.30 | | Pale and hoppy with good balance of hop and malt. My score 15/20. |
| Sherfield Village - Christmas Beer | 5.80 | | Rather too much spice for my liking. Dark in colour. My score 12/20 |
24 Nov 2011 (Martin the Mildman)
Very busy with a large private dining group and a visit by the London mild drinkers.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butts - Blackguard Porter | 4.50 | | Dark brown porter with a good bitter and malty character. Some hop for balance. My score 16/20. |
| RCH - Hewish Mild | 3.60 | | Black, sweet and malty. A proper mild with a full flavour without use of many hops. My score 16/20. |
| Vale - Black Beauty Vanilla Porter | 4.30 | | Brown porter with the subtle sweet taste of vanilla not too prominent. Full flavoured with a sweetish fruity finish. My score 16/20. |
| Arbor Ales - Smokehouse Porter | 4.00 | | Black porter that is both well hopped and well smoked with roast malt. Still manages a fruity finish through all that. My score 16/20. |
| Triple fff - Old Dray | 4.80 | | Amber premium bitter with a bitter flavour backed up by malt and hoppiness. Dryish finish. My score 15/20. |
16 Sep 2011 (ChrisE)
A busy Friday evening. Service at the bar was fast and friendly, and I was impressed at how they manage to arrange the beers on the pumps in (almost) order of ABV.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf - Lupus Lupus | 5.00 | | |
| Arbor Ales - Inferiority Complex | 3.40 | | A good dark, tasty, rich, and chocolaty dark ale. |
| Ascot - Beer on the Rails | 3.80 | | A good tasty dark mild. |
| Art Brew - I Beer | 4.00 | | Vanilla. I really did not like this, perfectly well kept though. |
| Loddon - Ferryman's Gold | 4.40 | Not Tried | This ran out during the evening. |
| Dark Star - Original | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Arbor Ales - Old Knobbley | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vale - Gravitas | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Wolf - Battle of Britain | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Triple fff - Ramble Tamble (previously 4.6%) | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Sherfield Village - Pioneer Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried |
About the Nags Head
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | - |
| 39 |
| 32 |
| 16 |
| 2 |
The pub is found in Reading, Berkshire, RG1 7XD.
Excellent single roomed pub just out of the city centre in Russell Street (no more than 10 minutes walk) with 13 handpumps, 1 of which usually carries a local cider. These dispense a wide range of beers, mainly from local breweries although odd ones from further afield creep in. A mild is always on and also a stout or porter. Good value food is also available at certain times. Blackboards above the bar identify the next beer for each handpump - showing a high degree of logistical organisation here.
We have visited this pub 28 times, seen 205 different beers and tried 89 of them.
Postcode: RG1 7XD