The Long Pond (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
16 May 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Steady footfall.
| House Beer - Pond Life | 3.60 |  | Great first ale refresher |
| Tonbridge - Old Chestnut | 4.40 | | Prime condition with lasting head and lacing |
| Musket - Powder Burn | 5.00 | | Nightcapper making up the third 4* offering here tonight |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried | Marked as hazy on beer board |
30 Mar 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until an Easter weekend earlier close.
| Hop Fuzz - Hoppy Easter | 4.20 |  | Good but uninspiring |
| Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| House Beer - Pond Life | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Cat - Monumental | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Hoppy Bunny | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
04 Mar 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Warm welcome but the only customer. Second only set of beer purchases in cash since the pandemic, here tonight as the card machine had gone west.
| Kent - Caramel Latte | 5.20 | | Right in every way |
| Kent - Pilgrim Single Hopped Pale Ale | 4.50 | | 4½* This was in spectacular condition. Brim topping head, total clarity and flavour |
| House Beer - Pond Life | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Tropic Ale | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Cat - Unsinkable Sam | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
02 Feb 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit of the alleged boycotter, until close.
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | | The second venue tonight where this was found to be a tasty zingy pale with full flavour hit |
| House Beer - Pond Life | 3.60 | | New cask today, came across somewhat fresh to me |
| Tonbridge - Ebony Moon | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Countryman | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
16 Jan 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close, first for a while. Only customer in at this late hour on a freezing night.
| Tonbridge - American Pale | 5.00 | | 4½* Exceptional flavour hit in prime condition |
| Musket - Ball Puller | 4.00 |  | OK but felt tired with soon no head |
| Musket - Flintlock Best Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Musket - Trigger | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| House Beer - Pond Life | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
30 Nov 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit with a good crowd still in from the Westmount Road Christmas Lights turn-on ceremony earlier. Bar humbug!
| Tonbridge - Winter Solace | 4.80 | | Was it 4.5 or 4.8% ABV? Either way it came across as much heavier than this |
| Kent - Porter | 5.50 | | All the flavours but would have liked a lot more head and lacing |
| House Beer - Pond Life | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Prohibition | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Countryman | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Easy Street Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
06 Nov 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Long evening session for a meeting, until close. I must say the sausages and the home made sausage rolls were the very best I have munched on for years.
| Goody Ales - Bleangate Brewery - Good Life | 3.90 | | New cask on tonight, excellent with the bitterness I like |
| Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | | Top form, alas albeit a taste profile that is far from my favourite |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Goody Ales - Bleangate Brewery - Good Heavens | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| House Beer - Pond Life | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
16 Oct 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Wantsum - Green Hop Bullion Stout | 4.60 | | Straight up moreish |
| Goody Ales - Bleangate Brewery - Good Harvest (Green Hop Beer 2023) | 4.00 | | New cask on today - a tad fresh but a refreshing green hopper |
| Musket - Flintlock Best Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| House Beer - Pond Life | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Goody Ales - Bleangate Brewery - Goodness Gracious Me! (Green Hop Beer 2023) | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
28 Sep 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit on 2024 Good Beer Guide launch day, The Pond being included.
| Heritage (formerly William Worthington Brewery) - Charrington Oatmeal Stout | 4.00 | | Even better than last week's, with a wonderful towering head on first pour. Still thinner than I recall from before |
| Iron Pier - Woodlands IPA | 4.80 | | One of Iron Pier's better brews |
| Musket - Flintlock Best Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| House Beer - Pond Life | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Swallow Dive | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
21 Sep 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close with the guest presence of the pub Guv this side of the bar.
| Heritage (formerly William Worthington Brewery) - Charrington Oatmeal Stout | 4.00 | | Not as full bodied as I recall but in peak condition |
| Tonbridge - Das Kölner | 4.30 | | Not a style I particularly like but in prime condition |
| Musket - Ball Puller | 4.00 | | Disappointing with poor head and lacing and a haze I was not pre-warned of. I had not realised Musket had gone all vegan friendly and so a propensity for haziness so now on my list of those to avoid. However the pub Guv was pushing this beer down and his had a good head and lacing. Ho hum |
| Wantsum - Hengist | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| House Beer - Pond Life | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
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