PubsandBeer
Red Lion (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Woodforde's - Wherry |  | 5 |
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale |  | 1 |
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | | 5 |
| Hogs Back - Hair of the Hog | | 1 |
| Goacher's - Crown Imperial Stout | | 7 |
| Grand Union - Old Ale II | | 1 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Wheat Beer |  | 1 |
| Ossett - Silver King | | 4 |
| Northumberland - Santa's Surprise |  | 1 |
| Stonehenge - Spire Ale | | 1 |
| Orkney (Sinclair) - Northern Light | | 2 |
| Titanic - Iceberg | | 1 |
| Harviestoun - Dragonfly | | 1 |
| Northumberland - Whitley Wobbler | | 1 |
| Cotleigh - Harrier Lite | | 3 |
| Dark Star - Dark Star The Original | | 3 |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hogs Back - Xmas Tipple | Not Tried | 0 |
| Archers - Lover Boy | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hogs Back - A over T | Not Tried | 0 |
| Archers - Great Beer | Not Tried | 0 |
| Archers - Winter's Nearly Over | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
09 Apr 2006 (Andrew)
Popped in on the way to the Black Lion in Appledore where Jane and I were having lunch. Stayed for only 9 minutes as that's all the time we had spare. Great pub and it was good to see it busy.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 | | Good burnt coffee with a bitter finish |
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Archers - Great Beer | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Archers - Winter's Nearly Over | 4.20 | Not Tried |
22 Feb 2006 (Ian)
My boss and I had had a particularly stressful couple of days, so we agreed to go out for lunch at the Yew & Ewe. Before that we stopped into Doris' for an aperatif. That and the fact that my boss had never been here before. And she loved it. Said she could have spent all afternoon there. Only 4 people in including us. The G&T my boss had was nice apparently. The pub is just full of rustic charm.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Crown Imperial Stout | 4.50 | | Really charcoaly with liquorice on the aroma. Oily and thick in mouth with chewy malts. Tobacco and tar in there too. Dry hoppy, oily finish. My boss thought it tasted of yesterday's wash suds, but hey what does she know? |
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Archers - Lover Boy | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Hogs Back - A over T | 9.00 | Not Tried | Really wish I had tried it though as I love Hog's Back barley wines, but I was driving. |
23 Dec 2005 (Andrew)
Ah Doris's. This is such an atmospheric pub found in a wonderful marsh setting. Got here before it opened and watched 3 sets of bin men trundle by collecting different sorts of rubbish. Left when they closed up. Great.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | 3.70 | | Fantastic session beer with the taste of fresh marmalade. |
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 | | Nice subtle burnt malt flavours with a hint of chocolate |
| Goacher's - Crown Imperial Stout | 4.50 | | Slightly vinegary on the nose but tasted okay. This was the end of the barrel. |
| Grand Union - Old Ale II | 7.60 | Not Tried | |
| Hogs Back - Xmas Tipple | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Northumberland - Santa's Surprise | 4.00 | Not Tried |
23 Dec 2005 (Ian)
Andrew and I cycled here from Hamstreet Station as Southern Trains have made the decision to only have 2 services a day from Appledore. Nice enough ride though. First customers here at 12.10 and we had to bang on the door to get in as they were still locked up. Wonderfully atmospheric pub, with the low ceilings, dark cosy rooms and beer on gravity. We sat looking at the Marsh in winter and supping our beer. Excellent lunchtime session
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Union - Old Ale II | 7.60 | | Lots of liquorice, dark roasted malts on the aroma. Very dark ruby colour with thin disappearing head. Bit of dark treacle. Lovely in mouth, bit of warmth from the alcohol and a bit sticky. Good old ale though |
| Goacher's - Crown Imperial Stout | 4.50 | | End of the barrel. Went off after we had the last 2 pints. This explains the quality of this beer which wasn't at its best |
| Northumberland - Santa's Surprise | 4.00 | | Deep amber with no head. Some golden syrup and nice fruit. Some brown sugar. Finish is sweetish. Fine, but not exceptional |
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Hogs Back - Xmas Tipple | 4.60 | Not Tried |
25 Jun 2005 (Ian)
Still one of the best pubs I have been to purely for the ambiance of a pub that has not changed in years. Petition is currently running to save the train service to Appledore
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hogs Back - Hair of the Hog | 3.50 | | Unbelievably good for such a weak session beer. Copper coloured with enough flowery hops to make it interesting |
| Northumberland - Whitley Wobbler | 5.00 | | Quite fruity slightly alcoholic sweetness some finishing hop |
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | Badged as DSB - Doris' Special Bitter |
| Goacher's - Crown Imperial Stout | 4.50 | Not Tried |
18 Jun 2005 (Martin)
Second days at the summer solistice beer festival and it's a scorcher. Can the beers survive? And why do I keep winning every time at Doris' tombola?
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Crown Imperial Stout | 4.50 | | It's all still here too - bitter dry finshes and dark molasses. And bacon. What an aftertaste too. |
| Woodforde's - Wherry | 3.80 | | It just got better. It was great yesterday, now it's fantastic! All the right fruit, bitterness, aroma and balance but it's shifted a gear and got more intense. Wherry wherry good. |
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 | | Very very drinkable and quite nutty today but the crown has been stolen (fittingly) by Crown Imperial Stout. |
| Ossett - Silver King | 4.30 | | Straw coloured beer is hoppy all the way through with a nice bitter edge. I'd like to see this more often |
| Dark Star - Dark Star The Original | 5.00 | | Smooth tasting and a bit raisiny but not really up to form. Maybe it's the heat. |
18 Jun 2005 (Ian)
Day 2 of the summer beer festival at this wonderful pub. Sat in the garden on a late Saturday afternoon/early evening listening to a folk/traditional band whilst avoiding the chickens. Did not seem as busy as previous years, but the best beers did start running out.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodforde's - Wherry | 3.80 | | On the Friday night, I rated this as excellent. Well on the Saturday, it got better. More rounded, more fruity. Superb beer that ticks all the right boxes |
| Ossett - Silver King | 4.30 | | Blond citrusy and hoppy. Nice beer |
17 Jun 2005 (Martin)
Doris' traditional summer solstice beer festival. Weather was glorious - you can even camp all weekend in the field adjoining. I didn't.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Crown Imperial Stout | 4.50 | | Creamy smokey bacon and velvet texture. I've had this many times before but it was stunning today. |
| Woodforde's - Wherry | 3.80 | | I don't get to taste this much but when I do it is always a good thing. Citrusy, resinous with berry fruits in there too. A great long aftertaste too. More please. |
| Cotleigh - Harrier Lite | 3.50 | | A rewarding balance of hops and a pleasant nutty aftertaste - just kinda skinny. Guess this is what a light is all about though. I drank this later than Ian and Andy who reluctantly agreed that it had improved since their samples |
| Orkney (Sinclair) - Northern Light | 4.00 | | Pale beer that has the oddest taste of satay sauce/peanuts. Makes you think of Thai food. |
17 Jun 2005 (Andrew)
What a loverly summers evening it was in one of the best pubs I've ever been to. It was their summer beer festival and they had 14 beers on.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 | | Wow. Tasted of burnt coffee with a slighly sweet undertone. If you could get better than this I'd want to hear about it |
| Goacher's - Crown Imperial Stout | 4.50 | | Tasted like smokey bacon crisps. What a stout this is. |
| Woodforde's - Wherry | 3.80 | | I love this beer. It had a fantastic rounded bitter taste with a slight metalic/peaty twang. Pale copper coloured and loverly. |
| Ossett - Silver King | 4.30 | | Very pale yellow with a strong alcohol taste and bitter with a tart edge. Osset is always a winner |
| Dark Star - Dark Star The Original | 5.00 | | Very rich ruby coloured beer. Quite nice but tasted too much like of raisen and sherry for me |
| Cotleigh - Harrier Lite | 3.50 | | Goes down well. The initial taste is quiet sharp and a bit 1 dimensional but it had a very satisfying finish |
| Stonehenge - Spire Ale | 3.80 | | A very pale yellow bitter that tasted of dough. It also had a slightly soapy bitter aftertaste |
| Orkney (Sinclair) - Northern Light | 4.00 | | Pale yellow bitter that tasted mildly of peanuts, elder flower and lime |
17 Jun 2005 (Ian)
Summer Soltice Beer Festival. Annual event with 14 beers on over the Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. Glorious weather, the garden and Romney Marsh were an absolute picture. Great place to try some different beers. Pub has not changed in years and is extremely snug and full of interesting memorabilia
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 | | Dark ruby colour, burnt malt with coffee and chocolate balanced in mouth with some hops to give a drying finish. Lots of flavour for a mild and a beer this light in alcohol |
| Goacher's - Crown Imperial Stout | 4.50 | | Burnt malty nose, slightly alcoholic, good beer, good blance. Slight creaminess with a very dry aftertaste. Being really picky, it could do with a bit more fruit |
| Ossett - Silver King | 4.30 | | Pale gold beer. Hoppy citric blond beer reminiscent of so many of Ossett's superb range. Bit sherberty with long bitter citric acidic finish. Some pine nuts. Lovely |
| Woodforde's - Wherry | 3.80 | | Copper brown beer, resiny hop nose, very distinctive of wherry, with good raspberry and citrus flavours. Some acids to balance fruit. A little thin, but a good hoppy finish. Just misses out on a 5 due to the fact that the pint I had at the Crabble Corn Mill was better |
| Dark Star - Dark Star The Original | 5.00 | | Dark ruby colour. Last time I had this was at the White Cliffs beer festival where I scored it a 5/5 Exceptional. This is not quite how I remember it, but it still had some lovely raisiny fruit, some coffee flavours. Very rich very smooth and good balance. Sweetish hedgerow black fruit. |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Wheat Beer | 4.50 | | Reddish copper colour. Smell of a wheat beer. Quite rich, some sweet fruit and then really bitter hop finish. Very interesting and nice to have something very different. Good balance and well made |
| Titanic - Iceberg | 4.10 | | Opaque gold beer, smells of nettles and boiled vegetables. Vegetal finish with hoppy bitterness. Most bizarre wheat beer I have ever had. Had a pint and a half later in the evening at the Yew & Ewe where is was served more chilled and was extremely refreshing |
| Harviestoun - Dragonfly | 3.60 | | Amber coloured with typical Harviestoun American hop nose. Some lemon fruit, then that very distinctive hop finish which is drying. Good, but not my favourite Harviestoun which is Bitter and Twisted. |
| Cotleigh - Harrier Lite | 3.50 | | Amber coloured. Bit nutty, but a bit thin in mouth. Very nice hop finish. I really like Cotleigh beers, but this was just a bit too light for me |
About the Red Lion
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 28 |
| 139 |
| 101 |
| 48 |
 | 5 |
The pub is found in Snargate, Kent, TN29 9UQ.
One of the best pubs in England. It's in CAMRA's national pub inventory because it hasn't really changed much in the last 100 years. In fact in 2011 the Jemison family celebrated 100 years of running the pub. All beers are on gravity and Goacher's is a regular. It's locally known as Doris's after the last landlady. Before that it was Alf's. A 20 minute (no more no less) brisk walk from / to Appledore railway station. Local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year 2015. The handpumps atop the pewter bar counter were used once upon a time but not now. Extensive garden for fair-weather use. Regrettably Doris died in April 2016. The pub closed for some weeks as a result of the bereavement. Re-opened, hopefully forever, on Saturday 11th June 2016. Presume it will soon become known as Kate's! Card payments now accepted here.
We have visited this pub 141 times, seen 213 different beers and tried 128 of them.
Postcode: TN29 9UQ