Change in Pub Status
This pub has changed substantially and we are now adding visits to its new page, the The Parrot (Young's)
Simple Simon's (Free House)
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Visits Details
12 Oct 2007 (Andrew)
Quite for a Friday lunchtime. There was a guy at the bar who seemed to know everything about everything.
Nelson - Cat O' Nine Tails | 4.40 | | Light amber brown colour. Earthy-ish but light and lemony. Very nice. |
Marston's - Bass | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Nelson - Friggin in the Riggin | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
Hogs Back - Hop Garden Gold | 4.40 | Not Tried | Tried a bit of Adrian's and it was top notch |
Weltons - Kid & Bard | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
Weltons - Horsham Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
House Beer - Simple Simon's | 3.20 | Not Tried | |
18 Aug 2007 (Andrew)
Simple Simon's is a good pub both for its interior and beer range. The addition of Jazz Notes playing a set make its great. Here with Jane, Ian and Martin.
Grand Union - Honey Porter | 4.90 | | Sweet tart combination to die for. Sweet honey and roasted malt. Martin's pint a few hours later was even better. |
Dark Star - Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Stewed plum smell with appricot and apple peel flavours. Toasted malt. Brown colour. |
Grand Union - Gold | 4.20 | | Golden colour. Hallertau hop(?) so a bit one dimensional as a result. Dry, bitter and a bit dusty. |
Grand Union - Stout | 4.80 | | Black. Slightly shart and tart. Big burnt finish but too much so for me. Brief smokeiness. |
Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPA | 4.50 | | Strong resinous bitterness. Some Skrimshander notes but too resinous |
Hopdaemon - Incubus | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Bass | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
18 Aug 2007 (Ian)
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the best pub in Canterbury at the moment. Jazz Notes came on at 21.00 and made our evening.
Grand Union - Honey Porter | 4.90 | | Magnificent honey and choc. Got better as the evening went on. |
Grand Union - One Hop Amarillo | 4.50 | | Amarillo is more of an aromatic hop than bittering, so it’s a bit thin. Finish is birilliant and light sherberty, leafy, it’s lovely. But not great. Gold, lasting white head. Juicy. Amarillo’s are gorgeous, put lacks fullness. |
Dark Star - Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Lovely toasty English bitter, some toffee, but the malt is dry, toasty and lovely. |
Hopdaemon - Incubus | 4.00 | | I had a half of this, but can't remember it. |
Marston's - Bass | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Grand Union - Gold | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Grand Union - Stout | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
26 May 2007 (Adrian)
Lunchtime food and a pint on a miserable day. Food was excellent.
Weltons - Finest Hour | 4.50 | | Caramel in colour with a great taste. |
20 May 2007 (Ian)
Fairly empty Sunday PM. Few customers in the garden. Actually enormously pleasant sat here with the trees, and the view of the old pub.
Hopdaemon - Golden Braid | 3.70 | | I had this because sometimes it can be sublime. This is perfectly drinkable, no off flavours, decent dry citrus finish, lacks a bit of condition maybe. |
Grand Union - Liberty Blonde | 4.20 | | Gold, lasting off white head. Citrusy lemony hop aroma, bit grassy. Reasonable condition in mouth. Good sherberty hop, but there is this thin water reedy thing running through it that ruins it. Good in mouth, start and finish are poorish. |
Hopdaemon - Incubus | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - Morland Old Speckled Hen | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Bass | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Theakston - Old Peculier | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
17 May 2007 (Adrian)
As per normal, a great atmosphere with a band playing folk music.
Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPA | 4.50 | | Light and refreshing |
23 Mar 2007 (Brian)
Fairly empty at around 4 on a Friday afternoon. We sat by the fire as it was freezing outside and also to warm up the Old Peculier. Debbie said that Simple's is OK but you need the right atmosphere, it can seem a bit grim at times.
Theakston - Old Peculier | 5.60 | | Normal. That's to say, too cold to start and excellent by the end - see all previous posts. (Didn't make a note of what else was on as this is one of my favourites). |
17 Mar 2007 (Brian)
Saturday afternoon, after the lunchtimers had gone. Sat near the fire intending on going home after one, but Andrew turned up with Adrian and the whole thing went on a lot longer than intended
Hogs Back - HBB | 3.70 | | A bit watery and non-descript. It was not unpleasant but it wasn't much at all really. |
Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPA | 4.50 | | OK. Too cold to start and a bit flat and lifeless, but there was still a hint of the usual citrus bite and bitter hop. OK but I've had a lot better. |
Hogs Back - Hop Garden Gold | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
17 Mar 2007 (Andrew)
I'd arranged to meet Adrian here but also bumped into Brian and Peter who were already well into a pub crawl. Sat by the fire with them at the far end of the pub which was very enjoyable.
Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPA | 4.50 | | Nice and hoppy with some malt. Must have been the end of the barrel as they took it off soon after they poured mine |
Hogs Back - HBB | 3.70 | | Mine pint was warm whilst the other 3 were cold so I guess mine was what was in the pipes. Bit of a sickly brown bitter really |
Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Hogs Back - Hop Garden Gold | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
20 Jan 2007 (Andrew)
With its dark, beamed, ceilings and heavy pine furniture this is one of the best pubs in Canterbury. We spent an hour watching 'Jazz Notes' set up their equipment but they dawdled around for so long that we never got to see them play. The place was packed and the beer line-up was very good. I still find the £2.80 a pint price a bit steep though.
Hogs Back - Hop Garden Gold | 4.40 | | Orange brown coloured beer with a thin head. Rich stewed orange flavours dominate with intense earthy/heathery hops. The finish is of toasted orange peel. A good beer but a little too 'in-your-face' for me. |
Greene King - Morland Old Speckled Hen | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Bass | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.) | 4.20 | Not Tried | Jane had it and it tasted fine. It was much better than when I last had it (at Maidstone beer festival in 2001). |
Archers - Archers Arrows | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Archers - A Good Tern | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
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