PubsandBeer
The Bull (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Newby Wyke - 2nd Refit |  | 1 |
| Shepherd Neame - Two Kents | | 2 |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | | 1 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Hark | | 2 |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | | 1 |
| Pictish - Porter | | 2 |
| Marble - Pint (was 3.9%) | | 2 |
| Pictish - Winter Solstice | | 1 |
| Marble - Ginger Marble | | 2 |
| Marble - JP Best |  | 1 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Dark Conspiracy | | 1 |
| Moor - Ported Peat Porter | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Golden Gate | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Sunburst | | 2 |
| Dark Star - Oktoberfest | | 1 |
| Marble - Festival | | 1 |
| Titanic - Chocolate & Vanilla Stout | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Hophead Amarillo | | 1 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | | 1 |
| Oakham - Akenhatan | | 1 |
| Pictish - Brewers Gold | | 1 |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | | 2 |
| Moor - Revival (was 3.8%) |  | 1 |
| Moor - Merlin's Magic | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Porter (aka City) | | 1 |
| Purity - Pure Gold | | 1 |
| Titanic - White Star (superseded by 4.5% version - see separate entry) | | 1 |
| Newby Wyke - Summer Session Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Test Brew 1 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hanlons (formerly O'Hanlon's) - Original Port Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Espresso Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Green Jack - Gone Fishing E.S.B. | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pictish - Admiral | Not Tried | 0 |
| Newby Wyke - Marie Celeste | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
05 Feb 2010 (Pedro)
Afternoon visit - didn't get all beers listed.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pictish - Porter | 4.40 | | |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - Marie Celeste | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Pictish - Admiral | 4.20 | Not Tried |
01 Feb 2010 (Pedro)
Early evening
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pictish - Porter | 4.40 | | Stunning ! |
| Newby Wyke - 2nd Refit | 5.20 | | WOW! |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Hark | 4.80 | | |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pictish - Admiral | 4.20 | Not Tried |
30 Jan 2010 (Pedro)
afternoon
Coming on Thursday - Moors Sloe Walker 8.0% one of only three casks ever produced !!!!!!!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Hark | 4.80 | | |
| Shepherd Neame - Two Kents | 5.00 | | |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pictish - Brewers Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Espresso Stout | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Green Jack - Gone Fishing E.S.B. | 5.50 | Not Tried |
24 Jan 2010 (Dosser)
Our first visit to this excellent award winning pub. Quality real ale and great food served. 8 handpumps though often only 4 beers were on at any one time.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd Neame - Two Kents | 5.00 | | A beer especially brewed for their beer festival in a Thornbridge/Dark Star style. Shows Sheps can brew a decent brew in their micro brewery! |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 4.70 | | |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Dark Conspiracy | 4.90 | | |
| Dark Star - Hophead Amarillo | 3.80 | | |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried |
04 Dec 2009 (ChrisE)
A busy Friday lunch time, a good mix of locals and visitors.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | I was beginning to wonder about Hophead, I had just sampled some disappointing very fresh Hophead in The Bridges further down the road, but this was superb. |
| Pictish - Winter Solstice | 4.70 | | Superb |
| Pictish - Brewers Gold | 3.80 | | Most enjoyable |
| Marble - Pint (was 3.9%) | 3.40 | | Enjoyable session beer |
| Hanlons (formerly O'Hanlon's) - Original Port Stout | 4.80 | Not Tried |
09 Oct 2009 (Dubbel)
A quick pint turned into a three-hour session with samplers being passed around the bar and an obscenely large sausage roll being consumed.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Golden Gate | 4.50 | | Lovely autumnal amber ale. Persistent tangy malts and standout hops. Terrific balance. |
| Marble - Festival | 4.40 | | Bright gold, light in body with a fruit salad tang and aggressive hop finish. |
| Dark Star - Porter (aka City) | 5.50 | | Chestnut brown porter, sweet, nutty, roasty and toasty but has always come up a little flat wherever I've had it. |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 4.70 | | Fresh on but this one was a little thin for my liking. |
| Titanic - White Star (superseded by 4.5% version - see separate entry) | 4.80 | | Golden, malt-laden with a very dry and bitter finish. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried |
02 Oct 2009 (Dubbel)
Due to an untimely visit oop north, I'm going to miss the Kent Pub of the Year party and all the beery goodness it will bring. I ventured up tonight to offer my congratulations and hoping to sneak a preview or two. Garrett graciously obliged.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - Ginger Marble | 4.50 | | Even those who professed to love the old recipe are totally enamoured with this revision. Simply outstanding. |
| Dark Star - Sunburst | 4.80 | | Straw gold. Massively refreshing. Eeking the last drops out of the summer. What an incredibly deceptive beer this is. Will always be remembered as being responsible for getting me as pissed as I'll (probably) ever be. |
| Marble - JP Best | 4.30 | | Light and golden. Aggressively hopped. Lemon edge. Wicked dry finish. Excellent "best". |
| Dark Star - Oktoberfest | 5.20 | | Amber gold, huge german malt hit. Really flavoursome. Identifiably Dark Star in the finish with the big malt tang carrying through. Cracking brew. |
| Titanic - Chocolate & Vanilla Stout | 4.50 | | Pitch black. Incredible aroma of cocoa chocoate and vanilla essence. Silk-like smooth palate, dark chocolate predominates and the vanilla sweetness comes in late. It's sweet but not cloyingly so. (I tried mixing it with the Ginger too but it really didn't work.) |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Revival (was 3.8%) | 3.40 | Not Tried |
29 Sep 2009 (Dubbel)
Headed up for dinner and a couple of jars with James T and his boss. Enviable selection on tonight.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - Pint (was 3.9%) | 3.40 | | The much anticipated new harvest of hops has arrived and the result is truly spectacular. A hop explosion on the palate, fruity, spritzy and so very very good. Not sure this could possibly be bettered. Unsurprisingly drunk dry while we were here. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | | Fresh, clean and the colour of a summer's day. Turbo grapefruit back in undisputable evidence. Now coming from the state-of-the-art new brewery and it's very nearly back to perfection. |
| Purity - Pure Gold | 3.80 | | Anything after the Pint was going to suffer but this was fresh on and very nice indeed. Interesting malt character and very refreshing hop content. My personal favourite from the Purity stable. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Ported Peat Porter | 4.70 | Not Tried |
25 Sep 2009 (Dubbel)
A real upbeat, happy mood in the bar tonight. Lots of conversation and jovality. I think the amount of Jaipur being sold helped.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | I'm so pleased I found this on tip top form again. Simply wonderful contrast between sultry dark and juicy hopbomb. Takes me back. |
| Marble - Ginger Marble | 4.50 | | Revised recipe. Now much lighter in colour and body and all the more drinkable for it. Sweeter palate, like liquid gingerbread but sessionable with it. Extreme ginger afterburn has been tamed too. Now a beer you can happily stay on all night. |
| Moor - Ported Peat Porter | 4.70 | | Deep hued brown, milky latte coffee palate, roasted coffee beans and a late chocolate reprise. Excellent. |
| Moor - Revival (was 3.8%) | 3.40 | | Amber session beer, heavily hopped, pine & citrus freshness. Bitter, acrid aftertaste. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried |
19 Sep 2009 (Dubbel)
Headed up at lunchtime to kill an hour or so and to slake my hop thirst with my first ale for two weeks! A dozen top beers are being lined up for the Kent Pub of the Year presentation evening on 3rd October.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Akenhatan | 4.90 | | Dashing gold and extremely hoppy. Soapy lemon bitterness prevails and the full oily hop flavour carries through the finish. Perhaps a little too hoppy at first but increasingly enjoyable as the palate adjusts. |
| Dark Star - Sunburst | 4.80 | | Slight diacetyl but still a lovely refreshing brew. Surely the last of 2009. |
| Moor - Merlin's Magic | 4.30 | | Deep copper-amber best bitter, bit of bananary ester and sour hops on the finish. Fine condition but not to my particular palate. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - Summer Session Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Test Brew 1 | 3.90 | Not Tried | Came on just as I was leaving. |
About The Bull
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 62 |
| 156 |
| 68 |
 | 14 |
 | 5 |
The pub is found in Horton Kirby, Kent, DA4 9DF.
Outstanding genuine freehouse. Ever-changing selection of guest ales and ciders, many rare to the area served in consistently excellent condition. Regular beer festivals, discos, BBQs and various other events. Monthly brewery showcase (1st weekend of the month) with at least six ales from one particular enterprising brewery. Friendly atmosphere and great home-cooked food (Tues-Sun) made with locally-sourced ingredients. Gravesend & Darent Valley CAMRA Pub of the Year 2008 and 2009 and West of Kent Pub of the Year 2009.
We have visited this pub 91 times, seen 200 different beers and tried 156 of them.
Postcode: DA4 9DF