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The Hoptimist Taproom & Bar (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Tomos & Lilford - Summerhouse |  | 1 |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Blue Top | | 1 |
| Kent - Prohibition | | 1 |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | | 1 |
| Kent - The Quiet American | | 1 |
| Kent - Sunset | | 1 |
| Pig & Porter - Slave to the Money |  | 1 |
| Kent - Café Brasilia | | 1 |
| 3 Piers - Brewhouse | | 1 |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Green Hop Jester | | 1 |
| Northdown - Merry Margate | | 1 |
| Tomos & Lilford - Chocolate Porter | | 1 |
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | | 1 |
| Northdown - Pale Ale Mary | | 1 |
| Pig & Porter - Got The Face On |  | 1 |
| Northdown - Magic Dragon | | 1 |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top | Not Tried | 0 |
| Poynton - Darkside | Not Tried | 0 |
| Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Northdown - Tidal Moon | Not Tried | 0 |
| 3 Piers - Chocolate Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | Not Tried | 0 |
| Deeply Vale - Beyond the Storm | Not Tried | 0 |
| Buxton - Right to Roam | Not Tried | 0 |
| Breakwater - North Star | Not Tried | 0 |
| Breakwater - Best | Not Tried | 0 |
| Breakwater - Dover PA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pig & Porter - All These Vibes | Not Tried | 0 |
| Breakwater - Samphire Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| The Working Hand - Lucky Crown | Not Tried | 0 |
| Northdown - Muggy Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tiny Rebel - Cwtch | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Countryman | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
26 Mar 2022 (Jack William)
Stop 2. First time in the sun-trap that is the back yard. Bustling Saturday fast.
Pub & Porter, Forever Lost also on cask at 5.3%
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Café Brasilia | 4.30 | | Heavy coffee notes. |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Buxton - Right to Roam | 3.80 | Not Tried |
22 Feb 2022 (Jack William)
Very busy for a Tuesday afternoon. Guvnor told me that the local CAMRA branch can’t decide on a venue for the White Cliffs beer festival next year - he thinks that the town hall is closed for refurbishment until 2025.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - The Quiet American | 4.20 | | Very pale, lovely aftertaste. |
| Kent - Sunset | 4.30 | | Top condition, full bodied. |
| Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Northdown - Tidal Moon | 5.80 | Not Tried |
18 Nov 2021 (Jack William)
Late afternoon. Good to see this place thriving - particularly after the closure of at least 3 micros in Dover over the last few years. Very friendly welcome from the guvnor and a few familiar faces. Very pleasant visit.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Blue Top | 4.80 | | Superb full-body ale. |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Green Hop Jester | 3.50 | | |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Poynton - Darkside | 5.20 | Not Tried |
03 Jun 2021 (Jack William)
Mid afternoon before the bus back to Canterbury. The landlord is still very enthusiastic despite the last 15 months or so of COVID restrictions. A good few customers scattered within.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northdown - Pale Ale Mary | 4.00 | | |
| Pig & Porter - Got The Face On | 4.50 | | Unfined, very light - not to my taste really. |
| Kent - Porter | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Countryman | 4.00 | Not Tried |
29 Oct 2020 (ChrisE)
Thursday soon after opening. A most enjoyable visit.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Prohibition | 4.80 | | |
| Northdown - Merry Margate | 3.80 | | A new beer for me. A nice session ale. |
| Tomos & Lilford - Chocolate Porter | 4.90 | | A tad too sweet and chocolaty for me. |
| Tiny Rebel - Cwtch | 4.60 | Not Tried |
01 Sep 2020 (ChrisE)
Early afternoon and full to social distancing capacity. A very popular boozer.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomos & Lilford - Summerhouse | 3.60 | | A good refreshing pint. |
21 Aug 2020 (ChrisE)
Early afternoon and just a couple of others in the bar when I arrived so there was no problem with social distancing. This was my visit since the pub changed hands and changed its name, still a very good boozer and I was pleased to hear that Peter and Kathryn who ran the Mash Tun still pop in here occasionally.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | 4.20 | | In good condition but a tad cooler than I would have liked it. |
| Pig & Porter - Slave to the Money | 4.10 | | Advertised on the board as Slave for the Money but I will let them off. Again a tad cooler than I would have liked. A very good measure in an oversize glass. |
| Kent - Prohibition | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Northdown - Muggy Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried |
29 Feb 2020 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid evening visit to see the new layout and ambience. Its ads call it a Modern Micropub but with 6 keg lines and a live amplified solo guitarist (who I think was very good) I judge it to be a modern bar in its new incarnation. I noted the demotion of the pulpit from bar counter to side table by the wall.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northdown - Magic Dragon | 5.50 | | |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Breakwater - Samphire Gold | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| The Working Hand - Lucky Crown | 3.80 | Not Tried |
21 Feb 2020 (Jack William)
Afternoon- the place was very lively. Nice feel to it.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | |
| Breakwater - Best | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Breakwater - Dover PA | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - All These Vibes | 5.30 | Not Tried |
23 Jan 2020 (Jack William)
Late afternoon- busy. Very enthusiastic guvnor explaining his strategy of offering a wider selection of drinks from the previous incarnation of this place. It seems to be working.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Piers - Brewhouse | 4.00 | | |
| 3 Piers - Chocolate Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Deeply Vale - Beyond the Storm | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Breakwater - North Star | 4.20 | Not Tried |
About The Hoptimist Taproom & Bar
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 1 |
| 29 |
| 27 |
| 3 |
 | - |
The pub is found in Dover, Kent, CT16 1JH.
In Bench Street in premises previously occupied by Pier Three and The Mash Tun micropubs. Re-opened on Thursday 19th December 2019 and said, in advance, to be run much more like a bar or taproom than a micropub. The proprietor is a former manager of the Breakwater Brewery taproom. Usually 4 cask ales which are dispensed on gravity from a rear chilled room. Local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year 2025.
We have visited this pub 30 times, seen 92 different beers and tried 54 of them.
Postcode: CT16 1JH
This pub was formally know as the The Mash Tun.