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The Butchers Arms (Free House)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Dark Star - Critical MassExceptional3
Dark Star - OriginalExceptional1
Dark Star - Over The MoonExcellent2
Harvey's - Sussex Best BitterExcellent3
Dark Star - Porter (aka City)Excellent1
Hook Norton - Old HookyExcellent2
Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)Excellent2
Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)Not Tried0
Picture 1. The Butchers Arms, Herne, Kent
Picture 2. The Butchers Arms, Herne, Kent

Visits Details

18 Feb 2009 (Glyn)
experiment
BeerABVScoreNotes
Dark Star - Original5.00Exceptional
10 Feb 2009 (KB)
The atmosphere in this pub recently has been electrical (see Domonic). Makes you want to visit all the more. Tried the Harveys and one pint of the Critical Mass (I'm a light weight).As ever the Harveys was superb and the Critical Mass has an explosion of taste. Very nice.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00ExceptionalAs good as it always is and you always want more
Dark Star - Critical Mass7.80ExceptionalWhat a selection of taste in this beer. Certainly different but first class
10 Feb 2009 (Glyn)
Several visits have been made recently to the award winning micro pub(tardis) including that busy night. Good to see the Fannit boys in.Sundays locum landlord was Splitter who owing to a domestic, failed to produce any roast potatoes, Shame! Last nights lecture was from Andy the Onion on the merits of copper wire. Another quiet uneventful evening.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Hook Norton - Old Hooky4.60Excellent
Dark Star - Over The Moon3.80Excellent
06 Feb 2009 (Mick)
The birthday boy had departed so it wasn't to busy when James and I arrived.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Dark Star - Critical Mass7.80ExceptionalNot quite sure it's the best beer ever brewed by man but it's in the top 10 for sure. Lots of flavours going on, including a subtle sweet almost cough mixture taste, very nice. Anybody remember Victory V sweets?
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00ExcellentGood stuff, a really good pint of Harveys with that characteristic aroma.
Hook Norton - Old Hooky4.60Not Tried
Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)4.70Not Tried
Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)3.40Not Tried
06 Feb 2009 (Ken)
What a wonderful evening and thanks to all for making my birthday comiserations a night to remember. Special thanks must go to Glynn the Roof's birthday cake and Martyn's supply of the best Critical Mass I have ever tasted.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Dark Star - Critical Mass7.80ExceptionalProbably the best beer ever brewed by man
05 Feb 2009 (Glyn)
Congratulations to SN Ken 60 today!Anyone who would like to buy Ken a pint tonight is welcome, but please bring cake or jelly and ice cream. Special request from our host is to inform all of the beer on at the moment. Hophead, Harveys, Dark Star APA, OLd Hooky, Critical Mass, and Fullers ESB. See you all tonight!
BeerABVScoreNotes
Dark Star - Over The Moon3.80Excellent
31 Jan 2009 (Ian)
I had absolutely nothing to do on Saturday that didn't take me longer than a couple of hours to do. So by 11.36 I was on the train out of Ashford, and 45 minutes later I ended up here. First one in and what a session. Unbeknownst to me the Camra Dover, Deal and Sandwich branch had organised with Martyn to stay for a bit during Saturday afternoon. Roger Marples and his wife were the first to arrive, but then there were a dozen or so in after that. Good banter.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)4.70ExcellentAs Mick says, Martyn was a bit hesitant in serving this as although he had tapped it on Wednesday, it was still hazy. So after adding some extra finings I had it Saturday lunchtime. Yes a bit of a haze, but being served in a 2 pint ceramic jug and served out of a pewter tankard, I really didn’t care what it looked like. Just slightly yeastier than I would expect on the aroma, but the rest was excellent. So much so in fact that I ended up drinking a gallon of it and never even considered drinking anything else despite the approving noises being made about the other beers from the Camra group.
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Dark Star - Porter (aka City)5.50Not Tried
Dark Star - Over The Moon3.80Not TriedWe’ve decided that it isn’t a mild as it is too hoppy and should therefore be classed as a dark bitter.
Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)3.40Not Tried
30 Jan 2009 (Mick)
Absolutely packed with locals, I have never seen the place so busy.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)4.70ExcellentMartyn was a bit reluctant to serve this as it was not 100% clear but this did not impair the taste. Superb, amazing hop character with the cascade and centennial hops bursting through, slightly lacking on the finish but still superb.
Dark Star - Porter (aka City)5.50Not Tried
Hook Norton - Old Hooky4.60Not Tried
Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)3.40Not Tried
30 Jan 2009 (Blair)
It's been far too long since I've been here, nearly 2 months I believe. Once inside it felt like I'd never been away. Really busy tonight, hitting 33 people at one point. Thankfully I didn't take too much stick tonight, looks like the shock of discovering my veganism is over.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Dark Star - Porter (aka City)5.50ExcellentFantastic porter. Rich chocolate flavour with a little smokiness. The strength did get to me after a couple though.
Hook Norton - Old Hooky4.60GoodChestnut coloured bitter. Very fruity with a nutty flavour to it. Very nice.
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)3.40Not Tried
30 Jan 2009 (KB)
Goodness me wasn't it busy tonight. Had to fight for a place. In these times its obviously a sign of the good beer and company that Martyn provides. I was on the Harveys tonight and it was as excellent as ever. Its always worth a trip to this pub for the beer and entertainment provided by Martyn and the locals.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00ExcellentAt this pub the colour and taste are always the same - excellent

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About The Butchers Arms

The pub sign. The Butchers Arms, Herne, Kent

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional239
Excellent424
Good92
Acceptable14
Poor-

Website.

The pub is found in Herne, Kent, CT6 7HL.

In the middle of Herne village in Herne Street, once the Canterbury Beer Shop selling beer straight from the cask. It is now a pub (with the same owner as before) and still does off-sales which is fantastic! Voted CAMRA Kent Pub of the Year in 2008 and East Kent CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2009 (...and not surprisingly). Regarded universally as the first micropub, which has spawned many similar ventures in East Kent and throughout the UK. Real ales are kept on gravity dispense in a cold room to the right and you will view this when you walk through it to the unisex toilet at the rear. Displays a Micropub Association Certificate of Registration warranting, annually, that it adheres to the tenets and ethics of the Association's definition of a micropub. Since post-Covid re-opening in October 2021 now open 5-8 Tuesday to Friday only. The landlord and founder of the Micropub Association, Martyn Hillier, was awarded an MBE in the 2024 New Years Honours list for services to Business and to Hospitality.

We have visited this pub 378 times, seen 164 different beers and tried 135 of them.

Map location

Postcode: CT6 7HL