The County Hotel (Wetherspoon)
[Back to most recent] [Previous Visits] [More Visits]
Visits Details
08 Jan 2006 (Ian)
I had been 10 pin bowling and finished around 10.30pm. Now in the olden days I would have gone straight home, but with the new licensing laws I could go for a drink. Which I did, and I'm glad I did because they had put the pump clip up for Rooster's Leghorn, but it wasn't ready yet, so I knew to come back on Monday to try it.
Burton Bridge - XL Bitter | 4.00 |  | Deep copper colour with bubbly lasting head. Really good English hop/malt nose. Excellent supping best bitter. Slightly full in mouth with drying hop on end. Some toffee, clean, drinkable, slightly tart. Best bitter as it should be. Just a tad too wet in the mouth |
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Dragon Slayer | 4.50 |  | Golden colour, thin white head. Attractive sweetish malt aroma. Good hops, citrus and tangy on the end |
08 Jan 2006 (Ian)
Not sure what I was doing in here, but I was. Whoops!
Hopdaemon - Incubus | 4.00 |  | Looks as though Hopdaemon are supplying the Wetherspoons pubs in the area with Incubus on a regular basis, seen it in Folkestone, Ashford and Maidstone. This had some choc malt, some nice rich fruit flavour and some toffee. Hoppy finish. Thin and tinny compared to what it can be though |
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Dragon Slayer | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
31 Dec 2005 (Ian)
Saturday lunchtime. Might as well finish the year, as I have seem to spend much of 2005 in this pub. The children in the family area though, its enough to drive you to drink, eh? oh... Pretty good choice of beer with 8 real ales on.
RCH - Old Slug Porter | 4.50 |  | Deep ruby colour with thin beige head. Good choc coffee with some black cherry fruit. Full and velvety in mouth. Excellent porter. Choc is a bit powdery but fruit balances and runs throughout |
Butcombe - Gold | 4.40 |  | Fine, some hay, some orange style fruit. Good dry hop finish. Normally fruitier and creamier |
Vale - Wychert | 3.90 |  | Hazy copper colour with thin white head. Maybe not cleared yet. Muddled flavours, nice hop, some strawberry grapefruit. Earthy/muddy but good fruit. Quite a nice session beer, certainly plenty of flavour. Drying hop finish. Some yeast on nose |
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Burton Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Pedigree | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Mauldons - Bah Humbug | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
27 Dec 2005 (Ian)
Tuesday late afternoon and there was a fair smattering of people enjoying the extra bank holiday. 3 or 4 seasonal guests on, but I stuck to the Youngs Christmas Ale which I thought was very drinkable
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - John Young Christmas Ale | 4.30 |  | Deep chestnut colur with tight creamy head. Good fruit, some choc malt, very drinkable, some nice hop with touch of spice cinnamon/nutmeg. Would happily drink this all afternoon |
Mauldons - Bah Humbug | 4.90 |  | Hazy reddish copper colour with thin beige head. Quite spiceyand you can taste the strength with this. Peppery/spicey hop finish. Reasonable aroma. Quite full in mouth with some yeast. Not entirely dropped clear yet, still pleasant mixed fruit flavour |
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Burton Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Pedigree | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Highgate - Prancer's Pride | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Gale's - Robins Revenge | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
11 Dec 2005 (Ian)
Came in for breakfast and saw they had 2 new seasonals on, so I came back in the afternoon to try them
Gale's - Robins Revenge | 4.00 |  | Dark mahogany with thin beige head. V malty with raisins, sultanas, some choc. Not a huge aroma. Warming and sweetish malt, some dry hop finish. Some brown sugar. Quite a good winter beer with plenty of rich fruit |
Wild's - Wild Party | 4.50 |  | Hazy gold with thin white head. More of a summer blond really. Citric hop/lemon aroma. Slightly sweet fruit orange/lemon in mouth. Dull malt aroma then zesty hop finish. Citrus notes are nice |
Lincolnshire Craft (formerly Tom Wood's) - Jolly Snowman | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
Elgood's - Snickalmas | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Camerons - Creamy Bitter | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
Hydes - Yule Be Back | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
09 Dec 2005 (Ian)
Back for the end of the Oakham Bishop's Farewell. Met Martin and we tried the Thatcher's perry, Okocim Premium and Modelo Especial in bottle as well
Oakham - Bishops Farewell | 4.60 |  | Just as good as the day before. |
08 Dec 2005 (Ian)
Always busy on a Thursday evening. The curry crowd was swelled by late night shoppers and the beginning of Xmas meals. Good range of Xmas beers on
Oakham - Bishops Farewell | 4.60 |  | Pale gold in colour with thin creamy white head. Sherbert and Turkish delight with citric hop on the aroma. Light in mouth with astringent citric grapefruit hop on the end. This balances the sherberty sweetness. Just pours down the throat. Simply a delight to drink |
Hydes - Yule Be Back | 4.60 |  | Chestnut colour with thin beige head. Lots of toffee and stilton on aroma. Choc malt and buttery toffee in flavour smooth in mouth, some earthy hop and grainy finish. Toffee is rather dangerously moreish. Would have had more if the Bishop's Farewell wasn't on |
Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Burton Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Pedigree | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Hop Back - Good Elff | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
Camerons - Creamy Bitter | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
05 Dec 2005 (Ian)
Monday, early evening. Not very busy as you'd expect. Cheap drinks though, bitter for £1.39 a pint. Also this is now open at 9am like the other Wetherspoons, so I came in Tuesday morning for breakfast before catching the 10.00 train to London. Didn't have a pint even though there were people who were having an alcoholic drink at 9.30 in the morning. Also extended opening hours into the evening as well
Wychwood (now brewed at Banks's) - Santa Claws | 5.00 |  | OK so I know I said that never again would I have a Wychwood beer, but I had already ordered it before I realised. Russet with thin beige head. Sweet fruit aroma. Sweetish in mouth with some dry hop on end. Some boiled sweet flavour. Fine, but no real interest and too sweet |
Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Tiger | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Butcombe - Gold | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Burton Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Pedigree | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Highgate - Prancer's Pride | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Camerons - Creamy Bitter | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
04 Nov 2005 (Ian)
Sunday lunchtime. Quite busy as per usual with Xmas shoppers and families coming in for Sunday roast
Oakham - JHB | 3.80 |  | Pale gold, thin white head. Citrus nose is fine if a little soapy. Sharp in mouth with good hop citrus finish |
Butcombe - Gold | 4.40 |  | Deep gold colour with thin white head. Some citrus, some golden syrup style malt sweetness. Quite good balance. Not outstanding but good enough. Some pear drop fruit too |
Elgood's - Snickalmas | 5.00 |  | Copper colour with thin beige head. Yeasty aroma with candied orange peel and some caramel. Quite sweet in mouth with dried fruit peel flavours. Finish is citric, acidic which balances the sweetness. Some hop. Quite like this |
Camerons - Creamy Bitter | 3.60 |  | Hazy copper colour with thin beige head. Creamy caramel flavour. Soft in mouth. Faint hop tang on the end. Caramel on the nose. Very soft and easy drinking beer with not a tremendous amount of depth |
31 Oct 2005 (Ian)
Good atmosphere on a Monday night. More relaxed after the screaming Sunday kids. Autumn beer festival is in full swing
St Georgenbrau - Kellerbier | 4.90 |  | Dark copper colour. Thin off white bubbly head. Lager hop aroma, bit of earthiness. Hoppy bite as soon as you taste it. Fades a bit towards the end, which is a little disappointing. OK body for a lager |
Brouwerij Het Anker - Gouden Carolus Ambrio | 8.00 |  | Strange to find this on draught. Copper colour with lasting off white head. Hoppy/yeast aroma with sweetish caramel and hop in mouth. Alcohol kick on end. Smoother than in a bottle. |
[Back to most recent] [Previous Visits] [More Visits]