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The County Hotel (Wetherspoon)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell |  | 2 |
| RCH - Old Slug Porter |  | 1 |
| Gale's - Robins Revenge |  | 1 |
| Elgood's - Snickalmas | | 1 |
| Lincolnshire Craft (formerly Tom Wood's) - Shepherd's Delight | | 1 |
| Wild's - Wild Party | | 1 |
| Oakham - JHB | | 1 |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - John Young Christmas Ale | | 1 |
| Hydes - Yule Be Back | | 1 |
| Butcombe - Gold | | 2 |
| Camerons - Creamy Bitter |  | 1 |
| St Georgenbrau - Kellerbier | | 1 |
| Freeminer - Bitter | | 1 |
| Vale - Wychert | | 1 |
| Wychwood (now brewed at Banks's) - Santa Claws | | 1 |
| Brouwerij Het Anker - Gouden Carolus Ambrio | | 1 |
| Batemans - Blackbeerd | | 1 |
| Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Beacon Hill (was Beacon) | | 1 |
| Caledonian - Golden Promise | | 1 |
| Mauldons - Bah Humbug | | 1 |
| Titanic - Night to Remember |  | 1 |
| Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Greene King - Abbot | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marston's - Burton Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marston's - Pedigree | Not Tried | 0 |
| Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Tiger | Not Tried | 0 |
| Highgate - Prancer's Pride | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hop Back - Good Elff | Not Tried | 0 |
| Lincolnshire Craft (formerly Tom Wood's) - Jolly Snowman | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
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.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
30 Oct 2005 (Ian)
Sunday lunchtime. You know what? I can't wait for the smoking ban to come in. In order to avoid the smokers I have to go into the family area, which on a Sunday is just full of screaming kids. This is not what pubs were built for!!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batemans - Blackbeerd | 3.60 | | Part of the JDW Autumn Beer Festival. Black beer, thin lasting tight dark beige head. Milky dark roasted malts and some hop aroma. Fairly full in mouth with grainy roastedness on finish and good bitterness that tingles the tongue. Nice dark beer |
| Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Beacon Hill (was Beacon) | 3.80 | | Copper orange colour with thin lasting white head. Green apple, nettle and caramel aromas. Fullish in mouth with more caramel and some green apple acid. Nettley hop on end. Some muddiness in the middle somewhere too |
| Caledonian - Golden Promise | 5.00 | | Golden colour with thin off white lasting head. Smell of hay and butter, bit of ginger and caramel flavour in mouth. Finish has good tangy hop. Better on cask than in bottle. Malts have nice biscuitiness |
| Titanic - Night to Remember | 4.30 | | Not convinced this was exactly how it is supposed to be. Copper colour with thin lasting beige head and good lacing. Tangerine citrus throughout, touch of caramel. Finish is quite short with more citrus |
16 Oct 2005 (Ian)
Sunday lunchtime, sat in non smoking family area, with lots of families enjoying the Sunday roast. Still has a good turnover of guest beers.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincolnshire Craft (formerly Tom Wood's) - Shepherd's Delight | 4.00 | | Copper colour, lasting beige head. Earthy attractive hop aroma. Creamy in mouth with some red berry and then bitter hop finish. Not a bit fan of Tom Wood, but this is good |
| Freeminer - Bitter | 4.00 | | Hazy pale gold colour, lasting beige head. Pear drops, lemon aromas. OK in mouth some muddy malt. Zippy, tangy hop, citrus finish. Not sure it is supposed to taste like this, but very nice all the same. Lemon is quite intense on finish |
| 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 |
About The County Hotel
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 18 |
| 129 |
| 185 |
| 166 |
| 28 |
The pub is found in Ashford, Kent, TN24 8TD.
Typical Wetherspoon's drinking hall in High Street. Standard 'Spoon's regular beers with guest beers normally the best bet. 2 banks each of 4 handpumps on the higher level bar and 6 handpumps on the lower level.
We have visited this pub 340 times, seen 469 different beers and tried 376 of them.
Postcode: TN24 8TD