The County Hotel (Wetherspoon)
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Visits Details
22 May 2005 (Ian)
Coming to the end of what has been a pretty good May beer festival with up to 10 different beers on. Still the feel of a Wetherspoons though.
Springhead - Bitter | 4.00 |  | Tawny beer, good hoppy nose, good balance throughout of hop and citric fruit. Has a really nice almost lemon/strawberry flavour. Very well constructed, with drying hoppy, strawberry finish. I liked this a lot |
Cains - Dark Mild | 3.20 |  | Black mild. Very chocolate malts on nose and flavours. Very burnt charcoal nose. Not like it is in Liverpool, but the choc malts are excellent |
St Peter's - Organic Ale | 4.50 |  | Getting a bit tired, but still interesting. Citric hoppiness with almost a vegetal flavour coming through |
Arkell's - Moonlight | 4.50 |  | Golden colour. Flowery hoppy nose with caramel in mouth and astringent flowery hops on end. Some lemony hoppy citric acidity and some earthiness. Interesting |
19 May 2005 (Ian)
Still a Wetherspoon's, still the only place for a decent pint in Ashford town centre. May beer festival is currently on with up to 10 guest beers
Beartown (latterly part of Manning Brewers) - Black Bear | 5.00 |  | Dark ruby colour. Toffee and chocolate on nose, chocolate malts, some coffee hints. Very nice. Mouthfeel is a bit grainy/roasted, a bit overly carbonated. Nice though |
St Peter's - Organic Ale | 4.50 |  | Golden ale, hoppy tangerine nose, slighly creamy in mouth, with acidic creamy finish with more tangerine/orange fruit and hop dryness. I like this a lot |
Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Perfick | 4.50 |  | Brown/orange colour. Not a lot of nose, some goldings citrus, some body, but you can tell it is dry hopped with tangy (lemon) green hops on end |
Smiles - Bristol IPA | 4.50 |  | Amber in colour. Some hops on nose, scidic in mouth and on end. Some hops on end, but ordinary really except when you get a smack of tangy hops on end |
16 May 2005 (Ian)
Wetherspoons in the lower High Street. May beer festival on at moment, giving a good choice of different beers.
Okell's - Spring Ram | 4.20 |  | I still like this beer. Spring fresh hops and citric acids. Good balance |
Camerons - Challenge Ale | 4.50 |  | Chestnut colour, slightly acidic/sour on nose, some chocolate malt on nose, sweet malt in mouth, drying hoppy finish. Should be well balanced but doesn't add up to the sum of its parts |
Spinning Dog - Mutley's Revenge | 4.90 |  | Golden brown in colour, good hoppy nose, some citric grapefruit notes, ok in mouth, slightly acidic with good hoppy tangy grapefruit bite on finish |
Budelse - Budel Alt | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Shepherd Neame - Fuggles Kentish Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Coach House - Banoffee Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Caledonian - Flying Scotsman (superseded by 3.5% version) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Wychwood Hobgoblin IPA (was Ruby Beer, was Hobgoblin) | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
15 May 2005 (Ian)
Fairly quiet in this Wetherspoons in Ashford High Street. Still about the only place to get a decent pint in the town centre. May beer festival is on with upto 8 guests at the moment
Okell's - Spring Ram | 4.20 |  | I liked this. Copper coloured, citrus malty nose, fullish in mouth, slightly sour with good balanced citrus hoppy finish |
Caledonian - Flying Scotsman (superseded by 3.5% version) | 4.00 |  | Dark ruby beer. Malty caramel charcoal on nose, malty caramel flavour, creamy in mouth with mid length finish |
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Burton Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Budelse - Budel Alt | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Shepherd Neame - Fuggles Kentish Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Hardys & Hansons (see now and use Greene King for new entries) - Cursed Galleon | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Coach House - Banoffee Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Camerons - Challenge Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Wychwood Hobgoblin IPA (was Ruby Beer, was Hobgoblin) | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
09 May 2005 (Ian)
Spring beer festival. Good range of festival beers all in pretty good condition. Worth going just to try something different
Budelse - Budel Alt | 4.80 |  | Amber brown in colour. Off white lasting head, fruity malt on nose, some resiny hops, slightly creamy in mouth, malty caramel and bitter dry finish which is slightly spicy |
Gale's - Best Bitter | 3.90 |  | Easy drinking session beer. Ticks all of the hoppy notes you may want |
Shepherd Neame - Fuggles Kentish Ale | 5.00 |  | Caramel colour. Sheps yeast and some slight citric malt on nose. Caramel malt and fullish in mouth, slightly dry finish with some earthiness. Nice for a Shep's beer |
Wadworth - JCB | 4.70 |  | Reddish brown colour. Red fruit malt with dry hop finish. Very drinkable |
Herold Granat - Herold Granat | 5.80 |  | Red coloured ale. Caramel malt nose, sweet alcohol in mouth. Stewed plums and vanilla flavour on end |
Hardys & Hansons (see now and use Greene King for new entries) - Cursed Galleon | 5.00 |  | Very dark ruby/black in colour. Burnt malt nose, rich dark malt fruit with some burntness. Alcohol finish with some dryness |
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Burton Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Pedigree | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
08 May 2005 (Ian)
Wetherspoons in the High Street, the best (only?) place for a decent pint of real ale in the centre of the town.
Gale's - Best Bitter | 3.90 |  | Golden brown colour. Grassy hoppy nose, nice hoppy flavour with plenty of flowery/herby flavours, dry fizzy palate. Hops dominate throughout with dry, tangy finish and light acids |
Buckleys - Best Bitter | 3.70 |  | Now brewed by Brains. Chestnut brown in colour, with light malty nose with some flowery hops. Good sweetish malt in mouth, leading to some red fruity malt and a dryish finish which is quite bitter |
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Burton Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Pedigree | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Hop Back - Flintnapper | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Fever Pitch | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
05 May 2005 (Ian)
Fairly typical Wetherspoons in the lower High Street of Ashford. Normally has up to 4 guest ales on. Now doing Jupiler as well as Hoegaarden and Leffe on tap
Burton Bridge - Tree Cheers | 4.50 |  | Golden brown colour. Slightly malty nose, with some fruit. Sweetish in mouth and slightly cloying with sweetish finish but some dry hop |
Jennings (since closure now brewed at Marston's) - Sneck Lifter | 5.10 |  | Dark ruby colour. Thin chocolate malt on nose. Needed to be changed, tasted like it had been on for about a week. |
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Hoegaarden - Hoegaarden | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Burton Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Pedigree | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
30 Apr 2005 (Ian)
Only place in Ashford for a variety of real ale. Upto 4 guests plus the usual suspects. Guests are normally kept pretty well
Oakham - Harlequin | 4.90 |  | Pale gold colour. Typical Oakham hop, citrus nose and flavours. However, this takes it to another plane. Superb on a hot day |
Hoegaarden - Hoegaarden | 5.00 |  | Cloudy golden colour. Excellent, refreshing wheat beer with hints of orange and spice. Really refreshing |
Jennings (since closure now brewed at Marston's) - Sneck Lifter | 5.10 |  | Good malty chocolate/coffee flavours. Good strong malty ale |
Rebellion - Zebedee | 4.70 |  | |
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 | |
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Shefford Old Dark (SOD) | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
23 Apr 2005 (Ian)
Busy Wetherspoon's especially on a Saturday lunchtime when seating was at a premium. Good range of draught and bottled beers including up to 4 guest ales as well as Leffe and Hoegaarden on draught
Caledonian - Lorimers Special Pale Ale | 5.20 |  | Pale brown colour. Malty fruit on nose with hops like a good IPA used to be. Raspberry malty fruit in mouth with a dry hoppy finish. Excellent beer |
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Shefford Old Dark (SOD) | 5.00 |  | Black in colour. Tarry malt with some dryness on end |
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Wells Bombardier (now superseded by 4.1% version) | 4.30 |  | Mid brown malty beer with a hoppy dry finish |
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Hoegaarden - Hoegaarden | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Burton Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Pedigree | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
03 Apr 2005 (Ian)
Sunny spring day allows you to sit out the back of this Wetherspoons pub, with an "exciting" view over the pub car park and an office block. Largish range of beers with upto 4 guests. Staroporem, Hoegaarden, Leffe Blond on draught along with Duvel and Erdinger Weiss in bottles
Jennings (since closure now brewed at Marston's) - Sneck Lifter | 5.10 |  | Dark brown, Malty nose, roast malt and chocolate/coffee flavours. Stunning. The intensity of the flavours make this a must |
Theakston - XB (was 4.6%) | 4.50 |  | It has been ages since I had this. Back to close to its best. Mid brown colour, malty nose with coffee and roast malt flavours, some fruit. Malty fruity finish with dryness on end |
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 | |
Salopian - Lemon Dream | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Wells Bombardier (now superseded by 4.1% version) | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
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