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The Butchers Arms (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter |  | 3 |
| Dark Star - Hophead Extra | | 2 |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | | 7 |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) |  | 1 |
| Dark Star - English Pale Ale | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Porter (aka City) | | 1 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | | 2 |
| Dark Star - Winter Meltdown | | 2 |
| Dark Star - Six Hop |  | 3 |
| Larkins - Traditional | | 1 |
| Belvoir - Beaver Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Festival | Not Tried | 0 |
| JW Lees (see also Lees) - Harvest Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hook Norton - Old Hooky | Not Tried | 0 |
| Exmoor - Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
21 Jun 2008 (Andrew)
It late evening and it was time for a pint. I arrived with Jane's mum and sister and found the pub nice and busy. I asked Martyn for a pint of HopHead but he said it was past his serving time. My heart sank but then he smiled and said he wasn't serving because it was now "self-service time". So I went and poured our drinks. Fantastic. Jane's mum told Martyn that we'd just come from visiting my new daughter in hospital so from then on he called her "Gran" and Jane's sister "Auntie". Martyn shook my hand and wouldn't let me pay for the drinks.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | The king of hoppy session beers. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Exmoor - Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried |
14 Jun 2008 (Mick)
We arrived mid evening, the locals were on form with plenty of banter, a superb atmosphere.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | An exceptional pint (or three). Perfect condition, with that unmistakable Harveys taste. Superb |
14 Jun 2008 (Andrew)
Arrived about 6.30 and there were a good number of people in. I was really in to buy 2 litres of Hop Head but I thought I'd have a half of Over-the-Moon while I was at it. I was just about to finish my half when Martyn passed me a half of something that wasn't on the board. It was the last of the Darkstar APA. Fantastic. One of the things I really like about this pub is that within 20 seconds of arriving Martyn was making me laugh with his stories of the day’s activities.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 4.70 | | Great aroma of lemons. Fantastic light hoppy astringent beer. |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | Greate taste of smooth bitter raisins. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | Smooth cereal body with that great Dark Star hoppy signiture. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB | 5.50 | Not Tried |
31 May 2008 (Blair)
Steady stream of people coming in and out. Great atmosphere as always, once again took abuse for being a 'thanetian.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Delicious. Very malty with a little caramel. Just stunning really. |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB | 5.50 | | Best pint of this I've had. A little fruity and a bit of malt. Really good. |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | Lovely dark mild, carmael and chocolate with a slight hop background. |
| Larkins - Traditional | 3.40 | | Clear copper coloured beer, little bit of toffee and citrus. Quite nice. |
| Hook Norton - Old Hooky | 4.60 | Not Tried |
17 May 2008 (Andrew)
Cam visited about 3 hours earlier to buy 4 litres of Hop Head (which was superb). After we'd had some dinner we jumped on the bus and got down there. We walked in and ordered Hop Head - but it wasn't on any more - only Harveys and ESB. Apparently I wasn't the first customer to enquire whether Harveys and ESB was it. Martyn said he had a bottle of something light coloured we could have but he couldn't remember what it was. Well it was excellent. It was definitly a DarkStar and most probably, Martyn thought, Six Hop. Nothing better than pot luck hey!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | Best session beer (and that's the only kind of beer I really care about) in Britain. |
| Dark Star - Six Hop | 6.50 | | Well we think it was this and it fits so that's what it was. Light straw coloured beer with a JHB like hop character and a very drying hop finish. Lovely. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| JW Lees (see also Lees) - Harvest Ale | 11.50 | Not Tried |
18 Apr 2008 (Blair)
Just came in for some 'supplies' for a camping trip out in blean woods. Would have loved to stay for a session but had minimal time to pitch our tents. Jovial as always, I'm already starting to feel like a regular.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | What more can really be said about this beer? Hoppy, fruity, full of flavour and only 3.8%. |
| Dark Star - Six Hop | 6.50 | | This beer is outstanding, although I don't remember passed the second pint of it. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Belvoir - Beaver Bitter | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Festival | 5.00 | Not Tried |
12 Apr 2008 (Ian)
We caught the bus from Herne Bay to here to get here for opening. Best moments of a great evening were meeting Mick (Lofty) who reads the site, giving Martyn a sample of the Stone Double IPA which I had bottled from the Saxon Shore, the rugby players and the general atomsphere of people enjoying themselves. Oh, yes, and the beer.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | This is the best pint of the best session beer in the UK. Hands down. Could have drunk it all night. |
| Dark Star - Six Hop | 6.50 |  | Bit disappointed with this (although nothing to do with how Martyn kept it) as at the Thanet BF at Easter the hops were a lot more crunchingly green on the finish. A little bit syrupy in the malts too. But difficult for this beer as I have drunk so much of the Stone DIPA in the past 2 weeks. |
12 Apr 2008 (Andrew)
Ian, Martin, Charlie and I were first in. Within 15 minutes the pub was packed. We had a fantastic night chatting with Martyn, Mick and a group of Rugby players from Essex.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | Well, I had 5 pints of this so that says quite a lot. Probably the best session bitter in the UK. |
| Dark Star - English Pale Ale | 4.50 | | Pale brown colour. Some buscuity malt with that distinctive Darkstar hop signiture to it |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | Lots of people were drinking this but it wasn't on the board. |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | Not Tried | Sold out after an hour. |
| Dark Star - Six Hop | 6.50 | Not Tried |
05 Apr 2008 (Blair)
Came with a few friends, managed to squeeze in. Really friendly, chatted to all the locals. It was a bad idea taking the route through the golf course back to the station, fell in a fair few ditches.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Winter Meltdown | 5.00 | | This was actually a mix of winter meltdown and an imperial stout that one of the customers had brewed himself. The imperial stout on it's own was delicious and mixing it with the winter meltdown created one of the finest beers I'll never be able to drink again. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | Lovely hoppy straw ale. Really refreshing. |
| Dark Star - Hophead Extra | 5.80 | | This beer is outstanding, floral and grassy with a lovely hoppy flavour. |
| Dark Star - Winter Meltdown | 5.00 | | Quite pleasant, malty and sweet. Not sure I'm a fan of the ginger though, not my bag really. |
29 Mar 2008 (Blair)
Cycled from Broadstairs especially to come here, and well worth the effort. The most unusual place I've ever been. Beer was stunning and the owner and locals were all really friendly. My new favourite pub.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead Extra | 5.80 | | My mate had this and I had a sipette. Not marked up on the board but he had some lying out back apparently. Absolutely gorgeous, I wish this was easier to find. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | The best pint of this I've ever had. Fruity and Caramel, really refreshing pint. |
| Dark Star - Porter (aka City) | 5.50 | | Lovely porter, fruity with chocolate and toffee. Still never had a Dark Star beer I haven't loved. |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried |
About The Butchers Arms
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 239 |
| 424 |
| 92 |
| 14 |
 | - |
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.
Postcode: CT6 7HL