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Blakes of Dover (Free House)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Stonehenge - Great BustardExcellent1
Goacher's - Real Mild AleExcellent1
Titanic - BestGood1
Crouch Vale - Best BitterGood1
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 7Good1
Grainstore - Tupping AleGood1
RCH - PitchforkGood1
Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - BitterGood1
Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPAGood3
Hopdaemon - Golden BraidAcceptable1
Triple fff - Pressed Rat & WarthogAcceptable1
RCH - Steaming SantaAcceptable1
Chalk Hill - CHBAcceptable1
York (now brewed by and at Black Sheep) - Yorkshire TerrierAcceptable1
Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - Blake's HeavenAcceptable1
Hopdaemon - IncubusAcceptable3
Ventnor - AntifreezePoor1
Titanic - Capt. SmithsNot Tried0
Grand Union - One Hop GoldingsNot Tried0
Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)Not Tried0
Moles - Moles BestNot Tried0
RCH - East St Cream (was East Street Cream)Not Tried0
Moorhouse's - Pendle Witches BrewNot Tried0
Picture 1. Blakes of Dover, Dover, Kent

Visits Details

18 Nov 2005 (Ian)
Late lunchtime - afternoon session. Basement bar with a mixture of beers on draught and gravity. Good mix of UK micros, usually with something on from Kent, normally Hopdaemon or Gadds. After trying all the beers with halves, I settled on the Grainstore as my session beer. Had a really good afternoon session with Terry talking about photography, cars, France and cooking. Lunchtime was quite busy, quiter during the afternoon and then quite busy again from 4ish onwards
BeerABVScoreNotes
Grainstore - Tupping Ale4.50GoodCopper colour with thin white head. Quite a nice hop nose with some strawberry fruit. Some acids in mouth with drying hoppy end. Quite a nice bitter. Must have been, I did a session on it
RCH - Pitchfork4.30GoodGolden copper colour with no head. Hoppy/good citrus/some tangerine aroma but with balancing caramel malt too. Quite nice in the mouth with good acids and drying hop bitter finish. Good bitter
Hopdaemon - Incubus4.00AcceptableFine. Nice sweetish malts and some good fruit flavours. Not at its best though
RCH - East St Cream (was East Street Cream)5.00Not Tried
24 Sep 2005 (Ian)
Mid saturday afternoon and pretty quiet. Darren and Steve were doing the Times samuri su doku at the bar and that was about it. 3 beers on plus Thatchers cider. Superb collection of whiskey's too.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Crouch Vale - Best Bitter4.00GoodNice hop nose with some biscuity malt. Mid brown colour. Flavour is quite malty with good assertive hop throughout. Some burntness, some fruit. Pretty good best bitter
Hopdaemon - Golden Braid3.70AcceptableBit like the Skrim really. In fact I had the last pint of this and it was taken off to be replaced by the Crouch Vale Best Bitter. Golden Braid was flat and dull.
Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPA4.50AcceptableBit flat. OK, tasted like Skrimshander, but just a bit dull and flat.
Moorhouse's - Pendle Witches Brew5.10Not Tried
10 Aug 2005 (Brian)
Quiet mid afternoon visit. 4 beers on, Skrimshander on hand pull.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPA4.50ExcellentLovely dark brown bitter, best pint I've had for a while
Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)3.40Not Tried
Moles - Moles Best4.00Not Tried
RCH - East St Cream (was East Street Cream)5.00Not Tried
16 Jul 2005 (Ian)
Now under the excellent ownership of Peter and Katherine (ex Yew Tree Inn, Barfrestone). It has a 6 barrel gravity stillage and 3 handpulls on the bar. Pretty rear patio garden leads of a smallish basement bar. Serves good range of UK micros including some from Kent. Definitely worth a visit, but I was there at lunchtime on Saturday when it was not very busy, but the conversation at the bar was good.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Stonehenge - Great Bustard4.80ExcellentDark Chestnut. Malty aroma some roast malt flavour with coffee and then the hops kick in to balance it. Good strong beer
Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPA4.50ExcellentAlthough this beer was not on yet, Ruth behind the bar let me have a pint, which was very kind of her. Raspberry fruit and good hops. Gorgeous top of the barrel beer
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 73.80GoodGolden brown, served in a Gadd's tall sleeve glass. Citric orange aroma, good session beer, slight hay flavour and balanced finish. Very good after a long bike ride
Hopdaemon - Incubus4.00AcceptableDark brown colour. Good malty flavour tempered by hops with some good fruit. Still not up to its best but better than the last 2 pints of this beer I have had recently
York (now brewed by and at Black Sheep) - Yorkshire Terrier4.20AcceptableComing to the end of the barrel. Amber colour some apple nose and some hop. Thinnish and not quite how I remembered it.
26 Jun 2005 (Ian)
Peter and Catherine previously from the Yew Tree Inn at Barfrestone have been in charge for the past 2 and a half weeks. Excellent couple to be in charge. They serve good beer and food that they take care over including where they source the ingredients. 6 barrel stillage still there plus up to 4 handpumps. Good range of UK micros including a mild. Sunday early afternoon with snacks on the bar like olives, cheese, peanuts and some beautifully cooked belly of pork. Blakes cricket side then turned up. They are always looking for new recruits if anyone is interested in a fun game of cricket (even I am playing next Sunday)
BeerABVScoreNotes
Hopdaemon - Incubus4.00GoodExcellent beer from Hopdaemon. Really rich malt flavours along with tasty hops. Very popular on the day I visited
Triple fff - Pressed Rat & Warthog3.80AcceptableBit thin. Did not have its usual full flavour. Peter said that he had been asked to stock a mild wherever possible but it does not seem to be selling in any great quantity
Grand Union - One Hop Goldings4.50Not TriedBrewed as part of the one hop series that funnily enough only uses one hop in order to highlight their flavours
22 Dec 2004 (Ian)
5 beers on in this basement bar with 4 on gravity from a stillage. Can be a bit smokey, but the banter at the bar can be lively.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Goacher's - Real Mild Ale3.40ExcellentExcellent tasty mild full of burnt malt
Titanic - Best3.50GoodGood citrus fruit and hoppy session beer
RCH - Steaming Santa4.50AcceptableRuby seasonal ale with good malt
Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - Blake's Heaven7.00AcceptableGood seasonal dark winter warmer with good malt and some bitterness
Ventnor - Antifreeze5.20PoorToo syrupy
03 Dec 2004 (Ian)
Quiet on a Friday early evening. 2 beers on stillage (Titanic Captain Smith and Chalk Hill CHB) and 1 on handpump (Oakleaf Bitter).
BeerABVScoreNotes
Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - Bitter3.80GoodGood astringent hoppy session bitter
Chalk Hill - CHB4.20AcceptableMid brown, bit watery but with some hoppy bitterness
Titanic - Capt. Smiths5.20Not Tried

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About the Blakes of Dover

The pub sign. Blakes of Dover, Dover, Kent

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional8
Excellent29
Good26
Acceptable12
Poor2

Website.

The pub is found in Dover, Kent, CT16 1PJ.

In Castle Street, a basement bar with a mixture of gravity and handpump beer dispense. Many of the locals from The Mogul have transferred here and the beer shows the same mix of micros. At one time the old cask stillage from The Mogul was in use here. Restaurant at ground floor and accommodation on upper floors.

We have visited this pub 47 times, seen 101 different beers and tried 64 of them.

Map location

Postcode: CT16 1PJ