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The Haywain (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Whitstable - East India Pale Ale (or EIPA) |  | 1 |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | | 1 |
| Potbelly - Pigs Do Fly! |  | 1 |
| Dark Star - Golden Gate | | 1 |
| St Austell - Tribute | | 1 |
| Orkney (Sinclair) - Dark Island | | 1 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 7 |  | 1 |
| Burton Bridge - Staffordshire Knot Brown Ale | | 1 |
| Shepherd Neame - Late Red | | 1 |
| Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - Heart of Oak | | 1 |
| Woodforde's - Wherry | | 1 |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Mad Bob | | 1 |
| Hidden - Potential | | 2 |
| Robinsons - Unicorn | | 1 |
| Westerham - Little Scotney Green Hop Ale | | 1 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - East Kent Pale Ale |  | 1 |
| Marston's - Burton Bitter | | 1 |
| Elgood's - Cambridge Bitter | | 1 |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Wells Bombardier (now superseded by 4.1% version) | | 1 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Shepherd Neame - Master Brew Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood then at Banks's) - Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - DogBolter Dark Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - Hole Hearted | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - British Bulldog "BB" (was 4.3%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Seasider | Not Tried | 0 |
| Whitstable - Oyster Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Chiswick | Not Tried | 0 |
| Burton Bridge - Golden Delicious | Not Tried | 0 |
| Skinner's (now brewed by Goodh) - Betty Stogs Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Potbelly - Beijing Black | Not Tried | 0 |
| Batemans - Combined Harvest | Not Tried | 0 |
| Shepherd Neame - Kent's Best | Not Tried | 0 |
| Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Equinox | Not Tried | 0 |
| Burton Bridge - XL Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Potbelly - Aisling | Not Tried | 0 |
| Whitstable - Native Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wyre Piddle - Piddlesner | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - Finchcocks Original | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marston's - Young's London Original (was Bitter) - previously brewed in Bedford and at Wychwood then Banks's | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hopdaemon - Incubus | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | Not Tried | 0 |
| Coach House - Innkeepers Special Reserve | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
27 Sep 2008 (Brian)
Saturday afternoon session. There were a good few people in, although many were sitting outside in the sun as it was warmer than in the marquee. You can tell that a lot of effort goes into this event, the beers were in great condition (the landlord warned us off the Innkeepers as he said it wasn't right), the open stage was a good idea (the bar girl's rendition of Blue Moon being the highlight)and the overall atmosphere was really pleasant.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Austell - Tribute | 4.20 | | This was the best beer for me. Clear amber colour, bubbly white head, lots of soft fruit in the taste and a bitter finish. Lovely. |
| Orkney (Sinclair) - Dark Island | 4.60 | | Smoky aroma, sour fruit dominates. Excellent. |
| Robinsons - Unicorn | 4.20 | | I had this in Cumbria where it was served with a sparkler, the result was a creamy, soapy brew. Here is was on gravity and it was like a different beer entirely. This was fruity with a sherbert sweetness, marmalade finish. Excellent condition. |
| Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - Heart of Oak | 4.50 | | Mid brown beer with white bubbly disappearing head. This was a pretty standard ale but again in excellent condition. |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Mad Bob | 4.40 | | A bit of sweaty hop aroma. Mid brown colour, quite sweet but fresh. |
| Hidden - Potential | 4.20 | | Light brown, some hop and spice, really quite good. |
27 Sep 2008 (Andrew)
Jane, Isabel and I arrived mid afternoon and immediately bumped into Brian and Pete so we sat and chatted to them. The beer festival was being held in a large marquee in the garden that housed the beer, a small stage and plenty of seating. An eclectic mix of singers and musicians played during out stay with one chap’s rendition of Strawberry Fields being particularly good I thought. The condition of the beer was really good and the staff were very friendly.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 7 | 3.80 | | "The beer wot I saved". Good condition. Rich and syrupy with sharpish hop finish |
| Woodforde's - Wherry | 3.80 | | As the man serving pointed out before he would serve me, it was a bit cloudy but he said it tasted fine. It was, and it did. It had a hint of lemon to it that made it interesting. |
| Hidden - Potential | 4.20 | | In good condition. Reddish in colour with raspberry flavours and a hint of vanilla. The finish was sharpish. |
| Hopdaemon - Incubus | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5 | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Coach House - Innkeepers Special Reserve | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Shepherd Neame - Master Brew Bitter | 3.70 | Not Tried | On at the bar in the pub |
| Shepherd Neame - Late Red | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - DogBolter Dark Porter | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood then at Banks's) - Bitter | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Robinsons - Unicorn | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - Hole Hearted | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| St Austell - Tribute | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Seasider | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Chiswick | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Orkney (Sinclair) - Dark Island | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Skinner's (now brewed by Goodh) - Betty Stogs Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Batemans - Combined Harvest | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - Heart of Oak | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Mad Bob | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Equinox | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Wells Bombardier (now superseded by 4.1% version) | 4.30 | Not Tried | On at the bar in the pub |
| Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried |
17 Aug 2008 (Brian)
Pretty busy on a Sunday lunchtime. Good, friendly atmosphere and the landlord informed me of their forthcoming beer fest, which will be in it's 3rd year I think.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marston's - Burton Bitter | 3.80 | | Quite nice if standard brown, reddish beer. A little sulphour, a bit of malt, but a little thin in the mouth. OK. |
| Shepherd Neame - Master Brew Bitter | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Marston's - Young's London Original (was Bitter) - previously brewed in Bedford and at Wychwood then Banks's | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Wells Bombardier (now superseded by 4.1% version) | 4.30 | Not Tried |
30 Sep 2006 (Brian)
Bramling beer festival, held in marquee in the gardens of the pub. Good selection of ales, live music on a stage made out of hay bales, plenty of seating and a friendly crowd of people on Saturday afternoon. The staff were very friendly and informative - an excellent afternoon session.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitstable - East India Pale Ale (or EIPA) | 4.10 | | First ale that hit me as I was looking at the beer list. Started off with this (it's becoming a bit of a habit). Slightly sweaty hop aroma and with a surprisingly creamy head. Fresh prickly feel in the mouth with the usual excellent citrus twang. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | Stunning. Fresh and clear. Pale golden straw colour, with hay in the aroma. Citrus and mangoes and bananas in the mouth. Clean finish. Could have drunk it all day. |
| Dark Star - Golden Gate | 4.50 | | Pale golden colour, thin bubbly disappearing head. Orange citrus aroma, with bitter marmalade feel. Excellent. |
| Potbelly - Pigs Do Fly! | 4.40 | | Golden ale with intense citrus aroma. Excellent bitter-sweet balance. |
| Shepherd Neame - Late Red | 4.50 | | Dark fruit aroma. Mid brown, no head. Good bitterness and balance. A bit yeasty but easy drinking. |
| Burton Bridge - Staffordshire Knot Brown Ale | 4.80 | | A slight sulphorous aroma. Mid brown clolour with no head. Sour cherries and new carpets in the mouth, followed by bitterness with a hint of caramel. Flinty and slightly sour finish. |
| Westerham - Little Scotney Green Hop Ale | 4.30 | | Light brown with a thin white head. Slightly spicy aroma with citrus finish. |
| Elgood's - Cambridge Bitter | 3.80 | | Last one of the day. It was mid brown with no head. Spice and fruit aroma, but with a thin finish. Not bad, but unremarkable. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - East Kent Pale Ale | 4.10 | | Pale golden with thin bubbly head. A bit thin in the mouth, but with good bitter bite. Not particularly memorable. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5 | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Shepherd Neame - Master Brew Bitter | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - DogBolter Dark Porter | 5.60 | Not Tried | Listed as Gadd's faithful dogbolter, but I assumed that it was the same as the winter porter. |
| Westerham - British Bulldog "BB" (was 4.3%) | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Whitstable - Oyster Stout | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Burton Bridge - Golden Delicious | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Potbelly - Beijing Black | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Shepherd Neame - Kent's Best | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Burton Bridge - XL Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Potbelly - Aisling | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Whitstable - Native Bitter | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Wyre Piddle - Piddlesner | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - Finchcocks Original | 3.50 | Not Tried |
14 Nov 2004 (Andrew)
Noticed a few pump clips behind the bar which were: Pedigree, John Smiths and Courage Best. He had London Pride on but most people were drinking Guiness. Friendly enough pub with a locals feel
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Wells Bombardier (now superseded by 4.1% version) | 4.30 | | Tasted quite hoppy for Bombardier but nice all the same |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried |
About The Haywain
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 4 |
| 66 |
| 60 |
| 17 |
 | 2 |
The pub is found in Bramling, Kent, CT3 1NB.
In Canterbury Road, a country pub which features hanging hop bines and a cosy snug. Several letting rooms in the recently refurbished coach house. Local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year 2020 and 2025.
We have visited this pub 55 times, seen 180 different beers and tried 103 of them.
Postcode: CT3 1NB