PubsandBeer
The Bull (Free House)
[Back to most recent] [Previous Visits] [More Visits]
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Kipling |  | 1 |
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell | | 2 |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Six Hop | | 2 |
| Bottle Brook - Full Moon |  | 1 |
| Dark Star - Victorian Ruby Mild | | 1 |
| Oakham - Inferno | | 3 |
| Meantime - London Stout | | 2 |
| Newby Wyke - Homeward Bound | | 2 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Saint Petersburg Imperial Russian Stout (now superseded by 7.4% version) | | 1 |
| Crouch Vale - Amarillo | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Original | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | | 2 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Ashford | | 1 |
| Newby Wyke - Lord Ancaster | | 1 |
| Crouch Vale - Essex Nights | | 2 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | | 2 |
| Oakham - JHB |  | 1 |
| Bottle Brook - Roadrunner | | 1 |
| Oakham - Tera | | 1 |
| New-K-Ham (Joint Venture Oakham Ales / Newby Wyke) - Eddie Stone | | 1 |
| Newby Wyke - Bear Island | | 1 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Handel | | 1 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Wild Swan (was 3.5%) | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Festival | | 1 |
| Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold |  | 1 |
| Newby Wyke - White Squall | | 1 |
| Newby Wyke - Kingston Topaz | Not Tried | 0 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples | Not Tried | 0 |
| Meantime - London Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
25 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
I munched off the tender, flavourful rabbit pie again. As usual there was a scoop to be had on the bar. Heavy promotion of the upcoming Dark Star brewery showcase both inside and outside of the pub. The £3 midweek specials have done a great job of bringing the punters in earlier in the week. Locals argued amongst themselves over whether to have muted live coverage of the Liverpool or West Ham game on the TV. The West Ham lot eventually won the battle but not the match.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | Bovril malts and flowery hops. Yummy. |
| Newby Wyke - Lord Ancaster | 4.00 | | Very light, perfect clarity, lemony hops with a counteracting floral sweetness. One of their better efforts. |
| Meantime - London Stout | 4.50 | | See 16 Feb. |
| Newby Wyke - Bear Island | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Original | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Victorian Ruby Mild | 6.00 | Not Tried |
23 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
I've been doing a lot of pubbing lately, even for me. I blame the stress of an economic downturn and widescale redundancies at work. Sometimes only a pint or two in your favourite alehouse will ease the strains of the day. Typical Monday evening with the usual Bull disciples.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Victorian Ruby Mild | 6.00 | | Yes yes yes, a vast improvement on earlier batches. Much more smooth and a pleasant rum-chocolate flavour, touch of port and warming spice. A sheer joy to sup. |
| New-K-Ham (Joint Venture Oakham Ales / Newby Wyke) - Eddie Stone | 4.20 | | Definitely more Newby Wyke-like than Oakham-esque. Pale golden, with bitter verging on astringent hopping. Pleasant but of little distinction when compared to others in the NW range. |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Original | 5.00 | Not Tried |
21 Feb 2009 (JeffnJo)
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Six Hop | 6.50 | | Perfectly served. Rich in flavours - exquisite. A great ale to gently sup and enjoy its complexity. |
| Crouch Vale - Essex Nights | 4.10 | | Distinctly Jo's type of flavour. Good for a 4.1 but weakness lets it down slightly. Dark roasted with slightly chocolate undertone. Bitter dryness. |
| Bottle Brook - Roadrunner | 4.80 | | Light ale. Cideresque. Diasappointingly 'flat' despite a frothy head |
18 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
Tender curried goat on the bone with rice was the £3 midweek special of choice. Typically strong lineup of ales were as well received as ever.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crouch Vale - Essex Nights | 4.10 | | Dark ruby-black 'mild' type dark ale. Roasty malts provide a long, satisfying finish. Impressive. |
| Dark Star - Six Hop | 6.50 | | Strong and powerful yet still sweet and palatable. Terrific. |
| Newby Wyke - Bear Island | 4.60 | | Pale, dry, hoppy and refreshing. Great condition. According to others, my description of "a poor man's Bishop's Farewell" did it a disservice. |
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold | 4.00 | Not Tried |
16 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
I was alerted to the Tera's second coming so Jnr & I headed up for a post-work scoop. Meantime London Stout has also been added to the keg lineup to accompany the London Pale Ale.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meantime - London Stout | 4.50 | | Unpasturized keg black stout, dispensed far too cold but splendid once it's warmed through. Sweet and nutty before the dry roasted malts take precedence. Delicious on draught. |
| Dark Star - Festival | 5.00 | | Dark, malty with subtle liquorice notes and a marmite finish. |
| Oakham - Tera | 4.20 | | Copper brown, enticing spicy nose that stings the nostrils. Bitter, soapy hops, fresh as a daisy. |
| Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold | 4.00 | | Not the best batch, a bit bland, slight buttery taste, lacking fruit hit and complexity. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Meantime - London Pale Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried |
14 Feb 2009 (Ian)
It was Valentine's Day and I wanted to treat myself, so I came here to this fabulous pub. After reading Dubbel's reports, I was eagerly anticipating this and I wasn't disappointed. Garrat and Lynne run an excellent pub, with good locals, good food and with a real wish to serve quality real ales in pristine condition. Lovely garden at the rear too. I sat at the bar chatting to Garrat and the locals about beer and life in general. Although it is a 1.5 hour journey to get here from Ashford involving 3 trains and a bike ride, I will definitely be coming back on a regular basis. One of the best pubs in Kent.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell | 4.60 | | Enormously good. Outstanding. Love the hop, almost like shards of glass bursting over the tongue. Stunning. I had this side by side with the fresh Inferno afterwards. Hard to pick a winner, but the Inferno just about won out. |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | | We finished off one firkin of this and then Garrat went and changed it to a new barrel which was unbelievably good. Pale gold, lasting white head. Really quite tart, but a lovely light piercing citrus fruit beer. Almost lime like. Really great condition too. Wow, that lime/hop is exceptional. Stunning. The freshness on the new barrel was amazing with a harsh mango fruit edge. |
| Newby Wyke - Homeward Bound | 6.00 | | Clear chestnut. Strong syrupy malt flavour, some hops on finish. Again, enormously good condition. An English strong ale I guess, the malts calm down as it opens up and the hop on the finish really comes through. A kind of stinging East Kent Goldings hop finish. Some very good stone fruit flavours with just the merest touch of choc malt. It's a little hot, from the alcohol, some good malts and nice hop on end. Surprisingly good. |
| Dark Star - Original | 5.00 | | Deep brown, lasting beige head. I'm not a real fan of this beer, but this is the best I've had it. Toasty, roasty, even some dark plum fruit, then some dry malt/fruit and hop on the finish. Really very good. Some good choc. Oddly enjoyable. Just more flavours and textures than I've had before with this beer. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | Very popular in the pub and Garrat and I talked about the slight diacetyl edge it had. He likes it, I unfortunately don't. Purely personal opinion here as to it being a 3/5, but served in great condition. |
13 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
With the promise of a top scoop in the shape of Oakham Tera I counted down the hours to clocking off time. Alas, it had run dry but an East Midlands feast cushioned the blow. Lots of diners also enjoying Lynne's homemade chips.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Bishops Farewell | 4.60 | | Chocced full of grapefruit and lime, dry yet fruity finish, some discreet strawberry never previously detected. In the form of its life. |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | | See 05 Feb. |
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | | Light and delicately hopped. Not as brash as most of the Oakham range. Fine condition. |
| Newby Wyke - Homeward Bound | 6.00 | | Good ruby warmer with a big hitting boozy finish. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried |
05 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
Thornbridge Brewery Showcase kicked off in style. Six Thornbridge brews from gravity, plus Wild Swan on the handpumps along with three others. Garrett and Lynne hosted the Bingo Quiz which kept everyone interested for the vast majority of the evening. Big attendance and customers were also thanked with a complimentary finger buffet rounded off with fine cheeses to pair up with the ale. A fantastic night.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Kipling | 5.20 | | South-pacific pale ale laden with antipodean hops, giving tropical, kiwi and passion fruit flavours the like of which I have never tasted before. Wonderful. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | | Most surprisingly, probably the only one of the Thornbridge brews sampled not to be on tip top form. The slightest haze ever so slightly dulled down that trademark grapefruit smack, although it could well have been the result of having it straight after the Kipling. |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | | Massively refreshing, bitter lemon hoppy masterpiece. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Saint Petersburg Imperial Russian Stout (now superseded by 7.4% version) | 7.70 | | Dark, rich, packed full of all the right flavours and just so devastatingly drinkable for its strength. Deserves every accolade coming to it. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Ashford | 4.20 | | Nu-skool brown ale, deliciously flavoured with thick chocolate malts. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Wild Swan (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | | A pale session-strength beer that has won a lot of fans. It's good but for me a little too subtle, especially when compared directly with Hophead. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Handel | 6.60 | | Belgian dubbel style ale with an immediate bananary hit, heavy Belgian yeast and perfectly complimented by the creamy stilton on offer. Did become a bit heavy going for me towards the end of the pint though. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - White Squall | 4.80 | Not Tried |
03 Feb 2009 (Dubbel)
Had my arm twisted to head up here again in the snow and ice. As ever, very glad that I did. The incredible £3.00 rabbit pie with mash, three veg and gravy was complimented perfectly by some outstanding golden ale. Thornbridge casks were racked up and settling nicely for the weekend's brewery showcase. Pleased to report Garrett was back on his feet and soldiering on!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 4.70 | | Immaculate dispense, hugely creamy, citrus and floral flavours poke through then the creaminess kicks in again and persists through the finish. |
| Crouch Vale - Amarillo | 5.00 | | Golden, crisp and delightfully hopped with one of my absolute favourite hop varieties. Princely beer. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Newby Wyke - White Squall | 4.80 | Not Tried |
30 Jan 2009 (Dubbel)
Landlord laid up after damaging his back lugging casks around the cellar. Five prime ales still in top condition.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | See 23 Jan. |
| Dark Star - Over The Moon | 3.80 | | Seems to change colour intermittently. Distinctly brown today and served cool. Delicious roasted malt whack and lipsmacking hop finish. Blinding pseudo 'mild'. |
| Bottle Brook - Full Moon | 4.60 | | Amber-brown, full bodied best. Fruity bouquet, sweet malts, spicy twang and a long, juicy hop finish. Gorgeous. |
| Newby Wyke - White Squall | 4.80 | | PGHB - Pale Golden Hoppy... Bitter. Thin, very bitter hops. Decent but today's poor relation. |
| Newby Wyke - Kingston Topaz | 4.20 | Not Tried |
About The Bull
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 62 |
| 156 |
| 68 |
| 14 |
 | 5 |
The pub is found in Horton Kirby, Kent, DA4 9DF.
Outstanding genuine freehouse. Ever-changing selection of guest ales and ciders, many rare to the area served in consistently excellent condition. Regular beer festivals, discos, BBQs and various other events. Monthly brewery showcase (1st weekend of the month) with at least six ales from one particular enterprising brewery. Friendly atmosphere and great home-cooked food (Tues-Sun) made with locally-sourced ingredients. Gravesend & Darent Valley CAMRA Pub of the Year 2008 and 2009 and West of Kent Pub of the Year 2009.
We have visited this pub 91 times, seen 200 different beers and tried 156 of them.
Postcode: DA4 9DF