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White Cliffs Beer Festival 2010 (CAMRA Beer Festival)

Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Larkins - PorterExceptional1
Eastwood & Sanders - 1872 PorterExceptional2
Beowulf - Killer StoutExceptional2
St Judes - St Mary's StoutExcellent1
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - JaipurExcellent1
Spectrum - Old StoatwobblerExcellent1
Westerham - Double StoutExcellent2
Moor - JJJ IPAExcellent1
Westerham - Audit AleExcellent1
North Cotswold - Hung, Drawn 'N' PorteredGood1
Museum - Bass P2 Imperial StoutGood1
Acorn - Pacific Gem IPAGood1
Beartown (latterly part of Manning Brewers) - Black BearGood1
Green Jack - Mahseer IPA (superseded by 5.8% version)Good1
Hopdaemon - DominatorGood1
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Kent Pale AleGood2
Wantsum - HengistAcceptable1
Picture 1. White Cliffs Beer Festival 2010, Dover, Kent
Picture 2. White Cliffs Beer Festival 2010, Dover, Kent

Visits Details

05 Feb 2010 (Blair)
I'd been looking forward to this for ages and it didn't disappoint. My lack of drinking recently sure did show though, the pace got the better of me and I ended up in a crumpled heap at the train station. This may be my last Dover beer festival for years as I'm moving to Australia in May, a sad thought. A fantastic day to end on though!
BeerABVScoreNotes
Beowulf - Killer Stout7.90ExceptionalQuickly becoming a brewery to watch for me. Jet black stout with an almost overpowering flavour of coffee and roasted malt. This was brilliant, beer of the festival.
Eastwood & Sanders - 1872 Porter6.50ExcellentRich and creamy porter with a good thickness to it. A whisker away from being as good as last year, may be down to my tastebuds though.
Spectrum - Old Stoatwobbler6.00ExcellentThick, smoky and very fruity. Really good.
Moor - JJJ IPA9.00ExcellentYup, just as good as I was expecting. Incredibly hoppy yet not overpowering. Really pleasant fruit flavour in there too.
Westerham - Audit Ale6.20ExcellentThis tasted like a mild barley wine to me. Sweet and malty with a fair does of caramel and sweet fruit.
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Kent Pale Ale6.50ExcellentWonderfully hoppy with lots of sweet fruit and malt to go with it.
Westerham - Double Stout5.50ExcellentTangy stout, more like an old ale I'd say. Bitter with plenty of dark fruit. Really good, reminded me of Hogs Back OTT.
St Judes - St Mary's Stout6.00ExcellentTop notch stout. Fruity with roasted malt and a hint of smoke.
Beartown (latterly part of Manning Brewers) - Black Bear5.00GoodNot as good as I was expecting. Ever so slightly bland, however, the fruit and roasted malt flavour was very nice.
Hopdaemon - Dominator5.10GoodI always try this beer to see if it's as good as it was when I first had it and it's yet to do it. Rich and fruity, still a very good ESB.
North Cotswold - Hung, Drawn 'N' Portered5.00GoodVery black with a bready, roasted malt flavour. Good but overshadowed by it's competitors.
Museum - Bass P2 Imperial Stout8.00GoodThis beer was so thick you almost had to chew it. Really dark black with little head. Very strong burnt malt flavour, with not much else actually. Good but not great.
05 Feb 2010 (Ian)
I got here just after 1pm and sat with Brian and his cousin. Martin turned up later and got very drunk and I chatted with some work colleagues. Really good beer festival, less crowded in the seating hall than in previous years, but the beer hall was pretty much packed. One of my favourite beer drinking days of the year.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Larkins - Porter5.20ExceptionalSometimes beers can get over hyped and you expect too much of them and they don't deliver. Well, this is the opposite. It lives up to the hype and high scores. Sublime. Really smooth and easy drinking, yet full of flavour. Mouthfeel and swallow are both perfect.
Eastwood & Sanders - 1872 Porter6.50ExceptionalThe aroma is awesome. Choc aroma, great mouthfeel. Chewy on the swallow. Sublime. I got everyone to drink this as it was so good.
Beowulf - Killer Stout7.90ExceptionalBlack, thin tan head. Oily in the swirl. Good coffee, molasses on aroma. Intense. That is so good, one of the best British imperial stouts I've had. So much tar, but in a good way. Liquorice and molasses and lots of balanced espresso coffee. One of the best impy stouts I've had full stop.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur5.90ExcellentFirst beer of the festival. Very good hoppy finish, but just not quite up to scratch with the flavour in the mouth.
Westerham - Double Stout5.50ExcellentBlack, thin tan head. Good choc and lovely dark fruits on the aroma. Touch of charcoal. Certainly Westerham yeast is present, even a touch of funky manure but in a good way. Really good, funky and I love the manure. Superb.
Acorn - Pacific Gem IPA5.00GoodOrange gold colour with bubbly off white head. Touch of yeast on aroma. Good bitterness, bit metallic. Decent though. Touch of toast.
Green Jack - Mahseer IPA (superseded by 5.8% version)5.00GoodDeep gold, thin white head. Slight sweetness on aroma. Bit of hay on the malt. Orangey fruit and hops. Decent. It grew on me. Leafy subtle, with juicy hop on finish.
Wantsum - Hengist5.00AcceptableOrange gold colour with lasting thin white head. Earthy aroma. Earthy in mouth. Bit muddy. Ok.
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Kent Pale Ale6.50PoorReally sorry Eddie, but I just didn't get on with this at all. Bit of sweetness like condensed milk. Some hop on aroma. I just couldn't finish a half. Will have it again to see if it has improved as Steve said he had it fresh from the fermenter and it tasted good.

About the White Cliffs Beer Festival 2010

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional4
Excellent9
Good6
Acceptable1
Poor1

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

Beer festival held in the Maison Dieu (Town Hall) in Dover. Fantastic venue especially the main hall with the beers that has original paintings, tapestries and flags. Very busy on the Friday afternoon now. Plenty of seating in the hall to the side. All beers over 5% abv.

We have visited this pub twice, seen 17 different beers and tried them all.

Map location

Postcode: CT16 1DL