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East Malling Beer & Cider Festivals 2012 and 2013 (CAMRA Beer Festival)

Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Kingstone - Premium StoutExceptional1
Salopian - Lemon DreamExceptional1
Wylam - RocketExceptional1
Royal Tunbridge Wells - HellesExceptional1
Canterbury Brewers - Hoppin BelgianExceptional2
Kent - Beyond the PaleExcellent1
Vale - Black Beauty Porter (superseded by 4.4% version)Excellent1
Abigale - Hoyman's PorterExcellent2
Swan on the Green - American Pale AleExcellent1
Stewart - Edinburgh GoldExcellent1
Rockin Robin - Reliant Robin (superseded by 3.7% version)Excellent3
Saltaire - Blackberry CascadeExcellent1
Exmoor - BeastExcellent1
Kent - CobnutExcellent1
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Miller's Ale (originally 4.5%)Excellent1
Pin-Up - The Red HeadExcellent1
Canterbury Brewers - 2012Excellent2
Lymestone - Stone the CrowsExcellent1
Westerham - Helles BellesExcellent2
Concrete Cow - Cloven Hoof Vanilla StoutExcellent1
Goddards - Fuggle (or Fuggle Dee-Dum)Excellent1
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's AleGood3
Abigale - NailbourneGood2
Shepherd Neame - Queen CourtGood2
Hop Back - HeraclesGood2
Stonehenge - Danish DynamiteGood1
Royal Tunbridge Wells - DipperGood1
Rockin Robin - Mildly RockinGood2
Downton - Flaming GamesGood3
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale)Not Tried0
Goacher's - Gold StarNot Tried0
Larkins - Best BitterNot Tried0
Swan on the Green - CygnetNot Tried0
Swan on the Green - Fuggles Pale AleNot Tried0
Goacher's - Silver StarNot Tried0
Wantsum - Turbulent PriestNot Tried0
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Red TopNot Tried0
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper TopNot Tried0
Larkins - Platinum BlondeNot Tried0
Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPANot Tried0
Westerham - Spirit of Kent XXX Pale AleNot Tried0
Wantsum - One Hop WillametteNot Tried0
Hopdaemon - Golden BraidNot Tried0

Visits Details

08 Sep 2013 (Dosser)
2013 Festival and possibly the most successful so far. Great pity the beer ran out so early. But rain was forcast and the crowd was far greater than in previous years. Beer of festival was Kent Black Gold and the fastest seller was Goachers Silver star. Only put down beers I sampled.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Salopian - Lemon Dream4.50ExceptionalMy beer of the festival
Kingstone - Premium Stout4.40Exceptional
Exmoor - Beast6.60Excellent
Lymestone - Stone the Crows5.40Excellent
Swan on the Green - American Pale Ale5.00Excellent
Stonehenge - Danish Dynamite5.00Good
01 Sep 2012 (oz11)
Arrived just after 11am on the free bus from Aylesford. Cracking fest and well attended, just a shame we didn't see much of the sun. Have filled in the Kent beers that were available.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Rockin Robin - Reliant Robin (superseded by 3.7% version)4.20ExceptionalPick of the day for me.
Stewart - Edinburgh Gold4.80Excellent
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Miller's Ale (originally 4.5%)4.20Excellent
Concrete Cow - Cloven Hoof Vanilla Stout4.50Excellent
Kent - Beyond the Pale5.40Excellent
Canterbury Brewers - 20124.20Excellent
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale4.30Excellent
Canterbury Brewers - Hoppin Belgian6.50Excellent
Royal Tunbridge Wells - Dipper3.70Good
Hop Back - Heracles2.80Good
Abigale - Hoyman's Porter4.70Good
Downton - Flaming Games4.10GoodListed as 4.1%
Hopdaemon - Golden Braid3.70Not Tried
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale)4.20Not Tried4.2%?
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10Not Tried
Larkins - Best Bitter4.40Not Tried
Swan on the Green - Cygnet4.20Not Tried
Swan on the Green - Fuggles Pale Ale3.60Not Tried
Goacher's - Silver Star4.20Not Tried
Wantsum - Turbulent Priest4.40Not Tried
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Red Top3.80Not Tried
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top4.10Not Tried
Abigale - Nailbourne4.50Not Tried
Larkins - Platinum Blonde3.60Not Tried
Hopdaemon - Skrimshander IPA4.50Not Tried
Westerham - Spirit of Kent XXX Pale Ale4.00Not Tried
Wantsum - One Hop Willamette4.50Not Tried
Pin-Up - The Red Head4.20Not TriedWas offered a taster, but didn't seem to have settled so moved swiftly on.
01 Sep 2012 (Martin the Mildman)
Met up with a select band of beer samplers here including P&B's "Kentish Ale".
BeerABVScoreNotes
Abigale - Hoyman's Porter4.70ExcellentBlack porter with a good bitter, malty flavour with some hoppiness. Full bodied with a dryish finish. My score 16/20 and therefore beer of the festival for me.
Westerham - Helles Belles4.00GoodVery pale lager style beer with a sweetish fruity hop character and some biscuity malt in the background. Fruity finish. My score 15/20.
Rockin Robin - Mildly Rockin3.70GoodQuite a dry mild, dark brown in colour, with an earthy initial flavour before toasted malt takes over to the finish. Rather thin mouthfeel. My score 15/20.
Abigale - Nailbourne4.50AcceptableAmber in colour with quite a strong bitter flavour not entirely from hops. Dry, bitter finish. My score 13/20.
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale4.30AcceptableAmber bitter with a strong hop bitterness. Little malt or citrus flavour. Dry, hoppy finish. My score 13/20.
Shepherd Neame - Queen Court4.50AcceptableAmber bitter with a sharp piney hop character, rather unusual for this brewer. Little maltiness and a rather sharp, dry finish. My score 14/20.
Rockin Robin - Reliant Robin (superseded by 3.7% version)4.20AcceptableAmber bitter with a dryish bitter flavour, moderate hopping and a dryish finish. My score 14/20.
Downton - Flaming Games4.10AcceptableVery pale bitter with strong hop character with some citrus flavour. Dry, hoppy finish. My score 14/20.
01 Sep 2012 (Alenomore)
Kick-off was 11am. The b/f was opened by the local mayor and another special guest was local Radio Kent DJ and well known supporter of Real Ale, Roger "Twiggy" Day, who also signed up for CAMRA membership today too! Well done that man. Another resounding success. Big crowd and great atmosphere. Lots of familiar faces visiting and working. I stayed until 19:30, by which time, virtually all of the Beer and Cider had been consumed! Well done CAMRA. These were the 17 ales I sampled, and all were in perfect condition and the third measures were handy too!
BeerABVScoreNotes
Wylam - Rocket5.00ExceptionalA top ale. 19:15 and my last 1/3 sample of the day and one of the few ales left at this time.
Royal Tunbridge Wells - Helles5.00ExceptionalAnother top class lager type.
Canterbury Brewers - Hoppin Belgian6.50ExceptionalNew and top class too. Several of our group liked this one.
Goddards - Fuggle (or Fuggle Dee-Dum)4.80ExcellentThe 2012 Beer Of The Festival, as judged by an independant panel that included special guest, Roger "Twiggy" Day and top local landlord from the Flower Pot, David Davenport. A top class ale too. A worthy winner from this Isle of Wight brewery.
Vale - Black Beauty Porter (superseded by 4.4% version)4.30ExcellentVery nice, quite pronounced notes.
Saltaire - Blackberry Cascade4.80ExcellentThought this was excellant. Very pronounced berry notes.
Kent - Cobnut4.10Excellent
Westerham - Helles Belles4.00ExcellentTop class lager type.
Abigale - Nailbourne4.50ExcellentTop condition.
Canterbury Brewers - 20124.20ExcellentAnother new ale. Very good.
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale4.30ExcellentA1.
Shepherd Neame - Queen Court4.50ExcellentZoomed in on this straight away. Actually, it was very good. Possibly from the micro plant, one of Shep's better efforts.
Rockin Robin - Reliant Robin (superseded by 3.7% version)4.20ExcellentVery smooth.
Pin-Up - The Red Head4.20ExcellentAnother new ale and brewery for me.
Downton - Flaming Games4.10ExcellentAnother new ale. Very good too.
Hop Back - Heracles2.80GoodActually, very good at this low abv.
Rockin Robin - Mildly Rockin3.70GoodQuite an earthy type. Not bad at all from this local amateur brewer.

About the East Malling Beer & Cider Festivals 2012 and 2013

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional6
Excellent23
Good9
Acceptable5
Poor-

Website.

The pub is found in East Malling, Kent, ME19 6BJ.

The original Maidstone Beer & Cider Festival. The East Malling Research Centre has again provided an excellent venue for the third and fourth festivals. A large marquee in one of the Centre's fields, well laid out bar area, easy to find, only 15 minutes walk from East Malling railway station. A live music stage and food vendors kept the large crowd happy and a plentiful band of CAMRA volunteers kept the ale flowing. Recommended.

We have visited this pub 4 times, seen 43 different beers and tried 29 of them.

Map location

Postcode: ME19 6BJ