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Rack of Ale (Free House)

We believe this building is NO LONGER a pub

[More Visits]

Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Titanic - Plum PorterExcellent3
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Shefford BlondeGood1
Hambleton - New World Pale AleGood1
Plain Ales - Inndulgence (superseded by 5.2% version)Good1
Naylor's - Cratchit's CrackerGood1
Goddards - Wight SquirrelGood1
Otley - O4 ColumboGood1
Harvey's - Sussex Best BitterGood1
Curious (formerly Chapel Down Winery) - Curious Brew (keg)Good1
Titanic - Raspberry WheatAcceptable1
Bushy's - HumbugAcceptable1
Lincoln Green - SherwoodAcceptable1
Goacher's - Best Dark Ale (aka Original)Acceptable1
Big Hand - SavannaAcceptable1
Tír Dhá Ghlas - Pig's EarAcceptable1
Bespoke - Brass Monkey Black IPANot Tried0
Titanic - SteerageNot Tried0
Portobello - White CityNot Tried0
Caledonian - Flying Scotsman (superseded by 3.5% version)Not Tried0
Tír Dhá Ghlas - 50 001Not Tried0
Otter - AmberNot Tried0
Westerham - British Bulldog "BB" (was 4.3%)Not Tried0
RCH - Hewish MildNot Tried0
Potbelly - Beijing BlackNot Tried0
House Beer - Rack House Ale House AmberNot Tried0
Plain Ales - InncognitoNot Tried0
Westerham - Finchcocks OriginalNot Tried0
Great Newsome - Frothingham Best BitterNot Tried0
Hop Fuzz - Old American PaleNot Tried0
Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter AleNot Tried0
Romney Marsh - Cinque PorterNot Tried0
RCH - Steaming SantaNot Tried0
Peerless - Jack Frost BlondNot Tried0
Wantsum - Black PrinceNot Tried0
Cairngorm - White LadyNot Tried0
Loddon - RB Reading BestNot Tried0
Tír Dhá Ghlas - Pigs Ear (a.k.a. Pigs Ear Summer Ale)Not Tried0
Titanic - Lifeboat AleNot Tried0
Bridestones - Citra RedNot Tried0
Springhead - Left LionNot Tried0
Brewster's - Rutterkin (superseded by 5% version)Not Tried0
Three B's - The Bees KneesNot Tried0
Grainstore - Rutland BeastNot Tried0
Wold Top - Wolds Way Pale AleNot Tried0
Titanic - Chocolate & Vanilla StoutNot Tried0
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Directors (use Banks's entry now please)Not Tried0
Plain Ales - InndulgenceNot Tried0
Timothy Taylor - LandlordNot Tried0
Ilkley - Mary ChristmasNot Tried0
Bath Ales - Gem BitterNot Tried0
Hanlons (formerly O'Hanlon's) - Stormstay Premium AleNot Tried0
Dark Star - Partridge Best BitterNot Tried0
Picture 1. Rack of Ale, Dover, Kent
Picture 2. Rack of Ale, Dover, Kent

Visits Details

03 Sep 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening and I settled here for the duration having been told here that The Lanes is closed on Sundays for a while at the moment for family reasons. Nice and quiet here and time for typical Micropub conversations.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Good
Goacher's - Best Dark Ale (aka Original)4.10Acceptable
Tír Dhá Ghlas - Pig's Ear3.80Acceptable
09 Jun 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid evening visit, known CAMRA faces holding court.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Lincoln Green - Sherwood4.40AcceptableJust about OK, lacking head and condition
Wantsum - Black Prince3.90Not Tried
Tír Dhá Ghlas - Pigs Ear (a.k.a. Pigs Ear Summer Ale)3.70Not Tried
Springhead - Left Lion4.00Not Tried
07 Apr 2017 (Jack William)
Early evening - jolly.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Titanic - Plum Porter4.90ExcellentWow.
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Shefford Blonde3.90Good
Hambleton - New World Pale Ale3.90GoodLovely dryness.
Great Newsome - Frothingham Best Bitter4.30Not Tried
Romney Marsh - Cinque Porter4.20Not Tried
15 Dec 2016 (Jack William)
Early evening - just one other in. Landlady bemoaning that the opening of the Breakwater brewery and tap tonight had stolen all her customers. Wonderful mural of the sklyline of Dover that I haven't seen before - covering nearly half of one wall.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Naylor's - Cratchit's Cracker4.20GoodNice and lemony.
Curious (formerly Chapel Down Winery) - Curious Brew (keg)4.70GoodAdvertised as "on pump" - lively and bright.
Big Hand - Savanna3.90AcceptableA bit lifeless.
10 Dec 2016 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. The place is going off the Micropub beam here now with music booming from the rear room.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Bushy's - Humbug5.00AcceptableFor some reason wrongly described here as Mount Murray Brewery. If only the pub would display the pumpclip attached to the beer blackboard
RCH - Hewish Mild3.60Not Tried
Naylor's - Cratchit's Cracker4.20Not Tried
Big Hand - Savanna3.90Not Tried
House Beer - Rack House Ale House Amber4.10Not TriedBarmaid could not or would not say what this beer was so no go
16 Jul 2016 (Stephen Harris)
My little group of three move on here and we find the front part of this little pub busy but the back room empty. We realise we are following a similar itinerary to a large group of Peterborough CAMRA folk.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Titanic - Plum Porter4.90ExcellentA delicious beer that is always a good choice.
Caledonian - Flying Scotsman (superseded by 3.5% version)4.00Not Tried
Otter - Amber4.00Not Tried
26 May 2016 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until 2215. Just a few in and was entertained by an impromptu piano recital and sort of singsong. Healthy 20% CAMRA discount tonight.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Titanic - Plum Porter4.90Good
Titanic - Raspberry Wheat4.70AcceptableAs flat as a bloomin' pancake but lots of flavour in an alcopop sort of way
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Directors (use Banks's entry now please)4.80Not Tried
Timothy Taylor - Landlord4.30Not Tried
Bath Ales - Gem Bitter4.10Not Tried
Dark Star - Partridge Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Titanic - Steerage3.80Not Tried
05 Feb 2016 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Quick one before Dover Winter Ales Festival visit. Far more beers on than usual obviously to complement to nearby festival and pub was packed. Irritating to find confusing beer descriptions on the menu board with many not showing their brewery name but the county or town of origin instead e.g. Merseyside instead of Peerless and Kettering instead of Potbelly. Beer names were shortened too in some cases. Just makes selection tiresome. Easy solution - fix a pumpclip on the blackboard next to the beer.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Otley - O4 Columbo4.00Good
Westerham - British Bulldog "BB" (was 4.3%)4.10Not Tried
Potbelly - Beijing Black4.40Not Tried
Westerham - Finchcocks Original3.50Not Tried
Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale4.80Not Tried
Peerless - Jack Frost Blond4.10Not Tried
Loddon - RB Reading Best4.00Not Tried
Bridestones - Citra Red4.20Not Tried
Three B's - The Bees Knees3.70Not Tried
Wold Top - Wolds Way Pale Ale4.00Not Tried
17 Dec 2015 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Only customer after the other customer left. Dog-ends of a beer festival with all ales priced at £2 pp. Had a quick look at the Back Rack - the new area of leather sofa seating at the very rear of the house.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Goddards - Wight Squirrel4.30Good
RCH - Steaming Santa4.50Not Tried
Cairngorm - White Lady4.70Not Tried
Titanic - Lifeboat Ale4.00Not Tried
Brewster's - Rutterkin (superseded by 5% version)4.60Not Tried
Grainstore - Rutland Beast5.30Not Tried
Titanic - Chocolate & Vanilla Stout4.50Not Tried
Titanic - Plum Porter4.90Not Tried
Plain Ales - Inndulgence5.20Not Tried
Ilkley - Mary Christmas4.70Not Tried
Hanlons (formerly O'Hanlon's) - Stormstay Premium Ale5.00Not Tried
Bespoke - Brass Monkey Black IPA4.60Not Tried
Portobello - White City4.50Not Tried
Tír Dhá Ghlas - 50 0015.50Not TriedNamed after a preserved Dover lifeboat. I am taking a punt that this was brewed by Tír Dhá Ghlas - a local brewery; the blackboard and printed menu said Ty Glas brewery and I can not find one in Wales or indeed anywhere. Too much of a coincidence and prompted by a lateral thinking fellow contributor to this site
30 Oct 2015 (ChrisE)
A good friendly crowd in tonight. The extension at the rear is progressing well. We had the sound of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon playing on the pub's sound system. There was also a beer called Pig's Ear on sale but I am not sure which of the possible breweries it was from, I must remember to take my distance glasses with me in future so that I can read chalked up menus from my seat.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Plain Ales - Inndulgence (superseded by 5.2% version)4.20Good
Plain Ales - Inncognito4.80Not Tried
Hop Fuzz - Old American Pale4.20Not Tried

[More Visits]

About the Rack of Ale

The pub sign. Rack of Ale, Dover, Kent

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional-
Excellent20
Good24
Acceptable9
Poor-

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

First Micropub in Dover, as a conversion of a former shop in Park Place just off Ladywell - previously Kenneth Bird Opticians. Opened on Thursday 10th October 2013. A long narrow venue with wall mounted high bench seats on both side walls and high slatted tables to match. Several lower tables and chairs towards the rear. Brightly lit washing up area at the back leads to the real ales and ciders gravity stillage room for the casks. In autumn 2015 a further area of comfortable sofa seating was added at the very rear - called the Back Rack. Real ale menu takes the form of oval blackboards for each ale on rear wall plus a larger oblong menu board for ciders and other availables. Heavíly hop adorned high on the walls and even some hops in the unisex toilet. Operates a loyalty card scheme for multiple purchases for all, and gives a healthy Monday to Thursday CAMRA discount on real ales and ciders in pints and halves. Ceased trading after close of business on Saturday 2nd December 2017 allegedly after a proposed rent hike which was unacceptable to the licensee.

We have visited this pub 34 times, seen 104 different beers and tried 38 of them.

Map location

Postcode: CT16 1DF