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Rare Breeds Beer Festival 2008 (CAMRA Beer Festival)

Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)Exceptional2
Goacher's - Silver StarExcellent2
Leyden - Crowning GloryExcellent1
Westerham - 500th Brew IPAExcellent1
Great Orme - Celtic DragonExcellent1
Goacher's - Real Mild AleExcellent1
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Dr Sunshine's Special Friendly English Wheat AleGood1
Rother Valley - Boadicea AleGood1
RCH - Double HeaderGood1
Blindmans - IcarusGood2
Bazens' - Black Pig MildGood1
Purple Moose - Glaslyn AleGood2
Rother Valley - Honey Fuzz (superseded by 4.1% version)Good1
Westerham - Single Hop Bramling CrossGood1
York (now brewed by and at Black Sheep) - CentennialGood1
Moles - Tap BitterAcceptable1
Harviestoun - PtarmiganAcceptable1
Golcar - BitterAcceptable1
Arran (formerly Isle of Arran) - DarkAcceptable1
Three B's - Bobbin's BitterAcceptable1
Cropton (see also Great Yorkshire) - Monkman's SlaughterAcceptable1

Visits Details

07 Jun 2008 (Blair)
Came with the Thanet Camra coach. Really good day. I did feel that the beer list was a little uninspired but there was still enough to not get bored.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Goacher's - Real Mild Ale3.40ExcellentReally good mild, dark with plenty of oats and malt.
Leyden - Crowning Glory6.80ExcellentMy beer of the festival. Dark brown/red in colour. Sweet and malty with bit of coffe. Very easy drinking for it's strength. Great stuff.
Westerham - 500th Brew IPA4.80ExcellentReally nice IPA. Lots of citrus with a bit of toffee. One of my favourites of the day.
RCH - Double Header5.30GoodClear golden yellow beer, a bit of vanilla with plenty of malt.
Bazens' - Black Pig Mild3.60GoodPretty good, dark brown with coffee and a little dark fruit.
Rother Valley - Boadicea Ale4.50GoodNice best bitter, hoppy with toffee and a little citrus. Not an exciting beer, but does the job.
Blindmans - Icarus4.50GoodDark ruby ale with plenty of fruit and nut flavour. I liked this.
Purple Moose - Glaslyn Ale4.20GoodGolden in colour with a light citrus and hop flavour.
Harviestoun - Ptarmigan4.50AcceptableI didn't like this one, very bitter with a little malt and caramel. Not my beer.
Arran (formerly Isle of Arran) - Dark4.30AcceptableBeing called 'Dark' I was expecting a dark beer. Not particularly exciting, dark chestnut colour with a little caramel and a hint of nuts.
Cropton (see also Great Yorkshire) - Monkman's Slaughter6.00AcceptableVery diappointing. Very watery with not a lot of flavour. Dark in colour, with a nice aroma of toffee and fruit. Then you get to the taste and there's nothing there. Shame.
07 Jun 2008 (Ian)
Got here for opening and was 2nd in the queue. I sat with Phil Lowry, Chris Excell and some of the other local Camra branch. Then Alistair, the Ramsgate bunch and Eddie Gadd turned up. Music was a lot better this year. Great festival and a great day, relaxed with good beer and good people.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)4.70ExceptionalI recommended to everyone and everyone liked it. Even non beer drinkers. Just love those American hops.
Goacher's - Silver Star4.20ExcellentAs good as the previous day and the second best beer of the festival behind the Dark Star APA
Great Orme - Celtic Dragon4.50ExcellentNow this was good. Another cracker from Wales. Gold with lasting off white head. Sherberty aroma. Hoppy. The hops are excellent. Little thin in body maybe, but the sherbert hop is lively.
Purple Moose - Glaslyn Ale4.20GoodI admit that sometimes I take againse Welsh breweries for no good reason (except Otley and Evan Evans), but this has changed my perception. Gold with lasting beige head. Looks in good nick. Decent malt hop yeast balanced aroma. Hop and toffee in mouth. Very good nick. Surprisngly good flavours. Finish has some refreshing acidity. A very pleasant bitter.
Blindmans - Icarus4.50AcceptableRusset/dark brown with lasting beige head. Really good malty beer. Dryish malt. Good fruits. Just a bit lacking on finish. Bit nutty, not bad, but as I say, something missing somewhere.
06 Jun 2008 (Ian)
I got here for opening and sat inside with a couple from Gillingham that I see at some beer festivals. Martin and his father turned up later. All beer in good condition and I had a really good time.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)4.70ExceptionalBeer of the festival. I had it 4 times. Just to remind myself of just how good beer can be.
Goacher's - Silver Star4.20ExcellentClear gold, lasting white head. That's excellent. Just great condition, bit creamy and lovely hops. One of the best Goacher's beers. Just lovely. Like Gold Star but as a bitter strength, same flavours, just less alcohol. I had it twice this evening and again on the Saturday.
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Dr Sunshine's Special Friendly English Wheat Ale4.20GoodNever one of my favourite Gadd's beers, but this was particularly good. Gold, lasting off white head. Cracking condition. Nice summer beer, nice hops, some cereal, bit of peach, rose petal. Such great condition and lovely peachy fruit.
Rother Valley - Honey Fuzz (superseded by 4.1% version)3.80GoodA new beer from Rother Valley. Deep gold with thin beige head. Excellent condition. Honey aroma. Bit earthy in mouth. Excellent hop bite on finish, bit nettley even. Not overly honey flavoured but definitely there and a good satisfying finish.
Westerham - Single Hop Bramling Cross4.00GoodCopper colour. Bit of a yeasty aroma. Good fruit. Good condition, nice in mouth, good hops, bit of sherbert, bit of farty years. Bramling Cross presence on end is lovely.
York (now brewed by and at Black Sheep) - Centennial4.00GoodClear gold, lasting off white head. Nice, bit soapy. But lovely aroma, some fullness in mouth, bit soapy again towards end, but some grapefruit.
Three B's - Bobbin's Bitter3.80AcceptableAmber, bubbly off white head. Toffee-ish with a bit of herb. It's ok. Not my favourite, but it's an ok bitter, bit of an odd chemical aroma.
Moles - Tap Bitter3.50AcceptableCopper with clear thin beige head. Toasty toffee aroma. It's a reasonably tasty session bitter. Toffee throughout and then a dry finish. Fine.
Golcar - Bitter3.80AcceptableHazy amber, lasting beige head. It's a bitter with some red fruit. It's ok, just fairly standard.

About the Rare Breeds Beer Festival 2008

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional2
Excellent6
Good10
Acceptable7
Poor-

The pub is found in Woodchurch, Kent, TN26 3RJ.

Sited as usual in a marquee on a field at the Rare Breeds centre near Woodchurch. This is a smallish informal branch beer festival. The cider and perry choice this year was excellent (16 to try) for the size of the event. Well run and well attended.

We have visited this pub 3 times, seen 21 different beers and tried them all.

Map location

Postcode: TN26 3RJ