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Westerham Brewery Tap Room & Shop (Westerham Brewery)

Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Westerham - British Bulldog "BB" (was 4.3%)Excellent1
Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter AleExcellent1
Westerham - Spirit of Kent XXX Pale AleGood1
Westerham - Helles BellesNot Tried0
Westerham - Bohemian RhapsodyNot Tried0
Westerham - 500 milesNot Tried0
Westerham - Hop Rocket BFRNot Tried0
Westerham - It Means Nothing To MeNot Tried0
Westerham - Helles ExportNot Tried0
Westerham - Natural Born KellerNot Tried0
Westerham - Nitro StoutNot Tried0

Visits Details

08 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy both on the outside for this very spring-like day with many not just soaking up the beer but the warm sunshine as well and on the inside for the rugby and for my mid-afternoon arrival alongside a fellow real ale enthusiast. Speedy service was delivered once I requested a beer sheet and found a table just outside the entrance and in the shade. They do flights as in thirds as well as the usual sized measures.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Westerham - British Bulldog "BB" (was 4.3%)4.10ExcellentGreat head and lacing on this Best Bitter. A very dry bitter, bitter first hit was followed by a moreishly malty and fruit-infused mouthfeel but not sweet to taste. A wonderfully dry bitterness interwoven with maltiness persisted. Like the first taster of the pale, I could have easily drunk more of this such was its huge appeal! The recultured yeast from the original Black Eagle Brewery is said to be recreating the flavours here and as they would have been enjoyed by Sir Winston Churchill.
Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale4.80ExcellentAnother great appearance of a frothy head and lacing lingering to the end. This special bitter was an absolute pleasure with a dry and fruity first hit on the palette. A touch of apricot was to blame and in the eventful mouthfeel. A superb bitterness and maltiness presented themselves. The tasting notes tell us it has been brought to us care of Greensand aquifer water, as flavoured by layers of rock, and ably aided by exclusively Kent-bred and grown hops mixed with the old Black Eagle Brewery heritage yeast strains. Could certainly have done another sampling with no hesitation at all but a walk into Westerham village beckons.
Westerham - Spirit of Kent XXX Pale Ale4.00GoodMy first of a trio of thirds and like the other two thirds, this was showing great signs of life with a lively head and lacing that carried on to the bottom of the glass. A very dry first hit from all of those 9 hops involved. A subtle fruitiness in the mouthfeel from its combined hoppiness and where I read that most of the hops are picked and dried at the National Trust’s only hop garden at Scotney Castle in Lamberhurst, Kent. A very moreish dryness lingering and could easily have sampled more of this.
Westerham - Helles Belles4.00Not Tried
Westerham - Bohemian Rhapsody4.00Not Tried
Westerham - 500 miles3.60Not Tried
Westerham - Hop Rocket BFR6.40Not Tried
Westerham - It Means Nothing To Me4.70Not Tried
Westerham - Helles Export5.20Not Tried
Westerham - Natural Born Keller4.00Not Tried
Westerham - Nitro Stout4.50Not Tried

About the Westerham Brewery Tap Room & Shop

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional-
Excellent2
Good1
Acceptable-
Poor-

Website.

The pub is found in Westerham, Kent, TN16 1QP.

Westerham Brewery Tap Room is in Beggars Lane, just outside Westerham. The brewery was established in 2004 and aims to bring back many of the flavours of the old Black Eagle Brewery in Westerham, which closed in 1965. The taproom is open for on and off-sales, with opening hours in winter reduced. 3 Westerham cask ales plus seasonal cask are available in addition to craft ales. Wines and spirits are also offered inside and out when the weather is clement. Street food stalls serve meals on days indicated on the website. Saturday morning brewery tours are available by booking. Live music and food, classic car meets and special tastings are also advertised on the brewery’s website. Children welcome until 6pm. You can drive and park in their spacious carpark, or you can take the number 246 bus starting from Bromley North Station via Bromley South and also going via Hayes Station, getting off at Force Green. Walk back along the bus route and turn into, what is then on your right, Force Green Lane and taking the first marked footpath, labelled Public Footpath, on your right. This takes you over a footbridge over the M25 and then the brewery is on your left and well signposted. Beware that it can be very muddy in places along this path. This takes about 20 minutes or you can also walk from Westerham village itself and which takes about the same time across a playing field and following the footpath beyond this to Beggars Lane where you turn right and the Brewery and taproom slip road is almost opposite on the other side of the road. This route is typically less muddy. Make sure to cross where you can see both ways as it is a bit of a blind bend where the slip road entrance into the brewery is located.

We have visited this pub once, seen 11 different beers and tried 3 of them.

Map location

Postcode: TN16 1QP