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1st K&ES Railway Beer Festival 2009 (CAMRA Beer Festival)

Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Allendale - Best BitterAcceptable1
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Edwin Taylor's Extra StoutAcceptable1
Bank Top - BlondeAcceptable2
Breconshire - Red DragonGood1
Cairngorm - Trade WindsAcceptable1
Castle Rock - Preservation Fine AleGood1
Elland - Bora BoraAcceptable1
Goacher's - 1066 Old AleExceptional2
Goose Eye - Chinook BlondeExcellent1
Hidden - Pleasure IPAExcellent1
Hobsons - MildAcceptable1
Holden's - Midsummer WitchAcceptable1
Joseph Holt (see also Holt's) - MildGood1
Leeds - Midnight BellExcellent1
Mauldons - Black AdderGood1
Ossett - Silver KingExcellent1
Purple Moose - Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri)Acceptable1
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Dr Sunshine's Special Friendly English Wheat AleExcellent1
Rebellion - BlondeGood1
Rother Valley - Northiam IPAGood1
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - JaipurExcellent1
Westerham - Sevenoaks Bitter "7X"Good1
Williams Brothers - Midnight SunExcellent2
Picture 1. 1st K&ES Railway Beer Festival 2009, Tenterden, Kent

Visits Details

27 Jun 2009 (Blair)
Arrived on the coach from Thanet at just gone 12. It was a ridiculously hot day and myself and a lot of others took cover in the shelter of the tent. Good little beer festival this one, stayed for around 5 hours which was just the right amount of time I think.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Goacher's - 1066 Old Ale6.70ExceptionalLike drinking a glass of toffee, but with raisins thrown in. Really interesting and complex beer. You just keep discovering new flavours. Great stuff.
Hidden - Pleasure IPA4.90ExcellentVery full flavoured and fruity for an IPA. Great hops, a really good one.
Leeds - Midnight Bell4.80ExcellentVery good mild. Rich with lots of chocolate and roasted malt.
Williams Brothers - Midnight Sun5.60ExcellentI like Ian's comparison to chocolate ginger biscuits. First time I'd had this on cask and I really enjoyed it.
Westerham - Sevenoaks Bitter "7X"4.80GoodNice malty and hoppy bitter.
Joseph Holt (see also Holt's) - Mild3.20GoodDark and fruity mild, quite malty and realy quite drinkable.
Castle Rock - Preservation Fine Ale4.40GoodRich and malty, bags of flavour with a nice hint of hops towards the finish.
Rother Valley - Northiam IPA5.00GoodPleasant easy drinking IPA. Not terribly exciting, but still a very good beer.
Hobsons - Mild3.20AcceptableHad an odd barnyard aroma to it. Flavour was good though, a fairly straight forward mild, other than the aroma.
B&T (Banks & Taylor's) - Edwin Taylor's Extra Stout4.50AcceptableI found this a little bland really. Nice complex aroma, but unfortunately not much flavour wise. Little roasted malt and coffee, not bad.
Bank Top - Blonde5.00PoorReally not impressed with this one. Overly sweet and cloying, not what you want on a hot day.
27 Jun 2009 (Ian)
As Tenterden is a good hub for buses, this attracted a lot of people, plus those who wanted to come for the trains and also a coach load from Thanet too. Bakingly hot and it did affect the condition of the beers I think. Ended up drinking a fair bit of cider. Great band on which played All Along the Watchtower and Ramble On as encores. Spent a couple of hours chatting with Eddie Gadd. Great guy and great brewer.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Dr Sunshine's Special Friendly English Wheat Ale4.20ExcellentEven Eddie thought this came out better than other years. Really very drinkable blond ale.
Rebellion - Blonde4.30GoodCan't tell you why, but I found this very drinkable. Very biting hop on finish
Breconshire - Red Dragon4.70GoodGood fruity malty beer.
Williams Brothers - Midnight Sun5.60GoodChoc covered ginger biscuits. Need I say more?
Allendale - Best Bitter3.80AcceptableHazy copper colour, lasting thin beige head. A little syrupy and toffeeish. Maybe a little tight and not quite ready yet. It’s alright. It’s a slightly syrupy malty bitter. Some sparkle on the finish.
Purple Moose - Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri)3.60AcceptableAll about this hedgerow herb hop flavour with some blackcurrant. Decent
26 Jun 2009 (Ian)
Friday night was for branch members and other people only. Great to sit inside the tent on a balmy evening with Chris Excell and chat about beer. Good easy to get to location
BeerABVScoreNotes
Goacher's - 1066 Old Ale6.70ExceptionalSour, Stilton cheese, dark fruit, just a little down on condition, but that could have been the warm temp. Great levels of malts. Almost speechless. Just incredbile rollercoaster of a beer.
Ossett - Silver King4.30ExcellentFunnily enough probably the most drinkable of the beers I had all evening and it was my last one.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur5.90ExcellentIt's funny, the more you like a beer, the more you have of it and then the more critical you become of it. Just a little syrupy on the alcohol I guess, but otherwise big hoppy biting and just lovely grapefruit.
Goose Eye - Chinook Blonde4.20ExcellentGold, thin off white head. Really good biting Chinook hopos on end. Great condition. Lovely
Mauldons - Black Adder5.30GoodVery toffeeish dark syrup, bit of smoke, very full in mouth. Good
Bank Top - Blonde5.00GoodClear amber, very lasting off white head. Great condition. Pretty drinkable. Some nuttiness on finish. Not flashy but very good for what it is.
Cairngorm - Trade Winds4.30AcceptableToo much diacetyl for me. Some elderflower
Elland - Bora Bora4.30AcceptableGold/copper colour with lasting beige head. Quite a toffeeish aroma. Maybe touch of diacetyl, full in mouth. Very good earthy peppery hop on mouth. Hmmm, pretty tasty, bit too toffeeish maybe, great hop though, hot pepper.
Holden's - Midsummer Witch4.20AcceptableGold, slight haze, thin off white head. Bit of yeast, esters and a bit of cardboard. Made with a Belgian yeast maybe as this is so estery?? Not really my thing.

About the 1st K&ES Railway Beer Festival 2009

The pub sign. 1st K&ES Railway Beer Festival 2009, Tenterden, Kent

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional2
Excellent7
Good9
Acceptable7
Poor1

Website.

The pub is found in Tenterden, Kent, TN30 6HE.

Beer festival that used to be at the Rare Breeds Centre in Woodchurch. Same kind of marquee but in the steam railway station grounds. Around 50 real ales on gravity with around 20 ciders and perries and 3 French bottled organic beers. Chance to have a ride on the K&ESR. Music and Morris Men.

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

Map location

Postcode: TN30 6HE