Beer Review: Shepherd Neame Master Brew

Name: Master Brew

Brewery: Shepherd Neame

ABV: 4%

Style: Bitter

Location: Faversham, Kent

Aroma: A fruit hopiness dominates, along with grassy qualities and a whiff of toffee and aromatic spices.

Colour: Auburn brown with a one finger white head.

Taste: A light bitterness, followed on by a fruity maltiness that is a tad subdued, biscuity dry, it leaves a spicy aftertate, while the mouthfeel is smooth, a tad cloying. The Kentish
hops are the stand-out flavour that is coming through here. 

Verdict: A very sessionable tipple that is light on flavour and substance, ideal for a hot
Summer's day. Hops take centre stage here, but its let down by the abscence of any
diserable malt notes, better on cask that bottle.

Rating: 5/10 

Spa Valley Beer & Cider Festival 2025

Since 2011, the Spa Valley Railway Beer & Cider festival has been a (semi) annual fixture in the area, drawing thousands of visitors over a four-day period. It operates along the Spa Valley Railway, a heritage railway line between Tunbridge Wells West – Eridge that was established after British Rail severed services along the route 40 years ago. During the first year of the festival, only 30+ ales were served at the Tunbridge Wells West shed along with smaller bars at Groombridge and Eridge. This has since grown experientially to a whopping 220 ales along its three bar areas, with 38 green hop ales, along with 14 craft beers and 78 ciders, making it one of the south east’s largest beer festivals. While many of the beers here are generally sourced from producers based in Kent and Sussex, the organisers incorporate beers from further afield, including Wales, Scotland and the Isle of Wight. It is not an official CAMRA beer festival, though members of CAMRA and the SPA Valley Railway society get a complimentary beer glass, normally worth £5 on deposit. Through the course of the day, a fleet of heritage locomotive ferry punters between their bars at each of the stations along the line, so I was keen for a chance to the ride the ales.

We arrived shortly before 1pm, it is preferable to arrive early before the afternoon crowds set in and drag the entrance queue to an agonising slog. The main action takes place in their engine shed, where the resident locomotives were vacated in place of a sprawling bar that spans nearly the entire length of the shed that offered a dizzying array of real ales, and separate areas for green hop ales and craft beers. For non-beer drinkers, a dedicated cider bar was situated adjacently, along with food stalls showcasing local producers. The place was already abuzz with activity and gradually filling with punters; fortunately, at this point in the day most of the beers were still available, so I made a bee-line for the green hop bar, which boasts the largest selection of green hop ales of any beer festival. After some perusing, I settled for some Southdown Harvest (5%) from Harvey’s based in Lewes. This beer is one of the best-known green hop ales in the country, it has won a number of awards and is available in bottle all year round. A golden ale produced with three different hop varieties and malts to help give its characteristic flavour. It is developed annually every September, brewed with fresh green hops from Tibbs Farm in Rye. It was distinctly malty, with a pronounced tangy bitterness in the background offset with a gentle hoppiness that dovetailed with the flavours. Soon I was clamouring for a darker ale, after some deliberation is settled for Rollin (4.1%) an oatmeal stout from Moot Brew, a microbrewery based in Upper Hailing. Brewed with flaked oats which help give its soft, velvety body, I found it quite rich in flavour despite its sessionable strength. The palate was a whirl of dark chocolate, coffee and roasted malt, offset with a creamy mouthfeel and a residual biscuity dryness. Far from sweet, the taste reminded me of charcoal which was appropriate given the surroundings. I continued to quaff this number as we boarded our train, which was incidentally hauled by a steam locomotive, making it a rather fitting beer & train pairing.

Trundling along the bucolic countryside, we soon found ourselves in Groombridge, a once bustling junction station on the Kent/ Sussex border. The bar area was relatively small in comparison to the sprawling complex at the previous station. The activity was concentrated along the single platform, filled with pizza stands, live music and small bar contained with a tent, offering 21 beers and 10 ciders, while most of the ales came from Kent and Sussex. Despite it being a relatively minor intermediate station, the platform was bustling with punters, so I quickly had to make my choice, so I went for a classic local ale, Best Bitter (4%) from Larkins, a family run brewery based in Chiddingstone who grow and process their hops on-site. One of their core-range releases, this beer has been growing strong since the brewery was established in 1986. A classic example of a Kentish ale, it was amber coloured with a gentle, smooth bitterness with a malt forward background aided with a subtle fruitiness and a creamy mouthfeel bringing the flavours together, after quaffing a duo of robust ales, this number proved to be the ideal palate cleanser. We soon boarded the train again, journeying towards the terminus of the line at Eridge; an interchange with a National Rail station, the SVR run their locomotives from the adjacent island platform. Due to restrictions of space the bar was restricted to a converted rail coach, despite this a lengthy queue of punters sprouted along the course of the platform. After an agonising 15-minute wait, I finally made it to the bar where eagerly chose a half of Powder Blue (5.5%) a robust porter from Kissingate Brewery based in a converted barn in Lower Beeding, Horsham. Seemingly flavoured with blueberries, it had potent jammy fruity overtones that blended well with the pronounced roasted notes from the malt; while the background was pleasantly fruity, with a gentle warmth that elevated the tastebuds. Although this beer is a little on the strong side, it makes for a rewarding drinking experience. 

The daylight was beginning to fade as we journeyed back to Tunbridge Wells West, the platform was bathed in golden-sunlight as the rush of evening punters sprawled all over the vicinity. Though bleary eyed by this point we stroved to the bar once more to have one more beer for the road. Upon a friend’s suggestion, I went for Miller’s Ale (4.2%) from Canterbury Ales, a playful take on ‘The Millers Tale’, the second in series of short-stories featured in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.  A traditional red-ale with notable malty overtones awash with a bed of caramel, berry fruits and a hoppiness that help gives off a surprisingly notable aftertaste. This glorious russet coloured brew provided a fitting finale to my pilgrimage of ale along the rails of the Spa Valley Railway. For visitors to Kent and real ale lovers alike, this festival easily provides one of the best showcases of beers around the south-east, with a sprawling selection of green hop ales and a roster of cider and craft ales, this festival is a fun-filled celebration of rail and ales.

Beer Review: Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale

Name: Christmas Ale 

Brewery: Shepherd Neame

ABV: 7%

Style: Christmas Beer

Location: Faversham, Kent

Colour: Amber brown with a thin white head.

Aroma: Figs, plums, raisins, brandy, some oakiness and notable whiff of alcohol that is a sign that this is a high strength beer.

Taste: Profound bitter with a residual dryness, there is a background of vine fruits, inbued with notes of syrup, spices, brandy and sherry. Malt plays a key role in helping bring forward the flavours together. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, and it has a pleasnt warming effect that is charectersitic of most Christmas Ales. Some hoppiness is present on the back-end without being too pronounced and overbearing.

Verdict: A veritable Christmas classic that has been ticking by 1956, the flavours are well defined and notable. There is a good balance of bitterness, that is offset by sweetness and a spicy edge, that helps make it more drinkable. The high strength plays a key role in adding depth to is character, making a pleasant drinking experience. Although it is available in cask, the bottled version is infinitately better, and a must try if you ever come across this.

Rate: 9/10  

Beer Review: Shepherd Neame Bishops Finger

Name: Bishops Finger

Brewery: Shepherd Neame

ABV: 5.2%

Style: ESB

Location: Faversham, Kent

Aroma: Hints of banana, apples, toffee, malt and a whisp of sherry.

 

Colour: Deep reddish brown with a thin white head that dissipates quickly.

 

Taste: Profoundly bitter, with a distinct hoppy backbone. The malt is moderately noticeable in the background with perhaps a hint of caramel sweetness and a note of banana. An afterburn of strength is noticeable, given its ABV that’s not too surprising. The mouthfeel is disappointing, cloying and watery, the intense carbonation offers it no favours.

 

Verdict: The balance of flavours is off, it’s bitter and dry, yet leaves no room for the other flavours to come forward clearly. I expected more character for a beer of this strength, yet I was left with a flat, uninspiring taste with a bitter back-taste, poor mouthfeel and a profound level of carbonation that was uncomfortable to drink. Although it would certainly be better in cask, the bottle version doesn’t offer any favours.

 

Rating: 5/10

Beer Review: Gadd's No.5

Name: No.5 

Brewery: Gadd's

ABV: 4.4%

Style: Best Bitter

Location: Broadstairs, Kent

Aroma: Rather fruity, with a mild hint of caramel coming through in the background.

Colour: Dark amber with a thin off-white head that quickly recedes when poured.

Taste: A balanced bitterness with a background of berry fruitness. There are some roasted notes from the malt, which are aided by the gentle hoppiness from the use of Kentish Hops which helps gives its distinct flavour profile. The beer has a creamy mouthfeel and has some depth to it, making a tad on the heavy side, despite its low ABV.

Verdict: A pleasant Kentish style Bitter that delivers on its promise. The flavours are well balanced, the malty, bitter and roasted malt notes are offset by the background of fruity sweetness which helps add to the general drinking experience. The mouthfeel helps make it easy to drink, although its not one to drink in too much of a hurry. The flavours are typical of a traditional best bitter, yet due to the choice of hops used, they are not distinct enough to give it a distinct sense of character, to make it stand out from its contemporaries. 

Rating: 7/10

Beer Review: Cellar Head Amber Ale

Name: Amber Ale

Brewery: Cellar Head

ABV: 4%

Style: Bitter

Location: Flimwell, East Sussex

 

Colour: Amber with a slight reddish tinge, a rather frothy head when poured, so expect a two finger cream coloured head. 

 

Aroma: Fruity, biscuity, dry, with a touch of smokiness on the back end. 

 

Taste: Hints of a fruity flavour can be detected, but are quickly enveloped with a pronounced bitterness. Biscuity, dry and smooth mouthfeel. The intriguing combination of five malts Maris Otter, Amber, Munich, Cara Gold, Chocolate, gives off a roasted and fully rounded flavour profile which adds to the complexities of the beer. 

 

Verdict: A fairly decent session bitter, where the combination of several malts take centre place in building up it's flavours. The beer has a distinct roasty and bitter quality to it, which it makes it seem stronger than its relatively low ABV suggests. The hoppiness and fruity elements seem rather muted in relation to the malts, but that is to be expected when it comes to bitter. The beer is rather frothy, so take care when pouring.

Rating: 8/10

Beer Review: Romney Marsh American Pale

Name: American Pale

Brewery: Romney Marsh 

ABV: 5%

Style: APA

Location: New Romney, Kent

 

Colour: Hazy dark gold, typical of a beer with no finings. One finger one white head.

 

Aroma: Syrupy, toffee like sweetess, with a slight fruitiness.

 

Taste: An underlying sweet syrupyness with a whisp of bitter flavours going on. The malt qualities of Caramalt are quite distinct and make up for much of the flavour profiles. Thick and cloying mouthfeel, with some fruitness present going on through in its straw like qualities. A hint of fruitness present from the use of American hops such as Simcoe gives the beer an authentic edge, yet its rather brusquely relegated to the background. 

 

Verdict: The brewers accurately recreate the qualities of a American Pale Ale through the use of a Caramalt that gives it musty gold colour and syrupy flavours without need of sugar . The malt gives the drink an unusual caramel like sweetness and mouthfeel which makes it quite moreish, without being too overly sweet. Although there is some bitterness present, the malt takes centre stage and somewhat overshawdows the hops. The beer would have been vastly improved if it were brewed to be slightly more hoppy, allowing more of a chance to savour the range of flavours. 

Rating: 7/10