Real Ales...
The Unicorn is a true real ale pub and as such we pride ourselves on bringing you the best pint of your favourite real ales in Kent. The Unicorn Pub always features two regular real ales, in addition to two other guest ales which change every month. Below is a list of some of the real ales that make regular appearances at the Unicorn, with a short description just to whet your appetite!
Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter
A superbly balanced session bitter with a prominent hop character. It is Harvey’s most famous and popular brand - making up over 90% of their total brewing capacity. It was the winner of the Champion Best Bitter of Britain title at CAMRA's Great British Beers Festival in 2005 and 2006. It was first brewed as recently as 1955. ABV 4.0%
www.harveys.org.uk
Shepherd Neame’s Master Brew
This is the beer that Shepherd Neame is best known for in the brewery’s Kentish heartland – it is a distinctive mid-brown bitter ale, with all the hoppy aroma that you would expect of a beer that is brewed in the heart of the ‘Garden of England’. It is well balanced with a taste that has been described as “wonderfully aggressive, tingled with sweetness”. It is a clean, dry, refreshing session bitter that has a touch of sweetness, but displays an assertive and vibrant hop flavour with a lingering bitter finish. ABV 3.7%
www.shepherd-neame.co.uk
Sharp’s Doom Bar
Doom Bar bitter is named after an infamous sandbank at the mouth of the Camel Estuary in north Cornwall. The Doom Bar is covered by just a few feet of water at low and high tides; unsuspecting mariners have easily become stranded and even shipwrecked in bad weather. Doom Bar bitter embodies many characteristics which make it worthy to carry the name of this natural wonder. Its distinctive aroma and very fine balance set it apart from other beers taking unsuspecting first-time drinkers by surprise with its moreish appeal.
The aroma of Doom Bar is an accomplished balance of spicy resinous hop, inviting sweet malt and delicate roasted notes. The mouth feel is a perfectly balanced and a complex blend of succulent dried fruit, lightly roasted malty notes and a subtle yet assertive bitterness. The bitterness remains into the finish with dry fruity notes which implore you to go back for more.
Doom Bar beer was awarded a bronze medal at the 2006 Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) and was a finalist in 2004 and 2005. It was also a Top 50 World Beer in 2006 in the International Beer Challenge. ABV 4%
www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk
Timothy Taylor’s Landlord
Landlord is a classic, strong Pale Ale, and has won more awards nationally than any other beer. This includes being a four-time champion at the Brewer’s International Exhibition and four times as CAMRA’s beer of the year. Refreshingly reliable, nationally renowned, this full drinking Pale Ale with a complex and hoppy aroma has real ‘pulling power’ and stands out in the bar as the ideal regular. ABV 4.3%
www.timothy-taylor.co.uk
Nelson’s Trafalgar
Trafalgar is one of over a dozen ales that are brewed at the Chatham Historic Dockyard. The Nelson Brewing Company has been based in Chatham since 1995 and all their ales have nautically themed names to fall in line with their surroundings. Admiral Horatio Nelson’s ship, ‘The Victory’ was built at the Chatham Dockyards. Trafalgar bitter is a light drinking ale with light balanced malt and hop flavours that leave a delightful honey and nut after tone on the palate. ABV 4.1%
www.nelsonbrewingcompany.co.uk
Adnams Bitter
Adnams Bitter has fragrant aromas from the finest English hops and malt. It is dry yet refreshing with a distinctive lingering hoppiness, both appetizing and delicious. The bitter from Adnams is as distinctive as ‘Southwold Jack’ (the knight with the sword), who appears on the pump clip and has gone through many incarnations. It wouldn’t be overselling Adnams to describe it as a classic. Adnams bitter is one of the top ten selling bitters in the UK and was recently crowned Champion Beer of East Anglia by CAMRA. ABV 3.7%
www.beerfromthecoast.co.uk
Hook Norton’s Old Hooky
The Hook Norton Brewery produces a fabulous range of award winning real ales and bottled beers. Everything about Hook Norton beers is a bit special and indeed different. Making the real ale requires the art, craft and skill of the brewer, the finest raw materials and water drawn from deep wells beneath their North Oxfordshire Brewery. Old Hooky is a beautifully balanced beer, fruity by nature, with a well-rounded body and the suggestive echo of Crystal Malt. ABV 4.6%
www.hooknortonbrewery.co.uk
Green King’s Ruddles County
Ruddles County is one of the best known premium ales, it is brewed in a time-honoured manner using the finest hops and premium malted barley to give its distinctive flavour and traditional English character. It has a light inviting aroma of soft fruits, followed by one of the most distinctive ale flavours. A deep resinous hop is beautifully balanced with sweetness to give a full and complex burnt bittersweet palette with hints of toffee. ABV 4.3%
www.greeneking.co.uk
Young’s Special Premium Ale
Young’s Special is a classic bitter that has gained cult status among cask ale drinkers. Amber in colour Young’s Special has a fruity, slightly estery nose with a good hop aroma and full round flavour, a fine balance between malt and hops. It is a 100% malt brew; Maris Otter and crystal malt, together with Fuggle and Golding hops. ABV 4.5%
www.youngs.co.uk
Wychwood Brewery's Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin is strong in roasted malt with a moderate hoppy bitterness and slight fruity character that lasts through to the end. The ruby red coloured Hobgoblin is full-bodied and has a delicious chocolate toffee malt flavour balanced with a rounded moderate bitterness and an overall fruity character. ABV 4.5%
www.wychwood.co.uk
What's On...
LIVE MUSIC - 21st JAN
The Chain
Band starts at 9pm. Free Entry.
LIVE MUSIC - 4th FEB
Goode Bagge Band
Band starts at 9pm. Free Entry.
LIVE MUSIC - 25th FEB
Straight 6
Band starts at 9pm. Free Entry.
LIVE MUSIC - 3rd MAR
Bullshed
Band starts at 9pm. Free Entry.
LIVE MUSIC - 17th MAR
Big Blue
Band starts at 9pm. Free Entry.
LIVE MUSIC - 31st MAR
Archive
Band starts at 9pm. Free Entry.
LIVE MUSIC - 21st JAN
The Chain
Band starts at 9pm. Free Entry.
LIVE MUSIC - 4th FEB
Goode Bagge Band
Band starts at 9pm. Free Entry.
LIVE MUSIC - 25th FEB
Straight 6
Band starts at 9pm. Free Entry.
LIVE MUSIC - 3rd MAR
Bullshed
Band starts at 9pm. Free Entry.
LIVE MUSIC - 17th MAR
Big Blue
Band starts at 9pm. Free Entry.
LIVE MUSIC - 31st MAR
Archive
Band starts at 9pm. Free Entry.