PubsandBeer
Ale House (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Mauldons - Gainsborough Gold |  | 1 |
| Lincoln Green - Tuck Porter | | 1 |
| Mighty Oak - Solstice | | 1 |
| Adnams - Old Ale | | 1 |
| Hook Norton - Greedy Goose |  | 1 |
| Colchester - Freak Show | | 1 |
| Colchester - London Porter (Old King Coel) | | 1 |
| Bishop Nick - Arise |  | 1 |
| Colchester - Metropolis | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | Not Tried | 0 |
| Colchester - AK Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| New River - Lost River | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mauldons - Christies Golden Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Colchester - Voodoo Queen | Not Tried | 0 |
| Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Swift | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - The Joy of Six | Not Tried | 0 |
| Colchester - Old Mortality | Not Tried | 0 |
| Glamorgan (formerly Kite) - Pales of the Unexpected | Not Tried | 0 |
| House Beer - The Ale House Best Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Crouch Vale - Anchor Street Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Maldon Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| St Austell - Proper Job | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Yellow Snow | Not Tried | 0 |
| Batemans - Yella Belly Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Red Fox - Hunter's Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Mosaic Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Colchester - Pogonophobia | Not Tried | 0 |
| House Beer - The Ale House Best Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Alehouse - Best Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Titanic - Iceberg | Not Tried | 0 |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Jolly Mr. Fezziwig | Not Tried | 0 |
Michael Croxford
Visits Details
23 Oct 2026 (Magnus Greel)
Just after 15.00 opening we were the first customers in this friendly and welcoming spacious cosy drinkers pub. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic landlady gave us insight of all the beers available.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Green - Tuck Porter | 4.70 | | A well-rounded Porter with a hint of bitter chocolate and blackcurrant aroma. |
| Mighty Oak - Solstice | 4.10 | | Rich chocolatey malts together with grapefruit and herbal hoppy overtones |
| Mauldons - Gainsborough Gold | 4.10 | | Light golden ale featuring grainy citrus and marmalade characteristics. |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| House Beer - The Ale House Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| New River - Lost River | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Colchester - Voodoo Queen | 3.80 | Not Tried |
09 Dec 2017 (Andrew)
Pub 11. L-shaped largish pub. Dark warm and cosy.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester - Freak Show | 3.80 | | Pale and ruby ale flavours in copper coloured beer. |
| Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Crouch Vale - Anchor Street Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Maldon Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Yellow Snow | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Red Fox - Hunter's Gold | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Colchester - London Porter (Old King Coel) | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Colchester - Pogonophobia | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Alehouse - Best Bitter | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Jolly Mr. Fezziwig | 4.50 | Not Tried |
10 Feb 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit. In the area so rude not to try the Fat Cat / Ale House pair. There was a house ale "The Ale House Best Bitter" whose clip showed neither abv nor brewing provenance and when asked the brewer the barmaid said it was a state secret which made it a no go no go for me.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Nick - Arise | 3.90 | | A tinge of something I thought might suggest just on the turn but drinkable |
| Colchester - Metropolis | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Colchester - AK Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Mauldons - Christies Golden Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Swift | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - The Joy of Six | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Colchester - Old Mortality | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Glamorgan (formerly Kite) - Pales of the Unexpected | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| House Beer - The Ale House Best Bitter | 1.00 | Not Tried | Clip showed no abv |
13 Nov 2015 (ChrisE)
Evening visit with a group of friends, I really liked this pub, a good atmosphere with excellent bar staff.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adnams - Old Ale | 4.10 | | |
| Hook Norton - Greedy Goose | 4.20 | | |
| Titanic - Iceberg | 4.10 | Not Tried | I was going to order one of these but one of my friends said that he was disappointed with his pint. I noticed that the cask was on full tilt. |
05 Aug 2014 (HSB)
15:30 Opens at 15:00 Mon - Fri so came here after the Fat Cat. Evidently the staff saw us approaching at three o'clock but couldn't get the door open quickly enough to tempt us from going opposite.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester - London Porter (Old King Coel) | 5.00 | | Good example of a porter |
| St Austell - Proper Job | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Batemans - Yella Belly Gold | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Adnams - Mosaic Pale Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| House Beer - The Ale House Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried |
About the Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | - |
| 4 |
| 3 |
| 1 |
 | - |
The pub is found in Colchester, Essex, CO3 3DA.
Directly opposite the Fat Cat in Butt Road the pub is owned by the licensee of the Bricklayers. Saved from closure, renovated and renamed from the Dragoon. Comfortable drinkers' pub. Ales are sold through 10 handpumps in 2 banks, each of 5 and also through gravity dispense from up to 6 jacket cooled casks on the bar back.
We have visited this pub 5 times, seen 31 different beers and tried 8 of them.
Postcode: CO3 3DA