The River Ale House (Free House)
[More Visits]
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
18 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last half an hour of serving with a few of the hardened in, the fiddlers resident in the rear seating area and the odd occasional dotted about.
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 |  | My second one of the evening: Packing a punch for its low gravity is this Maidstone-brewed mild. As fresh on, head and lacing to die for and lasting. A very malty first hit. The tasting notes mentioned chocolate and not my reason I tried it. I did not get the merest hint of chocolatiness until my sampling towards the end with a good swish in the mouth to give it the benefit of the doubt. A good dry maltiness rising care of its black malts. A subtle hoppy note lingering, but ever so slightly, thanks to its Kentish Fuggles hops. Amazing for its gravity as packing it all in! |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 |  | My third one of the evening: Fresh on also and very good head and lacing and lasting on this Maidstone-brewed "heavy duty" pale at 5.1%. A highly fruited first hit. A hoppiness rising care of its superb East Kent hops. A touch of maltiness pleasantly paddling out. Glad I only sampled one half as a hill to climb going home afterwards! Not a single decant needed the whole evening for three different beers and my timing meant they were all fresh on. |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 |  | My first one of the evening: Fresh on this evening and as of 4pm when this micro opens from Monday to Thursday. This Hebden Bridge dry hopped pale from north-west of Huddersfield, Yorkshire, exhibited a fantastic head and lacing which hung on to the very end. A gently fruited hoppy first bite. A touch of fruitiness rising, aided by hints of pine, peach, lychee and citrus, but not in your face. A pleasant hoppy note winning over, care of its mix of US hops, Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe, and sailing out minus any headwind. As my dad always said, beer is liquid bread, and never mind the butter which I did not taste in this one! The idiom, bread and butter, is for one's main source of income. Here in my case, it was the main source of liquid intake on this visit as very moreish to my taste buds which were giving it a hearty round of applause! |
| Mighty Oak - Simply the Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Portola | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
17 Nov 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Mighty Oak - Saxon Strong | 6.50 |  | As yesterday reasonable taste but tired |
| Kent - Green Dwarf | 3.70 |  | Lacking much condition |
| Mighty Oak - Simply the Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Three Legs - Oatipa Azacca & Nectaron | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
16 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A large, raucous birthday party gathering at one of the tables out the front alongside some of the Sunday regulars on parade for the last 30 minutes of serving.
| Kent - Green Dwarf | 3.70 |  | Second day on for this Kentish green hopped session pale from Birling, north of West Malling. Still holding its head and lacing well and lasting. A gentle floral, grassy first hit. A fresh hoppiness jumping up with the odd one doing somersaults on my taste buds. A touch of oiliness helping this modern variety of Kentish hops slide down my hatch. Again, very moreish from trying the evening before and so stuck resolutely to it without any deviation. |
| Mighty Oak - Saxon Strong | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Simply the Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Three Legs - Oatipa Azacca & Nectaron | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
16 Nov 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Packed and noisy.
| Mighty Oak - Saxon Strong | 6.50 |  | Tiring after a few days on |
| Mighty Oak - Simply the Best | 4.40 |  | Quite home brew taste |
| Three Legs - Oatipa Azacca & Nectaron | 6.00 |  | Awful looking and tasting brew. Vying to be worst of 2025 so far. |
| Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Green Dwarf | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
15 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with a mix of the usual Saturday regulars, the hardened and the more occasional.
| Mighty Oak - Simply the Best | 4.40 |  | Fresh on this Saturday and presenting good head and lacing and lasting throughout on this Essex best bitter from Maldon. A sweet malty first bite. A fruited hoppy note climbing from its British hops, Bramling Cross and Progress. A malty caramelised biscuity flavouring winning over. A toffee hint or two getting in on the act and lingering, making it rather too sweet for my taste buds. Just a half sufficed for me! |
| Kent - Green Dwarf | 3.70 |  | Fresh on this Saturday and good head and lacing and lasting well on this Kentish green hopped session pale from Birling, north of West Malling. A dry, grassy hop-infused first bite. A touch of oily hoppiness rising up from one of the latest modern hop varieties in Kent picked and brewed in September. Low in bitterness with just a gentle floral, grassy note slowing grazing downwards. Very moreish and so almost stuck to it but for a mere half of a new bitter on to also try. |
| Mighty Oak - Saxon Strong | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Three Legs - Oatipa Azacca & Nectaron | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Chop & Change - Barbe Rouge | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
13 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A good mix of regulars and the more occasional for the last 40 minutes of serving.
| Goacher's - Green Hop | 3.90 |  | Second night on and very good head and lacing and lasting throughout on this Maidstone-brewed green hop pale produced by Kent's oldest microbrewery, set up in 1983. A grassy hop-infused first bite. A dry bittered hoppiness from its Kentish Goldings hops from Ospringe, south-west of Faversham. A moreish oiliness descending on my taste buds before sliding downwards. Could have sampled many more without any difficulty but it was soon "Time, gentlemen, please!" |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 |  | Now its fourth night on and surprisingly still displaying good head and lacing on this Berkshire bitter from south-east of Reading. Its lacing was even lasting to the bottom of the glass. A fruited hoppiness emanating from its English Cascade hops in its first bite. A malty bitterness with hints of biscuit and caramel. A very dry hoppiness lingering on with the odd citrus and herbal kick to it. Could almost have stuck to it but for a green hopped ale to also try. |
| Mighty Oak - Saxon Strong | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Tropic Ale | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Promises | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
13 Nov 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Mighty Oak - Saxon Strong | 6.50 |  | More renowned for its strength than flavour I thought |
| Goacher's - Green Hop | 3.90 |  | Enjoyable enough with well balanced hopping |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Tropic Ale | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Promises | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
11 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with almost a full house, with usual Tuesday regulars and the more occasional out the front and the fiddlers strumming their instruments out the back.
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 |  | Second night on and still displaying good head and lacing and lasting throughout on this Berkshire bitter from south-east of Reading. A very bitter first hit. A pleasantly dry bitterness rising from its English Cascade hops. A subtle biscuity and caramel flavouring from its emerging maltiness. A hoppy note or two winning over with hints of citrus and herbal notes and paddling out. Very moreish and so stuck to it. |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Ebony Moon | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Killcat | 3.70 | Not Tried | Ran out towards the end of serving. |
| Kent - Tropic Ale | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Promises | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
11 Nov 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Front room all seats in use, rear room the Irish fiddlers strumming.
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 |  | Holding up well |
| Castle Rock - Promises | 4.50 |  | Well balanced dry-hopped pale ale, fresh on today |
| Tonbridge - Ebony Moon | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Killcat | 3.70 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Kent - Tropic Ale | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
10 Nov 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Low footfall. Mea culpa ordering my drinks in the wrong order, dark before light.
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 |  | New cask on today - quite lively mouthfeel |
| Tonbridge - Ebony Moon | 4.20 |  | Tiring a tad since yesterday's |
| Park - Killcat | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Tropic Ale | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Ossett - World Hop Series USA | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
[More Visits]