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The River Ale House (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Gold Star |  | 1 |
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | | 1 |
| Kent - Green Dwarf |  | 1 |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake |  | 1 |
| Mighty Oak - Kings (was 3.9% before 2013) | | 1 |
| Mighty Oak - Saxon Strong | | 1 |
| New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | | 3 |
| Oakham - Cosmic Jellyfish | | 1 |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | | 2 |
| Tonbridge - Traditional | | 2 |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy Bitter | | 2 |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | | 1 |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice Chocolate Orange | | 2 |
| Elusive - Division | Not Tried | 0 |
| Elusive - Portola | Not Tried | 0 |
| Goacher's - Crown Imperial Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Simply the Best | Not Tried | 0 |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Sanctum Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Three Legs - Oatipa Azacca & Nectaron | Not Tried | 0 |
| Verdant - Penpol | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy Golden | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vibrant Forest - Inaudible | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vibrant Forest - Pupa | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vocation - Deck The Palms | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
26 Nov 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close, after packhorseing London Drinker magazines to site.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Kings (was 3.9% before 2013) | 4.20 | | Basic citrus bore |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 | | Some loss of condition since Monday's |
| Verdant - Penpol | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Deck The Palms | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice Chocolate Orange | 4.50 | Not Tried |
25 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Ticking over with a good few in for the last 30 minutes of serving including some of the hardened on parade and the Tuesday fiddlers in the rear of this micro.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 | | Now its third night on for this Bristol-brewed bitter and all the better for having gone through its second fermentation in the barrel since Sunday evening. Good head and lacing and lasting. A fruited bitter first hit. A dry bitterness rising with a fruit-infused sharpness. A lively fruity kick to it from its Gold and Goldings hops. New Bristol, established in 2015, regularly brews this cask bitter due to its popularity. It certainly proved popular with me on this visit and so stuck to it. |
| Mighty Oak - Kings (was 3.9% before 2013) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Verdant - Penpol | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Division | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Deck The Palms | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice Chocolate Orange | 4.50 | Not Tried |
24 Nov 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Low Monday footfall.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 | | Looking and tasting very good indeed |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice Chocolate Orange | 4.50 | | As yesterday - good taste, lacking condition |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Verdant - Penpol | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Division | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Deck The Palms | 4.20 | Not Tried |
23 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for a Sunday for last 30 minutes of serving with a good few in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy Bitter | 4.00 | | I only managed to get almost the last one out of the barrel on its second day on. Still displaying good head and lacing and lasting on this New Forest bitter brewed just south of Southampton in Hampshire. A very malty first hit. Its Goldings hops lending it a dry hoppy bitterness. A hint of biscuity maltiness rising. Still got that fruity kick to it and did not taste tired despite now being at the end of its barrel. Sailing out with a good malty, fruity bitterness. |
| New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 | | This came on to replace the Vibrant Forest Canopy Bitter which had just gone. This Bristol-brewed bitter from just north-east of Bristol's city centre presented good head and lacing and lasting. A very bitter first hit. From the start, it tasted a touch too fresh as though it was still slumbering through its second fermentation process. It had a rather stringent dry bitterness from its Gold and Goldings hops. A degree of maltiness commenced rising on my palate but not before a fruity kick or two took off on its flight downwards. |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Verdant - Penpol | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Division | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Deck The Palms | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice Chocolate Orange | 4.50 | Not Tried |
23 Nov 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Tonight's music request theme was Shops & Shopping!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | | Quite a dose of mouth zing to this |
| New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 | | just put on but poured flat |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice Chocolate Orange | 4.50 | | Needed more condition to carry off the strong flavouring |
| Verdant - Penpol | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Elusive - Division | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Deck The Palms | 4.20 | Not Tried |
22 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Ticking over for the last 40 minutes of serving, minus many of the usual Saturday regulars, with a mix of some of the hardened and the more occasional. A good few beers were earlier supped as only five now on in total and due to Charlton's home game where they were defeated 5-1 playing Southampton and with a few fans in before and after the match.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy Bitter | 4.00 | | Fresh on and so head and lacing, good, and lasting, good, on this bitter brewed on the edge of the New Forest National Park in Hampshire and just south of Southampton. A malty bittered first bite. A dry hoppy bitterness from its British-grown Goldings hops rising. A malty, sweetish biscuity note bobbing up from its Maris Otter malt, comprising partially germinated cereal grains that have been dried in the process known as "malting". Sailing out with a malty, fruity kick to it arising from its English ale yeast. Perfectly palatable but a touch over fruited for my preference. |
| Goacher's - Crown Imperial Stout | 4.50 | Not Tried | Went off during my visit. |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy Golden | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Sanctum Gold | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice Chocolate Orange | 4.50 | Not Tried | A little taster told me this was far too sweet for me! It came on to replace the Goacher's Crown Imperial Stout which had just gone. |
21 Nov 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge - Traditional | 3.60 | | Good value basic bitter |
| Oakham - Cosmic Jellyfish | 4.00 | | Another Oakham new beer name but so similar tasting to its many |
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Inaudible | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Portola | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy Golden | 3.70 | Not Tried |
20 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A mix of the hardened, the lesser spotted and perhaps some who had never ventured in before and for the last 30 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge - Traditional | 3.60 | | Fresh on and a head foaming like you cannot believe! Head and lacing, superb, and lasting to the very end on this East Peckham session bitter, brewed north-east of Tonbridge itself. An old-fashioned very bitter first bite. A slightly fruited hoppy bitterness scurrying up for a gentle pat care of its Kentish hops: First Gold, Golding and Challenger. A hint of malt but only the merest with a toffee note! A dry moreish hoppiness bounding downwards. |
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Portola | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Cosmic Jellyfish | 4.00 | Not Tried |
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.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 14 |
| 714 |
| 1872 |
| 572 |
 | 46 |
The pub is found in East Greenwich, Greater London, SE10 0RJ.
Micropub in Woolwich Road in a former street corner lingerie and hosiery business premises and which opened on 13th September 2017. Comprises a front room with bar counter and with real ales and ciders served on gravity dispense from a temperature controlled cellar room behind the bar, and a rear room down one step. Each day a pre-prepared paper ale menu sheet, with tasting notes, is provided to every table. Bare-board flooring throughout and all seating at wall mounted high settles and hand made wooden high tables. CAMRA card holders' discount on pints and halves of real ale and cider. Card payments accepted. SPBW London Pub of the Year 2019. Local CAMRA branch 2019, 2022 and 2024 Pub of the Year and its Cider Pub of the Year too in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. CAMRA Greenwich District Pub of the Year 2024.
We have visited this pub 1479 times, seen 1888 different beers and tried 1105 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ