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The River Ale House (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Silver Star |  | 2 |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | | 3 |
| Kent - Old Skool |  | 2 |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | | 1 |
| Oakham - Scarlet Macaw | | 1 |
| Ossett - Ossett Blonde |  | 1 |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | | 1 |
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | | 2 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - American Brown Ale (collaboration with Track) | | 4 |
| Anspach & Hobday - Citropolis | Not Tried | 0 |
| Anspach & Hobday - The IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Arbor Ales - Mosaic | Not Tried | 0 |
| Big Trip - Animal | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Stanza - Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Sweet Caroline | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Glass Mountain | Not Tried | 0 |
| Titanic - Long Haul | Not Tried | 0 |
| Two by Two - Citra Motueka | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
30 Jul 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall with half the front drinking area of this micropub minus any customers for the last half an hour of serving whilst the other half had its regulars and a few lesser spotted.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | 4.00 | | Fresh on and exhibiting some head and lacing but not keeping it which is very unusual for a freshly tapped beer. A hoppy first hit on this Tunbridge Wells-brewed bitter. A dry and gently fruited bitterness rising. A toffee-infused maltiness with a biscuity touch rising. A dry hoppiness prevailing with a hint of earthiness and spice from its Fuggles hops. A fruity note lingering on its descent and from its Bramling Cross hops lending subtle berry and other dried fruit flavours. Perhaps just a tad too fresh which is why its head and lacing was somewhat momentary on being first poured. It was though flavoursome with no off-flavours in its favour. |
| Ossett - Ossett Blonde | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - American Brown Ale (collaboration with Track) | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Sweet Caroline | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Big Trip - Animal | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Citropolis | 4.50 | Not Tried |
30 Jul 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Some straight talking across the table.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | 4.00 | | Very earthy bitter fresh on today. Zesty mouth feel |
| Ossett - Ossett Blonde | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - American Brown Ale (collaboration with Track) | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Sweet Caroline | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Big Trip - Animal | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Citropolis | 4.50 | Not Tried |
29 Jul 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Another hottest day of the year!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 | | Holding good condition |
| Ossett - Ossett Blonde | 3.90 | | Basic pale. Drank with hardly noticing |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - American Brown Ale (collaboration with Track) | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Sweet Caroline | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Big Trip - Animal | 5.30 | Not Tried |
28 Jul 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall with a mixture of regulars and the more occasional for the last 40 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Fresh on and good head and lacing but not totally staying on parade on this Maidstone-brewed Kentish pale ale. A hoppy first hit on this blonde-coloured pale originally brewed in 2008 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Goacher's Brewery. A gentle fruitiness rising with a zesty and floral touch. A hoppiness lingering from its single Kent Fuggles. A dry bitterness prevailing and lingering on the sailing out. Served in good nick but not overly hanging on to its lacing. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - American Brown Ale (collaboration with Track) | 5.60 | | 3rd beer of this visit: Third day on and still exhibiting a lasting head and lacing on this American Brown Ale from Thornbridge brewing in Bakewell and made in collaboration with Manchester’s Track Brewing. A dry malty first bite on this mahogany brown hued ale. A bitter maltiness rising from its Malted Barley and Oats. A malty, nutty and toasted caramelly sweetness joining in. Touches of chocolate, creamy toffee and dark bread crust flavours prevailing. Fruity notes of grapefruit citrus alongside resinous pine lingering. Its hoppy bitterness from its US West Coast hops: Centennial, Simcoe, Cascade and Chinook. Served still in good nick. |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | | 1st beer of this visit: Third day on now and little head and lacing evident and not keeping it on this Kentish session bitter from the Maidstone brewery set up in 1983. A dry hoppiness in its first bite. A fruity note bobbing up from its depths aided by its 100% whole Kentish hops. Its 100% malted barley minus any added sugars or artificial colourings lending a touch of biscuity maltiness. A shame it has gone from being so moreish to lacking conditioning on only its third day. Only one therefore sufficed. |
| Anspach & Hobday - The IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Stanza - Pale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Sweet Caroline | 4.20 | Not Tried |
27 Jul 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - American Brown Ale (collaboration with Track) | 5.60 | | Full on flavour so a slow drinker |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - The IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Stanza - Pale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Sweet Caroline | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Glass Mountain | 4.20 | Not Tried |
26 Jul 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Ticking over with regulars and the lesser spotted for the last half an hour of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | | 1st beer of this visit: Fresh on and presented with lasting head and lacing on this English session bitter from Maidstone, Kent, where brewing was set up in 1983. A dry, mildly fruited first hit. A bitter fruitiness rising on this brew originally created by blending Goacher's Fine Light and Best Dark ales as a special for a local Maidstone pub. A hoppy bitterness prevailing from its 100% whole Kentish hops. A hint of biscuity maltiness joining in from its 100% malted barley minus any added sugars or artificial colourings before the sail downwards. Very moreish and served in fine fettle and so stuck with it apart from one dark ale to end on. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - American Brown Ale (collaboration with Track) | 5.60 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Also fresh on and served with a lasting head and lacing throughout on this American Brown Ale from Thornbridge brewing in Bakewell since 2009 and made collaboratively with Track Brewing, the latter in co-developing the modern recipe by applying their expertise into the contemporary hops used. Track launched in 2014 under a railway arch near Piccadilly station in Manchester and later moving to a larger warehouse and taproom on the Piccadilly Trading Estate. This mahogany brown hued ale has been brewed using Thornbridge's historic Burton Union brewing system in Derbyshire, and which is an interconnected wooden barrel fermentation system rescued from Carlsberg Marston's that uses gravity and a series of pipes to continuously circulate fermenting beer while naturally separating out excess yeast. A mildly fruited first bite. A dry bitter maltiness rising from its Malted Barley and Oats with a malty, nutty and toasted caramelly sweetness mixed with chocolate, creamy toffee and dark bread crust flavours. Fruity notes of grapefruit citrus alongside resinous pine climbing up with a hoppy bitterness derived from its US West Coast hops including Centennial, Simcoe, Cascade and Chinook. Served in excellent nick. |
| Anspach & Hobday - The IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Stanza - Pale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Sweet Caroline | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Glass Mountain | 4.20 | Not Tried |
26 Jul 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close and a very relaxed kick out.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - American Brown Ale (collaboration with Track) | 5.60 | | Good hearty brown with lingering flavour |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | | OK but uninspiring |
| Anspach & Hobday - The IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Stanza - Pale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Sweet Caroline | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Glass Mountain | 4.20 | Not Tried |
25 Jul 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Ticking over with a mix of regulars and the lesser spotted for the last 45 minutes of serving and minus the World Cup which had dominated for the past month every Saturday evening.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Scarlet Macaw | 4.40 | | Second day on and presenting good head and lasting lacing on this American Pale Ale from the Peterborough-based brewery in Cambridgeshire from 1998 having relocated from Oakham, Rutland, where it was set up in 1993. Very amber coloured and so resembling a typical bitter. A dry bitterness in fact on the first hit. A malty note joining in aided by its Malted Barley lending a gentle sweetness and its amber colouring. A fruity floral hoppiness prevailing from its blend of two prominent hop varieties from the Yakima Valley in Washington State, Amarillo lending spicy and citrusy notes, and Summit behind its powerful bitterness for me. A hint of gooseberries, grapefruit and tropical fruit as well as marmalade and even honey on its sailing out for my taste buds with a bitterness lingering and described by the brewery "as sharp as a Macaw's screech". Served in good nick and as also recommended by fellow regulars in before me. |
| Kent - Old Skool | 4.10 | Not Tried | Hanging on since Tuesday, five days ago. |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Stanza - Pale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Titanic - Long Haul | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Glass Mountain | 4.20 | Not Tried |
23 Jul 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy with a good few regulars in among some of the odd lesser spotted for the last 40 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Old Skool | 4.10 | | 1st beer of this visit: Third night on and still presenting a very good head and lasting lacing on this dark amber-coloured Kentish traditional bitter from Birling, north of West Malling. A dry fruited first hit. A fruity hoppiness rising from its English hops and most likely Fuggles or Goldings. A very faint touch of maltiness with a hint of breadiness from its traditional floor-malted barley, including Crystal malt lending toffee-caramel flavourings. A very fruited hoppiness prevailing with a hint of spicy orange and marmalade before the slide out. Served still in very good form and very moreish to stick with it on most of this visit. |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Now its sixth or seventh day on and this Tunbridge Wells Kentish stout came with very minimal head and lacing and not lasting. A malty first hit. A chocolatey maltiness with a touch of coffee flavouring from its dark malts and oatmeal stout porridge oats. Its American Willamette hops aiding its hedgerow fruit flavours. My taste buddies taking an elderberry and blackcurrant hit. A hoppy maltiness combined with a dry bitterness sliding downwards. Flat tasting with little conditioning but washed it down with a small portion of chocolate cake I had wrapped in foil to bring along purposely. |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Arbor Ales - Mosaic | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - Citra Motueka | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Titanic - Long Haul | 4.00 | Not Tried |
23 Jul 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 | | As always a heavy hitter |
| Kent - Old Skool | 4.10 | | Full on flavouring, however one was enough |
| Arbor Ales - Mosaic | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - Citra Motueka | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Titanic - Long Haul | 4.00 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 15 |
| 789 |
| 2173 |
| 723 |
 | 63 |
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 1749 times, seen 2026 different beers and tried 1193 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ