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The River Ale House (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Five Points - XPA |  | 1 |
| Goffs - Cheltenham Gold | | 1 |
| Kent - Prohibition X |  | 2 |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | | 1 |
| Oakham - Belma | | 1 |
| Oakham - Pendulum | | 1 |
| Oakham - Skyline Cask Aged | | 1 |
| Oakham - The Final Cut Cask Aged | | 5 |
| Siren Craft - Memento | | 2 |
| Twisted Tree - Citrabloom | | 1 |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy Series Bitter | | 1 |
| Vocation - Victorian Porter | | 4 |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Elusive - Ephemeris | Not Tried | 0 |
| Five Points - Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Tempo | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy Series Golden Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vocation - Heart & Soul | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
29 Jan 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goffs - Cheltenham Gold | 4.50 | | New cask on today. Basic golden ale which I found uninspiring |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy Series Bitter | 4.00 | | Good condition but I drank it with hardly noticing. |
| Vocation - Victorian Porter | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Tempo | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Belma | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - The Final Cut Cask Aged | 6.00 | Not Tried |
28 Jan 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vocation - Victorian Porter | 4.80 | | Constant marking through the last 3 days |
| Oakham - The Final Cut Cask Aged | 6.00 | | Constant mark throughout the last 4 days |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Heart & Soul | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - XPA | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Belma | 4.00 | Not Tried |
27 Jan 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall with the fiddlers and a bagpiper out the rear and the hardened regulars out the front for the last half an hour of serving. Not quite a peaceful evening and I am sure the neighbours who live above are grateful that the penetrating bagpipes are seldom heard here.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five Points - XPA | 4.00 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Fresh on and a very good head and with the lacing sticking to the glass as I like to see it. A very hoppy first hit on this East London-brewed tropical session ale from Hackney. A fruit-infused bitterness rising with citrus zest flavouring with hints of grapefruit, lemon and pineapple. A sprinkling of malts from its mix of barley, oats and wheat. A good fruity hoppiness floating out aided by being dry-hopped with Citra and Galaxy and where added to beer on the "cold side" of production, typically during or after fermentation, rather than during the boiling stage. Moreish enough to have another pint! |
| Vocation - Victorian Porter | 4.80 | | 3rd beer of this visit: Only its second day on but head and lacing not lasting for long on this porter from Hebden Bridge, a market town in the Upper Calder Valley of West Yorkshire and west of Halifax. A smoky first hit. A mildly fruited bitterness climbing up with flavours of fresh bread, toffee, chocolate and hedgerow berries. A malty bitterness slithering downwards aided by its Maris Otter malt blended with brown and chocolate malts and earthy, floral British hops. Another could easily have followed as was in perfect nick apart from losing its lacing. |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | | 1st beer of this visit: Fourth night on and it had to be done since no one else was brave enough again to be leading the way in trying this Manchester-brewed bitter. It was also time to get to the bottom of why a certain regular who never takes their beer back did with this one on the recent Saturday when it was fresh on. I would say only a faint head but lacing certainly not lasting. A strangely fruited note in on its first hit. A hoppy bitterness rising up with piney/woody notes coming to the fore. A fruity hoppiness paddling downwards from hops such as Comet, Ekuanot and CTZ (Columbus, Tomahawk, Zeus). All three hop varieties originate in the United States, and are specifically developed through US breeding programmes and cultivated in the Pacific Northwest region (Washington, Oregon, and Idaho). It has a lemony aroma that might also give it a slightly gone-off flavouring. Berries also play a part in its somewhat uncommon smell for a bitter. Very lightly coloured in appearance and exhibiting a murky consistency that perhaps also does not lend it to being immediately prized or indeed liked! It is according to its literature vegan-friendly with no finings such as isinglass used and so hence it is naturally hazy. A half sufficed for me as far too fruity for a bitter and not malty enough for my liking with its mix of extra pale and pale malts and crystal malt. |
| Vocation - Heart & Soul | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Belma | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - The Final Cut Cask Aged | 6.00 | Not Tried |
27 Jan 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. The fiddlers in the back room had a bagpiper in their midst this week.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vocation - Victorian Porter | 4.80 | | Holding up well after a couple of days on |
| Oakham - The Final Cut Cask Aged | 6.00 | | Keeping condition still |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Heart & Soul | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - XPA | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Belma | 4.00 | Not Tried |
26 Jan 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vocation - Victorian Porter | 4.80 | | New cask on today. Very acceptable |
| Oakham - The Final Cut Cask Aged | 6.00 | | As last night's - good condition but bland on taste. |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Heart & Soul | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Twisted Tree - Citrabloom | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Belma | 4.00 | Not Tried |
25 Jan 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
A bizarre evening! I had managed to miss the first ever quiz evening here by coming in at my usual time. This quiz had run from 7.30pm by all accounts and finishing a little after 10pm. Those regulars in during the quiz still running reported to me their dismay as had not known about it and did not wish to take part in it. Looking at the size of the speaker set up on a stand, the inhabitants upstairs in their respective apartments would also have heard the questions. It apparently took 6 of them to stage it. The guvnor and his grown-up daughter were in to spectate it alongside our usual Sunday barman. Most of the hardened regulars in just before me had also managed to avoid the quiz. A few of the more occasional still in but not many for the last half an hour of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Belma | 4.00 | | 1st beer of this visit: Fresh on and very good head and lacing and sticking to the end on this Peterborough-brewed single hop golden pale. This beer takes its name from the Belma hop, and said to be a milder version of the Citra hop. The Oakham Brewery sources exclusively from the Puterbaugh family-run farm in the Yakima Valley, a productive agricultural region in south-central Washington State. It is famous for its leading production of hops, wine and tree fruits. It enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year. Known as the "Hop Capital of the World," the Yakima Valley is said to grow nearly 80% of the United States' hops. A mildly fruited first hit. A fruity hoppiness rising with soft citrus such as clementine flavourings. A sweet red berry or two adding to this. Its fruitiness lingering with a dry hoppy note sailing out. Not quite my cup of tea but not as citrusy hoppy as that from the Citra hop. Perhaps a touch too fresh as just on. |
| Oakham - The Final Cut Cask Aged | 6.00 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Also fresh on and very good head and lacing and hanging on in there to the end. The Peterborough-brewed cask aged IPA lent a very hoppy first bite care of its two Kiwi hop varieties. Brewed to mark the retirement of Oakham Brewing director, John Bryan, it exuded an immensely tropical fruitiness. My taste buds were doing battle with all the tropical fruits you could imagine alongside lashings of citrus. This brew has gone through the "Krausening" process where fresh yeast is introduced for the final fermentation. A veritable feast of hoppiness cascading downwards care of its New Zealand varieties, Superdelic and Nectaron, along with USA-sourced Citra. This is a hop Oakham's John Bryan pioneered in the UK. The brewery itself was launched in September 1993 in its namesake town of Oakham, Rutland, before moving in 2006 to its current purpose-built production site in the Woodston area of Peterborough to meet increasing demand. A touch too fruited for my taste buds but presented in good condition here. |
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | Could not bring myself to try it following bad reports about this bitter the evening before and with no one else on it this evening. |
| Vocation - Heart & Soul | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Twisted Tree - Citrabloom | 4.10 | Not Tried |
25 Jan 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. There had been a commercial pub quiz on earlier in the evening.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twisted Tree - Citrabloom | 4.10 | | Did not pick up on the explosive burst of flavour promised |
| Oakham - The Final Cut Cask Aged | 6.00 | | 6%er that was pretty bland in flavour. Good condition |
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Heart & Soul | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Belma | 4.00 | Not Tried |
24 Jan 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall with regulars and the more occasional for last 45 minutes of serving. I was warned off the Marble Manchester Bitter that was fresh on that day by fellow regulars in before me and where one of them who normally can drink all bitters had to return it.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Pendulum | 3.80 | | 1st beer of this visit: Second day on and exhibiting good head and lacing and lasting was this Peterborough-brewed pale ale. A hoppy and lightly fruited first hit. A citrus-infused fruity hoppiness veering up and pervading from its two UK hops, Goldings and Challenger. A dry fruitiness with floral and herbal notes sliding downwards. |
| Oakham - Skyline Cask Aged | 5.00 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Very good head and lacing but not quite lasting on this Peterborough-brewed IPA on its second day. A very fruited first hit compared to the Oakham pale just tried. A hoppy fruitiness rising from its Cascade hops giving it strong notes of tropical fruits, including pineapple and passion fruit. Its UK hop, Challenger, balancing its fruitiness with a lingering bitterness but still too fruity for me! One half sufficed. |
| Goacher's - Real Mild Ale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | The reports I heard put me off even having a taster of it! Perhaps too fresh on? |
| Vocation - Heart & Soul | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Twisted Tree - Citrabloom | 4.10 | Not Tried |
22 Jan 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for the last half an hour of serving with a local club having moved in for their post-meeting social. The regulars were squeezed in around them.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | | Fresh on but not too fresh to be palatable with good head and lacing and lasting very well on this Berkshire-brewed bitter from north-west of Finchampstead and south-west of Wokingham. A dry bitter first hit. An ever so slightly fruity hoppiness springing up from its Cascade dry hops, lending it citrus and grapefruit flavours. Its bitterness winning over but doing battle with a malty presence rising with hints of biscuit and caramel. A moreishly dry bitterness sailing out and for me very palatable from this brewery founded in 2013. |
| Kent - Prohibition X | 6.80 | | 4th night on for this Birling-brewed American Pale Ale from north of West Malling in Kent and retaining some head and lacing. A fruity first hit. A fruit-infused dry hoppiness emerging from its double measure of modern US hop varieties, lending it grapefruit and bitter citrus touches. A fruity hoppiness running riot on my taste buds. Not quite my cup of tea and so only a half sufficed. It has been brewed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original Prohibition at 4.8% and packed with twice the hops and at the higher gravity of 6.8%. |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Porter | 6.70 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy Series Golden Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Ephemeris | 4.50 | Not Tried |
22 Jan 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. The enhanced crowd allegedly from local Labour Party activists.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | | Basic bitter with quite a malt flavour |
| Kent - Prohibition X | 6.80 | | Lost almost all condition now |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Porter | 6.70 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy Series Golden Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Ephemeris | 4.50 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 14 |
 | 730 |
| 1971 |
| 616 |
 | 58 |
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 1558 times, seen 1916 different beers and tried 1133 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ