The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
30 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Front room was a packed house.
Five Points - Railway Porter | 4.80 |  | An always reliable choice |
Lost Pier - Snitches Get Stitches | 4.30 |  | Basic pale with no USP |
Vibrant Forest - Paper Room | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Suspended in Superdelic | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Outhouse (cuckoo at Jolly Boys') - Safari Juice | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
28 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last 30 minutes of serving with many of the Friday regulars in and among the more occasional.
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 |  | A new barrel freshly on today of this Italian bitter and a collaboration with Berkshire-based Siren Craft Brew meant good head and lacing. A hoppy first hit. A bitter and fruity hoppiness was presented from the German hops which were used for this Italian brew. A hoppy dryness persisted. |
Oakham - Invicta (collaboration with Ramsgate Gadds') | 4.30 |  | Good head and lacing still on this pale's second night on and for this Peterborough-based and Ramsgate Brewery collaboration. A citrusy first hit followed by a fruity mouthfeel. A hoppy dryness from the East Kent Goldings' hops in the aftertaste and very moreish. |
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Fenton | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
27 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many regulars on parade.
Oakham - Invicta (collaboration with Ramsgate Gadds') | 4.30 |  | Fresh on this evening and holding superb head and lacing and the latter is still on the side of glass when completely empty of this pale ale. A dry hoppy first hit on this collaboration between Peterborough-based Oakham and Ramsgate's Gadds' Brewery. A slightly citrusy and sweetish mouthfeel coming from the fruits therein, including lemon and grapefruit, but a moreish hoppiness winning over on the taste buds from those East Kent Goldings' hops. A dry fruity hoppiness lingering. |
Mighty Oak - Gorgeous George | 4.20 |  | Fresh on is this Maldon-based bitter and holding its head and lacing well. A very sweet first hit a bit like biting into a toffee apple. A bitterness winning through but still a sweet maltiness and lasting into the aftertaste. |
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 |  | This Peterborough-based American Brown is still holding its head and lacing on its fifth night on. A malty first hit and continuing into the mouthfeel and mixed with a spiciness. A malty bitterness lingering in the aftertaste. |
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
27 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Mighty Oak - Gorgeous George | 4.20 |  | Very malty |
Oakham - Invicta (collaboration with Ramsgate Gadds') | 4.30 |  | Seemed totally Oakham to me with same old Oakham traits |
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Fenton | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
26 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Elusive - Overdrive (Lap 30: Talus, Simcoe & Amarillo) | 5.50 |  | A heady APA |
Lost Pier - When Nothing Goes Right, Go Left | 4.50 |  | Tasty but lacking head and lacing |
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 |  | Thin gruel with hardly any head or lacing |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
25 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many regulars in and even some fiddlers in their allotted backroom area.
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 |  | Now its third night on and still very good head and lacing on this Peterborough-based American brown ale. A superbly malty first hit and reminding me of Bovril! A sweetness then coming to the fore and a black pepper or two getting you in the aftertaste. |
Lost Pier - When Nothing Goes Right, Go Left | 4.50 |  | Very good head and lacing on this Brighton-based pale as fresh on today and holding to the end. A dry hoppy first hit. An oily hoppiness in the mouthfeel and with a maltiness adding a layer of sweetness to the flavourings and lingering. |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 |  | Been on since Saturday and so only needed a slight decant or two to wake up the head and lacing on this Cornwall-based porter from Penryn. A malty mouthfeel with chocolate and coffee flavourings mixed with caramel, prunes and raisins. An interesting mix and so a mere half sufficed but very moreish. |
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 |  | Its 3rd night on and holding its head and lacing well. A somewhat sharp first hit! A bitterness intermingling with a fruity hoppiness from the German hops. The Italian collaboration with Berkshire-based Siren Craft Brew was an interesting one to sample here and where the same German hops are used for the Italian brew or two. A sharpness pervaded the moreishly dry aftertaste. |
Elusive - Overdrive (Lap 30: Talus, Simcoe & Amarillo) | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
23 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with usual Sunday faces in.
Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 |  | Only its second night on but the place opens early afternoon on a Sunday and so I asked how this Berkshire-based bitter, outside Wokingham, was doing and the barman told me it was nearly out and so bought a few before he then took it off. Still great head and lacing and lasting. A bitter and hoppy first hit rolled into one. A dry and moreishly bitter mouthfeel lingered into its aftertaste with just a hint of sweetness from its citrus-infusions. Many others had also enjoyed it that night as I was told. |
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 |  | This Peterborough-based American brown ale was fresh on today and holding its head and lacing very well. A very dry first hit and a malty mouthfeel. A dryness pervaded its aftertaste along with a degree of fruitiness and touches of spice and cinnamon. |
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Northern Monk - Sup | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | Not Tried | An Italian bitter which replaced the Memento. |
23 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 |  | Little head or lacing |
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 |  | Very good ABA |
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 |  | Cask just put on. Good condition but unspectacular taste |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | Not Tried | Ran out |
Northern Monk - Sup | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
22 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last 45 minutes of serving and after a somewhat delayed and re-routed trip back from Faversham and so ready to quench my newly found thirst.
Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 |  | Fresh on and very good head and lacing and literally foaming was this Berkshire-based bitter from south-west of Wokingham. A thirst-quenching bitterness in the first hit. A moreishly bitter mouthfeel with a maltiness coming to the fore with biscuit and caramel flavourings. A slightly citrusy aftertaste with a long-lasting dry hoppiness. This one had replaced the Bexley ruby bitter which had just gone off before I got in and so well timed. |
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Northern Monk - Sup | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
20 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many a regular in and the more occasional visitor as well.
360° - Harvest Moon | 5.00 |  | Fresh on this evening and very good head and lacing and lasting on this East Sussex green hop amber ale from east of Haywards Heath. A dry first hit. A fruity and bitter mouthfeel with a malty dryness living on. A late green hopped beer from the end of last summer with malt varieties added to it and then allowed to ferment for longer than your usual green hop pale. |
Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 |  | Served with good head and lacing but not holding it for long on this Erith-based ruby bitter. I was told it was only its second night on having put in a late appearance on Wednesday. A malty first hit and a bitterness came to the fore in the mouthfeel. Could taste a touch of sweetness from its biscuit and caramel flavourings but its bitterness lingered. It had a slight kick to it. A further pint required much decanting to bring it back to life. |
Kent - Twelfth Night | 7.40 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Keras | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
Lost Pier - Resting Beach Face | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
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