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The River Ale House (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Captain Bob |  | 3 |
| Kent - Cobnut | | 2 |
| Stancill - Summer Breeze | | 1 |
| Bowland - Buster IPA |  | 2 |
| Kent - Prohibition | | 1 |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | | 3 |
| Kent - Session Pale | | 1 |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy | | 3 |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - 27 Strong Gold |  | 2 |
| Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | | 1 |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | | 3 |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Pardoner's Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Dragon Cask Aged | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | Not Tried | 0 |
| Iron Pier - Into the Woods Ernest & Bullion | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Rakau | Not Tried | 0 |
| Iron Pier - Chinook & Bullion Joined at the Hop | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
25 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Usual regulars in the line-up for the last 30 minutes of serving alongside the odd one or two more occasional.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy | 4.00 | | Third evening on is this bitter from Hardley, south of Southampton and based on the other side of the estuary known as Southampton Water. Head and lacing, still good, and lasting, still good. A malty bitter first bite. Its Maris Otter malt giving it its malty bitterness with a biscuity note or two rising. Its British-grown Goldings hops aiding its dry hoppiness and its yeast strain lending it a healthy hint of dry fruitiness! |
| Bowland - Buster IPA | 4.00 | | Fresh on and on recommendation was this Clitheroe-brewed IPA from Lancashire and north-east of Blackburn. Very good head and lacing and lasting. A hoppy fruited first bite. A good hop-infused fruitiness rising with a tropical note or two emerging. A hoppy dryness lingering on. The brewery began life in a milking parlour in 2003 and now brews in a converted textile mill in the Lancashire market town of Clitheroe. |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - 27 Strong Gold | 6.50 | Not Tried |
25 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy | 4.00 | | Basic bitter in a rather tired condition |
| Bowland - Buster IPA | 4.00 | | Little USP - OK |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Pardoner's Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - 27 Strong Gold | 6.50 | Not Tried |
24 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | Holding on |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | | Loss of condition since yesterday |
| Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | | Little life made this a chore to finish |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - 27 Strong Gold | 6.50 | | Strong ale with quite some flavour but no condition and slight haze |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Chinook & Bullion Joined at the Hop | 3.80 | Not Tried |
23 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | | Good condition on a boring golden ale |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | Rather tired example |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - 27 Strong Gold | 6.50 | | Strong golden birthday ale. Some haze and very little condition |
| Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Chinook & Bullion Joined at the Hop | 3.80 | Not Tried |
23 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with a mixture of regulars and the not so regular plus the Tuesday fiddlers out the back. Alas, Mighty Oak's Captain Bob bitter was all gone from its late first appearance on Saturday. Looking at the tasting notes for today, it was not listed and so must have been largely supped Sunday and from this micropub's late opening of 4pm on Monday. Not bad when some bitters can hang on 4 to 5 days.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | | Fresh on today was this IPA from south-west of Canterbury and just outside Chartham. Head and lacing, very good, and lasting, good. A very dry hoppy first bite. Its dry hoppiness rising from its West Kent hop, Jester, and East Kent Golding hop, lending it notes of honey and thyme. A mild fruitiness rising and a good dry spicy hoppiness sailing out. |
| Vibrant Forest - Canopy | 4.00 | | Fresh on this evening is this bitter from Hardley, south of Southampton and based on the other side of the estuary known as Southampton Water. Head and lacing, good, and lasting, good. A very dry bitter first bite. A mildly malty bitterness rising aided by its Maris Otter malt, lending it a hint of biscuity flavouring. A dry hoppiness shining through from its British-grown Goldings hops. Its yeast strain giving it a slightly fruity kick on riding out and singing "Rawhide" no doubt! |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Chinook & Bullion Joined at the Hop | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - 27 Strong Gold | 6.50 | Not Tried |
21 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Good gathering of regulars and indeed dogs and for one dog reaching into his teens this day and for the last 30 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Captain Bob | 3.80 |  | Second night on and the fizz on the tongue from being a tad too fresh the night before had completely gone on this Essex amber bitter from the Maldon-based brewery set up in 1996. Head and lacing, excellent. As for lasting, I have never seen such lasting lacing on the side of a glass and even when the ale on the inside was completely supped. But all importantly, how did it taste? A very well-rounded bitter malty note on the first bite. Without doubt for me, one of the best bitters sampled in living memory! Here this was achieved by its superb combination of New Zealand hops but many an ale with a UK hop pleases me, I hasten to add. You might almost say that perfect balance between the malty note and the hoppy note. An underlying fruity note was also there, too, but almost undetectable for its grape, elderflower and gooseberry infusions. It was totally singing in harmony with my taste buds' applause. It sufficed 100% without my need to try another from the other five on, and with three fresh on this day. It ticked all the right boxes for my taste buds and I have tried to bring them up right. Others in were also supping it among other ales they tried but nobody had a bad word about this one. The best for me! |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Prohibition | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Rakau | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Chinook & Bullion Joined at the Hop | 3.80 | Not Tried |
21 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Captain Bob | 3.80 | | Basic well balanced bitter |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | The extent of plumminess varies from brew to brew |
| Kent - Prohibition | 4.80 | | Bordering on excellent condition |
| Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Rakau | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Chinook & Bullion Joined at the Hop | 3.80 | Not Tried |
20 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A mix of regulars and the more occasional for last 50 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Captain Bob | 3.80 | | Fresh on by just a few hours earlier into the evening was this Essex amber bitter from the Maldon-based brewery set up in 1996. Head and lacing, very good, and lasting, good. A very bitter first bite. A good dose of maltiness rising and a hoppy bitterness winning over, aided by its New Zealand hops. A slight fruitiness getting in on the act care of its grape, elderflower and gooseberry infusions. A dry moreish bitterness sailing downwards. A touch too fresh and so a slight fizz on the tongue but moreish enough to stick with it! |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Stancill - Summer Breeze | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Into the Woods Ernest & Bullion | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Rakau | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Chinook & Bullion Joined at the Hop | 3.80 | Not Tried |
19 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Good mix of stalwarts and the lesser spotted for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | | Second day on for this Kentish ruby bitter from Birling, north of West Malling, and in better form than trying within minutes of its first appearance the evening before. Head and lacing, very good, and this time lasting to the end. A very malty bitterness in its first bite. A pleasantly bitter hoppiness rising but won over by the lasting maltiness playing out with its odd smoky note ably assisted by its sweet molasses. Very moreish and so stuck to it on this session. |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Stancill - Summer Breeze | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Into the Woods Ernest & Bullion | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Rakau | 4.50 | Not Tried |
18 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall with many a regular on parade among the more occasional for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stancill - Summer Breeze | 4.00 | | Fresh on was this Sheffield pale, brewed north of the city, and presenting very good head and lacing and lasting to the end. A dry hoppy first bite to it. A mildly fruited hoppiness rising aided by its US Citra hops. Very moreish and so another was also sampled. Stancill set up brewing in 2014 having rescued the kit and a well regarded Barnsley bitter arising from the closure in 2013 of Oakwell Brewery in Barnsley. |
| Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | | Fresh on literally was this Kentish ruby bitter from Birling, north of West Malling. Good head and lacing to start with but perhaps because so fresh on, this legged it out of the glass. A very malty first bite. A dry bitterness rising the heights before navigating downwards with a touch of smokiness and sweetness from molasses in on the mix. Very moreish but also like a soup in its very heavy maltiness slowing it down from being readily quaffable! |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | | Fourth night on now for this Kentish light pale ale from Birling, north of West Malling. Surprisingly, still presenting good head and lacing and holding onto it to the end. The same dry hoppy first hit as when tried on Tuesday. A touch of mild fruitiness detected aided by its citrus and elderflower flavourings. As when last sampled earlier in the week, a dry bitterness prevailing and lingering. |
| Oakham - Dragon Cask Aged | 5.00 | Not Tried | Ran out whilst here. |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | 4.00 | Not Tried | Ran out whilst here. |
| Iron Pier - Into the Woods Ernest & Bullion | 4.80 | Not Tried | Fresh on during my visit. |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 12 |
| 700 |
| 1796 |
| 537 |
 | 44 |
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 1417 times, seen 1858 different beers and tried 1084 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ