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The River Ale House (Free House)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Moor - StoutExcellent2
Goacher's - Gold StarGood2
Oakham - JHBGood1
Kent - PaleGood2
Oakham - White DwarfGood3
Mighty Oak - ExplorerGood1
Kent - CobnutGood4
Mighty Oak - KatzenjammerGood1
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's AleAcceptable1
Oakham - OPA Original Pale AleAcceptable1
Redemption - Urban DuskUndrinkable1
Mighty Oak - Jake the SnakeNot Tried0
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude PorterNot Tried0
Two by Two - The Dandy LionNot Tried0
Oakham - CitraNot Tried0
Three Acre - Session PaleNot Tried0
Pig & Porter - Whispering GrassNot Tried0
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Pardoner's AleNot Tried0
Two Flints - DaydreamNot Tried0
Picture 1. The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London
Picture 2. The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London
Picture 3. The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London
Stephen Harris

Visits Details

02 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening until close. Very quiet in both rooms.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale4.30AcceptableLittle life. A chore to down
Oakham - OPA Original Pale Ale4.00Acceptable2nd out of new cask. Very fresh and went flat in glass almost immediately
Redemption - Urban Dusk4.60Not TriedHolding on there
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Pardoner's Ale3.80Not Tried
Moor - Stout5.00Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass5.50Not Tried
01 Jun 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A good few regulars in for the last 30 minutes of serving.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Moor - Stout5.00ExcellentFirst day on and presenting with good head and lacing on this stout originally from the Levels and Moors area of Somerset where the brewery originated and relaunched in 2007 and from 2014 based behind Bristol's Temple Meads Rail Station. A smokey coffee-infused and dark chocolatey first hit. A dry bitterness dominating the mouthfeel with the odd malty note joining in with hints of liquorice and dark fruit. A moreish bitterness lingering on.
Kent - Pale4.00GoodGood head and lacing and almost lasting on this Kent-based pale from Birling, north of West Malling, and on its second night on. A hoppy first hit. A subtle fruitiness presented itself alongside its hoppiness. A dry hoppy bitterness pervaded the mouthfeel and lingered on.
Redemption - Urban Dusk4.60UndrinkableFresh on today was this Tottenham bitter and came with some head and lacing but this soon legged it out its pint glass. A fruity first hit. A fruity sourness pervaded the mouthfeel, not unlike rhubarb, and made it not that appetising to my taste buds. It appeared murky to look at though not described as unfined. I did try taking it back unsuccessfully due to its murkiness but it was flagged up by the barman as just fresh on and fruity! A far cry from the Kent Cobnut I had so much enjoyed recently. A medicinal aftertaste and one sufficed. Will only drink again after trying a sample first of Redemption.
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not Tried
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Pardoner's Ale3.80Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass5.50Not Tried
Two Flints - Daydream4.50Not Tried
01 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Pale4.00GoodLess crisp than I have known it
Moor - Stout5.00GoodFull bodied
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not TriedRan out
Redemption - Urban Dusk4.60Not TriedMuch criticised by another
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Pardoner's Ale3.80Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass5.50Not Tried
Two Flints - Daydream4.50Not TriedRan out
30 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall with just a few regulars in including a few of the Friday regulars and the less occasional out the back for the last 30 minutes of serving.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Cobnut4.10GoodSecond night on for the second barrel of this ruby ale from Birling in Kent, and north of West Malling, and still maintaining very good head and lacing and keeping to the end. Have not tried much else since its first barrel's appearance last Sunday and so know the script pretty well by now! A malty first hit. A bitter maltiness reigning on the taste buds. A moreishly bitter dryness coupled with a sweetness from those molasses it was made with lingering on. Unusual for two barrels of the same to follow consecutively but certainly a fan of this dark malty bitter!
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10Not Tried
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass5.50Not Tried
Three Acre - Session Pale3.70Not TriedIt was off when I got here as confirmed by a fellow regular who was really enjoying it. It then appeared after closing for serving and having been taken off due to the barman admitting it was shaken up due to it being accidentally nudged by him and so reawakening its sediment. The regular's comment was: "You stupid boy, Pike!" The barman was too young to make the connection with Dad's Army!
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
29 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with just a couple of handfuls of regulars in.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Cobnut4.10ExcellentNew barrel of this ruby ale from Birling in Kent, north of West Malling, on this evening and so very good head and lacing presented and lasting well without a single decant needed. It has just replaced its twin barrel that was put on Sunday for Charlton FC's victory at Wembley. A superbly malty first hit. A bitterness rising up alongside a subtle sweetness from its molasses flavouring. A bitter and malty-infused dryness lingering.
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10GoodSecond night on for this Maidstone pale ale and holding its head and lacing well some half an hour after being served. A dry hoppy first hit from its East Kent hops. A malty hoppiness pervading the mouthfeel aided by its Maris Otter malts and lingering.
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Three Acre - Session Pale3.70Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
29 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30GoodThe ubiquitous standard Oakham flavour
Kent - Cobnut4.10GoodApparently a second cask of Cobnut sold consecutively
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Three Acre - Session Pale3.70Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
28 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10GoodNever my favourite Goacher's ale. Drank with hardly noticing
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30GoodThe changed recipe took something away from this ale
Oakham - JHB3.80Not Tried
Kent - Cobnut4.10Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer4.50Not Tried
27 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer4.50GoodGood but did not excite me
Oakham - JHB3.80Not Tried
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Kent - Cobnut4.10Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried
27 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Thankfully nothing like as busy as Sunday night when Charlton FC went up a league that day in the final against Leyton Orient at Wembley. Just a handful or two of hardened regulars in and minus the usual fiddlers out the back for the last 30 minutes of serving.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Cobnut4.10GoodNot as good as when first sampled on Sunday when fresh on but still coming up with plentiful head and lacing in first being poured and almost holding on until the end was this Birling-produced ruby ale from north of West Malling in Kent. Still the same moreishly smokey and malty-infused first hit on its third day on. A pleasant bitterness rising up among the malts and a dry bitter hoppiness lingering. Although the tasting notes suggest sweet in smell, I prefer to taste my beers and did not detect the no doubt sweet molasses at all also in the taste by all accounts!
Oakham - JHB3.80Not TriedWins the award this evening for being variously described as here: on badge: a bitter; on blackboard alongside badge: a session pale; on governor's tasting notes: a golden.
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer4.50Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried
26 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Just a small dogends of a bank holiday weekend group of regulars imbibing.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Oakham - JHB3.80GoodA once trendsetting ale now seems so ordinary
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30GoodDrank with hardly noticing
Mighty Oak - Explorer3.80GoodThis is making an attempt to have a USP taste
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Kent - Cobnut4.10Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried

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About The River Ale House

The pub sign. The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional11
Excellent671
Good1608
Acceptable462
Poor37

Website.

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 1274 times, seen 1785 different beers and tried 1038 of them.

Map location

Postcode: SE10 0RJ