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Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House) (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) |  | 4 |
| Hop Back - Summer Lightning | | 1 |
| Surrey Hills - Gilt Complex | | 1 |
| Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale | | 1 |
| Larkins - Traditional | | 1 |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | | 5 |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | | 2 |
| Surrey Hills - Collusion | | 1 |
| Downton - Downton Dream |  | 1 |
| Westerham - Viceroy India Pale Ale | | 3 |
| Larkins - Porter | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - DB Number One | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hop Back - Crop Circle | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brains - The Rev James Original | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marston's - Courage Best Bitter (was brewed at Banks's for a while) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hop Back - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Otter - Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Surrey Hills - Ranmore Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - Alt Ego | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Pilcrow Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - British Bulldog | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Extra Pale Ale XPA (was 3.8% | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
28 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until midnight close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Traditional | 3.40 | | 4½* Best of this ale I have ever had. For something of 3.4% it reeked of malts and hops, literally |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | 2nd day of this cask. Ideal condition |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Hop Back - Citra | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Marston's - Courage Best Bitter (was brewed at Banks's for a while) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Downton Dream | 4.80 | Not Tried |
25 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hop Back - Summer Lightning | 5.00 | | If only it was served like this everywhere |
| Downton - Downton Dream | 4.80 | | Drank without really noticing |
| Larkins - Porter | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | Another suggested this was fresh on |
| Brains - The Rev James Original | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Marston's - Courage Best Bitter (was brewed at Banks's for a while) | 4.00 | Not Tried |
22 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. I suspect the drizzly rain all evening had reduced footfall, certainly the trams were almost empty to and from too.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Porter | 5.20 | | Good enough, lacked something compared with, say, Tally Ho! Rather thin for its ABV |
| Westerham - Viceroy India Pale Ale | 5.00 | | Full bodied |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Hop Back - Crop Circle | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - DB Number One | 4.20 | Not Tried |
21 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Just as it should be |
| Westerham - Viceroy India Pale Ale | 5.00 | | Just lost a little bit since Wednesday's |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Hop Back - Crop Circle | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - DB Number One | 4.20 | Not Tried |
19 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | |
| Westerham - Viceroy India Pale Ale | 5.00 | | A rare beer for me. I could have easily thought it was Palmers 200. My idea of a true IPA |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - DB Number One | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried |
18 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until closed. Well patronised tonight.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | Nearing end of cask and suffered a tad for it |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - DB Number One | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried |
17 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | The beauty of cask is how different this tastes to the Westerham 1965 |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | |
| Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale | 4.80 | | Long time since tried this, as expected here in tip top condition - a rather sour bittering |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | Came on at very last knockings |
| Surrey Hills - Gilt Complex | 4.60 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Dorking - Extra Pale Ale XPA (was 3.8% | 3.40 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Westerham - Alt Ego | 4.50 | Not Tried |
14 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | As it should be |
| Surrey Hills - Gilt Complex | 4.60 | | Tried this for a change from Palmers IPA and well rewarded |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - British Bulldog | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Extra Pale Ale XPA (was 3.8% | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - Alt Ego | 4.50 | Not Tried |
11 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | As normal - excellent |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | New cask on and compared with the usual 200 this was rather thin and fresh |
| Otter - Bitter | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Surrey Hills - Ranmore Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | Ran put |
| Surrey Hills - Collusion | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Pilcrow Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried | New cask came on |
| Westerham - Alt Ego | 4.50 | Not Tried |
10 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | Perhaps because followed a Surrey Hills Collusion this seemed very malty |
| Surrey Hills - Collusion | 5.20 | | Superb but a much drier bitterness than I recall when had elsewhere before |
| Otter - Bitter | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Surrey Hills - Ranmore Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - Alt Ego | 4.50 | Not Tried |
About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 5 |
| 260 |
| 115 |
 | 15 |
 | 1 |
The pub is found in Addiscombe, Greater London, CR0 7AA.
Small low ceilinged pub close to Addiscombe Tram Stop in Bingham Corner, Lower Addiscombe Road. This pub is a regular outlet for Palmers beers. In November 2012 Palmers awarded the pub a certificate for having sold a total of 1,000,000 pints of Palmers Best Bitter (IPA) exceeding any other of its free trade outlets and in later years further greatly exceeded here and similarly certificated with 1,250,000th in 2019. 6 handpumps dispense the real ales and always at least 2 ciders served by a walk to the ground floor cellar, the latter of late not being real ones however. Beers in the cellar and due to come on are listed on a wallboard. Changed hands in 2016 with slight change of name from Claret Free House to Claret & Ale but little else has changed. 6 handpumps. Regular winner of the local CAMRA branch Borough Pub of the Year award. Local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year 2024.
We have visited this pub 184 times, seen 271 different beers and tried 85 of them.
Postcode: CR0 7AA