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The River Ale House (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Kent - Future Hop |  | 2 |
| Kent - Kent Golding Bitter or KGB |  | 2 |
| Oakham - JHB | | 1 |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | | 1 |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | | 2 |
| Oakham - Cat on a Hop Tin Roof (collaboration with Fat Cat) | | 1 |
| Mighty Oak - Explorer | | 1 |
| Kent - Cobnut | | 3 |
| Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer | | 1 |
| Kent - Loral | | 1 |
| Kent - Session Pale | | 1 |
| Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter |  | 1 |
| Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | | 1 |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Nudge To Win | | 1 |
| Redemption - Big Chief | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | Not Tried | 0 |
| Two by Two - The Dandy Lion | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Inferno | Not Tried | 0 |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
28 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | | Never my favourite Goacher's ale. Drank with hardly noticing |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 | | The changed recipe took something away from this ale |
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer | 4.50 | Not Tried |
27 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer | 4.50 | | Good but did not excite me |
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - The Dandy Lion | 5.30 | Not 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.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | | Not 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 - JHB | 3.80 | Not Tried | Wins 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 Dwarf | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - The Dandy Lion | 5.30 | Not Tried |
26 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Just a small dogends of a bank holiday weekend group of regulars imbibing.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | | A once trendsetting ale now seems so ordinary |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 | | Drank with hardly noticing |
| Mighty Oak - Explorer | 3.80 | | This is making an attempt to have a USP taste |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - The Dandy Lion | 5.30 | Not Tried |
25 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Not as busy as the Thursday evening a couple of weeks ago when Charlton FC played at home that evening in the 3rd division semi-finals and when many a Charlton supporter joined this little micropub from about 10.30pm and they queued for a good half an hour. This time around Charlton played in the afternoon and so no queue formed shortly after my arrival at about half ten in the evening. Busy though it was this Sunday and for my 90 odd minutes of being served before leaving long before the 1am closing time. The extended opening hours reflected Charlton's victory at Wembley in going up a league that day in the final against Leyton Orient.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | | Fresh on from being racked up ready to go the night before. This Birling-based, north of West Malling, Kent, ruby ale's blackboard was displayed just after Saturday's normal closing time of 11pm. It presented superb head and lacing and hung onto this throughout. A dry bitter/malty first hit. A moreish bitterness soon rose up in the mouthfeel and a subtle maltiness lingered on, on the palate. Although said to be sweet in the tasting notes, I did not really detect the sweetness from the molasses, derived from the refining of sugarcane/sugar beet juice into sugar. I did though detect the odd nutty flavour jumping up and down! |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 | Not Tried | Came on shortly after 23.15 to replace the Oakham Citra which had just gone and to reflect the extended opening hours until 1am. |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | Lasted until about 23.15 and was replaced by Oakham White Dwarf to reflect the extended opening hours until 1am. |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Loral | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - The Dandy Lion | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Explorer | 3.80 | Not Tried |
25 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit but did not avail myself of the full extension until 1am. Full of red shirt wearing Charlton Athletic (v Leyton Orient) fans fresh from the afternoon's Wembley League One play-offs final win.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | | Good but had better |
| Kent - Loral | 4.50 | | Zesty single hopper |
| Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter | 5.00 | | Lacked much natural carbonation and with a metallic backtaste |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 | Not Tried | Came on late |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - The Dandy Lion | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Explorer | 3.80 | Not Tried |
24 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 45 minutes of serving but for some of the usual Saturday regulars in. Never witnessed so few real ales on before. This had to do with trying to get rid of the ones nearly at the end of their barrels before Sunday's busy day with Charlton FC's final at Wembley and the odd Charlton fan or two expected to be then in sampling a good few beers after the game whether Charlton win or lose.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Kent Golding Bitter or KGB | 4.10 | | Good head and lacing on this Birling-based bitter from north of West Malling in Kent but this did not last and neither did the beer. I recall getting the last one out of the barrel but it was still drinkable. A dry bitter first hit. A fruit-infused bitterness rose up. A touch of sourness presented itself in the aftertaste and was not its good self being the last out of the barrel! |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Nudge To Win | 4.50 | | Good head and lacing on this Camberley in Surrey New England pale but this did not last. A first hit of a pineapple, and indeed confirmed in the tasting notes that it was running alive, or even not so alive, with a rush of tropical fruits. Not my usual cup of tea was this beer but no bitter was going to be put on to replace the Kent Golding Bitter just gone. A dry fruitiness was then interwoven with bitterness rising up in the mouthfeel and left a citrusy and stone-fruit sweetness on the palate. One sufficed! |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | Not Tried |
23 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall with just a handful or two of hardened regulars on parade for the last 30 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Kent Golding Bitter or KGB | 4.10 | | Fresh on this evening and very good head and lacing presented on this Birling-based bitter from north of West Malling in Kent. A moreishly dry hoppy first hit. A pleasant bitterness rising up and shining in the mouthfeel. A lively hoppiness almost exploding on the palate with a full helping of Goldings and Fuggles hops tap dancing throughout their sensory show on the taste buds. A dry hoppy fruitiness then presented itself in the aftertaste. Very moreish and also aided by those Kent malt flavours and so stuck to it! |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Nudge To Win | 4.50 | Not Tried |
22 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. After two rather boring sour hopped ales I moved on to some flavoured ciders.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Cat on a Hop Tin Roof (collaboration with Fat Cat) | 4.10 | | Drank without really noticing |
| Kent - Future Hop | 4.30 | | Sour hopping |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | Not Tried |
22 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall with just a table or two of hardened regulars in and the odd occasional visitor for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Future Hop | 4.30 | | My second sampling since Tuesday of this pale from Birling in Kent. Presented with very good head and lacing and lasting. Not surprisingly with it so-named, a hoppy first hit! Less of its explosive hoppy properties as sampled on its premier night on Tuesday. A very pleasant dry and oily hoppiness rising up in the mouthfeel and lingering. Very moreish and so another two followed the first. |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | | Second night on and full of head and lacing and lasting on this pale from Birling in Kent, north of West Malling. A gentle hoppy and citrusy first hit. The hoppy flavouring then hits the mouthfeel with the odd hint of elderflower pervading. A hoppy fruitiness lasting in the aftertaste. |
| Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | | Good head and lacing and lasting on this Italian bitter brewed at the Finchampstead-based brewery in Wokingham and now on its fourth night on. A fruity bitterness greeted me again on the first hit from it. A sourness not detected on Tuesday entered the equation and caused it to be somewhat medicinal which is a shame as not there on Tuesday. A bitterness tinged with sourness lingered. |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Cat on a Hop Tin Roof (collaboration with Fat Cat) | 4.10 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 11 |
| 686 |
| 1718 |
| 505 |
 | 42 |
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 1358 times, seen 1829 different beers and tried 1064 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ