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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 - Tally Ho! |  | 3 |
| Larkins - Green Hop Best | | 1 |
| Hop Back - Fugglestone |  | 1 |
| Palmers - Old Bridporter | | 2 |
| Westerham - British Bulldog | | 1 |
| Downton - Moonstruck | | 1 |
| Larkins - Pale | | 1 |
| Shepherd Neame - Late Red | | 1 |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | | 9 |
| Marston's - Pedigree |  | 1 |
| Dorking - Pilcrow Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wadworth - Dirty Rucker | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Swallow Dive | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - 1381 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ossett - Amarillo | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hop Back - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Black Noise | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - Grasshopper Kent Red Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Hurricane | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Extra Pale Ale XPA (was 3.8% | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Opening Score | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Resolution | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Champions Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies | Not Tried | 0 |
| Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Salopian - Shropshire Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Greene King - Abbot | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hogs Back - Surrey Nirvana | Not Tried | 0 |
| Greene King - Gangly Ghoul | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
27 Oct 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close. Less certain travel there and away, with local tram line closed for a week.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Green Hop Best | 4.00 | | 4½* The very best of the 2023 green hop Kentish ales I have tried. Superb condition |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | 3rd tub on tonight, this one freshly on - 3rd out of this cask too |
| Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Black Noise | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - Grasshopper Kent Red Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Extra Pale Ale XPA (was 3.8% | 3.40 | Not Tried |
20 Oct 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Seemed much more bitter than usual |
| Westerham - British Bulldog | 4.10 | | Good condition, but far from being one of my favourite ales |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Pilcrow Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky | 4.10 | Not Tried |
13 Oct 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | The doctor could have ordered nothing better for me |
| Greene King - Gangly Ghoul | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Wadworth - Dirty Rucker | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Ossett - Amarillo | 4.20 | Not Tried |
09 Oct 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Spot on |
| Palmers - Old Bridporter | 4.00 | | Same cask as the other day but had lost the freshness of that first out of the cask sample so better still |
| Shepherd Neame - Late Red | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Marston's - Pedigree | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Greene King - Gangly Ghoul | 4.20 | Not Tried |
06 Oct 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Never seen such light footfall on a Friday night here.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - Old Bridporter | 4.00 | | First time I have seen this - think must be a new brew. First out of a new cask. Quite thin |
| Marston's - Pedigree | 4.50 | | Really can't be how the venue was keeping it. This was truly average and not enjoyable |
| Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Salopian - Shropshire Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried | The previous customer had the last - no more left |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | 4.00 | Not Tried |
29 Sep 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Bit of an ugh range on tonight I thought.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd Neame - Late Red | 4.50 | | Lost something as the pint went down the glass. Good at first then disappointing |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Teeny bit under par on taste |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Resolution | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Champions Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried |
26 Sep 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Good but had better |
| Larkins - Pale | 4.20 | | First pints out a new cask. Inevitably slightly fresh |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Resolution | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Champions Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried |
20 Sep 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Arrived drenched after a rainstorm for an evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Just as it should be |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | A warming brew helped me to dry out |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Hurricane | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Moonstruck | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Opening Score | 4.50 | Not Tried |
15 Sep 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Rare raw bitterness tonight |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Spot on |
| Downton - Moonstruck | 5.50 | | Compared to the Tally Ho! it did not quite match, only just though |
| Wantsum - 1381 | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Hop Back - Citra | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | 4.00 | Not Tried |
13 Sep 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Held great head and lacing |
| Hop Back - Fugglestone | 4.00 | | A darker well rounded easy-drinking pint |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Hogs Back - Surrey Nirvana | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Pilcrow Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Swallow Dive | 4.30 | Not Tried | Ran out |
About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 5 |
| 280 |
| 165 |
| 23 |
 | 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 220 times, seen 314 different beers and tried 104 of them.
Postcode: CR0 7AA