The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
12 May 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 |  | Good condition but too malty for my liking |
| Vocation - Across the Pond | 4.70 |  | Good head and lacing but same old citrus pale |
| Oakham - Hell Bent Cask Aged | 5.00 |  | Flavour still there but tired in condition |
| Five Points - XPA | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Burnt Mill - Pintle Pale Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Stanza XPA | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
10 May 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
A good table or two of the hardened regulars for the last half an hour of serving among the otherwise odd lesser spotted also on parade.
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 |  | 2nd beer of this visit: Third day on and still presenting good head and lacing and lasting on this Peterborough-brewed golden ale from Cambridgeshire, and originally set up in Oakham, Rutland, in 1993 before moving to Peterborough in 1998. A dry hoppy first hit. A dry zesty fruited hoppiness rising but not overly citrusy in the least for my taste buds. UK-sourced Pioneer, Goldings and Challenger hops are here doing battle with the more citrusy fruited Cascade from the USA. A mildly sweetened fruitiness prevailing aided by its Maris Otter and Wheat malts. A dry hoppy note or two floating out. Still very moreish and served still in good condition. |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 |  | 1st beer of this visit: Fresh on and exhibiting a good head and lacing and lasting the whole way on this West Yorkshire-brewed dry hopped pale from about 3 miles from the centre of Hebden Bridge, with Halifax approximately 9 miles east. A very fruited first hit. Its US hops, notably Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe, were coming at my taste buds with piney, peachy hints and mixed with the odd mission from a lychee and citrusy fruit. Its British malts, including Extra Pale lending it a bready flavouring, doing their best to quell the US hoppy infusions. It was too fruited for me and so one sufficed but presented on its augural day in fine form. |
| Oakham - Hell Bent Cask Aged | 5.00 |  | 3rd beer of this visit: Third day on and still very good head and lacing on show on this Peterborough-based brewery’s collaboration with Two Chimps Coffee, an award-winning artisan roastery based in the brewery's namesake town of Oakham. A malty first hit. A dry bitterness rising with a fruity and spicy touch aided but its mix of Amarillo from the USA alongside British Challenger, Goldings and Jester. A malty note prevailing and winning over from its Maris Otter, Brown and Black malts. Freshly ground roasted coffee flavours tantalising my taste buds with a malty bitterness sailing out. Served in good condition still on its third day on. |
| Redemption - Hopspur | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - Citra Simcoe Ekuanot | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Ossett - Trip Hop #4 | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
10 May 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening until close. Lots of disagreements about the efficacy of AI.
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 |  | Seems like a changed recipe to me |
| Oakham - Hell Bent Cask Aged | 5.00 |  | Coffee dominated flavouring |
| Ossett - Trip Hop #4 | 4.00 |  | Basic hopping, not much natural carbonation. |
| Redemption - Hopspur | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - Citra Simcoe Ekuanot | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
09 May 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall but for a handful of the Saturday regulars on parade for the last 45 minutes of serving and the odd lesser spotted.
| Oakham - Hell Bent Cask Aged | 5.00 |  | 3rd beer of this visit: Fresh on and presenting very good head and lacing and lasting on this Peterborough-brewed cask aged coffee porter from Cambridgeshire. A very dry bitter first hit. Its Maris Otter, Brown and Black malts greatly complementing a prevailing flavouring of ground roasted coffee. Produced in collaboration with a local artisan coffee roastery. A hoppy spicy bitterness descending from its Amarillo from the USA alongside British Challenger, Goldings and Jester. Presented in top form. |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 |  | 2nd beer of this visit: Second day on and still presenting good head and lacing and lasting on this Peterborough-brewed golden ale. A lightly hoppy first bite. A dry hoppiness rising. A fruity, zesty flavouring emerging. A complex hoppiness all derived from its Pioneer, Goldings and Challenger from the UK and a citrusy Cascade from the USA. In sliding downwards, it is balanced with a touch of malt from Maris Otter and a touch of wheat lending it a bready flavouring. Served in good nick. |
| Redemption - Hopspur | 4.50 |  | 1st beer of this visit: Its fourth day on for this North London bitter from Tottenham and now not much head and lacing to note. A dry hoppy first bite. A gentle biscuity maltiness rising with hints of caramel, toffee, honey and hazelnut. A fruited bitterness winning over aided by its American hops. A malty hoppy mix sliding out. A loss of conditioning since trying on Thursday and so one sufficed. |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Indie Rabble - Sensible Beer Name | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Ossett - Trip Hop #4 | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
07 May 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall with a mix of the hardened in and the less frequent for the last half an hour of serving.
| Redemption - Hopspur | 4.50 |  | 1st beer of this visit: Very good head and lacing presented on this North London bitter from Tottenham and lasting all the way on its second day on. A malty first hit derived from its British malt base. A caramelised-infused hoppiness from its American hops. A biscuity maltiness winning over with hints of caramel, toffee, honey and hazelnut all in on the act. A hoppy maltiness sailing out. |
| Mighty Oak - Brock Mild | 4.00 |  | 2nd beer of this visit: Head and lacing presented but not lasting on this Essex dark mild ale from Maldon on its fourth day on. A malty first hit with a hint of dark chocolate. A gentle bitterness rising and doing battle with its heavily toasty malt derived from its Chocolate Malts. A dry hoppiness prevailing and likely to be from traditional English foundational hops like Challenger or Northdown lending it a certain bitterness to aid overcoming its malty sweetness. A final malty touch descending from its Barley Malt. A tad tired as minus its conditioning that was there on Tuesday. |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Indie Rabble - Sensible Beer Name | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Brass Castle - Bright | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
07 May 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 |  | Some loss of edge since yesterday's |
| Redemption - Hopspur | 4.50 |  | Malty bitter. Not much condition |
| Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Indie Rabble - Sensible Beer Name | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Brock Mild | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brass Castle - Bright | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
06 May 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 |  | Not advertised but word of mouth said it was newly on. Not my favourite Goacher's Ale but liked it this time |
| Brass Castle - Bright | 4.30 |  | Rather thin for its ABV and virtually no head or lacing |
| Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 | Not Tried | Warned off for being flat |
| Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Best | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
05 May 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
A good few regulars on parade for the last half an hour of serving.
| Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 |  | 1st beer of this visit: Second day on and very good head and lacing and lasting on this Maidstone-brewed Kentish pale ale. A not too fruity first hit. A very quaffable hoppiness rising from its Kent Fuggles and prevailing with earthy, woody and grassy flavourings. A lingering hoppy floral fruitiness in the mouthfeel. Served in good condition. |
| Mighty Oak - Brock Mild | 4.00 |  | 2nd beer of this visit: Good head and lacing and sticking all the way to the sides of the glass on this Essex mild from Maldon on its second day. A very malty first bite with a good measure of dark chocolate flavouring. A dry bitterness rising and most likely from its Challenger or Northdown bittering hops to do battle with its malty sweetness. A pleasantly malty, dry bitter finish. Served in good nick. |
| Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Best | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Brass Castle - Bright | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
03 May 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Loud music encouraged shouty conversation.
| Five Points - Best | 4.10 |  | Good but virtually no head or lacing |
| Steam Town - Ralph Dutton ESB | 5.80 |  | Tired, little condition |
| Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Paper Room | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Two Flints - Santiago | 3.80 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Mighty Oak - Siren | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
03 May 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall with two tables of the lesser spotted no less among the usual suspects for the last 40 minutes of serving.
| Five Points - Best | 4.10 |  | Second night on for this Hackney-brewed best bitter and still exhibiting head and lacing and lasting. A dry bitter first hit. A fruited hoppiness rising from its Fuggles hops sourced from Hukins Hops in Kent, lending for me an earthy, herbal and grassy flavouring. A dry maltiness winning over from its Maris Otter lending a bready touch. Its Crystal malt aiding its caramelised toffee infusions and its Amber malt a dry biscuity hint. This is all pitched against recently added hops to the recipe as in Ernest and Challenger giving rise to a fruit-salad flavouring. A dry hoppy fruitiness paddling out. Slightly thin on the taste buds with a loss of conditioning from just the evening before but still holding its head and lacing. |
| Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Paper Room | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Steam Town - Ralph Dutton ESB | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Siren | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
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