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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 - 200 Premium Ale |  | 6 |
| Surrey Hills - Collusion | | 1 |
| Surrey Hills - Gilt Complex | | 1 |
| Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale | | 1 |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | | 2 |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | | 5 |
| Larkins - Porter |  | 1 |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | | 1 |
| Westerham - Viceroy India Pale Ale | | 3 |
| Surrey Hills - Ranmore Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - British Bulldog | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Extra Pale Ale XPA (was 3.8% | Not Tried | 0 |
| 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 |
| Anarchy - Blonde Star | Not Tried | 0 |
| Robinsons - Trooper | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Pilcrow Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Rustic | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Aldhurst Original | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - Alt Ego | Not Tried | 0 |
| Otter - Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
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 |
07 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | As expected |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | Lovely stuff, drownable in |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Aldhurst Original | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - Alt Ego | 4.50 | Not Tried | Came on late |
01 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close, plus a bit. Well packed with an engagement party at the back end with karaoke.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Spiffing pints |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | | Good but lacking that little something |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Anarchy - Blonde Star | 4.10 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Robinsons - Trooper | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Pilcrow Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried |
About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 5 |
| 268 |
| 141 |
 | 19 |
 | 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 202 times, seen 295 different beers and tried 96 of them.
Postcode: CR0 7AA