PubsandBeer
History: Home > The River Ale House
The River Ale House (Free House)
[Back to most recent] [Previous Visits] [More Visits]
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Special House Ale |  | 2 |
| Mighty Oak - Burntwood Bitter | | 1 |
| Five Points - Brick Field Brown |  | 1 |
| Kent - Drenched | | 1 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - 1838 | | 2 |
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | | 2 |
| Five Points - Best | | 1 |
| Oakham - Inferno | | 3 |
| Kent - Twelfth Night | | 1 |
| Bexley - Mocha Stout | | 3 |
| Stardust - English Bitter | | 1 |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | | 2 |
| Five Points - Best Fuggles Hops | | 1 |
| Iron Pier - Bitter |  | 1 |
| Iron Pier - Killick's Mill | Not Tried | 0 |
| Park - Ballet Loop | Not Tried | 0 |
| Goacher's - 1066 Old Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Cohort | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tiny Rebel - Great Scott | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bude Coastal - Honey Bear | Not Tried | 0 |
| Iron Pier - Chinook | Not Tried | 0 |
| Park - Winter XPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Five Points - Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Elusive - Yakima Trail | Not Tried | 0 |
| Lost Pier - Yew | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
15 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 45 minutes of serving with many of the Saturday regulars in and the more occasional also in. Many a beer had been drunk dry earlier as Charlton FC were at home today and on such days there are ham and also cheese rolls on and so I was lucky to add one of the three remaining to my first beer and at just £3.00 a roll.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Twelfth Night | 7.40 | | Labelled on the blackboard hanging up as a barley wine, and just in case you could not see the 7.4% also written up or the pump clip above the blackboard for this dark ale from the Birling-based brewery, north of West Malling. Good head and lacing but did not hang about. A first hit of fruitiness and nuts. A very dry mouthfeel lingered with the odd fruity grape making itself known. |
| Stardust - English Bitter | 4.00 | | What an amazing co-incidence to have the very same beer as the one of just two in the Windsor micropub earlier. There is also only ever one bitter on at any one time in the River Ale House. To remind me, it is from just outside Windsor going west some six miles and at White Waltham. It is said to have first brewed in September 2016 and so has been around for a good few years. Fresh on was this Berkshire bitter with good head and lacing. A dry bitter first hit. Despite roasted caramel mentioned in the tasting notes, it was not sweet in the mouthfeel and with a moreish dry bitterness lingering. |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Yakima Trail | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
| Lost Pier - Yew | 4.50 | Not Tried |
13 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Very busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving. The back was crammed with a local club after their meeting and all the usual regulars were present out the front along with the more occasional in as well.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | | Fresh on and in very fine form. Superb head and lacing which lasted throughout. This Maidstone bitter is a mix of their Fine Light brew and Best Dark ales. A hoppy bitter first hit. Not a single fruit was harmed in its making as just a dry, old-fashioned bitterness in the mouthfeel with a hoppiness lingering. |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | | This pale from Maidstone was almost at the end and yet had only just come on the night before. So, a few regulars at least had done their hardest to quench their thirsts with this one! Still holding good head and lacing. A very resinous and hoppy first hit and a fruity follow-up in the mouthfeel. I believe just one other customer got to be served this after my chance tasting of it and before there was no more out of this barrel. |
| Kent - Drenched | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - Mocha Stout | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Winter XPA | 4.10 | Not Tried |
13 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | | Basic bitter job |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | Not Tried | Ran out as I was in the queue to order |
| Kent - Drenched | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - Mocha Stout | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Winter XPA | 4.10 | Not Tried |
12 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | | Not my favourite Goacher's ale but this was very good tonight |
| Five Points - Best Fuggles Hops | 4.10 | | |
| Kent - Drenched | 3.00 | | Powerful taste for a 3%er |
| Five Points - Brick Field Brown | 5.40 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - Mocha Stout | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Chinook | 4.20 | Not Tried |
11 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving on this very wintry night and following the mini-heatwave of last weekend and the lead-up to it. Just a handful of regulars in and even the fiddlers were down on their usual numbers in the rear seating area!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five Points - Best | 4.10 | | Fresh on literally when I got here was this Hackney-based best bitter and so a touch sharp. Good head and lacing. Although it has caramel and biscuit flavourings, it was not sweet in the mouthfeel. A hoppiness came to the fore and a moreish dryness lingered. |
| Bexley - Mocha Stout | 5.50 | | My second tasting of this Erith-based brewery's stout, having first sampled on Sunday, and was not disappointed. The third night on and still holding its head and lacing. A sweetish bitter first hit from that chocolatey flavouring. A coffee-infused dryish aftertaste followed. |
| Five Points - Brick Field Brown | 5.40 | Not Tried | |
| Bude Coastal - Honey Bear | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Ballet Loop | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Chinook | 4.20 | Not Tried |
09 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with just a handful or two of regulars in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | 3.70 | | Fresh on and brimming with head and lacing and which this Maidstone bitter held to the bottom of the glass. A lightly bitter first hit. A dry hoppy mouthfeel lingering. |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | | Second night on for this Peterborough-based Golden and still very good head and lacing. A fruity and hoppy mouthfeel combined and it had a medicinal kick setting in from its citrus flavourings. |
| Bexley - Mocha Stout | 5.50 | | Fresh on today was this Erith-based stout and so also brimming with head and lacing. A sweetish first hit with chocolate flavourings. A malty and coffee-infused mouthfeel and so hence its name as a chocolate-flavoured variant of caffè latte. It had a pleasant dryness lingering. |
| Five Points - Brick Field Brown | 5.40 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Killick's Mill | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Ballet Loop | 3.60 | Not Tried |
09 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | | Massively zingy mouthfeel |
| Bexley - Mocha Stout | 5.50 | | A big flavour hit, albeit a half was enough |
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | 3.70 |  | Definitely uninspiring |
| Five Points - Brick Field Brown | 5.40 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Killick's Mill | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Ballet Loop | 3.60 | Not Tried |
08 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall the last 40 minutes of serving with many a Saturday regular and the more occasional visitor in, too.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | | Good head and lacing on this Peterborough-based brewery's Golden. Fresh on today and good head and lacing. A sweet first hit but not overly. A fruity and citrusy mouthfeel. A dry hoppiness lingering. |
| Five Points - Brick Field Brown | 5.40 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Killick's Mill | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Ballet Loop | 3.60 | Not Tried |
07 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Not overly busy for last 30 minutes of serving and no late night coach party groups entered and so we were blessed by real ale's moreish waters.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - 1838 | 4.50 | | A kindly fellow regular recommended this Derbyshire pale and I had also tried it the evening before myself. Third night on and only appeared belatedly on its first appearance on Wednesday by all accounts. Still holding its head and lacing very well. A very hoppy first hit. A resinous, woody, mouthfeel from all those hops involved. A subtle sweetness from its malty biscuity flavouring and a pleasant dryness lingering. Made up for the poor show from Iron Pier. |
| Iron Pier - Bitter | 4.00 | | Fresh on was this Gravesend bitter but minimal head and lacing and did not last more than 5 minutes if that. A sweet mouthfeel from the honey and toffee flavours. A bitterness lingering but no life. Such a shame for being fresh on. The Mighty Oak Burntwood bitter which only came on the evening before had gone and because so good and on Fridays the place opens at 2pm rather than at 4pm Mon-Thur. Shows what is possible. How long will the Iron Pier bitter last? Not long I hope and for my next visit and the micro is open from 12 noon Sat but will not be queuing up for it. |
| Goacher's - 1066 Old Ale | 6.70 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Brick Field Brown | 5.40 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Killick's Mill | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Cohort | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Ballet Loop | 3.60 | Not Tried |
06 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with a mix of the Thursday regulars and the more occasional including 4 young people coming in belatedly for cocktails. I thankfully saw them coming and so just made it to the bar before they then held everyone else up.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Burntwood Bitter | 4.00 | | Fresh on this evening and in fine form was this Maldon bitter from Essex, with a very good foaming head and lacing that lasted to the bottom of the glass. A very dry bitter first hit. A malty mouthfeel with a hint of caramel followed and a moreish hoppiness lingered. |
| Five Points - Brick Field Brown | 5.40 | | Now the third night on for this Hackney-based brown ale and not holding its head and lacing but a few decants aided it. A very malty first hit. It had a dry caramel-infused aftertaste. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - 1838 | 4.50 | | Second night on for this Derbyshire pale and still with a good head and lacing. A sweetish first hit along with citrusy notes. A dry mouthfeel followed with a maltiness and dryness lingering. |
| Goacher's - 1066 Old Ale | 6.70 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Cohort | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Tiny Rebel - Great Scott | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Ballet Loop | 3.60 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 11 |
| 674 |
| 1642 |
| 475 |
| 38 |
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 1298 times, seen 1797 different beers and tried 1045 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ