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Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House) (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Long Man - Old Man |  | 1 |
| Hop Back - Entire Stout | | 1 |
| Coors - M&B Brew XI (brewed at Brains) | | 1 |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | | 1 |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | | 3 |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | | 10 |
| Wantsum - Imperium | | 1 |
| Skinner's - Betty Stogs Bitter | | 1 |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | | 2 |
| Shepherd Neame - The Faversham Steam Brewery - Whitstable Bay Pale Ale |  | 1 |
| Surrey Hills - Greensand IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Moby Dick | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Downton Dream | Not Tried | 0 |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Young's London Special (was Special) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Palmers - Dorset Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Powerhouse Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - DB Number One | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bedlam - Benchmark | Not Tried | 0 |
| Titsey - Leveson Buck | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marston's - Wychwood Hobgoblin IPA (was Ruby Beer) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Five Claw | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bowland - Boxer Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| St Austell - Anthem | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Shepherd Neame - Bishops Finger | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Long Man - Long Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Pilcrow Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Easy Street Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Extra Pale Ale XPA (was 3.8% | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hop Back - Summer Lightning | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Rustic | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Apple Blossom Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Elderquad | Not Tried | 0 |
| Long Man - American Red Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Coppernob | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hop Back - Crop Circle | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
16 Sep 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Back to form after the blip on the last visit |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Difficult to be much better |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Young's London Special (was Special) | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Powerhouse Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Bedlam - Benchmark | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Marston's - Wychwood Hobgoblin IPA (was Ruby Beer) | 4.50 | Not Tried |
09 Sep 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Upon entry a sing song taking place at the far end but it soon dissipated.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Man - Old Man | 4.30 | | Great end of evening nightcap |
| Coors - M&B Brew XI (brewed at Brains) | 3.60 | | Excellent despite its deliberately misleading lack of stated provenance |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 |  | Something definitely wrong with this yet had only been on for 4 hours or so. No head, no lacing, no condition and not enjoyable |
| Long Man - Long Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Downton Dream | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Moby Dick | 4.70 | Not Tried |
03 Sep 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Aha Tally Ho! on to bring an immediate smile on entering.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 |  | One word - superb. 4½* |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | One word - superb. 4½* |
| Hop Back - Crop Circle | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Apple Blossom Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Downton Dream | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Long Man - American Red Ale | 4.60 | Not Tried |
31 Aug 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Top notch |
| Skinner's - Betty Stogs Bitter | 4.00 | | Not so far in taste away from the Palmers IPA |
| Hop Back - Summer Lightning | 5.00 | Not Tried | Tempted but the much adored mid brown bitters were too good |
| Downton - Apple Blossom Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Elderquad | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Long Man - American Red Ale | 4.60 | Not Tried |
24 Aug 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Spot on |
| Shepherd Neame - The Faversham Steam Brewery - Whitstable Bay Pale Ale | 3.90 | | Condition good but not a whiff of the floral hop nose it probably ought to have |
| Shepherd Neame - Bishops Finger | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Long Man - Long Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Pilcrow Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Extra Pale Ale XPA (was 3.8% | 3.40 | Not Tried |
20 Aug 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | 4½* could hardly be bettered |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Made a pair of 4½* ales here tonight. This stuff was just glug glug glug |
| Long Man - Old Man | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Titsey - Leveson Buck | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Bowland - Boxer Blonde | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| St Austell - Anthem | 3.80 | Not Tried |
16 Aug 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Faultless |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | 3.70 | | Different to the IPA but excellent quality in an obviously professional brew |
| Palmers - Dorset Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - DB Number One | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Titsey - Leveson Buck | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Five Claw | 5.10 | Not Tried |
05 Aug 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Fast selling and always reliable |
| Hop Back - Entire Stout | 4.50 | | Held head and lacing throughout |
| Wantsum - Imperium | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Coppernob | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Surrey Hills - Greensand IPA | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Downton Dream | 4.80 | Not Tried |
29 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | As consistent as ever |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | Great contrast to the IPA being so much drier |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | Very last pint of cask and not quite the excellence of the previous one, but the barman had offered me to have it or not |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Elderquad | 4.00 | Not Tried |
23 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | As it should be |
| Wantsum - Imperium | 4.00 | | Some pubs seem to muck up Wantsum, not here though |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Easy Street Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried |
About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 5 |
| 260 |
| 115 |
 | 15 |
| 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 184 times, seen 271 different beers and tried 85 of them.
Postcode: CR0 7AA