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)
Oakham - JHBGood1
Oakham - Cat on a Hop Tin Roof (collaboration with Fat Cat)Good1
Goacher's - Gold StarGood1
Oakham - White DwarfGood3
Kent - Future HopGood1
Mighty Oak - ExplorerGood1
Kent - CobnutGood4
Mighty Oak - KatzenjammerGood1
Kent - LoralGood1
Kent - Kent Golding Bitter or KGBGood2
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude PorterAcceptable1
Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Nudge To WinAcceptable1
Redemption - Fellowship PorterNot Tried0
Redemption - Big ChiefNot Tried0
Kent - Session PaleNot Tried0
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano)Not Tried0
Oakham - CitraNot Tried0
Mighty Oak - Jake the SnakeNot Tried0
Two by Two - The Dandy LionNot Tried0
Oakham - InfernoNot Tried0
Three Acre - Session PaleNot Tried0
Picture 1. The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London
Picture 2. The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London
Picture 3. The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London
Stephen Harris

Visits Details

29 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30GoodThe ubiquitous standard Oakham flavour
Kent - Cobnut4.10GoodApparently a second cask of Cobnut sold consecutively
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Three Acre - Session Pale3.70Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
28 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10GoodNever my favourite Goacher's ale. Drank with hardly noticing
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30GoodThe changed recipe took something away from this ale
Oakham - JHB3.80Not Tried
Kent - Cobnut4.10Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer4.50Not Tried
27 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer4.50GoodGood but did not excite me
Oakham - JHB3.80Not Tried
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Kent - Cobnut4.10Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried
27 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Thankfully nothing like as busy as Sunday night when Charlton FC went up a league that day in the final against Leyton Orient at Wembley. Just a handful or two of hardened regulars in and minus the usual fiddlers out the back for the last 30 minutes of serving.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Cobnut4.10GoodNot as good as when first sampled on Sunday when fresh on but still coming up with plentiful head and lacing in first being poured and almost holding on until the end was this Birling-produced ruby ale from north of West Malling in Kent. Still the same moreishly smokey and malty-infused first hit on its third day on. A pleasant bitterness rising up among the malts and a dry bitter hoppiness lingering. Although the tasting notes suggest sweet in smell, I prefer to taste my beers and did not detect the no doubt sweet molasses at all also in the taste by all accounts!
Oakham - JHB3.80Not TriedWins the award this evening for being variously described as here: on badge: a bitter; on blackboard alongside badge: a session pale; on governor's tasting notes: a golden.
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer4.50Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried
26 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Just a small dogends of a bank holiday weekend group of regulars imbibing.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Oakham - JHB3.80GoodA once trendsetting ale now seems so ordinary
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30GoodDrank with hardly noticing
Mighty Oak - Explorer3.80GoodThis is making an attempt to have a USP taste
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Kent - Cobnut4.10Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried
25 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Not as busy as the Thursday evening a couple of weeks ago when Charlton FC played at home that evening in the 3rd division semi-finals and when many a Charlton supporter joined this little micropub from about 10.30pm and they queued for a good half an hour. This time around Charlton played in the afternoon and so no queue formed shortly after my arrival at about half ten in the evening. Busy though it was this Sunday and for my 90 odd minutes of being served before leaving long before the 1am closing time. The extended opening hours reflected Charlton's victory at Wembley in going up a league that day in the final against Leyton Orient.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Cobnut4.10ExcellentFresh on from being racked up ready to go the night before. This Birling-based, north of West Malling, Kent, ruby ale's blackboard was displayed just after Saturday's normal closing time of 11pm. It presented superb head and lacing and hung onto this throughout. A dry bitter/malty first hit. A moreish bitterness soon rose up in the mouthfeel and a subtle maltiness lingered on, on the palate. Although said to be sweet in the tasting notes, I did not really detect the sweetness from the molasses, derived from the refining of sugarcane/sugar beet juice into sugar. I did though detect the odd nutty flavour jumping up and down!
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not TriedCame on shortly after 23.15 to replace the Oakham Citra which had just gone and to reflect the extended opening hours until 1am.
Oakham - Citra4.20Not TriedLasted until about 23.15 and was replaced by Oakham White Dwarf to reflect the extended opening hours until 1am.
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Kent - Loral4.50Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Explorer3.80Not Tried
25 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit but did not avail myself of the full extension until 1am. Full of red shirt wearing Charlton Athletic (v Leyton Orient) fans fresh from the afternoon's Wembley League One play-offs final win.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Cobnut4.10GoodGood but had better
Kent - Loral4.50GoodZesty single hopper
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00AcceptableLacked much natural carbonation and with a metallic backtaste
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not TriedCame on late
Oakham - Citra4.20Not TriedRan out
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Explorer3.80Not Tried
24 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 45 minutes of serving but for some of the usual Saturday regulars in. Never witnessed so few real ales on before. This had to do with trying to get rid of the ones nearly at the end of their barrels before Sunday's busy day with Charlton FC's final at Wembley and the odd Charlton fan or two expected to be then in sampling a good few beers after the game whether Charlton win or lose.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Kent Golding Bitter or KGB4.10AcceptableGood head and lacing on this Birling-based bitter from north of West Malling in Kent but this did not last and neither did the beer. I recall getting the last one out of the barrel but it was still drinkable. A dry bitter first hit. A fruit-infused bitterness rose up. A touch of sourness presented itself in the aftertaste and was not its good self being the last out of the barrel!
Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Nudge To Win4.50AcceptableGood head and lacing on this Camberley in Surrey New England pale but this did not last. A first hit of a pineapple, and indeed confirmed in the tasting notes that it was running alive, or even not so alive, with a rush of tropical fruits. Not my usual cup of tea was this beer but no bitter was going to be put on to replace the Kent Golding Bitter just gone. A dry fruitiness was then interwoven with bitterness rising up in the mouthfeel and left a citrusy and stone-fruit sweetness on the palate. One sufficed!
Redemption - Fellowship Porter5.10Not Tried
Redemption - Big Chief5.50Not Tried
23 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall with just a handful or two of hardened regulars on parade for the last 30 minutes of serving.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Kent Golding Bitter or KGB4.10ExcellentFresh on this evening and very good head and lacing presented on this Birling-based bitter from north of West Malling in Kent. A moreishly dry hoppy first hit. A pleasant bitterness rising up and shining in the mouthfeel. A lively hoppiness almost exploding on the palate with a full helping of Goldings and Fuggles hops tap dancing throughout their sensory show on the taste buds. A dry hoppy fruitiness then presented itself in the aftertaste. Very moreish and also aided by those Kent malt flavours and so stuck to it!
Oakham - Inferno4.00Not Tried
Redemption - Fellowship Porter5.10Not Tried
Redemption - Big Chief5.50Not Tried
Kent - Session Pale3.70Not Tried
Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Nudge To Win4.50Not Tried
22 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. After two rather boring sour hopped ales I moved on to some flavoured ciders.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Oakham - Cat on a Hop Tin Roof (collaboration with Fat Cat)4.10GoodDrank without really noticing
Kent - Future Hop4.30GoodSour hopping
Redemption - Fellowship Porter5.10Not Tried
Redemption - Big Chief5.50Not Tried
Kent - Session Pale3.70Not Tried
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano)4.40Not Tried

[Back to most recent] [Previous Visits] [More Visits]

About The River Ale House

The pub sign. The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional13
Excellent701
Good1796
Acceptable537
Poor44

Website.

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 1419 times, seen 1858 different beers and tried 1084 of them.

Map location

Postcode: SE10 0RJ