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Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House) (Free House)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Wantsum - ImperiumExcellent2
Palmers - 200 Premium AleExcellent2
Hop Back - Entire StoutExcellent1
Palmers - Copper AleExcellent1
Palmers - IPA (Best)Excellent10
Palmers - Tally Ho!Excellent3
Shepherd Neame - The Faversham Steam Brewery - Whitstable Bay Pale AleGood1
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand BitterNot Tried0
Downton - Downton DreamNot Tried0
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSBNot Tried0
Palmers - Dorset GoldNot Tried0
Butcombe - OriginalNot Tried0
Dorking - DB Number OneNot Tried0
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red SkyNot Tried0
Dorking - Five ClawNot Tried0
Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.)Not Tried0
Long Man - Old ManNot Tried0
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn MildNot Tried0
Bowland - Boxer BlondeNot Tried0
Hogs Back - Surrey NirvanaNot Tried0
St Austell - AnthemNot Tried0
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London PorterNot Tried0
Shepherd Neame - Bishops FingerNot Tried0
Tonbridge - Golden Rule (was 3.5%)Not Tried0
Long Man - Long BlondeNot Tried0
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. SquirrelNot Tried0
Dorking - Pilcrow PaleNot Tried0
Tonbridge - Easy Street PaleNot Tried0
Dorking - Extra Pale Ale XPA (was 3.8%Not Tried0
Sambrook's - JunctionNot Tried0
Wantsum - Black PrinceNot Tried0
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Smiler's AleNot Tried0
Tonbridge - RusticNot Tried0
Titsey - Gower WolfNot Tried0
Downton - ElderquadNot Tried0
Titsey - Leveson BuckNot Tried0
Tonbridge - CoppernobNot Tried0
Dorking - Pacific PaleNot Tried0
Surrey Hills - Greensand IPANot Tried0
Picture 1. Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House), Addiscombe, Greater London

Visits Details

24 Aug 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20ExcellentSpot on
Shepherd Neame - The Faversham Steam Brewery - Whitstable Bay Pale Ale3.90GoodCondition good but not a whiff of the floral hop nose it probably ought to have
Shepherd Neame - Bishops Finger5.00Not Tried
Long Man - Long Blonde3.80Not Tried
Dorking - Pilcrow Pale4.00Not Tried
Dorking - Extra Pale Ale XPA (was 3.8%3.40Not Tried
20 Aug 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Excellent4½* could hardly be bettered
Palmers - Tally Ho!5.50ExcellentMade a pair of 4½* ales here tonight. This stuff was just glug glug glug
Long Man - Old Man4.30Not Tried
Titsey - Leveson Buck3.70Not Tried
Bowland - Boxer Blonde4.00Not Tried
St Austell - Anthem3.80Not Tried
16 Aug 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20ExcellentFaultless
Palmers - Copper Ale3.70ExcellentDifferent to the IPA but excellent quality in an obviously professional brew
Palmers - Dorset Gold4.50Not Tried
Dorking - DB Number One4.20Not Tried
Titsey - Leveson Buck3.70Not Tried
Dorking - Five Claw5.10Not Tried
05 Aug 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20ExcellentFast selling and always reliable
Hop Back - Entire Stout4.50ExcellentHeld head and lacing throughout
Wantsum - Imperium4.00Not Tried
Tonbridge - Coppernob3.80Not Tried
Surrey Hills - Greensand IPA4.60Not Tried
Downton - Downton Dream4.80Not Tried
29 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20ExcellentAs consistent as ever
Palmers - 200 Premium Ale5.00ExcellentGreat contrast to the IPA being so much drier
Palmers - 200 Premium Ale5.00GoodVery 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 Prince3.90Not Tried
Tonbridge - Rustic4.00Not Tried
Downton - Elderquad4.00Not Tried
23 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20ExcellentAs it should be
Wantsum - Imperium4.00ExcellentSome pubs seem to muck up Wantsum, not here though
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter5.00Not Tried
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn Mild3.70Not Tried
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel4.00Not Tried
Tonbridge - Easy Street Pale3.90Not Tried
19 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. The cold blowers were effective tonight giving me a dry brow.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20ExcellentLovely
Wantsum - Imperium4.00ExcellentNot in the same class as Palmers but excellent condition
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter5.00Not Tried
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn Mild3.70Not Tried
Tonbridge - Golden Rule (was 3.5%)3.20Not Tried
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel4.00Not Tried
16 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Looked more on lager tonight than ale.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20ExcellentPredictably excellent
Palmers - Tally Ho!5.50ExcellentPerhaps rather woodier than usual
Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.)4.20Not Tried
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn Mild3.70Not Tried
Hogs Back - Surrey Nirvana4.00Not Tried
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky4.10Not Tried
09 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. A safe haven from the madness of murk haze beers and lemon juice so called beers.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20ExcellentWhat the doctor ordered, basic mid brown bitter
Palmers - Tally Ho!5.50ExcellentA slightly sweet one to follow Palmers IPA
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter3.80Not Tried
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB4.80Not Tried
Butcombe - Original4.00Not Tried
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky4.10Not Tried
02 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20ExcellentExactly as it should be
Sambrook's - Junction4.50Not Tried
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Smiler's Ale4.80Not Tried
Titsey - Gower Wolf4.00Not Tried
Titsey - Leveson Buck3.70Not Tried
Dorking - Pacific Pale4.40Not Tried

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About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)

The pub sign. Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House), Addiscombe, Greater London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional5
Excellent280
Good165
Acceptable23
Poor1

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 220 times, seen 314 different beers and tried 104 of them.

Map location

Postcode: CR0 7AA