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Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House) (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.) |  | 2 |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | | 1 |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! Ho! Ho! | | 1 |
| Larkins - Pale | | 2 |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) |  | 5 |
| St Austell - Step Into Christmas | | 1 |
| Wantsum - UXB? | | 1 |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | | 1 |
| Butcombe - Chris Moose | | 1 |
| Otter - Bitter | | 1 |
| Robinsons - Tom & berry | | 1 |
| Timothy Taylor - Knowle Spring | | 1 |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord Dark (was Ram Tam) | | 1 |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | | 1 |
| Greene King - Abbot | | 1 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride |  | 1 |
| Greene King - Fireside | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Southwold Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - 1381 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's Seafarers Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Greene King - Morland Old Golden Hen | Not Tried | 0 |
| Theakston - Old Peculier | Not Tried | 0 |
| Robinsons - Trooper | Not Tried | 0 |
| Timothy Taylor - Golden Best (was 3.5%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Evolve | Not Tried | 0 |
| Robinsons - Citra Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Purity - Pure Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Broadside | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | Not Tried | 0 |
| Palmers - Dorset Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Hurricane | Not Tried | 0 |
| Robinsons - Hop & Under | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marston's - Courage Directors (was brewed at Banks's for a while) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood then at Banks's) - Oxford Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Black Sheep - Blitzen | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | Not Tried | 0 |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Tina Tinsel | Not Tried | 0 |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Ghost Ship | Not Tried | 0 |
| Theakston - XB (was 4.6%) | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
25 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Pale | 4.20 | | First rate |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | Seemed very full bodied tonight |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood then at Banks's) - Oxford Gold | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried |
15 Feb 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. I had forgotten that Tramlink was closed through the centre of Croydon.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otter - Bitter | 3.60 | | Basic bitter |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Sweetish |
| Timothy Taylor - Knowle Spring | 4.20 | | |
| Adnams - Broadside | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - Dorset Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Robinsons - Hop & Under | 4.20 | Not Tried |
05 Feb 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | IPA back to form? Best I've had for a long time |
| Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.) | 4.20 | | A tasty drop |
| Theakston - Old Peculier | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Timothy Taylor - Golden Best (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Robinsons - Citra Pale Ale | 3.40 | Not Tried |
15 Jan 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Pretty much a full house after earlier TV football.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.) | 4.20 | | Best example of TEA I have had in a long while |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | Always changing balance of fruitiness and bitterness with every brew |
| Theakston - XB (was 4.6%) | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Adnams - Southwold Bitter | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's Seafarers Ale | 3.60 | Not Tried |
08 Jan 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Low footfall.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | | Just a half. OK+ |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | | So difficult to judge these days being so variable in taste |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Adnams - Ghost Ship | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Marston's - Courage Directors (was brewed at Banks's for a while) | 4.80 | Not Tried | Still living as a brand surprisingly |
20 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until midnight close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - Tally Ho! Ho! Ho! | 5.50 | | Allegedly matured for longer than Tally Ho! in the brewery. Good enough to have a second one |
| Butcombe - Chris Moose | 4.10 | | Dark ale, nothing special in flavouring |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Tina Tinsel | 4.10 | Not Tried |
13 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close. One anonymous ale on handpump to guess at. Clue hinted was of a Palmers trial brew.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord Dark (was Ram Tam) | 4.30 | | Always good to resume a relationship with Ram Tam |
| Larkins - Pale | 4.20 | | Basic pale job |
| St Austell - Step Into Christmas | 4.50 | | Unexceptional dark ale |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Black Sheep - Blitzen | 4.00 | Not Tried |
09 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robinsons - Tom & berry | 4.40 | | Winter fare with well balanced fruit flavouring |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | OK but have had much much better |
| Purity - Pure Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried | On gravity from a cask on the bar counter |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Hurricane | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Marston's - Courage Directors (was brewed at Banks's for a while) | 4.80 | Not Tried |
06 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. A lady had had a nasty fall in the pub and an ambulance had been called. Eventually paramedics treated her and she was able to go home, with help, under her own steam.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | No need to move on to any other ales here tonight |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Purity - Pure Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried | On gravity dispense on the bar counter |
| Wantsum - 1381 | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Greene King - Morland Old Golden Hen | 4.10 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Robinsons - Trooper | 4.70 | Not Tried |
03 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Last knockings visit until close. Near packed after a Crystal Palace away match on TV.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Had better |
| Wantsum - UXB? | 4.60 | | Raspberry porter, a tasty brew |
| Greene King - Fireside | 4.50 | Not Tried | A 7th ale - this one in gravity on the bar counter |
| Wantsum - 1381 | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Greene King - Morland Old Golden Hen | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Robinsons - Trooper | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Evolve | 4.10 | Not Tried |
About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 5 |
| 275 |
| 155 |
| 22 |
 | 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 214 times, seen 311 different beers and tried 101 of them.
Postcode: CR0 7AA