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The Ale House (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Orkney (Sinclair) - Dark Island |  | 1 |
| Hand Drawn Monkey - Tandoori IPΔ | | 1 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Dragon's Blood ESB | | 1 |
| Bridestones - Single Hop - Nelson Sauvin | | 1 |
| Round Tower - Slipstream | | 1 |
| Tiny Rebel - Boom Box | | 1 |
| S43 (formerly Sonnet 43) - Sun & Candlelight | | 1 |
| Caveman (latterly a cuckoo at Leatherbritches) - Clovis Point Brown | | 1 |
| Whitstable - Faversham Creek | | 1 |
| Ilkley - Mary Jane | | 1 |
| Marble - Session Bitter |  | 1 |
| Tempest - Unfermentalist | | 1 |
| Dancing Duck - Duck's Courage | | 1 |
| Orkney (Sinclair) - 3 Sisters Scottish Ale (Atlas range) | | 1 |
| Hand Drawn Monkey - Jerk Stout | | 2 |
| Moor - Empire Strikes Back | | 1 |
| Black Sheep - Progress |  | 1 |
| Adnams - Diamond Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pitfield's - Red Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Offbeat - Bohemian Antipodean | Not Tried | 0 |
| Piddle (Dorset Piddle) - Piddle Premium Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Exe Valley - Silverton Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Lighthouse | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hepworth - Pullman First Class Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Moor - Illusion (Black IPA) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Lightning | Not Tried | 0 |
| Black Hole - Cosmic | Not Tried | 0 |
| Slater's - Top Totty | Not Tried | 0 |
| Buxton - American Rye | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ringwood - Razorback | Not Tried | 0 |
| Blue Monkey - Guerrilla Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Carafa Jade | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - The Art of Darkness | Not Tried | 0 |
| Whitstable - East India Pale Ale (or EIPA) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Anarchy - Blonde Star | Not Tried | 0 |
| Milton - Nike | Not Tried | 0 |
| Deverell's - Darkside | Not Tried | 0 |
| RCH - Hewish IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Late Knights - Crack of Dawn Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| East London (ELB) - Orchid Vanilla Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Red Shift | Not Tried | 0 |
| Exmoor (now brewed by Hogs Back) - Wildcat | Not Tried | 0 |
| Colchester - Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Batemans - Mocha | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tempest - Long White Cloud | Not Tried | 0 |
| Leeds - Leeds Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sharp's - Own | Not Tried | 0 |
| Anarchy - Smoke Bomb | Not Tried | 0 |
| Moor - Radiance | Not Tried | 0 |
| Summer Wine (SWB) - Barista Expresso Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| St Austell - HSD | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bexar County - Lone Ryder Pacific Gem | Not Tried | 0 |
| RCH - Old Slug Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Blue Monkey - Infinity IPA (was Infinity) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Batemans - Hooker | Not Tried | 0 |
| BlackBar - Long Hair BPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Burton Bridge - XL Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Great Heck - Amish Mash | Not Tried | 0 |
| Exmoor (now brewed by Hogs Back) - Stag (superseded by 4.8% version) | Not Tried | 0 |
| St Austell - Black Prince | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tempest - A Face With No Name | Not Tried | 0 |
| Black Sheep - Special Ale (previously Ale) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Chimera IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Imperial Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Summer Wine (SWB) - Teleporter | Not Tried | 0 |
| York (now brewed by and at Black Sheep) - York Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sharp's - Doom Bar | Not Tried | 0 |
| Colchester - Red Diesel | Not Tried | 0 |
| Windsor & Eton - Guardsman | Not Tried | 0 |
| Blue Bee - Nectar Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sharp's - Heckeweizen | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hepworth - Iron Horse | Not Tried | 0 |
| Salopian - Lemon Dream | Not Tried | 0 |
| Black Sheep - All Creatures | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tiny Rebel - Cwtch | Not Tried | 0 |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Royal Pup | Not Tried | 0 |
| Black Hole - BHB | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marble - Lagonda IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Colchester - London Porter (Old King Coel) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Colchester - No. 1 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Essex Border | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Festival | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pitfield's - 30 Not Out! | Not Tried | 0 |
| Caveman (latterly a cuckoo at Leatherbritches) - Megalithic | Not Tried | 0 |
Michael Croxford
Visits Details
27 Jul 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Mid-evening visit and the pub is very busy, with people of all ages. I note that it is now only possible to enjoy outside drinking on the north side of the arches – not that anybody would want to this-evening, given the prevailing cats and dogs situation out there.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round Tower - Slipstream | 5.70 | | An excellent example of the Black IPA style. Black, sticky malt, cut through by lively hopping. Long bitter finish. |
| S43 (formerly Sonnet 43) - Sun & Candlelight | 5.90 | | A murky orange colour. Impressively sour saison with spicy yeast tastes. |
| Tempest - Unfermentalist | 3.20 | | Low strength and quite sweet. Perhaps not fully fermented (hold on, I think there’s a clue in the name). |
| RCH - Old Slug Porter | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Hepworth - Iron Horse | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Burton Bridge - XL Mild | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Tempest - A Face With No Name | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| York (now brewed by and at Black Sheep) - York Gold | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Red Shift | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Sharp's - Heckeweizen | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Royal Pup | 4.40 | Not Tried |
14 Jul 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening latish. Knowledgeable barman.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand Drawn Monkey - Tandoori IPΔ | 6.50 | | Great fun. Would have liked some naan bread soldiers to dip in it |
| Hand Drawn Monkey - Jerk Stout | 7.40 | | Half was enough. Several customers variously described it as salty, vinegary and I said HP saucy |
| Piddle (Dorset Piddle) - Piddle Premium Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Illusion (Black IPA) | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Buxton - American Rye | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - The Art of Darkness | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Deverell's - Darkside | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Red Shift | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Tempest - Long White Cloud | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Radiance | 5.00 | Not Tried |
08 Jul 2013 (Stephen Harris)
A fairly brief, early evening visit. With both cricket and football taking place in Chelmsford tonight, there were plenty of people passing through.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caveman (latterly a cuckoo at Leatherbritches) - Clovis Point Brown | 5.20 | | Dark brown and chocolatey, with a bit of alcohol. |
| Dancing Duck - Duck's Courage | 5.00 | | The pumpclip was designed to resemble that of Courage Best. Straw-coloured. Malty taste. |
| Hand Drawn Monkey - Jerk Stout | 7.40 | | Very dark brown, heavily spiced with jerk seasoning. Perhaps too heavily. |
| Sharp's - Doom Bar | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| St Austell - HSD | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| St Austell - Black Prince | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Summer Wine (SWB) - Teleporter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Blue Bee - Nectar Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Tiny Rebel - Cwtch | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Colchester - No. 1 | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Caveman (latterly a cuckoo at Leatherbritches) - Megalithic | 5.90 | Not Tried |
29 Apr 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Bar manager very knowledgeable with significant geographical cover of past jobs.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Dragon's Blood ESB | 5.20 | | Damned fine |
| Tiny Rebel - Boom Box | 4.50 | | One of the Tiny Batch Edition brews |
| St Austell - HSD | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Hepworth - Pullman First Class Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Slater's - Top Totty | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Carafa Jade | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Milton - Nike | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| East London (ELB) - Orchid Vanilla Mild | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Batemans - Mocha | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Anarchy - Smoke Bomb | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Bexar County - Lone Ryder Pacific Gem | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| BlackBar - Long Hair BPA | 6.20 | Not Tried |
15 Feb 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. All sorts in as usual.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moor - Empire Strikes Back | 5.70 | | Clip said unfined and hazy and thus it was |
| Sharp's - Own | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| St Austell - HSD | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Batemans - Hooker | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Exmoor (now brewed by Hogs Back) - Stag (superseded by 4.8% version) | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Imperial Stout | 10.50 | Not Tried | |
| Windsor & Eton - Guardsman | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Black Sheep - All Creatures | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Colchester - London Porter (Old King Coel) | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pitfield's - 30 Not Out! | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Offbeat - Bohemian Antipodean | 4.30 | Not Tried |
15 Dec 2012 (Philip Pirrip)
Too busy, pushy and shovey to stay circa 9 p.m.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|
27 Sep 2012 (Philip Pirrip)
This venue seems to be coming on strong. Packed mid evening. Wish more people would ask for a top up though.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitstable - Faversham Creek | 3.80 | | Superbly full tasting for a 3.8er |
| Salopian - Lemon Dream | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Black Sheep - Special Ale (previously Ale) | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Marble - Lagonda IPA | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Festival | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pitfield's - Red Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Adnams - Lighthouse | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Black Hole - Cosmic | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Blue Monkey - Guerrilla Stout | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Anarchy - Blonde Star | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Late Knights - Crack of Dawn Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Colchester - Mild | 4.10 | Not Tried |
19 Sep 2012 (Stephen Harris)
I met up here with my mate Colin for a couple of evening pints – we are off to Belgium on a beer tour early tomorrow morning, departing from Chelmsford.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridestones - Single Hop - Nelson Sauvin | 4.50 | | I’m a big fan of the Nelson Sauvin hop, and this was a lip-smacking, golden, sharply hoppy pint. |
| Marble - Session Bitter | 3.60 | | Pale gold colour. Grapefruity, citrusy hop tastes. |
| Black Sheep - Progress | 4.00 | | Amber-coloured, standard bitter. |
| Whitstable - East India Pale Ale (or EIPA) | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| RCH - Hewish IPA | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Exmoor (now brewed by Hogs Back) - Wildcat | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Leeds - Leeds Pale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Summer Wine (SWB) - Barista Expresso Stout | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Blue Monkey - Infinity IPA (was Infinity) | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Great Heck - Amish Mash | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Chimera IPA | 6.80 | Not Tried | |
| Colchester - Red Diesel | 4.20 | Not Tried |
11 Jul 2012 (Martin the Mildman)
Quick visit after visiting the Chelmsford beer festival. Busy with like minded punters.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orkney (Sinclair) - Dark Island | 4.60 | | This wasn't on at the Chelmsford beer fest so chose to sample it here. On top form, a black roasted beer with coffee and chocolate notes. Midway between strong mild and stout. My score 16/20. |
05 Jul 2012 (Philip Pirrip)
Thriving well on a Thursday mid evening. The hand pumps are located on the back bar fitting making for some eyestrain making out the detail on the pumpclips.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ilkley - Mary Jane | 3.50 | | Refreshing golden ale |
| Orkney (Sinclair) - 3 Sisters Scottish Ale (Atlas range) | 4.20 | | OK but it was one of the Scottish malty ales I like less but know is a traditional and ubiquitous Scottish type |
| Black Sheep - Special Ale (previously Ale) | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Sharp's - Doom Bar | 4.00 | Not Tried | Can't see why they have this in the pub's range |
| Hepworth - Iron Horse | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Black Hole - BHB | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Essex Border | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Adnams - Diamond Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Exe Valley - Silverton Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Lightning | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Ringwood - Razorback | 3.80 | Not Tried |
About The Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 2 |
| 29 |
| 26 |
| 7 |
 | 1 |
The pub is found in Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1TS.
A specialist beer and cider pub which opened in early 2012 in three railway arches underneath the station. It is very conveniently situated, lying between Chelmsford’s bus and railway stations, moments walk from either. There are various seating and standing areas within, plus external drinking space either side of the railway. Decorated rather frugally. 2 banks each of 6 handpumps not on the front counter but on the back fitting instead, making legibility of the pumpclips quite difficult so the beer details are repeated on overhead blackboards. Large range of ciders served from gravity dispense.
We have visited this pub 31 times, seen 245 different beers and tried 63 of them.
Postcode: CM1 1TS