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The River Ale House (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Hooked Up (collaboration with Hook Norton) |  | 2 |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale |  | 1 |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice | | 2 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | | 1 |
| New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | | 3 |
| Attic - Ember | | 2 |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | | 1 |
| JW Lees (see also Lees) - Boddingtons Cask | | 3 |
| Goacher's - Gold Star |  | 1 |
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | | 1 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | | 1 |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | | 1 |
| Vibrant Forest - Pupa | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brew York - Tonkoko | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Seashore Blues | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Country Best | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brew York - Hop Cat Citra Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Guava Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brew York - Centennial Valley | Not Tried | 0 |
| Elusive - Velocity Valley | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vibrant Forest - Evoke | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Golden Plover | Not Tried | 0 |
| Stardust - Midi | Not Tried | 0 |
| New Bristol - Westie | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - The Hare and the Hedgehog | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
19 Mar 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Hooked Up (collaboration with Hook Norton) | 4.10 | | I picked up few of the tasting notes attributes. Seemed more malty than hoppy |
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | 3.70 | | Adequately kept and presented |
| Oakham - The Hare and the Hedgehog | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Hop Cat Citra Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| New Bristol - Westie | 5.50 | Not Tried |
19 Mar 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for the last half an hour of serving with a good few regulars on parade among the lesser spotted.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Hooked Up (collaboration with Hook Norton) | 4.10 | | Recommended this copper-coloured amber ale by a fellow regular or two. Presented as fresh on this evening and displaying very good head and lacing and lasting all the way on this collaborative seasonal beer released in March 2026 by Oakham Ales from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, renowned for being one of the first in the UK to champion American and New World hops and established in 1993, and the historic, family-owned Hook Norton Brewery, a regional brewery founded in 1849 and located in the village of Hook Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, and one of the few remaining traditional "tower breweries" in the UK, where the brewing process flows logically from floor to floor using gravity. A stationary 25 horse power steam engine, installed in 1899, still powers much of the brewery's machinery. A malty first hit with a hint of berry, tropical and stone fruited notes. A toffee-infused caramelised bitterness rising. I did not overly detect its orange and soft lemon citrus flavours as certainly no citrusy after-effect. The merest hint of resinous spice and minty herbal flavours and a grapefruit bitterness. A biscuity maltiness rising. A fresh hoppiness prevailing with a dry hoppy note on the downwards journey aided by its hop varieties, Karma from the USA, a descendant of Mystic and Cascade, and the UK hops, Jester and Harlequin, the latter noted for providing fruity notes. Very moreish and so stuck to it and as also in excellent condition. |
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - The Hare and the Hedgehog | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Hop Cat Citra Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| New Bristol - Westie | 5.50 | Not Tried |
17 Mar 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for the last half an hour of serving, comprising just a table of the hardened in among a few of the lesser spotted and coupled with the brigade of fiddlers out the back.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 | | Third day on and still displaying a very good head and lacing and lasting all the way which is very welcome on this Bristol-brewed bitter from husband-and-wife team, Noel and Maria, who launched their brewing in 2015 and found in the heart of Bristol’s city centre.* A dry bitter first bite from this gorilla of a bitter. A gentle maltiness at this chimps’ tea party with subtle hints of biscuit and caramel sweetness on the assembled plates laid out. This is balanced with a hoppy bitterness winning over from its Goldings and First Gold hops affording some dark forest fruit flavourings from the odd blackberry, blackcurrant and blueberry thrown in. A very dry bitterness prevailing with a touch of hoppiness swinging off the trees before its jump downwards. Surprised so still full of life on its third day on and an absolute pleasure to do business with! *Their mascot is space-suited in New Bristol’s logo and derived from Alfred the Gorilla at Bristol Zoo in the 1930s and a popular attraction during World War II, and after his death he remained an important mascot to the city with his taxidermic form in Bristol Museum. |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Hop Cat Citra Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Attic - Ember | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| New Bristol - Westie | 5.50 | Not Tried |
16 Mar 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attic - Ember | 4.50 | | Good condition with subtle orange / tangerine flavours |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | | One of first out of a new cask put on. Too fresh |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Hop Cat Citra Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Golden Plover | 3.70 | Not Tried |
15 Mar 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 | | Basic job, nothing more |
| Attic - Ember | 4.50 | | Orange or tangerine citrus overtones |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice | 5.90 | | On a few days, poured flat, little if any condition |
| Vibrant Forest - Evoke | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Golden Plover | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Stardust - Midi | 4.60 | Not Tried |
15 Mar 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for the last half an hour of serving with a table and half of hardened regulars and a few of the lesser spotted irregulars.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 | | Fresh on today and a welcome freshness about its head and lacing and lasting all the way from this Bristol-brewed bitter. A fruited but bitter first bite. A pleasurably hoppy bitterness rising from its Goldings and First Gold hops. It was minus any real malt flavours for me despite being described as a malt-driven ale in their core cask range. Granted though, there were some hints of biscuit and caramel sweetness. A mildly fruited bitterness from its dark forest fruit flavourings hanging on in the finale downwards. For an unfined beer as highlighted on the governor's tasting notes, it was defiantly very clear in appearance. Certainly timed it right for this one in terms of it being at its peak from being on earlier in the day. Very moreish and quaffable and so stuck to it. |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Evoke | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Attic - Ember | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Golden Plover | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Stardust - Midi | 4.60 | Not Tried |
14 Mar 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for the last half an hour of serving with the front largely occupied but with a table available to meet up with a more occasional real ale enthusiast in the rear seating area.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | | Presented on its second day with a good head and lacing but not quite hanging onto it on this Maidstone-brewed bitter and a cross between their Fine Light and Best Dark. A dry hoppy first hit. A malty bitterness climbing up aided by its Maris Otter and Crystal Malts giving rise to caramel flavourings. Its likely WGV (Whitbread Golding Variety), East Kent Goldings and Fuggles hops lending it a fruity note or two. A dry hoppiness sailing out. Perhaps not quite ready to be at its best but quaffable nevertheless. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Evoke | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Attic - Ember | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Golden Plover | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Stardust - Midi | 4.60 | Not Tried |
12 Mar 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | | Good on taste, slight haze as always seems to be in Jaipur recently |
| JW Lees (see also Lees) - Boddingtons Cask | 4.00 | | Tiring a little. Rather a thin gruel version of a once full bodied ale |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Hop Cat Citra Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Centennial Valley | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Velocity Valley | 4.30 | Not Tried |
12 Mar 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Unusually busy footfall for the last half an hour of serving minus a late game of Charlton FC playing at home and with two full tables of regulars and a great many more of the not-seen-before brigade including a hairy, docile lurcher.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vocation - Naughty & Nice | 5.90 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Fresh on today and displaying a welcome head and some lacing on this Hebden Bridge-brewed* chocolate-infused jet-black milk stout but not holding onto it for me to avoid a decant of it to waken it up in the half pint measure I ended on. Chocolate comes at you on the first bite unmistakeably with hints of roasted coffee, caramel and hazelnut to my taste buddies. Its roasted barley and dark crystal malt lending it coffee and biscuit flavourings alongside dark fruits like plum and fig, and aided by its extra pale and chocolate malts. Its lactose (milk sugar) aiding its general sweetness and an initial creamy-textured head. A malty chocolatey flavouring steering it on its downwards journey. Too sweet for me for more than a half but great to accompany a chocolate brownie if you just happen to have one spare. Should I bring such a brownie with me on my next visit? *Hebden Bridge is a picturesque market town located in the Upper Calder Valley of West Yorkshire which sounds good to visit if a real ale pub or two to be found and 8 miles west of Halifax if you need to get your bearings. |
| JW Lees (see also Lees) - Boddingtons Cask | 4.00 | | 1st beer of this visit: Now its third day on but still exhibiting superb head and lacing and lasting the whole journey from being supped from a pint glass of this Boddingtons cask ale, relaunched in 2025 and now brewed at the Greengate Brewery in Middleton Junction, Greater Manchester.* A fellow regular relayed that it used to be called the “Cream of Manchester” and this sums up its recent reincarnation with a creamy foaming head! It would be truly wonderful if all bitters by their third day on had even half of the life of this one in terms of head and lasting lacing. Unlike its dry hoppy first hit two days earlier, now an unmistakably fruited but not sweet first bite. Still a gentle bitter hoppiness rising. Credit due to its Jester hops alongside traditional Goldings working their magic in the brewing. A citrusy fruity note somewhat now over-pronounced for my taste bud’s delectation. Still its hints of caramel and toffee. For me, not an old-fashioned enough hoppy tasting bitter to make it to stand out with the dry hopping notes in bitters I adore. Do not get me wrong, as its crystal malt is doing its stuff alongside the fruity notes of grapefruit. Perhaps it has been over-fruited in its reincarnation but again, do not get me wrong, as it was my pleasure in seeing it holding its life, head and lacing, and flavouring which has matured like a good Stilton from its first day on three days earlier. A hoppy bitterness still sailing out among its citrusy fruity notes. Moreish, yes, but not my own personal ideal bitter as it should be, as here over-fruited for my taste buds. *This marked the first time the cask version was brewed in Manchester since 2012 and at the city's oldest operating brewery, founded 1828, and located just miles from the original Boddingtons Strangeways site. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Hop Cat Citra Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Centennial Valley | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Velocity Valley | 4.30 | Not Tried |
10 Mar 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. The fiddlers were playing dutifully in the back room.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | | Lively, zingy |
| JW Lees (see also Lees) - Boddingtons Cask | 4.00 | | New cask on late in evening. Very zingy mouthfeel but lacking serious body |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | | Slight haze and low on condition |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | 4.60 | | Tiring. OK on taste |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Seashore Blues | 4.00 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Tonbridge - Country Best | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Hop Cat Citra Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Guava Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 15 |
| 754 |
| 2039 |
| 660 |
 | 58 |
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 1629 times, seen 1964 different beers and tried 1157 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ