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) |
|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Fonio |  | 2 |
| Tonbridge - Rustic | | 2 |
| Pig & Porter - Pigs in Blankets | | 1 |
| Castle Rock - Soft Focus | | 1 |
| Brew York - Fennec Blonde (was 3.7%) | | 1 |
| Titanic - First Class | | 3 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Burton Ale on the Union (collaboration with The Kernel) | | 2 |
| Stardust - Lattice (collaboration with Elusive) | | 3 |
| Lost Pier - Jester Green Hop | | 2 |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) |  | 2 |
| Mighty Oak - Bingle Jells | | 2 |
| Elusive - Jan-Ken-Pon (collaboration with Wild Horse) | | 1 |
| Brew York - Make It Summit | | 1 |
| Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | | 1 |
| Anspach & Hobday - Bermondsey Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| New Bristol - Cinder Toffee Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | Not Tried | 0 |
| Titanic - 16 Tons (collaboration with Attic) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vibrant Forest - Golden Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Southwark - Borough Market Brown Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
31 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall with a mix of regulars and the not so regular for last hour and a bit of 2024 and an hour into 2025.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 | | Fresh on today and so a good head and lacing throughout. A spicy first hit from this East Peckham bitter. A very bitter mouthfeel with maltiness lingering. |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Borough Market Brown Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Stardust - Lattice (collaboration with Elusive) | 7.20 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Make It Summit | 4.60 | Not Tried |
31 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until the wee hours of New Year's Day but not to close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 | | Coming up with a large head and lasting lacing |
| Brew York - Make It Summit | 4.60 | | The hops seemed lost in this one |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Borough Market Brown Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Stardust - Lattice (collaboration with Elusive) | 7.20 | Not Tried |
30 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Another rare visit for a Monday and for last 30 minutes of serving. Quiet footfall but not that quiet with some 6 regulars in and 4 not so regular also in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanic - First Class | 3.80 | | 2nd night on for this Stoke-On-Trent bitter from Staffordshire. Still being served with head and lacing but needed multiple decants to maintain this. A very bitter first hit with lots of maltiness in the mouthfeel. A very slight touch of sweetness and reading the tasting notes, there was a nutty finish that I failed to detect. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Fonio | 4.50 | | Sampled just a half. I missed trying this from its first appearance on the previous day. Good head and lacing and with a dry, resinous first hit. A dry/sweet mouthfeel with herbal and floral flavouring and lingering. A collaboration between Thornbridge, in Bakewell, Derbyshire, and Brooklyn brewery, New York. |
| Stardust - Lattice (collaboration with Elusive) | 7.20 | | Just a half sufficed on its second day and my second day of tasting it and still a good head and lacing on this Berkshire-based stout and which has collaborated with Wokingham-based Elusive Brewing in the making of it. A very dry/sweet and slightly smokey first hit and a mouthfeel that the odd Christmas pudding would be no doubt proud of. A chocolatey sweetness was lingering. |
| Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Borough Market Brown Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried |
29 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Heavy football reflected the season.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanic - First Class | 3.80 | | Basic bitter. Lost head and lacing pretty quickly |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Fonio | 4.50 | | Unusual taste but not sure if it came from hops used or the Fonio grain used |
| Stardust - Lattice (collaboration with Elusive) | 7.20 | | Elusive seems obsessed with collaborating. This brew was heavy duty coffee engine oil |
| Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Borough Market Brown Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried |
29 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for Sunday evening after some very quiet late evenings. A good number of Sunday regulars still in for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stardust - Lattice (collaboration with Elusive) | 7.20 |  | Whatever limits you can push a mash tun to, it certainly greatly pleasured my human tongue and taste buds included from this Berkshire-based stout. The mix of 8 different malts did not disappoint! Good head and lacing and a superbly dry mouthfeel. Also slightly fruity as in the odd Christmas cake running feral in the neighbourhood as in the flavouring! |
| Titanic - First Class | 3.80 | | Fresh on from last visit previous evening. Very good head and lacing on this Stoke-On-Trent bitter from Staffordshire. A slightly sweet first hit but then a malty mouthfeel with a dry, moreish aftertaste. One did not suffice, hence following on with the same. |
| Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Borough Market Brown Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Fonio | 4.50 | Not Tried |
28 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for a Saturday and for last 45 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Bingle Jells | 5.20 | | Minus any head and lacing without multiple decants from this Maldon-based winter ale from Essex. A bitter/sweet mouthfeel and a dryness lingering. |
| Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | | Some head and lacing for a short while on this pale from Firle in East Sussex. Very lacklustre in flavouring but for the odd spasmodic lemon-hit. One definitely sufficed. |
| New Bristol - Cinder Toffee Stout | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Borough Market Brown Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Pigs in Blankets | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Golden Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried |
27 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with just a few of the usual Friday regulars in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pig & Porter - Pigs in Blankets | 3.40 | | Good head and lacing on this session bitter from Tunbridge Wells as fresh on. A very sweet first hit but then followed by a bitter and moreish mouthfeel which made it very palatable. It sailed off with sweet notes into the sunset. The tasting notes tell you muscovado sugar with an aroma of Christmas cake, prunes, currants and dates were all to blame. Glad some Christmas ales with their excess sweetness are especially not with us the rest of the year! |
| Mighty Oak - Bingle Jells | 5.20 | | Minimal head and lacing from this Maldon winter ale. A sweetness hit you first off from its maltiness and fruity hoppiness and with a dryness lingering. I was thankfully minus the Christmas pudding on this occasion to mix it with, and as recommended by the governor's tasting notes. |
| New Bristol - Cinder Toffee Stout | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Titanic - 16 Tons (collaboration with Attic) | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Golden Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried |
24 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Footfall limited to a few hardened regulars.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Burton Ale on the Union (collaboration with The Kernel) | 5.50 | | Missing something. Rather flat and only brought to life with multiple decanting. Overly malty |
| Lost Pier - Jester Green Hop | 5.20 | | Very resinous mouthfeel |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Fennec Blonde (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Bermondsey Pale | 3.40 | Not Tried |
24 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Very quiet footfall for seeing in Christmas Day on my arrival at about 10.30pm. Just six hardened regulars in, including me. Governor's barman ended proceedings as in serving at 11pm and we were all out before welcoming in Jesus's birthday. First early closure for such a night since opening in September 2017, just over 7 years ago.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew York - Fennec Blonde (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | | Fresh on and a good head and lacing. Just so ever lightly hoppy in the mouthfeel with a dryish aftertaste. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Burton Ale on the Union (collaboration with The Kernel) | 5.50 | | Very good head and lacing as literally fresh on today is this dark ruby-red ale from Bakewell, southwest of Sheffield. A malty first hit followed by a barrage of raisins and plums in the mouthfeel and followed by a dry aftertaste. |
| Lost Pier - Jester Green Hop | 5.20 | | A half sampled and enough to get the good head and lacing on its first night on. A touch of marmalade in the flavouring but otherwise a bitter mouthfeel with the odd malty note. No other green hop quite tasted like this one from my earlier recollections. This one is from the brewery in Burgess Hill north of Brighton. |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | | Only third night on and minus head and lacing without the decanting involved from this Bermondsey-based brewery. A very bitter, bitter mouthfeel and without much of the tasting notes' description of hop aromas of pine, spice and dark fruits. |
| Anspach & Hobday - Bermondsey Pale | 3.40 | Not Tried |
23 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
A rare Monday visit for last 30 minutes of serving and minus the winter cribbage team or two in. Just a sprinkling of hardened regulars in and one table of the perhaps occasional visitors in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock - Soft Focus | 4.50 | | Tried a taster and so went for a half to explore a bit more. Good head and lacing in this IPA from Nottingham. It had a resinous dryness prevailing with pine, lime and lemon undertones. One half sufficed for me! |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | | Only the second night on and minimal head and lacing on this Bermondsey-based bitter. Much decanting was needed to get the carbonation. A dry bitterness, some fruitiness, a hint of biscuit and caramel flavouring, and a touch of sourness lingering. |
| Elusive - Jan-Ken-Pon (collaboration with Wild Horse) | 4.80 | | Just a taster and not as good as previous night and so did not proceed although had some head and lacing still on this Wokingham pale ale. |
| Anspach & Hobday - Bermondsey Pale | 3.40 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 11 |
| 675 |
| 1651 |
| 477 |
 | 38 |
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 1303 times, seen 1800 different beers and tried 1046 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ