The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
20 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A mix of regulars and the more occasional for last 50 minutes of serving.
| Mighty Oak - Captain Bob | 3.80 |  | Fresh on by just a few hours earlier into the evening was this Essex amber bitter from the Maldon-based brewery set up in 1996. Head and lacing, very good, and lasting, good. A very bitter first bite. A good dose of maltiness rising and a hoppy bitterness winning over, aided by its New Zealand hops. A slight fruitiness getting in on the act care of its grape, elderflower and gooseberry infusions. A dry moreish bitterness sailing downwards. A touch too fresh and so a slight fizz on the tongue but moreish enough to stick with it! |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Stancill - Summer Breeze | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Into the Woods Ernest & Bullion | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Rakau | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Chinook & Bullion Joined at the Hop | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
19 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Good mix of stalwarts and the lesser spotted for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 |  | Second day on for this Kentish ruby bitter from Birling, north of West Malling, and in better form than trying within minutes of its first appearance the evening before. Head and lacing, very good, and this time lasting to the end. A very malty bitterness in its first bite. A pleasantly bitter hoppiness rising but won over by the lasting maltiness playing out with its odd smoky note ably assisted by its sweet molasses. Very moreish and so stuck to it on this session. |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Stancill - Summer Breeze | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Into the Woods Ernest & Bullion | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Rakau | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
18 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall with many a regular on parade among the more occasional for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Stancill - Summer Breeze | 4.00 |  | Fresh on was this Sheffield pale, brewed north of the city, and presenting very good head and lacing and lasting to the end. A dry hoppy first bite to it. A mildly fruited hoppiness rising aided by its US Citra hops. Very moreish and so another was also sampled. Stancill set up brewing in 2014 having rescued the kit and a well regarded Barnsley bitter arising from the closure in 2013 of Oakwell Brewery in Barnsley. |
| Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 |  | Fresh on literally was this Kentish ruby bitter from Birling, north of West Malling. Good head and lacing to start with but perhaps because so fresh on, this legged it out of the glass. A very malty first bite. A dry bitterness rising the heights before navigating downwards with a touch of smokiness and sweetness from molasses in on the mix. Very moreish but also like a soup in its very heavy maltiness slowing it down from being readily quaffable! |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 |  | Fourth night on now for this Kentish light pale ale from Birling, north of West Malling. Surprisingly, still presenting good head and lacing and holding onto it to the end. The same dry hoppy first hit as when tried on Tuesday. A touch of mild fruitiness detected aided by its citrus and elderflower flavourings. As when last sampled earlier in the week, a dry bitterness prevailing and lingering. |
| Oakham - Dragon Cask Aged | 5.00 | Not Tried | Ran out whilst here. |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | 4.00 | Not Tried | Ran out whilst here. |
| Iron Pier - Into the Woods Ernest & Bullion | 4.80 | Not Tried | Fresh on during my visit. |
18 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 |  | New cask today. not as clean tasting as previous Cobnut samples |
| Stancill - Summer Breeze | 4.00 |  | New cask today, condition good but the taste just bored me |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Dragon Cask Aged | 5.00 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | 4.00 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Iron Pier - Into the Woods Ernest & Bullion | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
17 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Oakham - Dragon Cask Aged | 5.00 |  | Holding good condition still |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 |  | Little condition and head and lacing absent |
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | 4.00 |  | Flat brown liquid - unappetising |
| Vibrant Forest - Evoke | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Titanic - Idaho Pale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
16 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy medley of regulars and the less frequent and with a fiddler or two playing out the back for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 |  | Second night on for this Kentish light pale ale from Birling, north of West Malling. Still presenting a good head and lacing and lasting throughout. A dry hoppy first hit. A mild fruitiness aided by hints of citrus and elderflower rising with the odd kick to it but rescued by a dry bitterness winning over and lingering. |
| Oakham - Dragon Cask Aged | 5.00 |  | This golden cask aged IPA from Peterborough in Cambridgeshire is fresh on this evening and so very good head and lacing and lasting throughout. First brewed in 2018, it has returned with a very fruity, rather sour, and fiery first hit aided by its Slovenian hops, Dragon and Aurora. Flavouring not quite to my liking as bursting with astringent tropical fruit, plus grapefruit, lemon, lime and apple. If that was not quite enough, hints of woody resin also battle through and linger. An almighty fruity kick to it! Just a half sufficed for me! |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 |  | 4th night on and so now struggling to hold onto its head and lacing and not lasting on this Peterborough cask aged* stout. A dry malty first hit as noted on Saturday when first tried. Its dry bitterness still there. A spicy, floral and herbal note or two still evident. Hanging onto its hoppiness from its UK hops, Challenger and Fuggles. A good maltiness playing out. *With it being cask aged, following the initial fermentation, the tired yeast cells are removed to eradicate undesirable aromas and flavours. Fresh yeast is introduced to follow the “Krausening” method. The beer is racked in casks and "aged" for at least 6 weeks and cellared like a fine wine to allow development of its flavours and conditioning. |
| Vibrant Forest - Evoke | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Titanic - Idaho Pale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
16 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Oakham - Dragon Cask Aged | 5.00 |  | New cask on. Really lively and lots of mouthfeel |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 |  | Noticeable loss of condition since yesterday's |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Evoke | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Titanic - Idaho Pale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
15 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 |  | Slight loss of edge since yesterday's |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 |  | Held same condition as yesterday's |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Evoke | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Titanic - Idaho Pale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
14 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Ticking over with the Sunday regulars on show for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | 4.00 |  | Fresh on and good head and lacing but not lasting on this Tunbridge Wells' bitter from High Brooms, just north-east of Tunbridge Wells. A very malty bitter first bite. A dry bitterness rising with a biscuity maltiness. Hints of toffee and dried berry fruit emerging onto my palate. A moreishly pleasant hoppiness, aided by its Bramling Cross and Fuggles hops, sailing out. |
| Kent - Zingiber | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA Cask Aged | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
14 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 |  | Zingy and full on aroma |
| Oakham - Kingdom Stout | 5.00 |  | Tasty stout |
| Kent - Zingiber | 4.10 |  | I could not detect any ginger in taste. Near flat with no head or lacing |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Yes, No, Wait, Sorry! | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
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