The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
28 Aug 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Kashpur (collaboration with Salopian) | 5.70 |  | New cask on today. A good condition dry pale |
| Oakham - North to South (collaboration with Orkney) | 4.30 |  | New cask on today. Not too much of a citrus bomb |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Cocoa Wonderland | 6.80 | Not Tried | Will it last forever |
| Siren Craft - Soundwave IPA | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - Bursted Session Bitter (was 3.8%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | Got cask label checked as confusion over ABV. It is now a beer duty avoider ale |
| Brew York - Keras | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Helios | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
27 Aug 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Evening finished with a bottle of Orval to pander to my wish for beer bitterness.
| Brew York - Keras | 3.50 |  | No real USP but good condition, on fresh today |
| Bexley - Bursted Session Bitter (was 3.8%) | 3.40 |  | OK but little condition or flavour |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Cocoa Wonderland | 6.80 | Not Tried | Soldiering on |
| Mighty Oak - Red Kite | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Soundwave IPA | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Ossett - World Hop Series New Zealand | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
26 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busier than I have see recently for the last 30 minutes of serving with a mix of the Tuesday regulars, the more occasional and the fiddlers out the back.
| Bexley - Bursted Session Bitter (was 3.8%) | 3.40 |  | Fresh on this evening was this lively Bexley dark amber bitter from Erith. It came as a relief after the very tired Siren Craft Memento bitter the evening before that certainly tasted as though it was at its end. This one presented very good head and lacing and not a single decant was called for. I almost had to stop myself from decanting out of habit and not out of need as in this case. Its abundant lacing lasted throughout its tasty performance. A very bitter first bite to it. A fine hoppy bitterness rising aided by its Kentish hops. A touch of maltiness presenting itself but nothing like as malty as the Bexley Redhouse bitter that was on for 5 nights the week before and so perhaps a tad too malty for many including me was the Redhouse! This one by comparison hit all the right notes on my taste buds and not in the least fruity, although said to have soft fruity notes and a hint of toffee which I could not readily detect. It came as how I like it and from this very old-fashioned bitter-tasting beer. A good balanced malty bitterness playing out. Very moreish and so stuck to it. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Cocoa Wonderland | 6.80 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Red Kite | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Soundwave IPA | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Ossett - World Hop Series New Zealand | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
25 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall with just a few of the hardened in for the last 30 minutes of serving on this bank holiday Monday.
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 |  | Third night on for this Berkshire-based bitter from south-west of Wokingham. Head and lacing present to start with but did not last even with a good few decants. A very bitter first bite. A hoppy bitterness rising from its English hops with a citrusy herbal note or two coming to the fore. A touch of maltiness not far behind with a biscuity caramel flavour presenting itself. A pleasantly dry hoppy finish aided by the use of Cascade hops, one of the most widely used hops by craft breweries in the US. A slight sourness lingering that was not there on its first or second nights sampled and perhaps denoting it is almost at its end. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Cocoa Wonderland | 6.80 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Red Kite | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Soundwave IPA | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Ossett - World Hop Series New Zealand | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
25 Aug 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Siren Craft - Soundwave IPA | 5.60 |  | Forgiving the haze this was a same old same old citrus ale |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Cocoa Wonderland | 6.80 |  | Almost all condition lost since yesterday's |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 |  | The headpour disappeared immediately to leave a totally flat ale |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Red Kite | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Ossett - World Hop Series New Zealand | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
24 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Ticking over for last 30 minutes of serving on this Sunday evening with a mix of some of the regulars and the more occasional.
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Cocoa Wonderland | 6.80 |  | Third night on for this Derbyshire porter from Bakewell, south-west of Sheffield. Head and lacing, only to start with, and lasting, no. A good few decants therefore necessary. A dry fruit-infused first bite. Mocha malt flavours rising, from among its six in the mix, and doing battle with chocolate flavourings and cacao nibs, the latter made from crushed cocoa beans. Its Magnum hops, said to be a brewing favourite in Europe and the US, lending this porter a dry bitterness playing out. Slightly too sweet for my liking to have done more than a half. |
| Mighty Oak - Red Kite | 4.20 |  | Head and lacing, very good, and lasting, good, on this Essex ruby bitter from Maldon and now on its second night on. A fruity first bite no doubt aided by its passion fruit, apricot and peach flavourings. A malty caramel-infusion rapidly rising. A hoppiness doing its hardest to shine through. A lasting liquorice in its maltiness playing out. |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 |  | Second night on for this Berkshire-based bitter from south-west of Wokingham. Head and lacing, good, and lasting, almost. A hoppy bitter first bite. A good moreish bitterness aided by its English hops with a hint of citrus and herbs in on the mix. A biscuity caramel-infused maltiness gently bobbing up and down before sailing off with its dry hoppiness derived from its Cascade hops. Overall, a thinner taste than on its first night. |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Ossett - World Hop Series New Zealand | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
24 Aug 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until late.
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Cocoa Wonderland | 6.80 |  | Full on flavour, little condition to carry it off |
| Mighty Oak - Red Kite | 4.20 |  | Lacklustre Irish Red style. Chore to finish |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | Not Tried | Ran out as I ordered |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Ossett - World Hop Series New Zealand | 4.40 | Not Tried | A veritable milk shake resembling haze jobbie |
23 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A mix of the Saturday regulars on parade and the more occasional for the last hour of serving.
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 |  | First day on and which coincided with Charlton FC playing at home and so which meant some fans from the match had earlier also been fans of the 360 Degrees' Bluebell Sussex Best, a lovely bitter sampled the evening before, but this had sadly all gone. This Berkshire-based bitter from south-west of Wokingham came with good head and lacing and lasting. A very bitter first bite. A dry hoppiness rising from its English hops and a gentle bitterness winning over. A hint of biscuity caramel from its malts and a herbal and citrus note or two joining in. A pleasant hoppy bitterness playing out. |
| Crouch Vale - Amarillo | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Cocoa Wonderland | 6.80 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Red Kite | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
22 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A mix of Friday regulars and the more occasional for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Cocoa Wonderland | 6.80 |  | First day on for this Derbyshire porter from Bakewell, south-west of Sheffield. Head and lacing, very good, and lasting, good. A dry smoky first bite. Mocha malt abundant in its flavours from among its six malts. Moreishly dry chocolatey hints rising along with its cacao nibs made from crushed cocoa beans. Its Magnum hops, said to be a brewing favourite in Europe and the US, giving this porter a dry bitterness. Too sweet and strong for that matter to do more than a half for me! |
| 360° - Bluebell Sussex Best Bitter | 4.30 |  | Fresh on and so very good head and lacing and lasting throughout. A very bitter first bite on this East Sussex bitter from Sheffield Park, east of Haywards Heath. A dry bitterness rising along with a caramel malt or two. A moreish hoppy bitterness, derived from its East Kent Goldings, Fuggles and Cascade, lasting with a maltiness, from its exclusively English malts, sailing off. Very moreish and so stuck to it! |
| Bexley - Golden Acre | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur Union | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Sun City | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Zeus | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
21 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A mix of the regular and the not so regular for the last 30 minutes of serving.
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 |  | Saw this Bexley ruby bitter served to two others after getting stuck into my peach-infused pale from Salopian and noted this still had good head and lacing on it and so went for it, too. Its head and lacing not lasting as well as when I first tried it last Sunday which is to be expected. It still had much of its conditioning but tasted a tad thinner in its maltiness on its 5th night on. It was now like a soup minus its thickness. A malty bitterness still rising up and hints of biscuity caramel. Its rich maltiness perhaps not such a chore to get down my hatch as when first on. |
| Salopian - Living a Dream, | 4.40 |  | Only its second night on for this
Shropshire pale from Hadnall, north-east of Shrewsbury, which is why I went for it as I believed the bitter on its 5th night on would be somewhat tired. Head and lacing, good, and lasting, good. A very fruity first bite. Sweet peaches abounding on my palate but a winning bitterness from its hops shining through on this pale from the Salopian Brewery first set up in 1995. A real fruity kick to it in its aftertaste. |
| Bexley - Golden Acre | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | Not Tried | Its 10th night on! |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur Union | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Sun City | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
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