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The River Ale House (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Pig & Porter - Caravan (was 3.6%) |  | 2 |
| Vocation - Pride & Joy |  | 1 |
| Church End - Fallen Angel | | 1 |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | | 2 |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | | 2 |
| Oakham - North to South (collaboration with Orkney) | | 1 |
| Castle Rock - Loophole | | 1 |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | | 1 |
| Leigh on Sea - Legra Pale | | 2 |
| White Rose (Sheffield) - Stairlift To Heaven | | 1 |
| Vale - Electric Sheep | | 1 |
| Milestone - Cromwell Golden Extra |  | 1 |
| Wantsum - Hurricane | | 1 |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | | 1 |
| Siren Craft - Memento | | 3 |
| Rudgate - Sunbeam | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vocation - Heart & Soul | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bexley - Spike Island | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | Not Tried | 0 |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Jungle Juice | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
11 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - North to South (collaboration with Orkney) | 4.30 | | Good condition but not an ale to my taste |
| Wantsum - Hurricane | 4.50 | | Bordering on poor. Something wrong with taste and quite flat in the glass |
| Rudgate - Sunbeam | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Pride & Joy | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Caravan (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried |
09 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with a sprinkling of regulars on parade among the more occasional and the Tuesday fiddlers out the back plucking their strings.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leigh on Sea - Legra Pale | 3.80 | | Second evening on for this Leigh on Sea single hop pale ale from Essex. Head and lacing, very good, and lasting, fair. A fruit-infused first bite. A good Citra hop-infusion rising with citrus notes abounding. Definite grapefruit flavours running riot. A fruity bitter finish with a touch of maltiness from its Maris Otter and Torrified Wheat. |
| Pig & Porter - Caravan (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | | Now the third day on. Head and lacing, good, but lasting, poor. A good decant or two needed. This Tunbridge Wells' bitter came with a very malty bitter first bite. Its caramel and toffee infusions lending it a sweetness in among its maltiness. Tangerine notes emanating from its yeast and hops. A hoppy bitterness aided by its English hops, East Kent Goldings and First Gold, and a malty note or two playing out. This bitter was still moreish to my taste buds but only a pale imitation of its former self compared to when sampled on its premier day. |
| Milestone - Cromwell Golden Extra | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Pride & Joy | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass | 5.50 | Not Tried | Was all consumed and so taken off on this visit. |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Loophole | 4.30 | Not Tried |
09 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leigh on Sea - Legra Pale | 3.80 | | Just a bag of Citra hops. Getting boring now |
| Vocation - Pride & Joy | 4.80 | | 2nd pint out of a new cask just put on. Much drier and less harsh bittering than many citrus jobs |
| Milestone - Cromwell Golden Extra | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Caravan (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass | 5.50 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Loophole | 4.30 | Not Tried |
07 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A good few regulars in for the last 40 minutes of serving and a very welcome change of bitter greeted me to my delight.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pig & Porter - Caravan (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | | Fresh on today and presenting very good head and lacing and lasting throughout without a single decant needed. This Tunbridge Wells' bitter packed a very malty bitter first hit. A slightly sweet touch from the caramel and toffee infusions in its malts. A good fruity note rising from its tangerine hints in its yeast and hops. A pleasantly hoppy bitterness gently bobbing along aided by its English hops: East Kent Goldings and First Gold. Lashings of maltiness aided this bitter's final voyage downwards for me. Very moreish and so stuck to it but for a half of stout from the same brewer. |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | | Also fresh on was this Tunbridge Wells' stout and head and lacing to start with but not managing to hold onto it. A dry smoky first bite. A good chocolatey maltiness rising from its depths and a moreishly dry bitterness from its US Willamette hops, derived from English Fuggle hops and noted for their woody incense and red berry hints, winning over and playing out. |
| Milestone - Cromwell Golden Extra | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Loophole | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Jungle Juice | 3.50 | Not Tried |
07 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock - Loophole | 4.30 | | Condition good but just not far off being raw lemon juice |
| Milestone - Cromwell Golden Extra | 4.50 | | OK but flat |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | | No apparent condition, making it a chore to finish |
| Pig & Porter - Caravan (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Jungle Juice | 3.50 | Not Tried |
06 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last hour of serving with just a few regulars among the more occasional in. The barman explained that it had been busier earlier.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Rose (Sheffield) - Stairlift To Heaven | 4.30 | | I cannot recall coming across a White Rose ale before. It was set up in 2007 and sharing premises with Sheffield Brewery. In 2008 brewing had moved to Little Ale Cart. Then White Rose brewed in Mexborough at premises with Imperial Brewery before moving in 2018 to its own premises using a new seven-barrel plant. This Mexborough-brewed straw coloured pale ale, from south-west of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, presented good head and lacing as fresh on today and its lacing lasted throughout. A mildly fruited and hoppy first hit. A good dry hoppiness rising with a hint of citrus. A fruity dry hop or two sailing out. Not overly infused with flavour I thought for 4.3% and being just its first day on. |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 |  | Surprised to see it still on and now on its fifth day. The barman gave me a taster first and told me there were only about 4 pints remaining in the cask. This micro opens at 12 noon on Saturday unlike at 4pm Monday to Thursday and from 2pm on Friday and so even more amazed still on. Head and lacing, now poor, and holding it, not a chance. This Berkshire bitter from north-west of Finchampstead and south-west of Wokingham presented a dry bitter first bite. Its lip-smacking crispness all gone as indeed all life in it. Still the odd fruity note there in among its hoppy bitterness. The biscuity, caramelly malt now far less pronounced. All conditioning gone and no punchiness left. Doing its best to hang onto its dry Cascade hoppiness. Only just palatable and so moved onto what everyone else was on, too, and a fresh one on today! |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Milestone - Cromwell Golden Extra | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Jungle Juice | 3.50 | Not Tried |
05 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with a stalwart of the local CAMRA branch holding their 80th birthday. They had done a few other micros earlier by all accounts from about mid-day with a good party of friends and many still here at the finale drinking hole. Many a musical record in honour of his love of Radio Caroline was being played including this station's outgoing theme at the end of each broadcast early on which was Jimmy McGriff's jazz standard, "Round Midnight". Radio Caroline was the British pirate radio station founded in 1964. It was set up at first to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the UK and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly. The station never became illegal as such due to operating outside any national jurisdiction. But the Marine Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967 made it illegal for a British subject to associate with it. It successfully operated using five different ships with three different owners from 1964 to 1990, and then via satellite from 1998 to 2013. Since August 2000, Radio Caroline has broadcast via the internet and by the occasional restricted service licence.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | | Now the fourth day on and I say day since this micro opens at 2pm on Friday unlike at 4pm Monday to Thursday. Surprisingly, still holding its head and lacing well and lasting to the end. This Berkshire bitter from north-west of Finchampstead and south-west of Wokingham presented a very bitter first bite. Not as good a lip-smacking crispness about it as when tried the evening before. A fruity hint pervading its moreishly hoppy bitterness. Still a biscuity, caramelly malt or two leaping up. Not the same conditioning as on its premier night or third night but still exerting a good punchiness. A lasting dry hoppiness care of its Cascade hops. Palatable enough to still stick to it! |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Milestone - Cromwell Golden Extra | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Jungle Juice | 3.50 | Not Tried |
04 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Once again busier footfall than over recent weeks for a change and for last 40 minutes of serving with a good sprinkling of regulars in among the less regular
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | | Fresh on was this Essex mild from Maldon. Head and lacing though presented on being first served went AWOL shortly after. Taste-wise, it was a very dry bitter first hit aided by its Challenger hops. A dry maltiness, from its Maris Otter Pale, Crystal and Black malts, rising alongside its hoppy bitterness and both prevailing before sailing out to sea. |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | | Third night on and still holding its head and lacing well and lasting to the end is this Berkshire bitter from north-west of Finchampstead and south-west of Wokingham. As on Tuesday when fresh on, a very bitter first bite. A good lip-smacking crispness about it with a fruity touch shining through its moreishly hoppy bitterness. A hint of biscuit and caramel-infused maltiness rising. Holding onto its conditioning well but a tad thinner to my taste buds than two evenings earlier. Its Cascade hop-infusions giving it a lasting dry hoppiness. Extremely moreish once again and so I stuck to it apart from a half of mild to end on! |
| Church End - Fallen Angel | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Heart & Soul | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | 4.20 | Not Tried |
04 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Church End - Fallen Angel | 5.00 | | Professional brew, well conditioned with enduring head and lacing |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | | Too little condition |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | 4.20 | | Not much idea what this ale is supposed to be. Amateur feel about it |
| Vocation - Heart & Soul | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | Not Tried |
03 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | | Usual old citrus pale. Yawn |
| Vale - Electric Sheep | 4.30 | | Basic undistinguished Citra hop offering |
| Vocation - Heart & Soul | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - Spike Island | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | 4.20 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 12 |
| 700 |
| 1796 |
| 537 |
| 44 |
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 1417 times, seen 1858 different beers and tried 1084 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ