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The River Ale House (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Kent - Old Skool |  | 2 |
| Kent - Pamplemousse |  | 2 |
| Oakham - Oranje | | 1 |
| Vibrant Forest - Pupa | | 1 |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | | 1 |
| Mighty Oak - Cascade IPA | | 3 |
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | | 2 |
| Kent - Barbe Rouge | | 2 |
| Brass Castle - Bad Kitty | | 1 |
| Wilderness - Blonde |  | 1 |
| Settle - Ribblehead Bitter | | 3 |
| Mighty Oak - Burntwood Bitter | | 3 |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | Not Tried | 0 |
| Anspach & Hobday - Bermondsey Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Vista | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Maltiverse Dark Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Go With The Flow | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
27 Jul 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A few hardened regulars on parade among just a small sprinkling of the more occasional for the last 40 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | 4.20 | | Fresh on today and being a Sunday that could be anytime from the 1pm opening. It came with good head and lacing and lasted did this Surrey pale from Dorking. A hoppy-infused first bite. A mildly hoppy bitterness rising up but its maltiness winning over. It tasted rather too sweet for my taste buds. Its caramel-infused malt flavourings prevailing and perhaps not so common for the typical pale. Its sweetness may also be derived from its hints of grapefruit and lemon in on the mix. A touch of, and unwelcome to me, citrus did not greatly endear it to my taste buds, never mind its caramel-sweetness. Its hoppy bitterness did its best to placate me but there was still that slight fruitiness bobbing up and down and sailing off into the sunset. It was though greatly loved by many in 2019 at CAMRA's Great British Beer Festival as voted Champion Beer of Britain no less. I stuck with this pale despite its caramel-sweetness and fruitiness as my usual preference for a bitter was not upheld by the same rather flat bitter that was on Saturday evening still daring to be on this evening. |
| Mighty Oak - Burntwood Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | Only its third day on was this Essex bitter from Maldon. I saw someone else with a pint of this as I walked in and it looked as flat as a pancake from its almost 100% presence just served into their pint glass. One had sufficed for me the night before when it was very lacklustre in flavouring due to its tired conditioning. |
| Brass Castle - Bad Kitty | 5.50 | Not Tried | Reputed by others to be overly sickly-sweet was this North Yorkshire vanilla-flavoured porter and so definitely not my cup of tea! |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Pamplemousse | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried |
27 Jul 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | 4.20 | | Good but had better Shere Drop |
| Brass Castle - Bad Kitty | 5.50 | | Did not deliver the dream of a porter the tasting notes promised |
| Mighty Oak - Burntwood Bitter | 4.00 | | Poured flat with little life |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Pamplemousse | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried |
26 Jul 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Only a few hardened regulars on parade among a few of the Saturday crowd for the last 40 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | | Head and lacing, good, Lasting, fair. A fruit-infused sour first bite on this New Forest pale. A light citrusy and ripe tropical-fruited flavouring prevailing. Its fruity yeast strain helped me get its stone fruits to linger on my palate. |
| Kent - Pamplemousse | 4.90 | | Second day on for this pink-coloured pale from Birling, north of West Malling. Head and lacing, good, and lasting, good. A dry pink grapefruited first bite. A dry bitterness rising up from its citrus-infused hops. I was left in its pink sunset sinking its dry fruitiness. |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | 4.50 | | Head and lacing, good, lasting, good. This Bermondsey pale, named after hop pickers, came with a bitter sourness on its first bite. A fruitiness rising up. The odd citrus note or two derived from its US hops, Citra and Mosaic, having a swirl on my taste bud's dance-floor. Like a mule, named after the expressive English hop, Ernest, in on the mix, it let out a good fruity-infused spicy kick or two, and aided by a "fruit-forward" yeast, before trotting off with its oaty maltiness into a hazy sunset. |
| Mighty Oak - Burntwood Bitter | 4.00 |  | Head and lacing, poor as only momentary. Lasting, not a chance! This Essex bitter from Maldon was only on its second day but like a greyhound that had lost the will to run its race, hugely struggling! I shared that struggle as only managed to quench my first with one pint of it and after my pilgrimage back from Canterbury to London by train. A caramel-infused malty first bite it just about managed to muster. Its malty bitterness rising but flopped back down again and it promptly passed away in my pint glass. It struggled and I struggled! I was ever so glad not to have another in not sharing in its lingering. |
| Brass Castle - Bad Kitty | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Summerlands (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried |
25 Jul 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Just a few of the usual Friday regulars in among the more hardened for the last 30 minutes of serving. Alas, my favourite Kent Old Skool bitter had all been supped earlier and so did not last for me on what would have been its third evening on. Pretty impressive to have been drunk so rapidly and so only made two full evenings on.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Pamplemousse | 4.90 | | I suppose I chose this to recall the great Kent offering the night before as in the Old Skool bitter. Its first day on and this Kent pale from Birling, north of West Malling, was pink in colouring and pink grapefruited in taste. Head and lacing, very good, and lasting, good. A dry fruity first bite from this pink grapefruit, but quite how many pink grapefruits were sacrificed in its making, I am not certain from the tasting notes. An obvious citrusy note or two rising up. A dry fruity hoppiness sailing off into a pink sunset! |
| Mighty Oak - Burntwood Bitter | 4.00 | | Fresh on to replace the Kent Old Skool bitter was this Essex bitter from Maldon. Head and lacing, poor, lasting, non-existent. A malty first bite. A caramel-infused malty bitterness rising and lingering. It became rather flat rapidly without any conditioning to give it a bit of life. A great shame! |
| Brass Castle - Bad Kitty | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Oranje | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Wilderness - Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried |
24 Jul 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Very busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving. A local club that meets across the road ended their evening in this two-roomed micro, filling up the front-room's 4 out of 5 tables, with the other table occupied by some of the regulars. I joined a few more regulars out in the back-room which is the domain of the Tuesday fiddlers.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Old Skool | 4.10 | | Its second night on and I missed it sadly on its first night as not out. It equally could have been its first night still as very good head and lacing and lasting throughout on this Birling-based traditional bitter north of West Malling. A dry bitter first bite to it. An unmistakable toasted maltiness rising up among the odd happy hoppy note or two playing alongside. Just the merest taste of dark fruits such as plum or fig dancing on my taste buds. A superb bitter hoppiness lingering. To me everything a bitter should be without the sweetness of too much caramel-flavouring or fruit-infused hops in on the mix. |
| Mighty Oak - Cascade IPA | 6.20 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Maltiverse Dark Mild | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Go With The Flow | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Oranje | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Wilderness - Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried |
24 Jul 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Front room seemed full of Labour Party types.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Old Skool | 4.10 | | Perhaps a tad too malty. Held very good head and lacing to the end |
| Oakham - Oranje | 4.10 | | No mistaking its oranginess |
| Wilderness - Blonde | 3.80 | | Bordering on poor. Poured flat and lifeless with an acidic bitterness |
| Mighty Oak - Cascade IPA | 6.20 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Maltiverse Dark Mild | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Go With The Flow | 4.40 | Not Tried |
22 Jul 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. A mix of back room fiddlers and Euro women's football TV made for a bit of a noise shop.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Cascade IPA | 6.20 | | Its strength is helping it hold good condition |
| Kent - Barbe Rouge | 4.50 | | Loss of condition since Sunday's sampling |
| Settle - Ribblehead Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Bermondsey Pale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Maltiverse Dark Mild | 3.40 | Not Tried |
22 Jul 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Not busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving in the front seating area. A better contingent of fiddlers out the back than in recent weeks and still playing for my arrival, and one of whom was on vocation here having moved to Europe.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Cascade IPA | 6.20 | | Came with good head and lacing did this Essex IPA from Maldon on its third night on. A fruit-infused first bite. A touch of fruity grape about its floral flavouring derived from the US Cascade hop in its ingredients. A dry hoppiness lingering. |
| Settle - Ribblehead Bitter | 3.80 | | Third night on for this North Yorkshire bitter from the Settle-based brewery, north-west of Skipton. Head and lacing, poor. Lasting, non-existent. A malty first bite. A gentle bitterness rising up. The odd hop or two joining in. A maltiness, with a touch of caramel thrown in, winning over the hops. A very dry maltiness lingering. |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Bermondsey Pale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Maltiverse Dark Mild | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Barbe Rouge | 4.50 | Not Tried | Tried a sample and too sweet, as in the red fruit in it, and so left it at that. |
20 Jul 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quietish footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with the usual Sunday regulars in among the odd one or two more occasional.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Settle - Ribblehead Bitter | 3.80 | | Fresh on today and presented with good head and lacing was this North Yorkshire bitter from the Settle-based brewery set up in 2012, north-west of Skipton, and bordering the Yorkshire Dales National Park. As for its head and lacing lasting, I would say only fair as some decants became necessary. A fruit-infused bitter first bite. A hoppy fruitiness rising up. A moreish bitterness winning over and a caramel-infused malty note or two performing the odd somersault. A hoppy dryness bowing out for my taste buds. |
| Mighty Oak - Cascade IPA | 6.20 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Bermondsey Pale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Vista | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Maltiverse Dark Mild | 3.40 | Not Tried | Nearly tried it but was told it was rather too sweet! |
| Kent - Barbe Rouge | 4.50 | Not Tried |
20 Jul 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Cascade IPA | 6.20 | | Good condition, not a taste I enjoyed much |
| Kent - Barbe Rouge | 4.50 | | Good condition but did not deliver its tasting notes attributes |
| Settle - Ribblehead Bitter | 3.80 | | Pretty much flat. Chore to finish |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Bermondsey Pale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Vista | 4.50 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Siren Craft - Maltiverse Dark Mild | 3.40 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 15 |
| 754 |
| 2040 |
| 662 |
| 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 1630 times, seen 1966 different beers and tried 1158 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ