The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
17 Aug 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy with regulars and seat to be had and usual welcoming service after train back from Broadstairs and finally hitting the buffers for travelling.
Five Points - Pale | 4.40 |  | Frothy head with a marmalade, citrusy mouthfeel and dry aftertaste. |
Five Points - Gold | 3.40 |  | Good conditioning and slightly sweet mouthfeel in this golden with a bitter aftertaste. |
Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Kaleidoscope | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Beerblefish - Maple Tooth Tiger | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Harmonic (collaboration with Salopian) | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
16 Aug 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Very busy for height of summer holidays as has been not so busy over recent Fridays. In for last 30 minutes of serving
Redemption - Pale Ale | 3.80 |  | Very good head but slightly sour to taste with a lot of citrus. Very light in colour. |
Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 |  | Just a half to round off. Good head and bitter aftertaste and packed with flavours of dark fruit. A chestnut bitter and dark in colouring and slightly sweet. |
Five Points - Citrus Pale | 4.20 |  | Clearly a citrus-themed night. Good head and lacing and you can almost imagine being immersed in the lemons and grapefruit from the pint presented with. Although a great fan of Five Points, certainly less so of this one. |
Beerblefish - Maple Tooth Tiger | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Salopian - Symphonic (collaboration with Oakham) | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
15 Aug 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy on arrival for last 40 minutes of serving.
Five Points - XPA | 4.00 |  | Stuck to it like glue throughout visit. Superb head and lacing. Very moreish aftertaste aided by a hoppy bitterness. 2nd night on. Sorry I missed a visit night before. |
Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Liquid Light - Ramble On | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
Beerblefish - Maple Tooth Tiger | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Salopian - Symphonic (collaboration with Oakham) | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Avena | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
15 Aug 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Five Points - XPA | 4.00 |  | Good enough but one sufficed |
Liquid Light - Ramble On | 3.90 |  | No pre-warning of haze, otherwise one dimensional with little head or lacing. Quickly wished I had not ordered it |
Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | Not Tried | Newly on at closing time |
Beerblefish - Maple Tooth Tiger | 4.90 | Not Tried | A sip from someone's who had decided not to take it beyond a mouthful or two reached the same conclusion |
Salopian - Symphonic (collaboration with Oakham) | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Avena | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
13 Aug 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving.
Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 |  | Good head at first but would disappear soon after. Sweet tasting bitter with a bitter aftertaste. |
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - Kent Pale | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Liquid Light - Ramble On | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Avena | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
11 Aug 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
In for last 40 minutes of serving and a few locals in.
Vocation - Chop & Change Centennial | 4.50 |  | 2nd day sampled. Still a superb head. Slight fruitiness and a moreish dry aftertaste. Stuck to it. |
Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - Kent Pale | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Cohort | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Bitter Bench | 4.00 | Not Tried | I like many a bitter but never seen one as murky as this. Only saw one other customer attempt it Friday evening, no one attempt it Saturday evening, and tonight also only one brave other who described it as very malty. Only for the very brave and it has turned out nice again! |
11 Aug 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Vocation - Chop & Change Centennial | 4.50 |  | A zesty brew |
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - Kent Pale | 5.20 |  | One of the better Canterbury brews |
Vibrant Forest - Bitter Bench | 4.00 |  | A rather cloying take on a malty dark bitter |
Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Cohort | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
10 Aug 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
In for last 45 minutes of serving and busy.
Vocation - Chop & Change Centennial | 4.50 |  | Very good head and lacing. Not sweet with a nice dry, bitter aftertaste. |
Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 |  | Good head. Very tangy with fruity peach flavours and slightly tart. |
Oakham - Cohort | 4.00 |  | Good carbonation and a sweet aftertaste. |
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - Kent Pale | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Bitter Bench | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
09 Aug 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy and in for just last 30 minutes of serving.
Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 |  | Good head. Tasted sweet with fruit flavouring in this pale. |
Tonbridge - New Zealand Pale | 4.50 |  | Good head with malty and tropical fruit flavours. |
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - Kent Pale | 5.20 |  | Good on head and strong hoppy flavouring and aftertaste. |
Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 |  | Good head but too sweet for more than a half. |
Vibrant Forest - Bitter Bench | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
08 Aug 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
In for last 40 minutes of serving and low footfall but some regulars in place.
Five Points - Pale | 4.40 |  | Five Points - one of my all-time favourites and was not disappointed in the least. Fabulous frothy head and lacing on glass. A citrus flavour and dry, moreish aftertaste. |
Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 |  | Low on carbonation but with some fine hoppy flavours in this pale and nice dry aftertaste. Apparently only its second night on. |
Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 |  | Good head and flavours of tropical fruit such as mango and lychee. |
Oakham - Endless Summer | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Knight's Ale | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Green Devil IPA Cask Aged | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
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