The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
06 Oct 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
New Bristol - Cinder Toffee Stout | 4.00 |  | Needed more condition to carry off the strong flavourings |
Mighty Oak - The Henge | 3.70 |  | Basic copper ale in zesty condition |
Iron Pier - Challenger Joined at the Green Hop (2024) | 4.20 |  | Pretty lacklustre all round |
360° - Session IPA | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Mesmerist | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
New Bristol - My Citra Romance | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Woodstock | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
05 Oct 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many of the Saturday regulars in.
Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 |  | Good head and lacing and still had this some 30 minutes after being served at about 10.50pm. A malty first hit and which lingers alongside the dry, bitter mouthfeel. |
New Bristol - My Citra Romance | 4.50 |  | Good head and lacing at first but did not hold it for long. Lightly fruity with a lingering hoppiness. |
Iron Pier - First Gold & Ekuanot Joined at the Hop | 3.80 |  | No head or lacing. Still had a fruit hit on first tasting and a hoppy aftertaste. |
360° - Session IPA | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
New Bristol - Cinder Toffee Stout | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Mesmerist | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Kent - Neomexicanus | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
04 Oct 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Very busy for last 30 minutes of serving but managed to join a table of regulars.
Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 |  | Fresh on as I was waiting to be served. Superb head and lacing and a malty hit on first sipping and with a bitter lingering mouthfeel. Slightly sweet but not too much. |
Iron Pier - First Gold & Ekuanot Joined at the Hop | 3.80 |  | New on today and very good head and lacing. Hoppy flavouring and almost like a green hop beer with the lingering hoppiness. |
Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Scarlet Macaw | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
360° - Session IPA | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Kent - Neomexicanus | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
03 Oct 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last 40 minutes of serving with a lot of regulars also in.
Goacher's - Green Hop (Challenger version) | 3.90 |  | Perfect head and lacing. Full of hoppy flavouring with a pleasant, lingering aftertaste. Very moreish with an oily kick from those virgin hops. |
Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 |  | Still holding head and lacing 30 minutes after being served. Very hoppy in flavouring and a slight kick from its fruitiness. |
Oakham - Scarlet Macaw | 4.40 |  | Wonderful head and lacing! Fruity and a hoppy lingering mouthfeel. Very moreish! |
Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Metropole | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
03 Oct 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Oakham - Scarlet Macaw | 4.40 |  | Fresh cask on today and full of natural carbonation |
Goacher's - Green Hop (Challenger version) | 3.90 |  | Reasonable level of conditioning |
Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Metropole | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
01 Oct 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busiest it has been for a Tuesday for a long while for last 25 minutes of serving.
Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 |  | In very good form and from first trying two nights before. Ordered shortly after 10.50pm and did not sample until 30 minutes later but held its glass-lacing well. Sweet hit on first tasting and a hoppy aftertaste. |
Marble - Manchester Bitter | 4.20 |  | Good head and lacing. Bitter and fruity mouthfeel. Slightly medicinal in supping it up. |
Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 |  | Superb head and lacing. Nutty and dry hit on first tasting. Hoppy and liquorice lingering mouthfeel. |
Southwark - Bankside Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Metropole | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
29 Sep 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 |  | Cask fresh on this evening resulting in a long lasting head and lacing. Not my favourite Goacher's ale however |
New Bristol - My Citra Romance | 4.50 |  | Basic Citra jobbie |
Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Bankside Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Vocation - Naughty & Nice | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Sundown | 6.00 | Not Tried | A thimble sized taster was enough to reject this out of hand |
Lunebrew - LB201 Pale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
29 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 40 minutes of serving on this slightly windy and drizzly evening.
Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 |  | Ended on this one and great head and lacing. Lacing even after some 30 minutes of ordering, and within drinking up time as sampling at 11.20pm. Sweet hit from first sip but not too severe and a pleasant hoppy mouthfeel. Very moreish unlike the Southwark Blonde that was a slight chore to drink. Advertised as: "Dangerously drinkable!" I agree with that 100% |
Southwark - Bankside Blonde | 3.80 |  | Also tried on Sat on first night on and still holding head and lacing. Only slightly fruity and long-lasting hoppiness. But not moreish and not sure why it took me a while to sink a couple? Day before back from a beer festival and so slightly full was I then but not on this visit. |
Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Vocation - Naughty & Nice | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
New Bristol - My Citra Romance | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Sundown | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Lunebrew - LB201 Pale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
28 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Very busy and with a lot of regulars in for last hour of serving.
Southwark - Bankside Blonde | 3.80 |  | Good head and lacing. Very dry, hoppy mouthfeel and oozing with citrus flavouring but not moreish in the least. |
Mighty Oak - Golden Fez | 4.10 |  | Drew the short straw here! It must have been the last one or two out. Totally flat and minus flavouring and after such a joyous visit to Albans and including its annual beer festival on Saturday. |
Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Vocation - Naughty & Nice | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
New Bristol - My Citra Romance | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Sundown | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Lunebrew - LB201 Pale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
27 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Very quiet footfall for a Friday evening for last 30 minutes of serving but some of the usual regulars in.
Mighty Oak - Golden Fez | 4.10 |  | Fresh on today and a great head and lacing. Lightly hoppy and a subtle lingering fruitiness. |
Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 |  | Also fresh on today and a good head and lacing with a long-lasting bitter mouthfeel. |
Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Scarlet Macaw | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Vocation - Naughty & Nice | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Sundown | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
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