The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
06 Apr 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 |  | Kept head and lacing pretty much |
Five Points - Brick Field Brown | 5.40 |  | Soon went flat in the glass |
Iron Pier - Truckin' to Ypres | 5.80 |  | Belgian yeast character. OK but a half was more than enough |
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Hopfest | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | Others' pints looked flat |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
05 Apr 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last 45 minutes of serving with many a Saturday regular in and the more occasional punter in, too.
Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 |  | Fresh on and came with some head and lacing but this did not hang about for long. A first hit of malty caramel. A dry bitter mouthfeel then presented itself alongside its honey-infused hops. A maltiness then got in on the act in its dry aftertaste. |
Five Points - Brick Field Brown | 5.40 |  | Only its second night on for this Hackney-based brown ale but came with minimal head and lacing. A sweet malty first hit aided by demerara sugar flavourings. A bitter and malty mouthfeel came to the fore and lingered in its aftertaste. |
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Hopfest | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Truckin' to Ypres | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Handheld (collaboration with Hand Brew) | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
04 Apr 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many a Friday regular on parade.
Five Points - Brick Field Brown | 5.40 |  | Fresh on and so head and lacing on this Hackney-based brown ale but not holding it for long. A very malty first hit. Minimal sweetness in the mouthfeel and so the dry maltiness won over. There was though the merest hint of demerara in its aftertaste. |
Verdant - Lamanva Best Bitter | 4.00 |  | Fresh on and came with good head and lacing on this bitter from Penryn in Cornwall. A very dry first hit. A bitterish mouthfeel followed and though a mention of toffee and a biscuity finish, it held a dry and not sweet aftertaste. |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Zig Zag | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Handheld (collaboration with Hand Brew) | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Crosswinds | 7.00 | Not Tried | |
03 Apr 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Mix of regulars and the more occasional visitor for last 30 minutes of serving.
Elusive - Handheld (collaboration with Hand Brew) | 5.60 |  | Good head and lacing on this Elusive pale from Wokingham and a collaboration with Worthing-based Hand Brew. A very hoppy first hit. A dryish mouthfeel with an explosion of hops on the palate. A lightly sweet maltiness coming to the fore but a hoppy dryness winning over in the aftertaste. |
Vibrant Forest - Crosswinds | 7.00 |  | Good head and lacing on this New Forest porter. A very dry first hit. Then a maltiness coming to get you with 7 malts involved according to the tasting notes. A very moreish mouthfeel and would not guess its strength in the least and with a long-lasting malty dry aftertaste. |
Vibrant Forest - Canopy | 4.00 |  | Third night on for this New Forest-based bitter and still holding its head and lacing. Taste-wise, still a bitter first hit. Greatly more drinkable than when fresh on a few evenings ago. A dryish malty mouthfeel and lingering. |
Loddon - Citra Quad | 4.40 | Not Tried | Went off when another customer in front of me requested it. |
Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Demockracy | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Outhouse (cuckoo at Jolly Boys') - Safari Juice | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
03 Apr 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Vibrant Forest - Crosswinds | 7.00 |  | Inevitably holding up well as a 7%er |
Loddon - Citra Quad | 4.40 |  | Poorly presented with haze and and underwhelming hop taste. Soon ran out |
Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Demockracy | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Handheld (collaboration with Hand Brew) | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Canopy | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Outhouse (cuckoo at Jolly Boys') - Safari Juice | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
02 Apr 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close with a boisterous birthday party in one corner of the front room.
Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Demockracy | 3.80 |  | Just another citrus job with no USP |
Vibrant Forest - Crosswinds | 7.00 |  | Baltic Porter which held good head and lacing throughout |
Loddon - Citra Quad | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Handheld (collaboration with Hand Brew) | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Canopy | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Outhouse (cuckoo at Jolly Boys') - Safari Juice | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
01 Apr 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last 30 minutes of serving with a mix of regulars and others in, including the fiddlers playing out the back.
Mighty Oak - Kings (was 3.9% before 2013) | 4.20 |  | It was up on the blackboard as a golden and also recommended by a fellow regular. This Maldon ale from Essex was according to the tasting notes a Citra pale. Came with superb head and lacing on its second night on. A very hoppy first hit. Only a mild fruitiness in the mouthfeel despite a mention of passion fruit, nectarine and orange peel. Its dry hoppiness won the contest for me thankfully and lingered in its aftertaste. It was very moreish! |
Vibrant Forest - Canopy | 4.00 |  | This New Forest traditional bitter is perhaps a touch too fresh to my taste as just on this evening, but with very good head and lacing. A powerfully bitter first hit. A very fruity mouthfeel and a biscuity sweetness from its Maris Otter malts. Left with a sort of chewy aftertaste which was not very welcome! It certainly looked the part if not quite tasting it! One sufficed for me. |
Five Points - Railway Porter | 4.80 | Not Tried | Just ran out on requesting it. |
Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Demockracy | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Handheld (collaboration with Hand Brew) | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
Outhouse (cuckoo at Jolly Boys') - Safari Juice | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
30 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A very busy turnout of regulars and the not so regular for the last 30 minutes of serving.
Five Points - Railway Porter | 4.80 |  | Only its second night on and so presented with a good head and lacing. A malty chocolatey first hit. Roasted coffee flavours among a dark chocolatey bitterness coming to the fore. A very malty mouthfeel lingering with seven different malts deployed in the making of this Hackney-based porter. |
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 |  | Third night on for the new barrel of this Italian bitter and a collaboration with Berkshire-based Siren Craft. Still holding its head and lacing well. A lightly bitter first hit. A full bitterness coming to the fore with a slight sharpness hitting the aftertaste. |
Vibrant Forest - Paper Room | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Lost Pier - Snitches Get Stitches | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Suspended in Superdelic | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Outhouse (cuckoo at Jolly Boys') - Safari Juice | 4.50 | Not Tried | A new brewery on me and from Salford but was not brave enough to try having read about its mango, blueberry, tropical and citrus notes. It looked quite a murky concoction! |
30 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Front room was a packed house.
Five Points - Railway Porter | 4.80 |  | An always reliable choice |
Lost Pier - Snitches Get Stitches | 4.30 |  | Basic pale with no USP |
Vibrant Forest - Paper Room | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Suspended in Superdelic | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Outhouse (cuckoo at Jolly Boys') - Safari Juice | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
28 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last 30 minutes of serving with many of the Friday regulars in and among the more occasional.
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 |  | A new barrel freshly on today of this Italian bitter and a collaboration with Berkshire-based Siren Craft Brew meant good head and lacing. A hoppy first hit. A bitter and fruity hoppiness was presented from the German hops which were used for this Italian brew. A hoppy dryness persisted. |
Oakham - Invicta (collaboration with Ramsgate Gadds') | 4.30 |  | Good head and lacing still on this pale's second night on and for this Peterborough-based and Ramsgate Brewery collaboration. A citrusy first hit followed by a fruity mouthfeel. A hoppy dryness from the East Kent Goldings' hops in the aftertaste and very moreish. |
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Fenton | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
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