PubsandBeer

History: Home > The River Ale House

The River Ale House (Free House)

[Back to most recent] [Previous Visits] [More Visits]

Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Mighty Oak - KatzenjammerGood1
Kent - LoralGood1
Goacher's - Gold StarGood2
Kent - PaleGood1
Oakham - JHBGood1
Moor - StoutGood1
Oakham - White DwarfGood3
Mighty Oak - ExplorerGood1
Kent - CobnutGood6
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude PorterAcceptable1
Two by Two - The Dandy LionNot Tried0
Three Acre - Session PaleNot Tried0
Pig & Porter - Whispering GrassNot Tried0
Redemption - Urban DuskNot Tried0
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Pardoner's AleNot Tried0
Two Flints - DaydreamNot Tried0
Oakham - CitraNot Tried0
Mighty Oak - Jake the SnakeNot Tried0
Picture 1. The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London
Picture 2. The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London
Picture 3. The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London
Stephen Harris

Visits Details

01 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Pale4.00GoodLess crisp than I have known it
Moor - Stout5.00GoodFull bodied
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not TriedRan out
Redemption - Urban Dusk4.60Not TriedMuch criticised by another
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Pardoner's Ale3.80Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass5.50Not Tried
Two Flints - Daydream4.50Not TriedRan out
30 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall with just a few regulars in including a few of the Friday regulars and the less occasional out the back for the last 30 minutes of serving.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Cobnut4.10GoodSecond night on for the second barrel of this ruby ale from Birling in Kent, and north of West Malling, and still maintaining very good head and lacing and keeping to the end. Have not tried much else since its first barrel's appearance last Sunday and so know the script pretty well by now! A malty first hit. A bitter maltiness reigning on the taste buds. A moreishly bitter dryness coupled with a sweetness from those molasses it was made with lingering on. Unusual for two barrels of the same to follow consecutively but certainly a fan of this dark malty bitter!
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10Not Tried
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Whispering Grass5.50Not Tried
Three Acre - Session Pale3.70Not TriedIt was off when I got here as confirmed by a fellow regular who was really enjoying it. It then appeared after closing for serving and having been taken off due to the barman admitting it was shaken up due to it being accidentally nudged by him and so reawakening its sediment. The regular's comment was: "You stupid boy, Pike!" The barman was too young to make the connection with Dad's Army!
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
29 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with just a couple of handfuls of regulars in.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Cobnut4.10ExcellentNew barrel of this ruby ale from Birling in Kent, north of West Malling, on this evening and so very good head and lacing presented and lasting well without a single decant needed. It has just replaced its twin barrel that was put on Sunday for Charlton FC's victory at Wembley. A superbly malty first hit. A bitterness rising up alongside a subtle sweetness from its molasses flavouring. A bitter and malty-infused dryness lingering.
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10GoodSecond night on for this Maidstone pale ale and holding its head and lacing well some half an hour after being served. A dry hoppy first hit from its East Kent hops. A malty hoppiness pervading the mouthfeel aided by its Maris Otter malts and lingering.
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Three Acre - Session Pale3.70Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
29 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30GoodThe ubiquitous standard Oakham flavour
Kent - Cobnut4.10GoodApparently a second cask of Cobnut sold consecutively
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10Not Tried
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Three Acre - Session Pale3.70Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
28 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10GoodNever my favourite Goacher's ale. Drank with hardly noticing
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30GoodThe changed recipe took something away from this ale
Oakham - JHB3.80Not Tried
Kent - Cobnut4.10Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer4.50Not Tried
27 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer4.50GoodGood but did not excite me
Oakham - JHB3.80Not Tried
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Kent - Cobnut4.10Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried
27 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Thankfully nothing like as busy as Sunday night when Charlton FC went up a league that day in the final against Leyton Orient at Wembley. Just a handful or two of hardened regulars in and minus the usual fiddlers out the back for the last 30 minutes of serving.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Cobnut4.10GoodNot as good as when first sampled on Sunday when fresh on but still coming up with plentiful head and lacing in first being poured and almost holding on until the end was this Birling-produced ruby ale from north of West Malling in Kent. Still the same moreishly smokey and malty-infused first hit on its third day on. A pleasant bitterness rising up among the malts and a dry bitter hoppiness lingering. Although the tasting notes suggest sweet in smell, I prefer to taste my beers and did not detect the no doubt sweet molasses at all also in the taste by all accounts!
Oakham - JHB3.80Not TriedWins the award this evening for being variously described as here: on badge: a bitter; on blackboard alongside badge: a session pale; on governor's tasting notes: a golden.
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Katzenjammer4.50Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried
26 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Just a small dogends of a bank holiday weekend group of regulars imbibing.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Oakham - JHB3.80GoodA once trendsetting ale now seems so ordinary
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30GoodDrank with hardly noticing
Mighty Oak - Explorer3.80GoodThis is making an attempt to have a USP taste
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Kent - Cobnut4.10Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried
25 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Not as busy as the Thursday evening a couple of weeks ago when Charlton FC played at home that evening in the 3rd division semi-finals and when many a Charlton supporter joined this little micropub from about 10.30pm and they queued for a good half an hour. This time around Charlton played in the afternoon and so no queue formed shortly after my arrival at about half ten in the evening. Busy though it was this Sunday and for my 90 odd minutes of being served before leaving long before the 1am closing time. The extended opening hours reflected Charlton's victory at Wembley in going up a league that day in the final against Leyton Orient.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Cobnut4.10ExcellentFresh on from being racked up ready to go the night before. This Birling-based, north of West Malling, Kent, ruby ale's blackboard was displayed just after Saturday's normal closing time of 11pm. It presented superb head and lacing and hung onto this throughout. A dry bitter/malty first hit. A moreish bitterness soon rose up in the mouthfeel and a subtle maltiness lingered on, on the palate. Although said to be sweet in the tasting notes, I did not really detect the sweetness from the molasses, derived from the refining of sugarcane/sugar beet juice into sugar. I did though detect the odd nutty flavour jumping up and down!
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not TriedCame on shortly after 23.15 to replace the Oakham Citra which had just gone and to reflect the extended opening hours until 1am.
Oakham - Citra4.20Not TriedLasted until about 23.15 and was replaced by Oakham White Dwarf to reflect the extended opening hours until 1am.
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Kent - Loral4.50Not Tried
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Explorer3.80Not Tried
25 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit but did not avail myself of the full extension until 1am. Full of red shirt wearing Charlton Athletic (v Leyton Orient) fans fresh from the afternoon's Wembley League One play-offs final win.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Cobnut4.10GoodGood but had better
Kent - Loral4.50GoodZesty single hopper
Pig & Porter - Funky Claude Porter5.00AcceptableLacked much natural carbonation and with a metallic backtaste
Oakham - White Dwarf4.30Not TriedCame on late
Oakham - Citra4.20Not TriedRan out
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
Two by Two - The Dandy Lion5.30Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Explorer3.80Not Tried

[Back to most recent] [Previous Visits] [More Visits]

About The River Ale House

The pub sign. The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional15
Excellent766
Good2118
Acceptable682
Poor59

Website.

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 1682 times, seen 1993 different beers and tried 1174 of them.

Map location

Postcode: SE10 0RJ