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The River Ale House (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Kent - Future Hop |  | 4 |
| Kent - Session Pale |  | 1 |
| Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | | 3 |
| Goacher's - Silver Star | | 2 |
| Kent - Kent Golding Bitter or KGB | | 2 |
| Oakham - Invicta (collaboration with Ramsgate Gadds') | | 1 |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | | 2 |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | | 1 |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | | 1 |
| Oakham - Cat on a Hop Tin Roof (collaboration with Fat Cat) | | 3 |
| Crouch Vale - Amarillo | | 1 |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Nudge To Win |  | 1 |
| Redemption - Big Chief | | 1 |
| Oakham - Inferno | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
24 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 45 minutes of serving but for some of the usual Saturday regulars in. Never witnessed so few real ales on before. This had to do with trying to get rid of the ones nearly at the end of their barrels before Sunday's busy day with Charlton FC's final at Wembley and the odd Charlton fan or two expected to be then in sampling a good few beers after the game whether Charlton win or lose.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Kent Golding Bitter or KGB | 4.10 | | Good head and lacing on this Birling-based bitter from north of West Malling in Kent but this did not last and neither did the beer. I recall getting the last one out of the barrel but it was still drinkable. A dry bitter first hit. A fruit-infused bitterness rose up. A touch of sourness presented itself in the aftertaste and was not its good self being the last out of the barrel! |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Nudge To Win | 4.50 | | Good head and lacing on this Camberley in Surrey New England pale but this did not last. A first hit of a pineapple, and indeed confirmed in the tasting notes that it was running alive, or even not so alive, with a rush of tropical fruits. Not my usual cup of tea was this beer but no bitter was going to be put on to replace the Kent Golding Bitter just gone. A dry fruitiness was then interwoven with bitterness rising up in the mouthfeel and left a citrusy and stone-fruit sweetness on the palate. One sufficed! |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | Not Tried |
23 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall with just a handful or two of hardened regulars on parade for the last 30 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Kent Golding Bitter or KGB | 4.10 | | Fresh on this evening and very good head and lacing presented on this Birling-based bitter from north of West Malling in Kent. A moreishly dry hoppy first hit. A pleasant bitterness rising up and shining in the mouthfeel. A lively hoppiness almost exploding on the palate with a full helping of Goldings and Fuggles hops tap dancing throughout their sensory show on the taste buds. A dry hoppy fruitiness then presented itself in the aftertaste. Very moreish and also aided by those Kent malt flavours and so stuck to it! |
| Oakham - Inferno | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Nudge To Win | 4.50 | Not Tried |
22 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. After two rather boring sour hopped ales I moved on to some flavoured ciders.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Cat on a Hop Tin Roof (collaboration with Fat Cat) | 4.10 | | Drank without really noticing |
| Kent - Future Hop | 4.30 | | Sour hopping |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | Not Tried |
22 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall with just a table or two of hardened regulars in and the odd occasional visitor for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Future Hop | 4.30 | | My second sampling since Tuesday of this pale from Birling in Kent. Presented with very good head and lacing and lasting. Not surprisingly with it so-named, a hoppy first hit! Less of its explosive hoppy properties as sampled on its premier night on Tuesday. A very pleasant dry and oily hoppiness rising up in the mouthfeel and lingering. Very moreish and so another two followed the first. |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | | Second night on and full of head and lacing and lasting on this pale from Birling in Kent, north of West Malling. A gentle hoppy and citrusy first hit. The hoppy flavouring then hits the mouthfeel with the odd hint of elderflower pervading. A hoppy fruitiness lasting in the aftertaste. |
| Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | | Good head and lacing and lasting on this Italian bitter brewed at the Finchampstead-based brewery in Wokingham and now on its fourth night on. A fruity bitterness greeted me again on the first hit from it. A sourness not detected on Tuesday entered the equation and caused it to be somewhat medicinal which is a shame as not there on Tuesday. A bitterness tinged with sourness lingered. |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Cat on a Hop Tin Roof (collaboration with Fat Cat) | 4.10 | Not Tried |
21 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Cat on a Hop Tin Roof (collaboration with Fat Cat) | 4.10 | | Once again no idea what Fat Cat added as seemed basic Oakham taste through and through |
| Kent - Future Hop | 4.30 | | Uses pre-production experimental Kent hops |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | Not Tried |
20 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with some of the Tuesday regulars in and others less frequent. The fiddlers seem to have a choir now singing along to their instruments out the back and so a few decibels louder they have become!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Future Hop | 4.30 | | Fresh on and my first ever sampling of this Birling-based brewery in Kent's pale called Future Hop. Why so named? Because they are experimenting with new hops from Kent before going into a larger production with them. Good head and lacing was a positive start and lasted throughout. A very dry hoppy first hit with a touch of hoppy oiliness shining through. It was a hoppy explosion on the palate and almost like fireworks going off with a good kick coming from them and lasting well into the aftertaste. Certainly moreish and different to those usual hops I have grown to like and so tried another pint as well and was not disappointed! |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | | Not a lot of head and lacing came on this dark brown porter from Tottenham but being its fifth night on helps to explain that. A decant or two restored some head and lacing in waking it up. A dry malty first hit. A coffee-infused and chocolatey maltiness came to the fore in the mouthfeel with the odd hint of sweetness from its dark berry flavourings and lasting into the dry aftertaste. |
| Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | | Second night on and still good head and lacing on this Italian bitter brewed at the Finchampstead-based brewery in Wokingham, using a traditional bitter recipe but with German hops. A first hit of fruity bitterness. This continued into the mouthfeel which remained entertained with yet more hops not so familiar with and just after sampling the Kent pale with its experimental hops abounding. A hoppiness most certainly lingered on. |
| Oakham - Cat on a Hop Tin Roof (collaboration with Fat Cat) | 4.10 | | Fresh on and came with very good head and lacing and lasting on this Peterborough amber pale and brewed collaboratively with Fat Cat Brewery in Norwich. A touch too fruity for my liking with a sharp citrusy first hit. A fruitiness exploded on the palate with two German hops involved and mixed with Maris Otter malt plus another three malts on top. Spicy pine, black pepper, mandarin and lemon citrus are the flavourings according to the tasting notes and mixed together were quite prominent on my palate and not in the least subtle. Sampling one pint of this sufficed for me. |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | Not Tried |
19 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | | Interesting backtaste |
| Oakham - Invicta (collaboration with Ramsgate Gadds') | 4.30 | | I could not identify any Gadds' influence. Seemed like a standard same old Oakham brew taste |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | | Lumbered with a pint of rather cloying slightly hazy ale |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried |
18 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 | | Good zesty brew |
| Crouch Vale - Amarillo | 5.00 | | Pricey but good |
| Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 | | Good condition but lacking any distinctive taste |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Invicta (collaboration with Ramsgate Gadds') | 4.30 | Not Tried |
18 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with just the hardened Sunday regulars in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 | | Fresh on today and very good head and lacing on this Maidstone-based pale. A fruit-infused and hoppy first hit from those Kent Fuggles. A hoppy bitterness then pervading with a mildly fruity mouthfeel kicking in and a moreish dryness lingering. |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | | Third night on for this Tottenham-based porter that is more brown than black in appearance and with good head and lacing evident to begin with. It needed a few decants some 15 minutes after serving to re-awaken its appearance. A very satisfyingly malty and smokey first hit on my first night of sampling it. A malty explosion on the palate with a hint of expresso coffee and dark chocolate and the odd but not overly sweet berry flavouring coming at you! There was a pleasantly malty dryness lingering. |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Crouch Vale - Amarillo | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Invicta (collaboration with Ramsgate Gadds') | 4.30 | Not Tried |
17 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall still after the contrast of Thursday night's turn-out of some 80 odd fans from Charlton FC. Just the usual Saturday regulars on parade and for the last 40 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | | Came with good head and lacing to start with and on its second night on for this Maidstone bitter, and a cross between Goacher's Fine Light and Best Dark. A bitter and fruit-infused first hit. A bitterness pervading the mouthfeel and a dry maltiness getting in on the act and lingering. |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Crouch Vale - Amarillo | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | Just went off shortly after getting in. |
| Oakham - Invicta (collaboration with Ramsgate Gadds') | 4.30 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 15 |
| 766 |
| 2118 |
| 682 |
 | 59 |
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.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ