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The River Ale House (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge - Rustic |  | 2 |
| Kent - Session Pale | | 1 |
| Nuttycombe - Cotleigh Kiwi | | 2 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Seasider |  | 1 |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | | 1 |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | | 5 |
| Pig & Porter - Caravan (was 3.6%) | | 1 |
| Goacher's - Silver Star | | 1 |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | | 1 |
| Redemption - Urban Dusk |  | 2 |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | Not Tried | 0 |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Invicta (collaboration with Ramsgate Gadds') | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | Not Tried | 0 |
| Milestone - New World Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Redemption - Kazbek | Not Tried | 0 |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Chaos More Chaos | Not Tried | 0 |
| Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Victory Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | Not Tried | 0 |
| Elusive - Escape | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Time and Tide - Smesh | Not Tried | 0 |
| Two Flints - Daydream | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA Cask Aged | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
16 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Not quite the same rush to get here for the last half an hour of serving as last night when afforded an extension until 1am and a regular estimated about 80 piled in between 10.30pm and 11pm after the Chariton FC semi-final played at Charlton's home-ground and against Wycombe Wanderers FC from High Wycombe, and south-west of Watford. Just a few hardened regulars in tonight for last 30 minutes of being served.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | | Second day on but only belatedly the night before was this Kentish pale put on and from Birling, north of West Malling. Presented with very good head and lacing and holding. A dry hoppy first hit. An oily hoppiness coming to the fore with the odd subtle hint of citrus and elderflower and followed by a moreish dryness lingering. |
| Goacher's - Special House Ale | 3.80 | | Fresh on this evening and just replaced the Pig and Porter "Caravan" bitter that went off after sampling a flat, murky one nearly at the end. Good head and lacing from this Maidstone bitter and a very bitter first hit. A malty bitterness then rose up and a hoppiness lingered on. |
| Oakham - White Dwarf | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Invicta (collaboration with Ramsgate Gadds') | 4.30 | Not Tried |
15 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Tonight marked the rush to get here and before a regular estimated about 80 piled in between 10.30pm and 11pm after the Chariton FC semi-final played at Charlton's home-ground. They beat Wycombe Wanderers FC from High Wycombe, and south-west of Watford, 1-0. My victory was that I made it to buy two bitters before 10.30pm when the orderly queue to get in began and where this took half an hour to clear for those thirsty Charlton FC home-fans who poured in for a few pints at least to be poured for them on their victory night and where they have now collectively reached the final at Wembley against Leyton Orient over a coming Sunday. Closing time was around 1am this evening but I did not stay much beyond midnight and so left a few Charlton FC revellers to party on without me!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pig & Porter - Caravan (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | | This bitter was still advertised on the blackboard as 3.6% but just a mere 3.4% by all accounts now, but at least its lesser gravity was reflected in the price with the CAMRA 30p discount rendering it £4.30. It came with good head and lacing as fresh on today and lasted well and for some 45 minutes on those two pints I bought before the 80 odd Charlton FC fans got in. A malty bitterness on the first hit on this Tunbridge Wells' bitter. Its maltiness prevailed in the bitter mouthfeel it presented with, aided by five different malts including Maris Otter, one of my favourites recently in a certain other bitter, and this helped to score all the right goals on my taste buds. Just a good old-fashioned bitter for me! Dark in appearance and not overly flavoured although presenting some caramel, toffee and fruit-infused flavourings. A pleasantly dry hoppy bitterness arising from those East Kent Goldings and First Gold hops lingered on and so won the contest for me. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Seasider | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | Came on at about 23.30 to replace Time and Tide's Smesh pale which left us at about 23.15. |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA Cask Aged | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Time and Tide - Smesh | 3.40 | Not Tried | Knocked out of the contest by about 23.15 and with an extension until 1am by all accounts for this Charlton FC victory night. |
15 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit with this pub just filling with football fans from the just ended Charlton league play-offs home semi-final match. I did not avail myself of all of the two hour opening extension.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Seasider | 4.30 | | Delivered with a good head, soon disappeared, the head that is |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 | | Premium priced but in top form |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | Came on late into the session |
| Pig & Porter - Caravan (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Time and Tide - Smesh | 3.40 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Two Flints - Daydream | 4.50 | Not Tried |
14 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 |  | Turned out to be very last out of cask and a sharp bitterness. I turned to cider after this one for rest of evening |
| Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Chaos More Chaos | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Escape | 4.80 | Not Tried |
13 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Much noisier from the fiddlers in the back room than usual.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | No change since Sunday |
| Nuttycombe - Cotleigh Kiwi | 3.90 | | Selling well here tonight - new cask on today |
| Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Milestone - New World Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Kazbek | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Chaos More Chaos | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried |
13 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busier footfall than expected and for last 30 minutes of serving but was able to join a table of the less regular, regulars! My favourite beer after getting a sample of it did not even appear on this evening's tasting notes!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuttycombe - Cotleigh Kiwi | 3.90 | | Fresh on as not even on the tasting notes under the section headed "Coming Next" was this session pale ale. Very good head and lacing and holding its own to the end. A hoppy-infused bitter first hit and brewed with New Zealand hops by Nuttycombe Brewery in Wilveliscombe, Somerset, and which sadly closed on 30th April 2025 due to an ongoing slow-down on demand arising from the cost-of-living crisis. A gentle hoppiness pervading the mouthfeel and the odd sweet honey note erupting. A lingering hoppy dryness persisting in the aftertaste. This sampling was perhaps the last unless another cask or two in stock. Very moreish and a few enjoyed! |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | Sill holding its head and lacing was this plum porter from Burslem, on the northerly outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent, and on its third night on. Very much the hint of plums on its first hit! A hoppy bitterness prevailed in the mouthfeel with the odd Goldings hop involved and lingered. Not in the least overly sweet but bitter and dry instead to my taste buds. |
| Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Milestone - New World Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Kazbek | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Chaos More Chaos | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried | Now its 11th night on! |
11 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Just very low footfall of Sunday night regulars inhabiting.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | Good condition but the usual level of fruitiness was missing |
| Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | | Not impressed, have had much better examples of this before |
| Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Milestone - New World Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Kazbek | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Chaos More Chaos | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried |
11 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Sunday evening for last 35 minutes of serving and just four hardened regulars in and before myself and one other just behind me. Never noted it as quiet as this in a good 7.8+ years of its running. First beer sampled with CAMRA discount just £4.30 and the cheapest pint in ages or even this year. So cannot be prices totally putting punters off with a choice of seven real ales on as well. The Southwark Honey'd Brown though now on for its 9th night but certainly not reflecting any others on for that incredible length of time!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | Good head and lacing and also fresh on like the Redemption bitter. This plum porter from Burslem, on the northerly outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent, came with a positive plum explosion on the first hit! More "natural" plums exploded everywhere in the mouthfeel following on and with a hoppy bitterness, derived from the odd Goldings hop, then prevailing in its final acts on the taste buds. |
| Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | | Fresh on for this Tottenham in North London bitter and with good head and lacing. BUT tasted vinegary from the outset as if at the end of its barrel. A very malty first hit slightly disguised its apparent wish to be sprinkled on fish and chips! It had a sour and medicinal kick to it from the off with a gentle bitterness rising up in the mouthfeel and which persisted alongside the vinegary flavouring in the aftertaste. Such a shame for a new bitter on! Whatever went wrong?! Sadly also, only ever one bitter on at any one time and so others are one to two dark ales and about four pales prevailing. |
| Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Milestone - New World Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Kazbek | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Chaos More Chaos | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried | Tried it the Saturday before the most recent and was too sweet then for my taste buds. Now on its 9th night on and would be not so brave to try it after this length of time! Must be an all-time record for being among the ones the longest on? Some have achieved eight nights on recently but not nine! |
10 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 45 minutes of serving with many a Saturday regular in alongside the more occasional.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 | | Second night on for this Maidstone pale and still presenting good head and lacing and sticking throughout. A hoppy mouthfeel from those Kent Fuggles' hops alongside the odd hint of fruit thrown in. A dry hoppiness persisting. |
| Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 | | Just got this East Peckham bitter, north-east of Tonbridge, on my arrival before it ran out. Only its second night on and no Charlton FC home-game fans to blame for this. It came with good head and lacing. A malty bitter first hit. A hoppy bitterness then rose up, aided by the Kent variety that is little seen called Epic, and persisted in the aftertaste. Very moreish! |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Milestone - New World Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Kazbek | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Chaos More Chaos | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried |
09 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 40 minutes of serving but with the Friday regulars, mixed in with the more occasional, on parade.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 | | Fresh on and positively shining was this Kentish bitter from East Peckham, north-east of Tonbridge. A first hit of maltiness. A hoppy bitterness rising up in the mouthfeel, and from the little-grown Kent hop variety called Epic, alongside the odd hint of spice. A pleasantly moreishly hoppy bitterness lingering. This for me is one of the perfect bitters you could have the pleasure of sampling! |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Chaos More Chaos | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Victory Ale | 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