The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
27 Nov 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Mighty Oak - Wonkey Donkey | 4.30 |  | Really failed to offer the flavours in the tasting notes |
| New Bristol - My Nelson Romance | 4.50 |  | Condition good, flavour profile bland |
| Oakham - Sunset | 5.30 |  | A tasty full bodied brew |
| Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Cool Eyes | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| 360° - Double Decker | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
26 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy with some of the regulars in and fiddlers out the back for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Oakham - Sunset | 5.30 |  | Very good head and lacing like the Oakham "Cool Eyes". First hit of slight sweetness with a dry, oily aftertaste that is a bit like many of the recent green hop beers I have sampled. |
| Oakham - Cool Eyes | 3.40 |  | Very good head and lacing. First hit of dryness with a mildly fruity mouthfeel. It had a dry, moreish aftertaste. |
| 360° - Double Decker | 4.90 |  | Good creamy head and lacing in this milk stout. A sweet, minty mouthfeel like an After Eight Chocolate and so with a lingeringly sweet aftertaste. One half sufficed. |
| Kent - The Quiet American | 4.20 |  | Almost last out of the barrel and so only with a slight head and lacing. Minus the conditioning that would come with above. Not much flavour and basically very flat. |
| Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
26 Nov 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Oakham - Sunset | 5.30 |  | A strong full bodied citrus pale |
| Oakham - Cool Eyes | 3.40 |  | Good but thin gruel |
| 360° - Double Decker | 4.90 |  | Vanilla dominated - fresh on today |
| Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - The Quiet American | 4.20 | Not Tried | Ageing |
24 Nov 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 |  | Menu sheet and pumpclip keep showing Cask Aged version but no evidence that is this not the non-cask-aged version. Slightly tiring but still a good hit |
| Vibrant Forest - Black Forest | 4.90 |  | One was quite enough |
| Kent - The Quiet American | 4.20 |  | Pretty bland pale |
| New Bristol - The Joy of Sesh IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Cosmic Jive | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Bearskin | 4.00 | Not Tried | Ran out |
24 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Very low footfall for last 30 minutes of serving and not helped by Storm Bert. Just a few hardened regulars in.
| Kent - The Quiet American | 4.20 |  | 2nd night on as put in a very belated first appearance on Saturday evening. Superb head and lacing. A very sharp, hoppy first hit with a dry, moreish mouthfeel which meant another followed. |
| Vibrant Forest - Black Forest | 4.90 |  | Had tried a half the night before for the first time. Was good and so repeated the pattern and not disappointed with the head and lacing but some 20 minutes after ordering, a gentle decant woke up its bubbles. A moreishly chocolatey and hint of expresso mouthfeel with a pleasantly dry aftertaste. |
| Mighty Oak - Bearskin | 4.00 |  | I was warned this was probably the last one out. So I was surprised it came up with still a good head and lacing. Like all good beers which have reached the barrel's end, not to be queued up for but minus any queue thanks to Storm Bert's tail-end this evening. Bless it, its head and lacing held on until half way down the pint. Still the very old-fashioned bitter mouthfeel and nothing else but minus the good conditioning afforded over the previous two nights when fresh on. |
| New Bristol - The Joy of Sesh IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA Cask Aged | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Cosmic Jive | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
23 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for a Saturday for my mid-evening visit until close. Storm Bert had clearly put some of the usual punters off as only the brave few here.
| Mighty Oak - Bearskin | 4.00 |  | 2nd night on and still holding a very good head and lacing. A good old-fashioned bitter with a moreishly bitter mouthfeel and a lingering dryness. Of only the few in, the majority were supping this, too! |
| Vibrant Forest - Black Forest | 4.90 |  | Very good head and lacing on this porter. A very bitter first hit with a dark chocolatey, coffee-flavoured and slightly fruity mouthfeel and with a bittersweet aftertaste. |
| Kent - The Quiet American | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA Cask Aged | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Cosmic Jive | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
22 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving and for some of the Friday regulars and others in.
| Mighty Oak - Bearskin | 4.00 |  | Very good head and lacing and fresh on today. A moreishly dry, bitter mouthfeel with no sweetness from fruits or caramel involved. |
| Vibrant Forest - Black Forest | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Nene Valley - Release the Chimps | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Citrus Pale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA Cask Aged | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Cosmic Jive | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
21 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall with many a regular in for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Nene Valley - Release the Chimps | 4.40 |  | First night on and superb head and lacing. Very hoppy mouthfeel with a dry, oily aftertaste. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 7 | 3.80 |  | Very good head and lacing. Lightly hoppy, slightly sharp and with a lingering bitterness. |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Citrus Pale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Cosmic Jive | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
21 Nov 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Nene Valley - Release the Chimps | 4.40 |  | My first Nene Valley for yonks. Impressively bitter for a pale |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 7 | 3.80 |  | Not as clean tasting as I expect from a No. 7 |
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Citrus Pale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Cosmic Jive | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Bearskin | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
19 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with just a few regulars in and some fiddlers out the back.
| Pig & Porter - Skylarking | 4.00 |  | Only the second day on I am told. Not a good head and lacking any lacing. A sour first hit with tropical fruit flavours. |
| Pig & Porter - Apparition Stout | 4.40 |  | Good head and lacing still from first sampling Sunday. Malty flavours with a dry, moreish mouthfeel. |
| Elusive - Marin | 5.60 |  | Good head and lacing and holding well from first trying this on Sunday. A Citra-hit on first mouthful again and a lingeringly dry aftertaste. |
| Five Points - Citrus Pale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Gorgeous George | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Cosmic Jive | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
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