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The River Ale House (Free House)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Goacher's - Special House AleExcellent2
Five Points - PaleGood2
Elusive - Yakima TrailGood1
Siren Craft - MementoGood1
Stardust - English BitterGood1
Goacher's - Gold StarGood1
Oakham - CohortGood2
Kent - Twelfth NightGood5
360° - Harvest MoonGood2
Lost Pier - Resting Beach FaceAcceptable1
Bexley - RedhouseAcceptable1
Iron Pier - BitterAcceptable2
Siren Craft - LuminaNot Tried0
Northern Monk - SupNot Tried0
Verdant - BurnthouseNot Tried0
Kent - DrenchedNot Tried0
Bexley - Mocha StoutNot Tried0
Park - Winter XPANot Tried0
Lost Pier - Killer Man PoirotNot Tried0
Oakham - CitraNot Tried0
Lost Pier - YewNot Tried0
Iron Pier - Wealdway IPANot Tried0
Brew York - KerasNot Tried0
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - JaipurNot 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

22 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last 45 minutes of serving and after a somewhat delayed and re-routed trip back from Faversham and so ready to quench my newly found thirst.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Siren Craft - Memento3.80GoodFresh on and very good head and lacing and literally foaming was this Berkshire-based bitter from south-west of Wokingham. A thirst-quenching bitterness in the first hit. A moreishly bitter mouthfeel with a maltiness coming to the fore with biscuit and caramel flavourings. A slightly citrusy aftertaste with a long-lasting dry hoppiness. This one had replaced the Bexley ruby bitter which had just gone off before I got in and so well timed.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur5.90Not Tried
Siren Craft - Lumina4.20Not Tried
Northern Monk - Sup3.40Not Tried
Verdant - Burnthouse4.60Not Tried
20 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many a regular in and the more occasional visitor as well.
BeerABVScoreNotes
360° - Harvest Moon5.00GoodFresh on this evening and very good head and lacing and lasting on this East Sussex green hop amber ale from east of Haywards Heath. A dry first hit. A fruity and bitter mouthfeel with a malty dryness living on. A late green hopped beer from the end of last summer with malt varieties added to it and then allowed to ferment for longer than your usual green hop pale.
Bexley - Redhouse4.20AcceptableServed with good head and lacing but not holding it for long on this Erith-based ruby bitter. I was told it was only its second night on having put in a late appearance on Wednesday. A malty first hit and a bitterness came to the fore in the mouthfeel. Could taste a touch of sweetness from its biscuit and caramel flavourings but its bitterness lingered. It had a slight kick to it. A further pint required much decanting to bring it back to life.
Kent - Twelfth Night7.40Not Tried
Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA4.50Not Tried
Brew York - Keras3.50Not Tried
Lost Pier - Resting Beach Face3.80Not Tried
20 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
360° - Harvest Moon5.00GoodA 2025 green hop ale before the hops have even started growing!
Kent - Twelfth Night7.40AcceptableJust a half knowing how long it had been on
Lost Pier - Resting Beach Face3.80AcceptableBordering on horrible. Might have been better if had any real condition
Bexley - Redhouse4.20Not Tried
Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA4.50Not Tried
Brew York - Keras3.50Not Tried
18 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Oakham - Cohort4.00GoodZesty but simply a variant on a standard Oakham theme
Kent - Twelfth Night7.40AcceptableTired
Iron Pier - Bitter4.00Not Tried
Five Points - Pale4.40Not Tried
Lost Pier - Killer Man Poirot4.50Not Tried
Lost Pier - Resting Beach Face3.80Not Tried
18 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Not overly busy for the last 30 minutes of serving but there were more regulars in and fiddlers in their allotted back area than the previous Tuesday when still very cold at night.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Twelfth Night7.40GoodGood head and lacing when first served on this dark ale from Birling just outside West Malling, Kent. A fruit-infused body presented itself with a dry maltiness persisting. A few decants became necessary to wake it and for the time I was ready to end on this barley wine of a dark ale.
Oakham - Cohort4.00GoodFresh on and so as you would expect, good head and lacing presented itself on this Peterborough pale. A very hoppy first hit mixed with a slight fruitiness. It also had a slight kick to it from all those citrusy infusions from oranges, tropical fruits and red berries. Hardly surprisingly, it had a very packed fruity mouthfeel but mixed with a sweet biscuity maltiness. A moreishly dry hoppy aftertaste lingered on.
Iron Pier - Bitter4.00AcceptableNot as good as when on Sunday in terms of its head and lacing on this Northfleet bitter from just outside Gravesend. A first hit of a malty dryness. It had now developed a slight bite to it in the mouthfeel. Perhaps it was those spicy hops rearing their hoppy heads at me! Should have been prepared as had a mild curry-like home-cooked concoction indoors before setting out. A slightly sweetish aftertaste but a malty bitterness won through. One definitely sufficed.
Five Points - Pale4.40Not Tried
Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA4.50Not Tried
Lost Pier - Killer Man Poirot4.50Not Tried
Lost Pier - Resting Beach Face3.80Not Tried
16 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Not overly busy for last 30 minutes of serving with just the Sunday regulars on parade.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Five Points - Pale4.40GoodGood head and lacing to start with on this Hackney pale. Some 30 minutes after being served it, a gentle decant helped to restore it. A fruity first hit and a tropical fruit-infused mouthfeel with plenty of citrus awash. Lightly sweet and a bit of a citrus kick to it in the aftertaste. One sufficed for me.
Iron Pier - Bitter4.00AcceptableGood head and lacing. A bitter first hit on this Northfleet ale just outside Gravesend. Not overly honey and toffee-flavoured as the tasting notes might suggest. A dryish bitterness in the mouthfeel with a spicy hoppiness lingering. I can only describe it as a slightly chewy one as it did not want to just slide down as most beers manage to do. Towards the end it needed a good decant or two to wake up its head and lacing.
Kent - Twelfth Night7.40Not Tried
Elusive - Yakima Trail5.80Not Tried
Lost Pier - Killer Man Poirot4.50Not Tried
Lost Pier - Resting Beach Face3.80Not Tried
16 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Twelfth Night7.40GoodA strong flavour hit and good nightcap
Five Points - Pale4.40GoodGood condition but lacking much taste
Elusive - Yakima Trail5.80GoodSame old same old mild citrus
Iron Pier - Bitter4.00Not Tried
Lost Pier - Killer Man Poirot4.50Not Tried
Lost Pier - Resting Beach Face3.80Not Tried
15 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 45 minutes of serving with many of the Saturday regulars in and the more occasional also in. Many a beer had been drunk dry earlier as Charlton FC were at home today and on such days there are ham and also cheese rolls on and so I was lucky to add one of the three remaining to my first beer and at just £3.00 a roll.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Kent - Twelfth Night7.40GoodLabelled on the blackboard hanging up as a barley wine, and just in case you could not see the 7.4% also written up or the pump clip above the blackboard for this dark ale from the Birling-based brewery, north of West Malling. Good head and lacing but did not hang about. A first hit of fruitiness and nuts. A very dry mouthfeel lingered with the odd fruity grape making itself known.
Stardust - English Bitter4.00GoodWhat an amazing co-incidence to have the very same beer as the one of just two in the Windsor micropub earlier. There is also only ever one bitter on at any one time in the River Ale House. To remind me, it is from just outside Windsor going west some six miles and at White Waltham. It is said to have first brewed in September 2016 and so has been around for a good few years. Fresh on was this Berkshire bitter with good head and lacing. A dry bitter first hit. Despite roasted caramel mentioned in the tasting notes, it was not sweet in the mouthfeel and with a moreish dry bitterness lingering.
Oakham - Citra4.20Not Tried
Five Points - Pale4.40Not Tried
Elusive - Yakima Trail5.80Not Tried
Lost Pier - Yew4.50Not Tried
13 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Very busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving. The back was crammed with a local club after their meeting and all the usual regulars were present out the front along with the more occasional in as well.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Goacher's - Special House Ale3.80ExcellentFresh on and in very fine form. Superb head and lacing which lasted throughout. This Maidstone bitter is a mix of their Fine Light brew and Best Dark ales. A hoppy bitter first hit. Not a single fruit was harmed in its making as just a dry, old-fashioned bitterness in the mouthfeel with a hoppiness lingering.
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10GoodThis pale from Maidstone was almost at the end and yet had only just come on the night before. So, a few regulars at least had done their hardest to quench their thirsts with this one! Still holding good head and lacing. A very resinous and hoppy first hit and a fruity follow-up in the mouthfeel. I believe just one other customer got to be served this after my chance tasting of it and before there was no more out of this barrel.
Kent - Drenched3.00Not Tried
Bexley - Mocha Stout5.50Not Tried
Park - Winter XPA4.10Not Tried
13 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Goacher's - Special House Ale3.80GoodBasic bitter job
Goacher's - Gold Star5.10Not TriedRan out as I was in the queue to order
Kent - Drenched3.00Not Tried
Bexley - Mocha Stout5.50Not Tried
Park - Winter XPA4.10Not Tried

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About The River Ale House

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

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional15
Excellent800
Good2194
Acceptable741
Poor63

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 1775 times, seen 2037 different beers and tried 1206 of them.

Map location

Postcode: SE10 0RJ