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The River Ale House (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Cat on a Hop Tin Roof (collaboration with Fat Cat) |  | 1 |
| Church End - Goats Milk | | 4 |
| Kent - Pale |  | 1 |
| Oakham - JHB | | 2 |
| Mighty Oak - Maldon Gold | | 1 |
| Iron Pier - Bitter | | 2 |
| Kent - Loral | | 1 |
| Tonbridge - Traditional | | 4 |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Reeve's Ale | | 1 |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | | 2 |
| Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | | 1 |
| Moor - Stout |  | 2 |
| Redemption - Urban Dusk | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - OPA Original Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Purity - Bunny Hop | Not Tried | 0 |
| Two by Two - Sidewinder | Not Tried | 0 |
| Iron Pier - El Dorado | Not Tried | 0 |
| Two by Two - Mashup (collaboration with Kent) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pig & Porter - Target | Not Tried | 0 |
| Iron Pier - Killick's Mill | Not Tried | 0 |
| Orkney (Sinclair) - Man O' Hoy | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ossett - Riwaka | Not Tried | 0 |
| Aitcheson's (formerly East Yorkshire) - Kiwi IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
13 Jun 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many a Friday regular in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Pier - Bitter | 4.00 | | Third night on for this Northfleet bitter from just outside Gravesend and some head and lacing but not holding well some 10 minutes in. A very malty first hit. A moreishly bitter and malty hoppiness rising up from its English hops and malts used. The odd sweet note from its honey and toffee flavours and a hoppy bitterness lingering. |
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Orkney (Sinclair) - Man O' Hoy | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Target | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Ossett - Riwaka | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Aitcheson's (formerly East Yorkshire) - Kiwi IPA | 5.00 | Not Tried |
12 Jun 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes with many regulars in among the more occasional. Rather warm in the main bar as only the front entrance-door propped open for ventilation. None of the windows at front open unlike the windows in the rear-room seating area. A portable fan I have still had charge from late last summer.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | | Recommended by others as fresh on this evening. Very good head and lacing on this Peterborough-based golden and lasting to the end. A very fruit-infused hoppy first hit. A riot of citrusy fruits erupting on the palate and winning over the odd bitter maltiness in on the act. Slightly too fruity for me but a pleasant dry hoppy finish lingering. |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | | Fourth night on for this pale from East Peckham, north-east of Tonbridge, and ran out shortly after ordering this one. A dry hoppy first hit. A dry fruitiness still evident in the mouthfeel and rising up and lingering among its hoppy notes. Has lasted to the end of its barrel very well. |
| Iron Pier - Bitter | 4.00 | | Second night on and good head and lacing to start with on this Northfleet bitter from just outside Gravesend. A few decants towards the end were needed. A very malty first hit from those 100% English malts involved. A malty bitterness rising up on the mouthfeel and a bitter-infused hoppiness lingering from using also 100% English hops. |
| Kent - Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Killick's Mill | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Target | 3.40 | Not Tried |
12 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. After one ale and a lacklustre remaining ale range I moved on to halves of ginger cider and raspberry ripple cider.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - JHB | 3.80 | | Tastes just like so many other Oakham Ales, seems its house style |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | Not Tried | Ran out as I was ready to order |
| Kent - Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Killick's Mill | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Target | 3.40 | Not Tried |
10 Jun 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet for last 30 minutes of serving on usual regulars but fiddlers playing out the back and the more occasional helped to fill this little micro.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Church End - Goats Milk | 3.80 | | Third night on and nearly over. Nothing like the same level of conditioning as when first sampled and enjoyed on Sunday. It was evidently very popular to have gone so quickly. There was still some head and lacing on this pale from north-west of Nuneaton and north-east of Birmingham. A dry fruit-infused hoppy first hit. A dry sourness rising up in the mouthfeel among the hoppiness. This lingered on so only opted for the one. I would readily try more as recall only ever having tried this one before and last year at this same micro as I recall. Sadly no others from Church End listed as coming next on the governor's tasting sheet and so it may be a wait for a little while before sampling again. |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | | Second night on for this pale from East Peckham, north-east of Tonbridge, and holding its good head and lacing well. A dry hoppy first hit. A subtle fruitiness rising up with a touch of citrus flavouring from its Kent Challenger and First Gold hops. A pleasant dry hoppiness on show throughout and lingering in its finale on my palate. |
| Kent - Pale | 4.00 | | Second night on for this Kent pale from Birling, north of West Malling, and presenting very good head and lacing and lasting. A strikingly hoppy first hit. A fruity hoppiness rising up among a maltiness from its Maris Otter pale malt. A moreishly hoppy dryness lingering. |
| Tonbridge - Traditional | 3.60 | | Third night on and still holding its head and lacing well on this East Peckham Kentish bitter, north-east of Tonbridge. A dry bitter first hit. A touch of toffee-infused maltiness in the mouthfeel and a bitterness winning over and lingering. |
| Iron Pier - Killick's Mill | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Target | 3.40 | Not Tried |
09 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Church End - Goats Milk | 3.80 | | Just a slight edge lost since yesterday |
| Tonbridge - Traditional | 3.60 | | Good basic bittering |
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Target | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - Mashup (collaboration with Kent) | 5.00 | Not Tried |
08 Jun 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with mostly the regulars in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Church End - Goats Milk | 3.80 | | Fresh on and exceptionally good head and lacing on this pale from north-west of Nuneaton and north-east of Birmingham. Not a creamy head though as you might expect with a beer named Goat's Milk. Described as a golden ale on the governor's tasting notes but on the blackboard marked as a pale. Containing pale barley, crystal malt and oats, it punches above its gravity in flavouring. A first hit of oily hoppiness. A very dry moreish hoppy flavouring tantalises the taste buds with the odd fruity hop jumping up and down. A very pleasant dry hoppiness dancing on and lingering. Very moreish indeed and stuck to it. Not surprisingly, it was declared as the winner of the Supreme Champion Beer of Britain, 2017, at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF). It reminded me with its oily hoppiness of some of the green hopped beers tasted last autumn. It has for me a very distinctive combination of moreish flavours not tasted in other beers since last autumn. I would readily try more as recall only ever having tried this one before and way back last year at this same micro. Church End Brewery started life in 1994 in an old coffin workshop behind the Griffin Inn, Shustoke, Warwickshire. Plenty of life in their Goat's Milk on its first day on! |
| Tonbridge - Traditional | 3.60 | | Fresh on and very good head and lacing and lasting on this East Peckham Kentish bitter, north-east of Tonbridge. A superbly hoppy bitter first hit. A moreish bitterness gracing the taste buds, mixed with the odd toffee note rising up. A pleasant hoppy aftertaste aided by its Kentish Golding and Challenger hops. Would have easily stuck to it but for another recommendation freshly on today. |
| Moor - Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | Now its 8th night on! |
| Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - Mashup (collaboration with Kent) | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - El Dorado | 4.30 | Not Tried |
08 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Church End - Goats Milk | 3.80 | | An award winning ale in top notch condition |
| Tonbridge - Traditional | 3.60 | | A good basic bitter |
| Moor - Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | Still in there |
| Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - Mashup (collaboration with Kent) | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - El Dorado | 4.30 | Not Tried |
07 Jun 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Some of the usual Saturday regulars on parade among the more occasional for last 50 minutes of serving. I was sorry to see no bitter on to replace Canterbury's The Reeve's Ale that came on, on Friday. Perhaps another cask of Redemption Urban Dusk might be coming up? This is suggested as coming "on now" on the governor's tasting sheets. I would take a sample of it first as the first cask on last Sunday, and which lasted until Friday evening's visit, delivered a hazy sour bitter that I do not care to repeat!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Maldon Gold | 3.80 | | Fresh on today was this golden ale from Maldon in Essex and so came with good head and lacing and holding onto it. A citrusy-infused first hit. A hoppy floral fruitiness rising up on the mouthfeel alongside a biscuity maltiness. A dry spicy hoppiness lingering. |
| Moor - Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | Now its 7th night on! |
| Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Two by Two - Sidewinder | 6.00 | Not Tried | A very murky concoction from seeing another customer sampling it. |
| Iron Pier - El Dorado | 4.30 | Not Tried |
06 Jun 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
An almost full contingent of the Friday regulars alongside many of the hardened regulars in for the last 30 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Cat on a Hop Tin Roof (collaboration with Fat Cat) | 4.10 | | Fresh on today and yet only managed to buy one before it ran out at about 10.40pm. This amber pale clearly hit all the right notes with earlier punters, and being Friday open from 2pm rather than 4pm Monday to Thursday. A hoppy and mildly fruity first hit. A dry hoppiness rising up in the mouthfeel from the two German hop varieties mixed with Maris Otter malts. A subtle fruitiness from mandarin and lemon citrus. A very moreishly oily hoppy dryness lingering. A collaboration between the Peterborough-based brewery and Fat Cat from Norwich. Only one pint did I manage to sample as evidently all 72 pints consumed from 2pm if indeed it was on then. A great record for beer consumption in one session! |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Reeve's Ale | 4.10 | | Fresh on and so good head and lacing from this bitter from Canterbury, just outside and south-west, and nearer Chartham. A fruity bitter first hit. A berry, rather than beery, fruit-infused hoppiness rising up in the mouthfeel. A mildly malty aftertaste with the odd nut or two in the mix. Not overly flavoursome so one sufficed for me. |
| Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | | Some head and lacing but not lasting on this Gravesend IPA on its second day on. A very fruity first hit. Many regulars remarked on the murkiness of it in appearance. Packed to the brim with fruit flavours such as tropical, citrus and piney hop. Slightly overly fruity for my palate but persevered as you do. |
| Moor - Stout | 5.00 | | Sixth night on, and I should have known better, for this stout and from behind Bristol's Temple Meads Rail Station. Now holding no head and lacing. The dry smokiness that greeted me the night before also gone! A fruitiness and maltiness surviving just. A malty bitterness just about living on in the aftertaste but a sourness now kicking in. Very little condition in it and very tired it was by now! |
| Purity - Bunny Hop | 3.40 | Not Tried | Ran out just before the Oakham/Fat Cat collaboration of Cat On A Hop Tin Roof did likewise. |
| Two by Two - Sidewinder | 6.00 | Not Tried | Fresh on but according to another customer, very murky. |
05 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Loral | 4.50 | | A not too citrus single hopper |
| Moor - Stout | 5.00 | | More condition lost since last one on 1st. Needs condition to make this high flavour ale quaffable and not a chore |
| Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | Not Tried | There forever? |
| Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - OPA Original Pale Ale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Purity - Bunny Hop | 3.40 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 11 |
| 686 |
| 1717 |
| 504 |
 | 42 |
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 1357 times, seen 1828 different beers and tried 1063 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ