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Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House) (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Surrey Hills - Gilt Complex |  | 1 |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | | 4 |
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | | 3 |
| Long Man - Old Man | | 2 |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | | 4 |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | | 1 |
| Larkins - Traditional | | 1 |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord |  | 1 |
| Larkins - Porter | | 2 |
| Larkins - Pale | | 2 |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | | 1 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | | 1 |
| Long Man - Long Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Long Man - Best Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Lavender Hill (originally exclusively for Nicholson's) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Junction | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Wandle | Not Tried | 0 |
| Great Newsome - Maillot Jaune | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wadworth - Blazing Hop | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Powerhouse Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Anarchy - Blonde Star | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies | Not Tried | 0 |
| Butcombe - Bitter (or Original Beer) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Otter - Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Ghost Ship | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Pumphouse Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
21 Aug 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Just what the doctor ordered |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | | Good but a disappointment. Does Landlord suffer from mass production now? |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Adnams - Ghost Ship | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried |
18 Aug 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening until close. A drizzly misty night, but not inside.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | Well bittered, excellent foil to the plum fruitiness |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | Not quite up there to 4* tonight |
| Butcombe - Bitter (or Original Beer) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Otter - Bitter | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried |
15 Aug 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Closed the evening with a bottle of Sambrook's Imperial Russian Stout.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Man - Old Man | 4.30 | | Delightful ale in prime condition |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Sometimes lacks just that little something |
| Larkins - Porter | 5.20 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Powerhouse Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried |
14 Aug 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Man - Old Man | 4.30 | | Great condition, head and lacing |
| Larkins - Porter | 5.20 | | Been on a few days, not helped by having 2 porters available at same time |
| Larkins - Pale | 4.20 | | An odd tasting pale wherever I try it |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Powerhouse Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried |
11 Aug 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | |
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | 4.20 | | A great ale |
| Larkins - Porter | 5.20 | | A rather bitter porter holding good head and lacing |
| Sambrook's - Powerhouse Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Anarchy - Blonde Star | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Wadworth - Blazing Hop | 4.50 | Not Tried |
09 Aug 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. A young child just learnt to walk did just that and kept walking to the front door (to leave?).
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | As usual here - spot on |
| Surrey Hills - Gilt Complex | 4.60 | | A real subtle flavour hit |
| Sambrook's - Wandle | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Junction | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Great Newsome - Maillot Jaune | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Wadworth - Blazing Hop | 4.50 | Not Tried |
07 Aug 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | 4.20 | | Very fine indeed. Never disappoints |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | | On a few days, just had a half and good |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Wandle | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Junction | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Great Newsome - Maillot Jaune | 3.80 | Not Tried |
05 Aug 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Just as it should be |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | 2nd day cask on - in peak condition |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Junction | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Pumphouse Pale Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Larkins - Pale | 4.20 | Not Tried |
31 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | 4.20 | | Spot on - a pleasing bitter sweetness |
| Larkins - Pale | 4.20 | | Very zingy mouthfeel |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Pumphouse Pale Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Long Man - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Lavender Hill (originally exclusively for Nicholson's) | 4.50 | Not Tried |
29 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until clear.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Traditional | 3.40 | | Lost just a teeny something since last night's 4½* mark |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Nearing end of cask but no loss of condition |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Says something when the very last half out of the cask is pulled and is still up there |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Pumphouse Pale Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Long Man - Long Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried |
About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 5 |
| 260 |
| 115 |
 | 15 |
 | 1 |
The pub is found in Addiscombe, Greater London, CR0 7AA.
Small low ceilinged pub close to Addiscombe Tram Stop in Bingham Corner, Lower Addiscombe Road. This pub is a regular outlet for Palmers beers. In November 2012 Palmers awarded the pub a certificate for having sold a total of 1,000,000 pints of Palmers Best Bitter (IPA) exceeding any other of its free trade outlets and in later years further greatly exceeded here and similarly certificated with 1,250,000th in 2019. 6 handpumps dispense the real ales and always at least 2 ciders served by a walk to the ground floor cellar, the latter of late not being real ones however. Beers in the cellar and due to come on are listed on a wallboard. Changed hands in 2016 with slight change of name from Claret Free House to Claret & Ale but little else has changed. 6 handpumps. Regular winner of the local CAMRA branch Borough Pub of the Year award. Local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year 2024.
We have visited this pub 184 times, seen 271 different beers and tried 85 of them.
Postcode: CR0 7AA