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Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House) (Free House)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.)Excellent2
Palmers - Tally Ho!Excellent2
Larkins - PaleExcellent2
Westerham - Audit AleGood2
Timothy Taylor - Knowle SpringGood1
Gower - Gower PowerGood1
Palmers - 200 Premium AleGood1
Titanic - Plum PorterGood1
Timothy Taylor - Boltmaker (formerly Best Bitter)Good1
Long Man - Best BitterGood1
Palmers - IPA (Best)Good4
Abbeydale - MoonshineGood1
Otter - BitterGood1
Joseph Holt (see also Holt's) - MildAcceptable1
Robinsons - Hop & UnderNot Tried0
Sambrook's - Block PartyNot Tried0
Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde MildNot Tried0
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked LadiesNot Tried0
Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood then at Banks's) - Oxford GoldNot Tried0
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Honey DarkNot Tried0
Mighty Oak - Jake the SnakeNot Tried0
Long Man - Long BlondeNot Tried0
Hop Back - CitraNot Tried0
Mighty Oak - The Old Man and The SeaNot Tried0
Theakston - XB (was 4.6%)Not Tried0
Palmers - ColmersNot Tried0
Adnams - Southwold BitterNot Tried0
Westerham - British BulldogNot Tried0
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's Seafarers AleNot Tried0
Exmoor (now brewed by Hogs Back) - GoldNot Tried0
Theakston - Old PeculierNot Tried0
Daleside - Green Grass Old Rogue AleNot Tried0
Timothy Taylor - Golden Best (was 3.5%)Not Tried0
Salopian - Darwin's OriginNot Tried0
Palmers - Copper AleNot Tried0
Long Man - Rising GiantNot Tried0
Robinsons - Citra Pale AleNot Tried0
Sambrook's - Lavender Hill (originally exclusively for Nicholson's)Not Tried0
Adnams - BroadsideNot Tried0
Three Acre - Best BitterNot Tried0
Palmers - Dorset GoldNot Tried0
Robinsons - Dizzy BlondeNot Tried0
Picture 1. Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House), Addiscombe, Greater London

Visits Details

14 Jul 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - Tally Ho!5.50ExcellentAbsolute delight
Timothy Taylor - Boltmaker (formerly Best Bitter)4.00GoodGood to have this on occasionally. Slightly sweet aftertaste
Joseph Holt (see also Holt's) - Mild3.20AcceptableRather flat, somewhat disappointing
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies4.40Not Tried
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Honey Dark4.80Not Tried
25 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20GoodGood but drank with hardly noticing
Palmers - Dorset Gold4.50Not Tried
Sambrook's - Lavender Hill (originally exclusively for Nicholson's)4.50Not Tried
Three Acre - Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Robinsons - Dizzy Blonde3.80Not Tried
Sambrook's - Block Party5.50Not Tried
04 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Noisier than usual with an excitable corner group.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - Tally Ho!5.50ExcellentEverything I wanted
Westerham - Audit Ale6.20GoodPerfect nightcap
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Salopian - Darwin's Origin4.30Not Tried
Westerham - British Bulldog4.10Not Tried
Long Man - Rising Giant4.80Not Tried
23 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Gower - Gower Power5.50GoodA well balanced strong bitter - very enjoyable
Larkins - Pale4.20GoodBasic stuff
Exmoor (now brewed by Hogs Back) - Gold4.50Not Tried
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Daleside - Green Grass Old Rogue Ale4.50Not Tried
Salopian - Darwin's Origin4.30Not Tried
30 Apr 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Abbeydale - Moonshine4.30GoodGood but very lacking in a distinctive flavour
Westerham - Audit Ale6.20GoodA good strong nightcapper
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Palmers - Copper Ale3.70Not Tried
Palmers - Colmers4.00Not Tried
Westerham - British Bulldog4.10Not Tried
16 Apr 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Long Man - Best Bitter4.00GoodHeld good head and lacing
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20AcceptableIn OK condition
Long Man - Long Blonde3.80Not Tried
Hop Back - Citra4.00Not Tried
Mighty Oak - The Old Man and The Sea4.10Not Tried
25 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Larkins - Pale4.20ExcellentFirst rate
Palmers - 200 Premium Ale5.00GoodSeemed very full bodied tonight
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild3.70Not Tried
Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood then at Banks's) - Oxford Gold4.00Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake4.00Not Tried
15 Feb 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. I had forgotten that Tramlink was closed through the centre of Croydon.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Otter - Bitter3.60GoodBasic bitter
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20GoodSweetish
Timothy Taylor - Knowle Spring4.20Good
Adnams - Broadside4.70Not Tried
Palmers - Dorset Gold4.50Not Tried
Robinsons - Hop & Under4.20Not Tried
05 Feb 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20ExcellentIPA back to form? Best I've had for a long time
Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.)4.20GoodA tasty drop
Theakston - Old Peculier5.60Not Tried
Timothy Taylor - Golden Best (was 3.5%)3.40Not Tried
Palmers - Copper Ale3.70Not Tried
Robinsons - Citra Pale Ale3.40Not Tried
15 Jan 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Pretty much a full house after earlier TV football.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.)4.20ExcellentBest example of TEA I have had in a long while
Titanic - Plum Porter4.90GoodAlways changing balance of fruitiness and bitterness with every brew
Theakston - XB (was 4.6%)4.50Not Tried
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Adnams - Southwold Bitter3.70Not Tried
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's Seafarers Ale3.60Not Tried

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About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)

The pub sign. Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House), Addiscombe, Greater London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional5
Excellent267
Good138
Acceptable19
Poor1

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 200 times, seen 293 different beers and tried 95 of them.

Map location

Postcode: CR0 7AA