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

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Larkins - PaleExcellent2
Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.)Excellent2
Palmers - Tally Ho! Ho! Ho!Excellent1
Timothy Taylor - Knowle SpringGood1
Timothy Taylor - Landlord Dark (was Ram Tam)Good1
Palmers - 200 Premium AleGood1
Greene King - AbbotGood1
Long Man - Best BitterGood1
St Austell - Step Into ChristmasGood1
Abbeydale - MoonshineGood1
Titanic - Plum PorterGood1
Butcombe - Chris MooseGood1
Palmers - IPA (Best)Good5
Westerham - Audit AleGood1
Otter - BitterGood1
Robinsons - Tom & berryGood1
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London PrideAcceptable1
Black Sheep - BlitzenNot Tried0
Mighty Oak - Jake the SnakeNot Tried0
Timothy Taylor - LandlordNot Tried0
Long Man - Long BlondeNot Tried0
Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde MildNot Tried0
Hop Back - CitraNot Tried0
Mighty Oak - Tina TinselNot Tried0
Mighty Oak - The Old Man and The SeaNot Tried0
Palmers - Copper AleNot Tried0
Palmers - ColmersNot Tried0
Adnams - Ghost ShipNot Tried0
Westerham - British BulldogNot Tried0
Theakston - XB (was 4.6%)Not Tried0
Adnams - Southwold BitterNot Tried0
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's Seafarers AleNot Tried0
Theakston - Old PeculierNot Tried0
Timothy Taylor - Golden Best (was 3.5%)Not Tried0
Robinsons - Citra Pale AleNot Tried0
Purity - Pure GoldNot Tried0
Adnams - BroadsideNot Tried0
Wantsum - Black PrinceNot Tried0
Palmers - Dorset GoldNot Tried0
Wantsum - HurricaneNot Tried0
Robinsons - Hop & UnderNot Tried0
Marston's - Courage Directors (was brewed at Banks's for a while)Not Tried0
Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood then at Banks's) - Oxford GoldNot Tried0
Picture 1. Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House), Addiscombe, Greater London

Visits Details

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
08 Jan 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Low footfall.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Greene King - Abbot5.00GoodJust a half. OK+
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Good
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10AcceptableSo difficult to judge these days being so variable in taste
Palmers - Copper Ale3.70Not Tried
Adnams - Ghost Ship4.50Not Tried
Marston's - Courage Directors (was brewed at Banks's for a while)4.80Not TriedStill living as a brand surprisingly
20 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until midnight close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - Tally Ho! Ho! Ho!5.50ExcellentAllegedly matured for longer than Tally Ho! in the brewery. Good enough to have a second one
Butcombe - Chris Moose4.10GoodDark ale, nothing special in flavouring
Timothy Taylor - Landlord4.30Not Tried
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild3.70Not Tried
Mighty Oak - Tina Tinsel4.10Not Tried
13 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close. One anonymous ale on handpump to guess at. Clue hinted was of a Palmers trial brew.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Timothy Taylor - Landlord Dark (was Ram Tam)4.30GoodAlways good to resume a relationship with Ram Tam
Larkins - Pale4.20GoodBasic pale job
St Austell - Step Into Christmas4.50GoodUnexceptional dark ale
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Black Sheep - Blitzen4.00Not Tried
09 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Robinsons - Tom & berry4.40GoodWinter fare with well balanced fruit flavouring
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20AcceptableOK but have had much much better
Purity - Pure Gold3.80Not TriedOn gravity from a cask on the bar counter
Wantsum - Black Prince3.90Not Tried
Wantsum - Hurricane4.50Not Tried
Marston's - Courage Directors (was brewed at Banks's for a while)4.80Not 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
Excellent265
Good133
Acceptable18
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 196 times, seen 288 different beers and tried 93 of them.

Map location

Postcode: CR0 7AA