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

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Batemans - HookerGood1
Bowland - Pheasant PluckerGood1
Larkins - PaleExcellent4
Larkins - PorterExcellent1
Marston's - PedigreeAcceptable1
Ossett - Excelsius (was Excelsior)Excellent2
Otter - BitterExcellent1
Palmers - 200 Premium AleAcceptable1
Palmers - Copper AleAcceptable1
Palmers - IPA (Best)Good3
Palmers - Tally Ho!Excellent1
Titanic - Cherry PorterExcellent2
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Honey DarkGood1
Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter AleExcellent2
Westerham - GodswallopExcellent1
Anarchy - Citra StarNot Tried0
Bath Ales - Gem BitterNot Tried0
Black Sheep - RespireNot Tried0
Bowland - Boxer BlondeNot Tried0
Dorking - Black NoiseNot Tried0
Dorking - DB Number OneNot Tried0
Dorking - Red India AleNot Tried0
Exmoor - GoldNot Tried0
Greene King - AbbotNot Tried0
Greene King - Morland Old Speckled HenNot Tried0
Leeds - Leeds BestNot Tried0
Rebellion - IPANot Tried0
Sambrook's - Pumphouse Pale AleNot Tried0
Shepherd Neame - Bishops FingerNot Tried0
St Austell - AnthemNot Tried0
Theakston - Old PeculierNot Tried0
Wadworth - Dirty RuckerNot Tried0
Wantsum - 1381Not Tried0
Wantsum - Black PigNot Tried0
Wantsum - Black PrinceNot Tried0
Westerham - God's WallopNot Tried0
Picture 1. Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House), Addiscombe, Greater London

Visits Details

12 Apr 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Larkins - Porter5.20ExcellentFirst rate in every way. Delicious
Larkins - Pale4.20ExcellentTastiest Larkins Pale I have had for a long time
Theakston - Old Peculier5.60Not Tried
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Rebellion - IPA3.70Not Tried
Anarchy - Citra Star4.10Not Tried
08 Apr 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close, a visit foreshortened by the Tramlink replacement bus going here stopping nowhere near the tramstop and I mean nowhere.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Otter - Bitter3.60ExcellentGood to try a basic session ale every so often
Ossett - Excelsius (was Excelsior)5.20GoodHolding up well after a few days on
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Wantsum - 13813.80Not Tried
Wantsum - Black Pig4.80Not Tried
Wantsum - Black Prince3.90Not Tried
05 Apr 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until midnight close. No trams here for a fortnight or so.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Ossett - Excelsius (was Excelsior)5.20ExcellentA full bodied well bittered nightcap
Larkins - Pale4.20ExcellentVery well rounded
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20GoodMissing just a little in flavour
Exmoor - Gold4.50Not Tried
Wantsum - 13813.80Not Tried
Wantsum - Black Prince3.90Not Tried
08 Mar 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until midnight close. Very noisy inside with lots of raised voices competing.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20GoodPalmers IPA seems to have lost its hop nose and bitterness of late, making it often rather bland
Marston's - Pedigree4.50AcceptablePoured flattish, sure not the pub's fault at all, but multiple vigorous decantings between two pint glasses made for some head and life.
Palmers - Copper Ale3.70Not Tried
Dorking - Red India Ale5.00Not Tried
Sambrook's - Pumphouse Pale Ale4.20Not Tried
Dorking - Black Noise4.50Not Tried
06 Mar 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Honey Dark4.80GoodShared it to be a chaser for a bottle of Sambrook's Imperial Stout!
Palmers - Copper Ale3.70AcceptableRare for here, felt tired and bland
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Dorking - Black Noise4.50Not Tried
Bowland - Boxer Blonde4.00Not Tried
Black Sheep - Respire4.00Not Tried
01 Mar 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until midnight close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - Tally Ho!5.50ExcellentIn full flavoured form
Larkins - Pale4.20GoodDoes not always taste the same
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Bath Ales - Gem Bitter4.10Not Tried
Dorking - Black Noise4.50Not Tried
Bowland - Boxer Blonde4.00Not Tried
27 Feb 2024 (Magnus Greel)
Smoking was still allowed in pubs when I last came here thus I distinctly remember the air was so thick with smoke you could've cut through it with a knife in this hermetically sealed stuffy pub. Not this time on a late afternoon fairly busy with folk enjoying their beers. Reminds me of a northern working mans club in the style of Phoenix Nights!
BeerABVScoreNotes
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20GoodSweet salty syrupy ale.
Bowland - Pheasant Plucker3.70GoodPiney with a honey sweetness.
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Palmers - 200 Premium Ale5.00Not Tried
Dorking - DB Number One4.20Not Tried
Westerham - God's Wallop4.00Not Tried
23 Feb 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Titanic - Cherry Porter4.90ExcellentGood nightcap
Westerham - Godswallop5.00ExcellentStrong dark ale
Shepherd Neame - Bishops Finger5.00Not TriedRan out
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Leeds - Leeds Best4.30Not Tried
Bowland - Pheasant Plucker3.70Not Tried
16 Feb 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale4.80ExcellentStill in fine form after several days
Larkins - Pale4.20ExcellentBest of this ale I have had in a long time
Batemans - Hooker4.50GoodFlorally hopped
Greene King - Morland Old Speckled Hen4.50Not Tried
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Wadworth - Dirty Rucker3.90Not Tried
14 Feb 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close after a Tramlink part bus journey.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Westerham - 1965 Special Bitter Ale4.80ExcellentIn fine form
Titanic - Cherry Porter4.90GoodGood with bitterness overriding the fruitiness
Palmers - 200 Premium Ale5.00AcceptableProbably last out of the cask
Palmers - IPA (Best)4.20Not Tried
Batemans - Hooker4.50Not Tried
Wadworth - Dirty Rucker3.90Not TriedCame on late on
St Austell - Anthem3.80Not TriedCame on late on

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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
Excellent214
Good72
Acceptable9
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.

We have visited this pub 142 times, seen 221 different beers and tried 65 of them.

Map location

Postcode: CR0 7AA