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Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House) (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Wantsum - Imperium |  | 2 |
| Hop Back - Entire Stout | | 1 |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | | 10 |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | | 3 |
| Butcombe - Rare Breed (or Adam Henson's Rare Breed) | | 1 |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | | 3 |
| Titsey - Gower Wolf | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Coppernob | Not Tried | 0 |
| Titsey - Leveson Buck | Not Tried | 0 |
| Surrey Hills - Greensand IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Downton Dream | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | Not Tried | 0 |
| Butcombe - Original | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky | Not Tried | 0 |
| Skinner's - Betty Stogs Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hogs Back - T.E.A. | Not Tried | 0 |
| Constellation - Draco | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Jubilee | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hogs Back - Surrey Nirvana | Not Tried | 0 |
| Palmers - Dorset Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Golden Rule | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Surrey XPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Junction | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Easy Street Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Titsey - Gresham Hopper | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Pacific Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Rustic | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Smiler's Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Elderquad | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
05 Aug 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Fast selling and always reliable |
| Hop Back - Entire Stout | 4.50 | | Held head and lacing throughout |
| Wantsum - Imperium | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Coppernob | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Surrey Hills - Greensand IPA | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Downton Dream | 4.80 | Not Tried |
29 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | As consistent as ever |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | Great contrast to the IPA being so much drier |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 |  | Very last pint of cask and not quite the excellence of the previous one, but the barman had offered me to have it or not |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Elderquad | 4.00 | Not Tried |
23 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | As it should be |
| Wantsum - Imperium | 4.00 | | Some pubs seem to muck up Wantsum, not here though |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Easy Street Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried |
19 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. The cold blowers were effective tonight giving me a dry brow.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Lovely |
| Wantsum - Imperium | 4.00 | | Not in the same class as Palmers but excellent condition |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Golden Rule | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | 4.00 | Not Tried |
16 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Looked more on lager tonight than ale.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Predictably excellent |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Perhaps rather woodier than usual |
| Hogs Back - T.E.A. | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Hogs Back - Surrey Nirvana | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky | 4.10 | Not Tried |
09 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. A safe haven from the madness of murk haze beers and lemon juice so called beers.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | What the doctor ordered, basic mid brown bitter |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | A slightly sweet one to follow Palmers IPA |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Butcombe - Original | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky | 4.10 | Not Tried |
02 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Exactly as it should be |
| Sambrook's - Junction | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Smiler's Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Titsey - Gower Wolf | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Titsey - Leveson Buck | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Pacific Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried |
27 Jun 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Serendipitously met two London Drinker magazine pioneers and had missed one of the early CAMRA HQ Chairmen by minutes too.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Just a tad off its best |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Junction | 4.50 | Not Tried | Came on at last knockings |
| Titsey - Gresham Hopper | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Surrey XPA | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Pacific Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried |
25 Jun 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. A number of empty tables tonight. Paul McCartney at Glastonbury live on the large TV, for a whistle and sing-a-long.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | In lovely condition |
| Palmers - Dorset Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Surrey XPA | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Jubilee | 4.30 | Not Tried |
11 Jun 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | An appropriate last pint nightcapper |
| Butcombe - Rare Breed (or Adam Henson's Rare Breed) | 3.80 | | |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | |
| Skinner's - Betty Stogs Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Constellation - Draco | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Jubilee | 4.30 | Not Tried |
About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 2 |
| 38 |
| 6 |
 | 2 |
 | - |
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. 6 handpumps dispense the real ales and always at least 2 ciders served by a walk to the ground floor cellar. 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.
We have visited this pub 27 times, seen 87 different beers and tried 13 of them.
Postcode: CR0 7AA