The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
11 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Just very low footfall of Sunday night regulars inhabiting.
Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 |  | Good condition but the usual level of fruitiness was missing |
Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 |  | Not impressed, have had much better examples of this before |
Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Milestone - New World Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Kazbek | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Chaos More Chaos | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
11 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Sunday evening for last 35 minutes of serving and just four hardened regulars in and before myself and one other just behind me. Never noted it as quiet as this in a good 7.8+ years of its running. First beer sampled with CAMRA discount just £4.30 and the cheapest pint in ages or even this year. So cannot be prices totally putting punters off with a choice of seven real ales on as well. The Southwark Honey'd Brown though now on for its 9th night but certainly not reflecting any others on for that incredible length of time!
Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 |  | Good head and lacing and also fresh on like the Redemption bitter. This plum porter from Burslem, on the northerly outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent, came with a positive plum explosion on the first hit! More "natural" plums exploded everywhere in the mouthfeel following on and with a hoppy bitterness, derived from the odd Goldings hop, then prevailing in its final acts on the taste buds. |
Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 |  | Fresh on for this Tottenham in North London bitter and with good head and lacing. BUT tasted vinegary from the outset as if at the end of its barrel. A very malty first hit slightly disguised its apparent wish to be sprinkled on fish and chips! It had a sour and medicinal kick to it from the off with a gentle bitterness rising up in the mouthfeel and which persisted alongside the vinegary flavouring in the aftertaste. Such a shame for a new bitter on! Whatever went wrong?! Sadly also, only ever one bitter on at any one time and so others are one to two dark ales and about four pales prevailing. |
Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Milestone - New World Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Kazbek | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Chaos More Chaos | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried | Tried it the Saturday before the most recent and was too sweet then for my taste buds. Now on its 9th night on and would be not so brave to try it after this length of time! Must be an all-time record for being among the ones the longest on? Some have achieved eight nights on recently but not nine! |
10 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 45 minutes of serving with many a Saturday regular in alongside the more occasional.
Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 |  | Second night on for this Maidstone pale and still presenting good head and lacing and sticking throughout. A hoppy mouthfeel from those Kent Fuggles' hops alongside the odd hint of fruit thrown in. A dry hoppiness persisting. |
Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 |  | Just got this East Peckham bitter, north-east of Tonbridge, on my arrival before it ran out. Only its second night on and no Charlton FC home-game fans to blame for this. It came with good head and lacing. A malty bitter first hit. A hoppy bitterness then rose up, aided by the Kent variety that is little seen called Epic, and persisted in the aftertaste. Very moreish! |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Milestone - New World Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Kazbek | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Chaos More Chaos | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
09 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 40 minutes of serving but with the Friday regulars, mixed in with the more occasional, on parade.
Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 |  | Fresh on and positively shining was this Kentish bitter from East Peckham, north-east of Tonbridge. A first hit of maltiness. A hoppy bitterness rising up in the mouthfeel, and from the little-grown Kent hop variety called Epic, alongside the odd hint of spice. A pleasantly moreishly hoppy bitterness lingering. This for me is one of the perfect bitters you could have the pleasure of sampling! |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Disruption IS Brewing (sub-brand of Ascot) - Chaos More Chaos | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
Mighty Oak - Victory Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
08 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many a regular in alongside the less frequent.
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | 4.60 |  | Fifth night on for this Ramsgate-brewed stout and still holding its head and lacing. A smokey malt-infused first hit. A hoppy maltiness exploding in the mouthfeel with the odd hint of chocolate and a bitter hoppiness lingering from those Fuggles' hops. |
Mighty Oak - Victory Ale | 4.30 |  | Fresh on and good head and lacing on this Essex golden pale from Maldon and remaining to the end. A dry hoppy first hit. A slightly sweet hoppiness in the mouthfeel. A dry fruity hoppiness lingering. A mix of British and American hops used for this Victory Ale to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day - Victory in Europe. |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 7 | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Thirteen Steps | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
08 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. No VE Day hours extension here.
Mighty Oak - Victory Ale | 4.30 |  | Fresh cask on - good basic zingy bitter |
Oakham - Thirteen Steps | 4.00 |  | Rather unappetising and bland on flavour |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 7 | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
07 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening until close.
Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 |  | Still holding up pretty well |
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | 3.40 |  | Alas dumbed down for duty savings |
Oakham - Thirteen Steps | 4.00 |  | Good condition but drank it with hardly noticing |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 7 | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Wantsum - Montgomery (was SS Richard Montgomery) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
06 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last 30 minutes of serving with a local club meeting ending and so some familiar faces from seeing them many a time before mixed in with the regulars on parade amongst them.
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | 4.60 |  | This Ramsgate-based stout came with still good head and lacing to begin with and on its third night on. A dryish bitter first hit. A maltiness then came to fore in the mouthfeel with the odd chocolate hit contrasted with the bitterness from its Fuggles hops and lingering. |
Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 |  | Second night on for this pale ale from East Peckham, north-east of Tonbridge itself in Kent, and presented with very good head and lacing and holding very well. A hoppy dryness was in the first hit from those Kent Challenger and First Gold hops. It had a definite hoppy bite to it in the fruity mouthfeel, and perhaps aided by the odd spiciness erupting and citrus explosion. A dry hoppiness lingered on and very moreish. |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 7 | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Wantsum - Montgomery (was SS Richard Montgomery) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Wantsum - Hurricane | 4.50 | Not Tried | Just went off shortly after my arrival. |
Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Thirteen Steps | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Dark Revolution - Orbital | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
05 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Dogends of a bank holiday weekend low footfall.
Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 |  | New cask on this evening. Excellent head and lacing throughout |
Wantsum - Hurricane | 4.50 |  | Good condition but pretty average on taste |
Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 |  | No change on yesterday - just a half |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 7 | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Wantsum - Montgomery (was SS Richard Montgomery) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Dark Revolution - Orbital | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
04 May 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A handful or two of regulars in for the last 30 minutes of serving.
Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 |  | Some head and lacing on being presented this Maidstone pale on its second day on. A powerfully hoppy and oily first punch did it pack on the taste buds! A hoppy fruitiness then came to the fore and lingered from those East Kent hops and nothing too sharp about its fruit-infusions. |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Oatmeal Stout | 4.60 |  | Fresh on today was this Thanet-based stout from near Ramsgate and so head and lacing put up a good show on this. A malty first hit. A very bitter maltiness then pervaded the mouthfeel and with the merest hint of chocolate. A hoppy dryness from those Fuggles hops then lingered on. |
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 7 | 3.80 |  | Sadly came with little head and lacing on only its second day on did this Thanet-based pale bitter from just outside Ramsgate. A hoppy first hit from those Fuggles hops in it. A bitter hoppiness in the mouthfeel from the Goldings hops also used and lasting unlike the head and lacing which soon vanished on being served it. |
Wantsum - Montgomery (was SS Richard Montgomery) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Honey'd Brown Ale | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
Dark Revolution - Orbital | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
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