The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
27 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Mighty Oak - Gorgeous George | 4.20 |  | Very malty |
Oakham - Invicta (collaboration with Ramsgate Gadds') | 4.30 |  | Seemed totally Oakham to me with same old Oakham traits |
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Fenton | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
26 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Elusive - Overdrive (Lap 30: Talus, Simcoe & Amarillo) | 5.50 |  | A heady APA |
Lost Pier - When Nothing Goes Right, Go Left | 4.50 |  | Tasty but lacking head and lacing |
Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 |  | Thin gruel with hardly any head or lacing |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
25 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many regulars in and even some fiddlers in their allotted backroom area.
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 |  | Now its third night on and still very good head and lacing on this Peterborough-based American brown ale. A superbly malty first hit and reminding me of Bovril! A sweetness then coming to the fore and a black pepper or two getting you in the aftertaste. |
Lost Pier - When Nothing Goes Right, Go Left | 4.50 |  | Very good head and lacing on this Brighton-based pale as fresh on today and holding to the end. A dry hoppy first hit. An oily hoppiness in the mouthfeel and with a maltiness adding a layer of sweetness to the flavourings and lingering. |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 |  | Been on since Saturday and so only needed a slight decant or two to wake up the head and lacing on this Cornwall-based porter from Penryn. A malty mouthfeel with chocolate and coffee flavourings mixed with caramel, prunes and raisins. An interesting mix and so a mere half sufficed but very moreish. |
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 |  | Its 3rd night on and holding its head and lacing well. A somewhat sharp first hit! A bitterness intermingling with a fruity hoppiness from the German hops. The Italian collaboration with Berkshire-based Siren Craft Brew was an interesting one to sample here and where the same German hops are used for the Italian brew or two. A sharpness pervaded the moreishly dry aftertaste. |
Elusive - Overdrive (Lap 30: Talus, Simcoe & Amarillo) | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
23 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with usual Sunday faces in.
Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 |  | Only its second night on but the place opens early afternoon on a Sunday and so I asked how this Berkshire-based bitter, outside Wokingham, was doing and the barman told me it was nearly out and so bought a few before he then took it off. Still great head and lacing and lasting. A bitter and hoppy first hit rolled into one. A dry and moreishly bitter mouthfeel lingered into its aftertaste with just a hint of sweetness from its citrus-infusions. Many others had also enjoyed it that night as I was told. |
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 |  | This Peterborough-based American brown ale was fresh on today and holding its head and lacing very well. A very dry first hit and a malty mouthfeel. A dryness pervaded its aftertaste along with a degree of fruitiness and touches of spice and cinnamon. |
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Northern Monk - Sup | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 | Not Tried | An Italian bitter which replaced the Memento. |
23 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 |  | Little head or lacing |
Oakham - Three in a Row | 4.00 |  | Very good ABA |
Siren Craft - Circle Back (collaboration with Birrificio Italiano) | 4.40 |  | Cask just put on. Good condition but unspectacular taste |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | Not Tried | Ran out |
Northern Monk - Sup | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
22 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last 45 minutes of serving and after a somewhat delayed and re-routed trip back from Faversham and so ready to quench my newly found thirst.
Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 |  | Fresh on and very good head and lacing and literally foaming was this Berkshire-based bitter from south-west of Wokingham. A thirst-quenching bitterness in the first hit. A moreishly bitter mouthfeel with a maltiness coming to the fore with biscuit and caramel flavourings. A slightly citrusy aftertaste with a long-lasting dry hoppiness. This one had replaced the Bexley ruby bitter which had just gone off before I got in and so well timed. |
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Northern Monk - Sup | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Burnthouse | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
20 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many a regular in and the more occasional visitor as well.
360° - Harvest Moon | 5.00 |  | Fresh on this evening and very good head and lacing and lasting on this East Sussex green hop amber ale from east of Haywards Heath. A dry first hit. A fruity and bitter mouthfeel with a malty dryness living on. A late green hopped beer from the end of last summer with malt varieties added to it and then allowed to ferment for longer than your usual green hop pale. |
Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 |  | Served with good head and lacing but not holding it for long on this Erith-based ruby bitter. I was told it was only its second night on having put in a late appearance on Wednesday. A malty first hit and a bitterness came to the fore in the mouthfeel. Could taste a touch of sweetness from its biscuit and caramel flavourings but its bitterness lingered. It had a slight kick to it. A further pint required much decanting to bring it back to life. |
Kent - Twelfth Night | 7.40 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Keras | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
Lost Pier - Resting Beach Face | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
20 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
360° - Harvest Moon | 5.00 |  | A 2025 green hop ale before the hops have even started growing! |
Kent - Twelfth Night | 7.40 |  | Just a half knowing how long it had been on |
Lost Pier - Resting Beach Face | 3.80 |  | Bordering on horrible. Might have been better if had any real condition |
Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Keras | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
18 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Oakham - Cohort | 4.00 |  | Zesty but simply a variant on a standard Oakham theme |
Kent - Twelfth Night | 7.40 |  | Tired |
Iron Pier - Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Lost Pier - Killer Man Poirot | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Lost Pier - Resting Beach Face | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
18 Mar 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Not overly busy for the last 30 minutes of serving but there were more regulars in and fiddlers in their allotted back area than the previous Tuesday when still very cold at night.
Kent - Twelfth Night | 7.40 |  | Good head and lacing when first served on this dark ale from Birling just outside West Malling, Kent. A fruit-infused body presented itself with a dry maltiness persisting. A few decants became necessary to wake it and for the time I was ready to end on this barley wine of a dark ale. |
Oakham - Cohort | 4.00 |  | Fresh on and so as you would expect, good head and lacing presented itself on this Peterborough pale. A very hoppy first hit mixed with a slight fruitiness. It also had a slight kick to it from all those citrusy infusions from oranges, tropical fruits and red berries. Hardly surprisingly, it had a very packed fruity mouthfeel but mixed with a sweet biscuity maltiness. A moreishly dry hoppy aftertaste lingered on. |
Iron Pier - Bitter | 4.00 |  | Not as good as when on Sunday in terms of its head and lacing on this Northfleet bitter from just outside Gravesend. A first hit of a malty dryness. It had now developed a slight bite to it in the mouthfeel. Perhaps it was those spicy hops rearing their hoppy heads at me! Should have been prepared as had a mild curry-like home-cooked concoction indoors before setting out. A slightly sweetish aftertaste but a malty bitterness won through. One definitely sufficed. |
Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Lost Pier - Killer Man Poirot | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Lost Pier - Resting Beach Face | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
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