The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
13 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Like Thursday people are back and so busy for last 30 minutes of serving.
Tonbridge - Ebony Moon | 4.20 | | Still got good conditioning with it being 2nd night on for me. Chocolate hits you on first tasting and with a lovely bitterness then remaining with you. |
Tonbridge - Coppernob | 3.80 | | In very good condition as fresh on today. Sharp, fruity flavours with a long-lasting hoppiness. |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Wantsum - Hurricane | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Castle Rock - A Love Supreme | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Milestone - XX Anniversary Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
12 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last 40 minutes of serving. People are back from their summer holidays.
Tonbridge - Ebony Moon | 4.20 | | Good head and lacing. Does not overpower you with chocolatey flavours and leaves you with a bitter aftertaste and so very moreish. |
Tonbridge - India Pale Ale | 4.80 | | Good head. Hits you on first sip with applely crispness and leaves you with a lingering dry bitterness. |
Five Points - Best | 4.10 | | Very good head and lacing. Fruity mouthfeel and lingering hoppiness. |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Castle Rock - A Love Supreme | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Milestone - XX Anniversary Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
12 Sep 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Tonbridge - Ebony Moon | 4.20 | | Even better once decanted between 2 pint glasses to add faux condition |
Five Points - Best Fuggles Hops | 4.10 | | Held little head or lacing |
Milestone - XX Anniversary Ale | 4.50 | | Lots of zest and zing to the mouthfeel |
Tonbridge - India Pale Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Castle Rock - A Love Supreme | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
08 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last 40 minutes of serving.
Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 | | A good head and lacing. Spicy flavours but not overly so with a hoppy lingering mouthfeel. Much enjoyed and so stuck to it on this visit. |
Vibrant Forest - Black Forest | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Bankside Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Park - Poets' Corner | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Park - Goodnight Pete English IPA | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Little Monster - Yul | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Bewdley - Baldwin IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
08 Sep 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 | | Reasonable head and lacing |
Little Monster - Yul | 4.60 | | Nothing like the 4* Yul I had last week at Star & Garter, Bromley |
Bewdley - Baldwin IPA | 4.20 | | Bordering on poor. Poured flat, no natural carbonation. Chore to finish |
Vibrant Forest - Black Forest | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Bankside Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Park - Poets' Corner | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Park - Goodnight Pete English IPA | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
07 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving.
Tonbridge - Countryman | 4.00 | | Fine carbonation and lacing. Malty mouthfeel and slightly sharp with fruity flavours. |
Bewdley - Baldwin IPA | 4.20 | | Good head and fruity flavours with a dry, hoppy aftertaste. |
Vibrant Forest - Black Forest | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Bankside Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Park - Poets' Corner | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Park - Goodnight Pete English IPA | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Little Monster - Yul | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
06 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busier than usual for last 30 minutes of serving as a local's birthday outing ended here.
Iron Pier - Bitter | 4.00 | | 2nd night on and still a good head and an immediate bitter mouthfeel. |
Vibrant Forest - Black Forest | 4.90 | | Fresh on for this Friday's visit and had a head when poured and presented with but vanished some 10 minutes later when ready to try this half of porter. Slightly fizzy on the tongue and medicinal tasting as in sour. It was helped down with a bread roll of spicy sausage and tomato. |
Five Points - Gold | 3.40 | | Not what it was the evening before as had possibly the last one out of the barrel this time around but still with conditioning but lacklustre in fruity taste. |
Southwark - Bankside Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Park - Poets' Corner | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Park - Goodnight Pete (collaboration with Padstow) | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
05 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy on visit for last 40 minutes of serving.
Iron Pier - Bitter | 4.00 | | Fresh on and a good head and very malty to the bottom of the glass but also slightly sharp. |
Five Points - Gold | 3.40 | | Fresh on with fine foamy head, crisp and applely to taste with a sweet mouthfeel. |
Oakham - Green Devil IPA Cask Aged | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Park - Poets' Corner | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Dark Mild | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Cloud | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
05 Sep 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 | | Strength helps it hold on after some days |
Iron Pier - Bitter | 4.00 | | Very ordinary |
Park - Poets' Corner | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Five Points - Gold | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Dark Mild | 3.00 | Not Tried | Hanging on somehow |
Oakham - Cloud | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
03 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall, including a few fiddlers out in the backroom, for last 30 minutes of serving.
Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | | I thought I would give this one another go since trying it on Sunday. Such a good head and less medicinal than on Sunday by a long way but malty to the "nth degree", as you could not have packed more malt into it if you tried! Think also of chestnuts in a soup for this one, a splash of honey and liberal sprinklings of lavender. A few hours later and I was not sure I would hold it down but my stomach accepted it after all. |
Oakham - Green Devil IPA Cask Aged | 6.00 | | Just a half sufficed due to its extra gravity. Very sweet on first tasting with tropical fruit flavours but a fine bitter aftertaste. |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Rosherville Red | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Dark Mild | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
Little Monster - Apprentice in a Box | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
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