The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
12 Nov 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Irish fiddlers in back room seem teetotal from drinks being bought (or not).
Vale - Red Kite | 4.30 | | Always wary of red ales as being overly malty but this was a good traditional bitter |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Stour Valley Gold | 4.20 | | Very zingy golden ale which held head and lacing well |
Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Pardoner's Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Bexley - Spike Island | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
Little Monster - Yul | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
10 Nov 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Five Points - Green Hop Cascade | 3.70 | | A very zesty green hopper - good enough to have a second one |
Bexley - Spike Island | 5.30 | | Poured flat, impossible to revive with multiple decantings so a chore to finish. Imagine this would be a grand ale with decent condition |
Bexley - Golden Acre | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Kaleidoscope | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Bexley - Old Mill Autumn Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
10 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving and minus usual Sunday evening barman who sets music theme and this time, history, which is then carried over to his next Sunday on. Wishing him well.
Bexley - Old Mill Autumn Ale | 4.50 | | 3rd night on. Still got the head and lacing. Sweet mouthfeel with the odd toffee and caramel flavouring. Very malty aftertaste and one pint sufficed. |
Bexley - Spike Island | 5.30 | | Still holding its flavours of coffee and chocolate third night on. But little head and lacing but restored with multiple decantings. Left with a lingering bitterness. |
Five Points - Green Hop Cascade | 3.70 | | Good head and lacing. Also third night on. A very oily first hit with a very dry, moreish mouthfeel and a piney aftertaste. |
Bexley - Golden Acre | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Kaleidoscope | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Pupa | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
09 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for regulars and not so "regular" regulars for last 40 minutes of serving.
Bexley - Old Mill Autumn Ale | 4.50 | | 2nd night on and in good form with head and lacing. A malty and sweet first hit. A pleasantly very bitter aftertaste for my pallet. |
Bexley - Spike Island | 5.30 | | Good head and lacing for its second night on but needed a gentle decant to restore some of it. Wonderful subtle chocolatey and coffee flavours throughout with a bitter aftertaste. |
Bexley - Golden Acre | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Kaleidoscope | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Five Points - Green Hop Cascade | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
08 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for Friday's last 30 minutes of serving.
Bexley - Old Mill Autumn Ale | 4.50 | | Fresh on and a very lively head and lacing. A pleasantly not sweet mouthfeel despite the toffee and caramel flavours. A moreishly very bitter aftertaste. |
Bexley - Spike Island | 5.30 | | Very good head and lacing on its first night on. On the first mouthfeel, a slight sweetness from its chocolatey coffee flavours but a pleasantly bitter aftertaste. |
Five Points - Green Hop Cascade | 3.70 | | Fresh on and good head and lacing. Hoppy throughout. A lingeringly dry mouthfeel. |
Bexley - Golden Acre | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Kaleidoscope | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
07 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 40 minutes of serving with many a regular in.
Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | | Good head and lacing to start with. 2nd night on and a good hoppy mouthfeel. Had to decant as time moved on to waken up the head and lacing. Slightly citrusy and resinous with a pleasantly dry aftertaste. |
Mighty Oak - Maldon Gold | 3.80 | | Good head and lacing but lacked much flavouring to my taste-buds. One sufficed as a touch too watery. |
Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Bexley - Golden Acre | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
New Bristol - Coffee & Biscotti Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Kent - No Kinda Plan | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
07 Nov 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Bexley - Golden Acre | 4.00 | | Good condition as a new cask on but underwhelming otherwise for flavour |
Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | | Very little condition in my glass yet others raved over it! |
Kent - No Kinda Plan | 4.90 | | Something lost since yesterday's, in fact quite a fall from grace |
Mighty Oak - Maldon Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
New Bristol - Coffee & Biscotti Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
06 Nov 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Kent - No Kinda Plan | 4.90 | | Consensus amongst most customers tonight that this was an excellent zesty bitter with fine head and lacing until the last drop |
Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | | One of my favourite Kent ales |
Mighty Oak - Maldon Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Five Points - Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
New Bristol - Coffee & Biscotti Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
05 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with the fiddlers out the back and a number of Tuesday regulars in.
Mighty Oak - Maldon Gold | 3.80 | | Superb head and lacing. A real bite in the first tasting with a very dry, hoppy mouthfeel. No fruits at all appeared to be harmed in the making of this as not a hint of fruitiness. Just a spicy flavour lingered. |
Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | | A good head and lacing on this ruby ale. A bitterness in the mouthfeel to die for! Slightly too sweet for my liking with a treacle-infused aroma about it. A very pleasantly malty aftertaste. |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
New Bristol - Coffee & Biscotti Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Kent - No Kinda Plan | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Original Pale Ale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
03 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 40 minutes of serving and for return of the Sunday music-themed evening and where you can bring your own requests matching a pre-announced theme decided the week before.
Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | | Good head and lacing. A very citrusy first hit and so living up to its name. A dry, hoppy mouthfeel with a lingering sharpness. A bit like a dry cider but not drunk one of these for years now. |
New Bristol - Coffee & Biscotti Stout | 5.00 | | Woke it up with a single decanting after it had been sitting for some 30 minutes after first bell for final serving was rung. Head and lacing reappeared on it. A very good coffee-infused first hit and not overly sweet but just the one sufficed. |
Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | | Not a lot of head and lacing and what was there soon evaporated. A spicy flavoured bitter with a honey-infused hoppiness. |
Five Points - Green Hop Goldings | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Vibrant Forest - Paper Room | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Original Pale Ale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
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