The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
03 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with some Charlton FC supporters in after an evening home-game, plus some of the usual regulars in and fiddlers out the back.
Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | | Very good head and lacing as only the second night on. A very bitter first hit with a strange mixture of tastes from hops with grassy, herbal and citrus notes according to the tasting notes. You are left with a lingering dryness and very moreish. |
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - The Union | 6.00 | | Good head and lacing. A dry but sweet mouthfeel with some fruitiness involved such as berries. According to the tasting notes, it has cedar-like hop aromas to balance the maltiness. A woody flavour did also come through. |
360° - Session IPA | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Mighty Oak - Top Hat | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Lost Pier - Lost in Citra | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Lost Pier - Myld Stallyns | 3.40 | Not Tried | A mild. |
Redemption - Townend Farm Green Hop Cascade | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
01 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall but for a few Sunday regulars in for last 30 minutes of serving.
Mighty Oak - Captain Bob | 3.80 | | Good head and lacing to begin with but decanting needed towards the end. A very malty first hit with a lingeringly dry mouthfeel. |
Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Pineapple Head | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Mighty Oak - Top Hat | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Townend Farm Green Hop Cascade | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
01 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Mighty Oak - Top Hat | 4.30 | | Flavoursome but lacking the condition to make it a great mouth feel |
Mighty Oak - Captain Bob | 3.80 | | Lacklustre - drank with hardly noticing |
Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Pineapple Head | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Townend Farm Green Hop Cascade | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
30 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 45 minutes of serving with many a Saturday regular in.
Mighty Oak - Captain Bob | 3.80 | | Very good head and lacing. Slightly fruity first hit with a sweet mouthfeel and a lingering dryness. |
Mighty Oak - Top Hat | 4.30 | | A head and lacing to begin with but soon disappeared. A dry first hit with the merest hint of chocolate in this porter with a malty aftertaste. |
Redemption - Townend Farm Green Hop Cascade | 3.80 | | Minimal head and lacing. Quickly lost it. A chewy sort of mouthfeel with a touch of citrus fruits. One sufficed. |
Pig & Porter - Jumping Frog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Pineapple Head | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Stardust - Easy Pale Idaho 7 | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
28 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many a regular in.
Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | | Also new on and so a good frothy head and lacing. A very malty first hit. Not sweet at all despite being described in the notes as biscuity with caramel flavouring. It held its head and lacing well but towards the end it was encouraged by a couple of decants. A bitter aftertaste prevailed. |
Stardust - Easy Pale Idaho 7 | 3.80 | | New on and so good head and lacing but not much of a flavour in the mouthfeel. Not sure I got its fruity aroma as described in the tasting notes either. |
Mighty Oak - Wonkey Donkey | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
New Bristol - My Nelson Romance | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
360° - Double Decker | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
28 Nov 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Grim choices and after two halves moved to cider.
Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | | New cask on today, great head just not to my taste. Grim range tonight here pushed me to move to cider |
Stardust - Easy Pale Idaho 7 | 3.80 | | Clean tasting, new cask today |
Mighty Oak - Wonkey Donkey | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
New Bristol - My Nelson Romance | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
360° - Double Decker | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
27 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall with just a few regulars in for last 30 minutes of serving.
Mighty Oak - Wonkey Donkey | 4.30 | | Good head and lacing. Only its first night on. First hit was a sweet one from the floral and herbal flavouring. Good conditioning with a wholesome, full-bodied mouthfeel lingering. |
Oakham - Sunset | 5.30 | | 3rd night on and holding its head and lacing well. A resinous mouthfeel with a hint of maltiness in its moreish aftertaste. |
Oakham - Cool Eyes | 3.40 | | 2nd night on for me and still a good head and lacing. First hit was hoppiness with a fruity mouthfeel and a lasting dryness. |
Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
New Bristol - My Nelson Romance | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
360° - Double Decker | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
27 Nov 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Mighty Oak - Wonkey Donkey | 4.30 | | Really failed to offer the flavours in the tasting notes |
New Bristol - My Nelson Romance | 4.50 | | Condition good, flavour profile bland |
Oakham - Sunset | 5.30 | | A tasty full bodied brew |
Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Cool Eyes | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
360° - Double Decker | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
26 Nov 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy with some of the regulars in and fiddlers out the back for last 30 minutes of serving.
Oakham - Sunset | 5.30 | | Very good head and lacing like the Oakham "Cool Eyes". First hit of slight sweetness with a dry, oily aftertaste that is a bit like many of the recent green hop beers I have sampled. |
Oakham - Cool Eyes | 3.40 | | Very good head and lacing. First hit of dryness with a mildly fruity mouthfeel. It had a dry, moreish aftertaste. |
360° - Double Decker | 4.90 | | Good creamy head and lacing in this milk stout. A sweet, minty mouthfeel like an After Eight Chocolate and so with a lingeringly sweet aftertaste. One half sufficed. |
Kent - The Quiet American | 4.20 | | Almost last out of the barrel and so only with a slight head and lacing. Minus the conditioning that would come with above. Not much flavour and basically very flat. |
Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
26 Nov 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Oakham - Sunset | 5.30 | | A strong full bodied citrus pale |
Oakham - Cool Eyes | 3.40 | | Good but thin gruel |
360° - Double Decker | 4.90 | | Vanilla dominated - fresh on today |
Southwark - Bermondsey Best | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Kent - The Quiet American | 4.20 | Not Tried | Ageing |
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