The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
10 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with some of the regulars in and fiddlers out the back.
Brew York - Maris the Otter | 3.90 | | Still holding its head and lacing on the 3rd night but minus the full flavouring in its carbonation. A certain degree of decanting was necessary to keep its head further down the glass. Still holding on to its maltiness and with a moreishly dry aftertaste. |
Rooster's - Easy-Going Assassin | 4.30 | | Arrived with head and lacing but soon lost it on only its second night on. Despite being packed with tropical fruits, it was only mildly fruity and with a dry finish to it. |
Mighty Oak - Yellow Snow | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Clementine Chameleon | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Homemade Salted Caramel Stout | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
09 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last 30 minutes of serving and for a cribbage tournament with another local pub's players visiting from West Greenwich.
Brew York - Maris the Otter | 3.90 | | 2nd night on. Strangely not holding good head and lacing for a new beer on. It actually had minimal head and lacing. All the regulars on it and so not hanging about and doubtful it will be on by Tuesday late evening and with Charlton FC at home at 7pm and so some may well sup it up after the game before I get out belatedly. Still flavoursome with a good maltiness from 5 different malts as in the governor's tasting notes. It had still a moreishly bitter mouthfeel lingering. |
Southwark - Homemade Salted Caramel Stout | 4.50 | | Only had a small sample. Been on since Saturday and reported to have no head and lacing by other regulars which I can confirm. A very sweet mouthfeel from the salted caramel and so did not do more than the taster. |
Mighty Oak - Yellow Snow | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
Rooster's - Easy-Going Assassin | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Clementine Chameleon | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
08 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Brew York - Clementine Chameleon | 4.10 | | Chore to finish as had no head, lacing or any carbonation. Poured flat |
Southwark - 10 Years Celebration IPA | 5.60 | | A poor celebration ale. Poured flat in the glass, surely not how brewer intended it |
Southwark - Homemade Salted Caramel Stout | 4.50 | | No life in the glass at all when would have expected natural carbonation, head and lacing to show off the unusual flavours |
Mighty Oak - Yellow Snow | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Maris the Otter | 3.90 | Not Tried | New cask came on late |
New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | Ran out |
08 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many a regular in. Good banter I engaged in with some occasional regulars too.
Brew York - Maris the Otter | 3.90 | | Fresh on and good head and lacing. Stuck to it for that reason. An old-school bitter from York with no added sweetness. Just a bitter taste in the mouthfeel. Slightly malty also but not overly from a whole five different malts involved, as referred to in the tasting notes, and with a pleasantly dry, oily aftertaste. Perfect pint or two was this one! As my dad would say, good beer is like fresh bread out of the oven and so liquid bread. With this superb bitter just on, it was working its magic. |
Mighty Oak - Yellow Snow | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | Ran out on placing my order for it. |
Brew York - Clementine Chameleon | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - 10 Years Celebration IPA | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Homemade Salted Caramel Stout | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
07 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for Saturday regulars for last 45 minutes of serving.
Southwark - 10 Years Celebration IPA | 5.60 | | Good head and lacing still on its second day. A lacklustre mouthfeel with an oily hoppiness in its aftertaste. |
New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 | | New on today but only had partial head and lacing. A good bitter mouthfeel with a dry aftertaste. |
Mighty Oak - Yellow Snow | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Clementine Chameleon | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - Homemade Salted Caramel Stout | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
06 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for usual Friday's regulars and for lasting 30 minutes of serving.
Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | | Reasonable head and lacing but not holding it for long and so multiple decantings came into force. A very dry first hit with a lingering maltiness in the aftertaste. |
Mighty Oak - Yellow Snow | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - The Union | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Lost Pier - Myld Stallyns | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Southwark - 10 Years Celebration IPA | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
05 Dec 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with many regulars in.
Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | | Good head and lacing in this Tottenham-based bitter. It grew on me as slightly medicinal when first tried a taster of it. It was no doubt its citrus notes came to the attack on my palette. It had a powerfully dry bitter aftertaste. |
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - The Union | 6.00 | | Good head and lacing on this Derbyshire-based brewery's IPA. A woody, resinous first hit. Not a sweet but an oily mouthfeel and a moreishly dry aftertaste. |
Lost Pier - Myld Stallyns | 3.40 | | Good head and lacing in this Brighton-based mild beer. A bittersweet mouthfeel and slightly too sweet for my liking. Light in colour and so looked like a bitter. |
Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
360° - Session IPA | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
05 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - The Union | 6.00 | | Slight loss of edge since yesterday but still no need to consider any other ale here tonight |
Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | Not Tried | Varied opinions from others about the drinkability of this ale tonight |
Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
360° - Session IPA | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Lost Pier - Myld Stallyns | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
04 Dec 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - The Union | 6.00 | | 4½* Not far from a 5 mark. Thornbridge quality, a mass of ingredients and the pub had kept this in the cellar for some weeks before broaching it |
Lost Pier - Myld Stallyns | 3.40 | | Good condition but a wishy washy nod to a mild style |
Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
360° - Session IPA | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Lost Pier - Lost in Citra | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
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 | |
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