Lance
Keltek Brewing Company Ltd

500ml bottle.
L: Fine haze, rich golden colour, thick & long-lasting head.
S: Light caramel.
T: Almost citrus up-front with some of the honey to be expected in a golden ale but trad English leafy hops appear in the finish. Low bitterness and a hefty dose of buttery diacetyl.
F: A little sharp. Otherwise, thin and listless.
O: ‘Champion Cornish Beer’? No, I don’t think so. Very disappointed with this. Sure, it’s light and easy-going but the unpleasant mouthfeel, excessive diacetyl and overly light hopping did nothing for me, even though I’m a fan of this style.

 

500 mL bottle picked up at TBS; best before Sept 2016 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a medium golden colour, slightly hazy, and topped off with one finger of foamy, bone white-coloured head. It vanishes over the next 60 seconds or so, dissipating unabated until only a thin collar and wispy surface film remain. The aroma includes notes of doughy bread and grains, along with sponge toffee, diacetyl, floral hops and fruit preserves (I'm leaning towards apricot). Decidedly English in character.

A proper session bitter, though not necessarily the cream of the crop. Well-balanced, light flavour profile that focuses on notes of bready, doughy pale malts with some wheaty, grainy sweetness. Hints of toffee and marmalade mid-sip. Traditional British hop flavours come through on the back end, serving as a delicate counterpoint and imparting some leafy, floral notes at the finish. Weakly bitter, with a mineral note in the aftertaste. Light in body, with mild carbonation levels that gently prickle the palate; feels a little watery, but at 4% there's not much that can be done about that. Quite refreshing and moderately tasty - this is something that I could conceivably drink multiples of in a row.

Final Grade: 3.64, a B grade. Keltek's Lance Golden Ale should prove quite satisfactory to most fans of English-style pale ales/bitters, as well as to CAMRA veterans looking for something that is both sessionable and reasonably flavourful. This beer isn't something I'd go out of my way to obtain more of, but it's a serviceable example of the style with no crippling flaws. Worth a try for the curious, but your socks will not be knocked off.

Golden Lance sounds fierce and boisterous but in actuality it's a soft daisy yellow colour and has a dulled, flat appearance lacking in both head and confidence. Given Keltek is a CAMRA award winning brewery I shouldn't be surprised by the absence of carbonation or the pale, faintly hazed complexion.

Despite the label's claim, I wouldn't go so far as to say the ale has a "citrus bias". And, if I hadn't read it ahead of time, I wouldn't have guessed that whole hops were used. But given how poorly low-alcohol English pale ales travel in the bottle, I'm inclined to again give Keltek the benefit of the doubt.

That said, I can't do the same for scores. What I'm smelling is primarily a dry, almost cardboard-like malt and trace amounts of yeast and diacetyl (both of which are acceptable, mind you, but not exactly as enticing as tropical fruit or fresh-cut flowers). Biscuits and cookie-dough run this bouquet.

Just as some people enjoy Saison with a little light-struck skunkiness, Imperial Stouts that taste as though they contain actual burnt malt, or Barleywines with a slightly oxidized characteristic, I have no issue drinking British ales touched with diacetyl. In fact, I often find it odd when it's missing.

Which is why this overtly buttery flavour doesn't bother me as much as it might other North Americans. The background notes of honeycomb, toffee, and wafer remind me of proper tea-time snacks. And, while it's not citrus skin and pine resin, there is enough 'greenness' in those hops to keep sweetness at bay.

Lance Golden Ale is a predictable, pedestrian British pale. If you enjoy the style and value consistency and true-to-style character, you'll likely buy more than just the one bottle. If that lighter, more austere 'bread, butter, toffee and minerals' profile bores you, then maybe look elsewhere. I enjoyed my pint!

 

 

A 500ml bottle with a BB of Nov 2013. Picked up a little while back from a B&M store.

Poured into a tulip pint glass. A clear golden-amber colour with light carbonation. Forms a smallish head of white foam that hangs around for a minute or two before dissipating. Aroma of mild caramel malt, fruity ale yeast, husk, grass/hay, faint floral notes and subtle stewed hops. A whisper of sulphur in the background. Balanced but average.

Tastes of light caramel malt with a dry, leafy finish. Notes of mild caramel, faint husky grain, fruity ale yeast, grass/hay, subtle floral hints and stewed hops. Well-attenuated, with a touch of cardboard in the background. A restrained bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with soft carbonation and decent body. Slightly astringent, followed by an aftertaste of stewed leaves, mild cardboard and earthiness.

So-so; a pretty average ale. Lacklustre looks, while the aroma and flavour are dull and uninspired. OK body, but could be more lively. Balanced and would go down alright on a hot day, but there's little here to hold your attention. No need to seek it out.

Pint at the Sun Carshalton.

A: Golden, hazy, one finger head, moderate lacing.

S: Very doughy, like the freshly proved mixture, some rye.

T: Meaty, smokey, rye, spelt.

M: Medium body, low carbonation, smooth.

O: Hard to figure out, not that great, slightly tired

Bottled and bottle conditioned
A pale amber pour with a thin white head; biscuity malt aroma; sweet biscuity taste with some caramel; and a light spicy bitterness. A basic golden ale.

Beautiful color : blonde - orange and slightly hazy. White foam, but not particularly abundant (and falls quickly), even though average compact.
At the smell you can perceive immediately a sharp orange marmalade, a light floral (probably white flowers), mellow and delicate that doesn’t stay long, unfortunately.
Even the taste is still the orange marmalade the principal note, with a malty that balances and does not invade, thanks to a hop in background that tends to citrus citric and a little peppery too.
Also in the aftertaste you have to pick up the same notes with the addition of a delightful tangerine in the end that makes it nice and "summery". Definitely a beer refreshing and pleasant.