Easy Rider
Kelham Island Brewery

 

Bottle conditioned. Clear straw with a thick billowy head. Lively effervescence in the glass.
A mainly citrus hop aroma.
Tastes of lemon, light grain, some caramel and a bit of stewed veg.
Light body. Vibrant carbonation.
Quite refreshing. Standard English Blonde Ale.

 

500ml brown glass bottle.
L: Light haze, yellow colour, one finger of long-lasting head.
S: Lemony.
T: Also lemony. Plus pale malt and some butter. Moderate bitterness.
F: Smooth and slick and dry.
O: Pretty basic golden ale. Refreshing on a hot day. Would benefit from less diacetyl.

Bottled and I take it an unexpected delivery as it was on the shelf on its own
Pours a wheat coloured body with good white head
Aroma is yeasty with crushed barley
Flavour is malt heavy

 

A 500ml bottle with a BB of Dec 2013. Picked up from a supermarket a while back. Described on the label as a blonde ale with a hint of citrus.

Poured into a straight pint glass. A golden colour with faint haze and light carbonation. Forms a small head of white foam that disappears after a minute or two. Aroma of light caramel malt with hints of mild grain, ale yeast, a slight fruitiness and a significant whiff of buttery diacetyl. Not the most appealing nose.

Tastes of light, grainy malt with a mild finish. Notes of subtle grain, faint caramel, weak floral hints, fruity ale yeast, a whisper of stewed leaves and a smothering dose of diacetyl. Well-attenuated, with a delicate bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with soft carbonation and decent body. Somewhat astringent, followed by an aftertaste of butter, harsh stewed leaves and faint yeast.

Not brilliant, in fact it's hard to judge this ale's character with such an intense diacetyl presence. A major flaw - extra maturation required. Looks OKish, but the aroma and flavour leave much to be desired. The light character doesn't help. Body is alright. Hopefully this is just a batch issue, but in this state I can't recommend it.

Brown 500ml bottle, just out of date by one month, supposed to be stored and served at 12C degrees, this one started off a bit cooler.

Poured into a standard pint glass in my garden on a boilingly hot day.

Very pale, not clear, a slightly hazey body with a thin white head. A few bubbles rising, but not many.

Hoppy aroma, with some earthiness and grass thrown in. As the sun warmed the beer a citrus smell could also be detected, grapefuit and lemons, but not a sour odour, more of an aromatic savoury, smell.

The citrus was in the taste from the start, as were the hops. Barley and wheat used in the brew, hence the almost negligible cloudy appearance. A good bitterness and a certain tartness in the aftertaste let you know this is a good pale ale.

The label claims it is a more refreshing version of their top selling 'Pale Rider'. I can't argue with that, because this is exactly as they say. I have had 'Pale Rider' on draught many times and have a bottle waiting to be reviewed in the garage.

A very pleasant beer from a well thought of brewery (in the CAMRA world).

(From notes)

A - Transparent golden color; thin, white head with a few bubbles in the mix. Wonderful lacing throughout the sample

S - Nice mild hop bitterness, with some maltiness in the nose. Fresh and a bit citrusy.

T - Great hop bittnerness up front with the citrus flavors given away in the nose. Like some US summer ale interpretations, with some tartness in the finish

M - Slickish in MF, with next to no carbonation (cask offering)

D - Very drinkable brew, and pretty refreshing actually.

Overall, this could have been a bit more balanced as the flavors didn't necessarily meld together at all points in the sample. However, it was a pleasant surprise and a brew I wouldn't mind revisiting.

Tasted by a half pint at the Swim Inn, a JDW pub on West Street, Sheffield, on 16/04/2007. Served by a sparkler-fitted hand pump.

A: 95% clarity, dark-yellowish straw in colour, coming with a well lasting creamy froth on top.
S: a light dose of sweet lemony fruits & freshly-cut grass, on top of mildly scented biscuity malts with a wee bit of buttery note. Refreshingly hoppy and fruity, suggesting a mixture of English and German hops, but I’m not quite sure.
T: a vertically-structured flavour manifests itself form the beginning – zesty bitterness, dryish hops, and citrus fruits are backed by a faint trace of savoury-sweet wheat-malts and yeasts… the bitter undercurrent in the long aftertaste cuts deep and wide on the palate, while enough amount of pale malts serve to retain a balance, with a light but lingering aroma of crushed water-biscuits to carry the weight of hop bitterness.
M&D: for a Bitter, the texture is almost “crisp”, with lively yet soft carbonation filling the mouthfeel. Overall, when served fresh like this, this is a more-ish Blond Bitter that attests the quality of craft-brewing of Kelham Island!