July | 2013 | Beer Apprentice - Craft Beer News, Reviews, Interviews and Info.

Review of Fullers Bengal Lancer

What’s up guys? For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Fullers Bengal Lancer made by Fuller Smith & Turner PLC Brewery located in London, England.

We all know about Fullers, so let’s just get to the website, fullers.co.uk, and see what it has to say about this brew.

Bengal Lancer is an exciting, classic India Pale Ale from Fuller’s. Brewed to 5% ABV (5.3% in bottle), this ale has been inspired by the history and character of this traditional style of beer.

Bengal Lancer has returned to pumps for an extended period between Autumn 2012 and Spring 2013.

The beer is pale in colour, full-bodied with a distinctive hoppiness that marks it out as a true India Pale Ale.

Let’s pour.

This beer came in a 16.9 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 5.2% (according to the label on the bottle).

It discharged a relatively clear orange color. Just a smidgen of chill haze was to be had. The crown was barley off white, somewhat foamy and soft. The size was good and the retention time was solid. The lacing wasn’t the greatest, yet it wasn’t all that bad either. Mostly average I guess.

The nose releases some orange citrus with a solid backbone of caramel malt. A nice aroma of lightly toasted breads and biscuity scents contributed a roundness that I liked. I even thought that I detected a little bit of honey in there. All in all, not bad.

The flavor brought forth a slightly sweet touch of orange citrus, which had a low to medium bittering profile. Again, some toasted breads and light caramel along with some clean grains and cracker type malts kept things calm and balanced. Overall, the flavor tended to be a bit simple, yet it was good and harmonious. Sometimes simple is a good thing.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied. Quite smooth and slick with a semi-dry and crisp finish. The carbonation was of medium strength and an “ok” amount of flavor was left behind on the palate after each sip.

Well, this beer was solid for sure. It’s definitely not a “hop bomb” like American IPA’s, but it maintained enough bite and punch to make for a suitable drink for those hop lovers. The drinkability was excellent and I don’t think that it would be any problem to put a few of these down during a session at any point throughout the year. I’d drink it again that’s for sure. I’d also suggest picking it up if you see it on the shelf somewhere. It’s been a while since I last had a beer from Fullers, but with the satisfaction that I received from the Begal Lancer I may have to revisit some of their other products.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone. I really appreciate it.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 4.0 out of 5

Grade: B+

1 Comment

Posted by Beer Apprentice on July 31, 2013 in Country: England, Fullers

Review of De Blaugies/Hill Farmstead La Vermontoise

29 Jul

Hello everyone. Sorry for not posting any reviews over the last few weeks, but I’ve been dealing with some personal issues and didn’t have much time for writing. I hope that I can get back to posting on a regular basis now. Thanks for being patient. Well, I don’t want to bother you guys with that stuff. Let’s get to the review, what do ya say?

For today’s review I’m going to be trying the La Vermontoise produced in collaboration with Brasserie de Blaugies located in Blaugies, Belgium and the Hill Farmstead Brewery situated in Greensboro Bend, Vermont.

I jumped on the website, brasseriedeblaugies.com, and found the commercial description of this brew. Be sure to check out hillfarmstead.com as well to read about some of their other concoctions while you’re at it.

Our new beer “The Vermont” beer developed and manufactured together with our American friend Shaun Hill, whose brewery “Hillfarmstead” is located in Greensboro, Vermont, USA.

We exchanged expertise on malt, spelled, American hops.

Alright. I can’t wait to try this thing.

This beer came in a 25.4 oz. bottle and it possessed an ABV of 6.0%.

It poured a hazy, golden/yellow color with a huge, rocky, soapy and soft white head. The retention time was outstanding and the lacing was patchy, clingy and cobweb”y”. This beer looked quite nice I thought.

The nose was absolutely beautiful. Tones of lemon citrus and lemongrass intermingled with hints of musty hay and slight barnyards wafts. A lot of that great Belgian yeast mixed with aromatics of spicy peppercorns. Fragrances of breads, crackers and/or wafers coalesced with floral scents toward the end to complete this complex and gorgeous bouquet. Overall, it wasn’t overly robust or loud, but it was perfectly balanced in my opinion.

The flavor released a lot of that lemon citrus. It was quickly followed by some crisp crackers, fresh grasses and some splendid Belgian yeast and funk. The flavors seemed a little more forthcoming. The peppery spice was a tad bit stronger as well. The malt was somewhat sweet too. Again, very complex, splendid and world-class to my taste buds.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied. Very dry, crisp, refreshing, thirst quenching and slightly bitey. The carbonation was medium strength and a touch of warmth was felt from the pepper. A great deal of flavor was left drenching the palate long after each sip. I was able to enjoy all of the characteristics for quite some time after the swallow.

This was a great freaking beer!!! One of the best I’ve had in a quite some time to be honest. I should have grabbed two bottles. It’s easily one of the best Saison/Farmhouse Ales I’ve had to date. It was extremely well made, balanced and super easy to drink. It was well-defined and complex in both the aroma and the taste. I’d highly recommend that you guys try the De Blaugies/Hill Farmstead La Vermontoise if you have the opportunity. I have no doubt that you guys will love it. Especially during the warmer months and if you appreciate this kind of style. Anyway, if you do taste it be sure to leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d love to hear your opinion.

Thanks for reading everyone. I really appreciate it.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 4.65 out of 5

Grade: A+