While killing time before a dinner engagement with my wife, I had a pint of Bengal Lancer IPA on tap at The Bristol, a newish Toronto pub not too far from our house. Lancer is a Fuller's product,
brewed by Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC, in London, England. According
to the Fuller's website, it contains 5% alcohol (5.3% in the bottle).
My
pint arrived clear and golden, topped with a downy tuft of off-white
head. It had more malty aromatics than I was expecting, but overall the
nose was was spicily bitter. B.L. has a mild, well balanced flavour for
an IPA. It got the ball rolling with caramel and malt, before easing
into a gently bitter plateau. The hops flavour was not robust, certainly
not by IPA standards--it had an agrarian, faintly woodsy character.
Bengal
Lancer is a gateway IPA; the kind you'd start a neophyte beer drinker
out with, so as not to blow their tastebuds off when exploring the
style. Or maybe a fine brew to wash down some grub. It lacks the big
flavour, saucy hops, and formidable booze that I have come to expect
from an IPA. It's not a bad little beer, but it left me a bit
underwhelmed.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10.
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