North East Beer Review

A brewery from everyone’s favourite bargain brewery which is available in everyone’s favourite bargain shop. Lovelane Brewery is a craft brewery owned by the same owners as Home Bargains whom happens to be turning 50 years old. Golden Oldie appears to be the brew to celebrate this occasion. Being a staple of British High Street, it is only natural to have been a British Golden Ale using British ingredients. So what did i think? During the course of this review I will cover the history of this beer and brewery, the pour, the taste and aroma, and finally my verdict.

A brewery that fits into the Home Bargains Model

LoveLane Brewery was founded in 2010 and is positioned as one of Liverpool’s modern craft beer icons. LoveLane originally was brewed under the railway arch on Love Lane, which inspired the name of this brewery. In 2016, the brewery moved into a derelict former rubber factory within the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool.

By 2017, LoveLane opened up a working brewery, taproom and bars, event space and kitchen. As part of keeping with Liverpool’s brewing heritage, the brewery also brews Higson’s Brewery which has roots all the way to 1780.

In 2024, Lovelane was bought and saved by White Real Estate which is associated with Tom Morris, the owner and founder of Home Bargains. This means no middlemen, no cuts taken from supermarkets and no distributor margins. It directly fits into Home Bargains model of large scale which often can mean a lower cost. This can involve keeping the ingredients cheap, sell a high volume and keeping overheads low. This is the home bargains model which due to its relationship with LoveLane, you can see why the beer is cheap. However, that doesn’t always mean bad beer though, most likely making craft beer more accessible to those more casual drinkers.

Golden Oldie is a 4% English Golden Ale which was brewed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Home Bargains, which first opened in Liverpool in 1976 under the name Home and Bargain. The beer pays homage to classic British golden ales while also recognising the shared Liverpool roots of both companies. The beer is brewed using Maris Otter, Munich and Wheat malts alongside a hop profile of Cascade UK, Goldings and Magnum hops. This is marketed as giving a floral citrus aroma alongside a subtle malt sweetness and clean finish. This is a great brew for those who are both seasoned craft/real ale drinkers and those who are casual drinkers and shoppers.

A bright and golden pour

Golden Oldie pours a bright, clear golden colour with excellent clarity, showcasing the classic appearance expected of an English Golden Ale. A bubbly white head forms which somewhat sticks around, thus leaving a fine degree of lacing down the glass. Streams of carbonation give this beer a lively appearance. Overall, this a clean and quite inviting English ale.

A gentle and malty character

Aroma

Golden Oldie opens with a clean aroma with the likes of earthy hop notes being the most present. This is complemented by subtle citrus zests. Beneath the hops, lies a soft malt backbone, offering aromas of freshly baked biscuit, light bread and a touch of honey. As the beer warms notes of herbal aromas rise. Leading to a balanced and quite relatively aromatic experience.

Taste

The first sip of Golden Oldie delivers a smooth malt character reminiscent of biscuit and lightly toasted bread. The hop inclusions offer a citrus flavour of orange which is accompanied by an earthy note. A slight herbal bitterness offered a moderate refreshing touch. The finish was clean and dry but left you wanting more. The mouthfeel was light to medium bodied. Although this was easy drinking and offered a generally nice flavour, this was really lacking in depth or anything at all really.

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Time for my verdict

Overall, I feel the same way I do about almost all Lovelane brews. You get what you pay for. Are they cheap as chips? Yes! Does flavour sometimes lack? Also Yes!. However, I also try and back the brewery as they give more casual drinkers or craft beer novices a chance to try brews they aren’t usually used to. This was an ok golden ale which offered an easy drinking and light experience but lack mainly on the depth of flavour. Would I Recommend? If you are new to craft beer it’s a good way to dip your toes in otherwise there is better options available. Overall, I rate this a moderate 3 out of 5. Cheers

Where did I purchase this beer?

I bought this beer from my local Home Bargains.

Thanks for reading my review. If you enjoyed my review, you will love my review of LoveLane Krushed.