Samuel Smith - Organic Chocolate Stout

If you've been reading for a while, you know I have a solid respect for Samuel Smith's Brewery out of Yorkshire, England.  It seems like every one of their brews that I taste simply defines that style; emphasis on "simply."  Samuel Smith's doesn't add new exciting ingredients, they don't blend existing styles or create new ones, at least not in their beers that are available Stateside.  What they do is make excellent versions of classic styles and if someone asked you what a certain style tastes like, you could point them to a Samuel Smith's.  

Now, statements like my last one might conjure up some opposition and people may ask, "How can one beer define a style when so many variations of the style exist" and I agree with those people to an extent.  There are nearly innumerable variations to any given style.  Brewers use different grain bills, hop varieties which can  vary by year, extra exotic ingredients, and so on.  However, each of those brewers is brewing with a particular style in mind.  Even if that style is as vague as, "Oh, I dunno.  I'm just brewing some stout-ish, porter-y beer that I added raspberries and blackstrap molasses to,"  it still has that classic stout characteristic in mind.  The essence of "stoutness" if you will.  And while one may never achieve that essence perfectly, Samuel Smith's comes close time after time.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

True to its name, chocolate is abundant in the nose.  It's the smell of melting chocolate, dusty cocoa, and a medium roast that does not add much bitter balance.  Once the beer has warmed a bit, caramel malts become unmistakable and add another excellently paired layer of complexity.

Appearance 3/3

While initially appearing black and opaque, a quick look from the top down shows any number of brown shades comparable to (appropriately) chocolate, coffee, or cola.  The head size and retention were very nice and its tea-stained color was very appropriate.

Flavor 18/20

After a flash of neutral flavor and a hint of the roast, chocolate comes roaring in from all sides.  Things are much as the aroma would have us anticipate: chocolate with roast detectable behind it yet still not enough to provide a balance.  The sweet malts dominate this brew early on, but things are about to change in the latter half of this beer.  However, when one holds this beer in the mouth for around 10-12 seconds it takes on an unlikely characteristic: citrus.  Upon closer inspection, the sour turns out to be the combination of some bright, sugary caramel malts and some of the more bitter notes, likely the roast, but the initial sensation is out of place in a stout.  Thank goodness one rarely holds a beer in the mouth for extended periods of time.  Quicker swallows allow for a more graceful transition from the chocolate and caramel-laden flavors to a drier and more bitter finish.  A wise change in flavor which prevents this beer from being too sweet all together.  The aftertaste is almost exclusively the flavor of bitter roast.  It also leaves a watering mouth thanks to the previous sugars.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Despite all the sugary malts in this brew it remains medium bodied and shows a moderate carbonation that fades quickly in the mouth to allow a silkier mouthfeel.  No warmth.

Overall Impression 8/10

This is a excellent choice if you're ever looking for a desert beer.  The aroma is fantastic, the flavors are tasty, and it could be a gateway for those who don't yet appreciate dark beer.  The beer is not balanced in each of its sections, but is balanced as a whole.  For example, the main flavor profile was primarily sweet.  Granted, it did this with several flavors, but it was mostly sweet and not balanced.  However, the later parts of the beer provided the bitter that could have been utilized in the backbone.  Does this beer still earn the descriptor of "balanced" even though it does so in different sections and not within the same flavor sensation as is commonly understood?

Total 44/50

Another well made product by Samuel Smith's.  I can seldom believe that the beers from this brewery sell at the low prices that they do.  In fact, many times you can find a few sitting in your "pick six" section!  This is not a stout with chocolate in it.  Instead, it truly earns the nomenclature of "chocolate stout."  Chocolate is the primary consideration here and it uses a relatively meek stout framework to carry out that task.  You do have to be in the mood for something sweeter to fully enjoy this beer, but it achieves that sweetness with a trio of chocolate, caramel, and sugar.  It's far from simple.  It's just simply well made.

Samuel Smith - Organic Best Ale

I have mixed feelings about this bottle before I even open it.  First off, I am pretty impressed by most things that Samuel Smith makes.  In fact, in describing the brewery to many friends, I usually end up spouting forth the following sentence, "Samuel Smith makes beer that defines the style it's made in."  I stand by that statement (despite the dangling participle) and have yet to find a beer that would even have me add a caveat to it.  However, this beer is also an organic beer.  Much in the same vein as vegetarian hot dogs, tofurkey and other similar offerings I generally associate less than savory flavors to things that try to replicate the flavors of the things they are replacing.  I have had very few outstanding organic beers.  Which characterstic will win out?  Solid brewing reputation?  Nasty health food stereotype?  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 11/12
For a simple ale, this smell is heavenly!  Very bready malts come first, but not without a light sweetness.  Just behind this sweet bread (yum), is a dainty yet distinct fruit and citrus aroma.  There is definitely lemon present, but the rest is up to interpretation.  This reviewer found the mellow sweetness of pears, but the sharp acidity (albeit not in overpowering quantities) of canned pineapple.  As the beer warms a floral ester develops as well and only adds to this entrancing scent.

Appearance 3/3
The color is very comparable to many macros, if not a tad darker.  Though I have not known macros to be so dependent on light for their appearance.  This beer is lighter than gold under direct light, but dusty shades of pumpkin when offered even the slightest shadow.  The head is fair in size, has only the most minuscule bubbles, and is as close to white as I have ever seen.  It offers fair retention, little lacing, but remains as a collar through the majority of my pour.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 19/20
The first sips reel of cream and light malts, but soon after things become pretty balanced.  Gradually the hops enter, bringing both their light crisp citrus and an unheralded hop bitter.  As it sits in the mouth, all three blend together perfectly with no one ingredient outshining its counterparts.  It is a perfect balance of nuanced flavors and cannot be overstated.  The technical prowess in creating this beer is uncanny.  The finish continues the hop citrus, but allows a dash of its grassy origins to shine through.  There is a clean feeling immediately after the finish, but it does not take long for the light hop bitter to become present in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel 4/5
This is very creamy for the style and is aided along by its stylistically low level of tiny carbonation.  The pseudo-creaminess lends itself well to the body and overall quality of this beer, but could it be even a more perfect, light, summer drinker with more bubbly in the refreshment?

Overall Impression 9/10
Amazing.  We should come to expect nothing less from Samuel Smith.  This is not the big beer that a lot of enthusiasts are hoping for, but it is a light, nuanced, perfectly balanced ale that should be on everyone's summer refreshment list.  Even macro drinkers can get behind this with its light flavors.  Wow.

Total 46/50
Can I state it any clearer?  This should be on everyone's summer drinking list!  The balance is unmatched and the flavors are more delicate that any other craft beer that comes to mind.  Many organic beers seem like they are overcoming hurdles simply to reach the glass ceiling of "mediocre," but not Samuel Smith.  This beer is so technically excellent, so well-made, and so.. well... just plain tasty that you need to try it.  Do not let its wide availability or relatively cheap price fool you.  Those factors just might make it the best beer you haven't tried. Yet.

Look ma!  It's organic!

Pinkus - Organic Ur Pils

I have done much yard work today.  I also have several acquaintances pressing me for some reviews on dark, amazing beer.  I apologize to my friends, but yard work has put me in the mood for something light and in a bottle no smaller than a bomber bottle.  Of course, my beer fridge delivers.  Today we review the Pinkus Organic Ur Pils.  I am a little hesitant because the last Pinkus I had was a sub-par hefe, but yard work has the strange ability to drive the desire for suds.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 10/12

First reaction?  "Ooo!" (end quote)  The aroma is quite sweet.  The malt is a sweet bready smell and combines nicely with the fruity and floral esters that are floating about my glass.  Flowers are definitely present and one could only pin down the fruit aromas as that of apple and grape.  This is obviously not-to-style, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless.

Appearance 2/3

Nothing earth-shattering in the pour.  It pours a dusky yellow (subsequent pours with sediment result in a dark gold), with an expectation-meeting ivory head.  Very hazy as a result of sediment.  The bottle does mention that it is an "unfiltered pilsner beer," but that does not make it appropriate for the style.  I apologize for the lack of a customary photo next to the EBC scale.  Without placing any blame, it appears that the scale has been "misplaced."

Flavor 17/20

Tastes before the sediment was added to the glass were initially sour for an instant before heading into the main structure of the beer.  Once sediment was added, the beer became much more rich and mellow.  The malt is also harder to detect initially (with or without malt), but after warming it is a rich, sweet, flavor that hints almost toward caramel (!).  The primary flavor is a light, crisp, sweetness with lemon notes and a very nice balance of a spicy hop bitter.  The bitter takes the drinker into the finish and helps the beer find a dry, satisfying finish.  Excellent flavor, but not to style.

Mouthfeel 3/5

A bit heavy in the body for the style, but not unpleasantly so.  Carbonation is average and there is even a bit of creaminess present in this pilsner.  The only drawback was a slickness left in the mouth.  It left me smacking for several minutes even after I had finished the pint.

Overall Impression 8/10

The general theme with this beer is "not to style."  However, in its error it is giving us more rather than less: more flavor, more aroma, more body, more sediment.  The balance is excellent, but this beer is overall far too sweet and flavor rich to be considered a pilsner.  It should be scored lower, but all the ways in which it "was not to style," were so pleasing that its rating stands.

Total 40/50 (Excellent)

As I have just mentioned this beer is a far cry from a pils of any style (American, German, etc).  If I had scored this beer with a heavier emphasis on stylistic accuracy I would have to rank it no higher than a 26 (Ar:6, Ap:1, Fl:12, M:3, O:4).  However, because this beer delivers more than what its style demands I have rated more highly.  That and because it's my blog and I can do whatever I like.  If I were to perform a blind taste test this, I would have guessed it a poor man's hefe.  It is lighter in body and flavor than  hefe, but all the essentials are there in a subdued package.  I even began to wonder if this was not a failed attempt to brew a hefe (hence its unfiltered state and flavors), that was cleverly remarketed at the last moment.  In any case, I opened this pils for a light refreshing treat and I was not disappointed.  Regardless of whether or not it is to style, I enjoyed it a great deal and would gladly purchase another bottle.  Cheers, Pinkus!

Brauerei Pinkus Müller - Organic Hefeweizen

Ah, spring!  That magical time of year when the "wits" and "weisses" and "weizens" start to fill the air with their sweet, sweet perfume.  I know I just reviewed a weiss, but I think I can be excused by "spring fever," and the fact that I have not cracked open a bottle larger than 12oz in quite some time.  I am fairly excited to try this, not only because it is spring, but also because the last organic that I reviewed turned out so darn tasty.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 7/12

I feel that this is a bit of a generous rating, but am chalking it up to a perceived subtlety of the beer.  The aroma is dominated by the lemony esters and perhaps some coriander.  The wheat peeks out just a little, but not enough to add to the overall bouquet.  Most hefeweizens want to beat you over the head with a banana smell, but this one might be hinting at something a bit more reserved.

Appearance 2/3

A pour that was far from aggressive yielded a more-than-generous, white head that sat around 1.5 inches.  It was very light, almost whipped in its texture and it even stuck around a bit.  While it left an extremely small amount of lacing, the foam did persist as a layer on top for the majority of the glass.  The clarity was appropriately foggy, but the color was light for the style.  Also, there was no sediment in this bottle.  Sure, it can happen in different brands of unfiltered beers, but I always hope to see just a bit. EBC is 11.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 12/20

For a style of beer that is usually bursting with flavor, this one is not.  It does have the lemon essence and it is crisp, but errs on the side of dull instead of subtle.  The malt, which should be the secondary part of this style, is present, but is only so in a weak wheat flavor (true to the aroma).  It is the same level of unenthused sweetness in the intial taste, when held in the mouth, and in the finish.  Almost similar as when one adds too much lemon to water.  It is there and effects the flavor, but it is far from a bold taste.  In fact, the timid nature of this beer's flavor is what keeps it from being distinguished as subtle and instead is just "weak."

Mouthfeel 2/5

This is probably the weakest part of the beer.  Its body is far too light and offers no creaminess that would normally compliment the esters.  However, since the esters are so light and flighty, this mouthfeel is probably a suitable match.  The carbonation was adequate and appropriate for the style.  The light body does make it easy to drink, but at what expense?

Overall Impression 5/10

In case you could not tell, this is not the hefeweizen that is going to reach out and grab you.  This beer either aimed for subtlety and missed or went with sub-par organic ingredients that could not pass muster.  It is far too light for the style in several categories and does not contain the rich flavor experience that one expects when drinking a hefeweizen.

Total 28/50

While there are amazing organic beers out there, organic goods as a whole have only come into great popularity in the last several years.  That said, I am willing to give Pinkus some time to work things out.  In the meantime, I am hoping that all their offerings do not stray this far from their intended style.  Not that all style differentiations are bad, but usually they add something to the style, not water it down.  You could probably add a lemon to a much less expensive lager and get a similar beverage experience.

     I would not use this beer as one to introduce people into craft beer.  While lighter (or fruity) beers are generally a good way to do this, one must make sure that the offering is still tasty.

Samuel Smith's - Organically Produced Lager Beer

I had some preconceived notions about this beer.  Having lived in America all my life and having a penchant for "good" beer, I tend to look down on lagers.  I know there are some great lagers out there, but my geography lends me a bias that lagers are watered down, flavorless, mass-produced, gutter run-off.  I know many American beer drinkers (and probably international ones as well) will agree that American lagers (or pale lagers) offer little to no appeal to the palate.  However, I have seen this bottle several times and it is always offered at a premium price.  This intrigued me and I prepared to set aside my biases.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only

Aroma 10/12
After pouring a frothy 3-4oz sample and taking several short sniffs, one can easily detect the rich, bready aroma of the malt.  It is a bold. sweet smell and not unwelcome.  The hops come later and ever so delicately. They are a light, woody smell and hard to detect through the sweet malt.

Appearance 2/3
The only point subtracted here was for the head retention; everything else was flawless.  The beer was not crystal clear, but instead a blurred, golden hue (EBC roughly 12).  The ivory head rose quickly and lost half of its volume before I was half-way through the pint (not even a collar).  The head, when present, was a lovely, creamy compliment to the light beer that created it.  My first reaction?  Wow.

Flavor 19/20
While this beer is not saturated with thick flavors like other styles (double coffees, wit biers, etc), it is not required to do so.  Lagers are generally light in body and flavor and this beer was no exception.  The aroma the malt gave initially was revisited again in taste - a rich, bready taste that filled the mouth.  The hops came along stronger than in the aroma, but not out of balance with the malt.  Their strength in the flavor was a pleasant surprise after being almost absent in the aroma.  They were light and herbal and blended well with the esters that were present.  Wait, esters?  In a lager?  Oh yes, my friends.  This beer's flavor was phenomenal for a lager.  With the esters of perhaps light lemon and/or dark honey this beer tasted more like a long lost relative of a weiss than a lager!  Very nice!  This may be the first beer that I gush over and its a lager.  Wonders never cease.

Mouthfeel 5/5
This beer has the best of both worlds.  The light body and drinkability of a lager, but with the sweetness and flavor profile (muted though it be) of a weiss or Belgian.  The body was perfect for the style and the sweet finish makes it a truly refreshing beer.  I dare you not to love this beer on a summer day.  Also true to style there was almost no warmth, creaminess, or astringency.

Overall Impression 9/10
No surprise in the rating here.  I was greatly impressed with this offering.  In fact, I'm sad it is gone.  I usually do not purchase the same type of beer if I can help it, but this beer may be the exception

Total 45/50
This rating put it at the lowest end of "Outstanding: World-class example of style."  I do not believe that rating to be inaccurate.  It offers all the classic signs of a lager (light color, good carbonation, light body/good drinkability) but with the flavors and other perks of a more "serious" beer (sweet finish, esters, creamy head). This beer is deserving of praise and your sampling.  I hope you will go out and find one, after all, why else are you reading this if not for suggestions?

Don't forget to share with a friend!  It is half the fun.