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's - Winter Welcome Ale

This review is rather ill-timed.  This beer is Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale, even though the evidence of spring surrounds us.  It seems my little corner of the Midwest is having nothing but 70 degree days all week! Which means three things.  First, I can write this review outside.  Second, I picked the perfect weekend (that just past) to move all my beer from the garage (which in winter serves as an excellent beer fridge), to the cool dark basement.  Third, it's time to break out the motorcycle!

Goodbye winter!  You might have one last hurrah before you depart, but your demise is inevitable!  To that end, I toast you with your own brew.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12
This is very different from most winter seasonals and a welcome variation.  It's very malt-forward with lots of pale caramel and biscuit aroma, however its most unusual twist is the unmistakable apple esters from a cider (the alcoholic kind, not the orchard kind).  It's a accompanied by a tartness that borders on a citrus sour and I can only assume comes from the Fuggle and/or Golding hops.  Also appearing is the faintest of spices and a light alcohol warmth.  I'm not sure where the warmth comes from as the beer is only 6.0% ABV, but it is present and holds hands nicely with the citrus astringency.  The malts grow richer as they warm.

Appearance 2/3
A bright, high-clarity brew the color of orange liqueur.  The head was over 1 finger, barely beige in color, and appears wet and shiny as it sinks into the beer.  The retention is adequate and remains for some time to coat the surface.  Nothing wrong here, but nothing to write home about either.

Flavor 18/20
It's no surprise that the malts come forward again in the flavor, but they do so in a very unique way.  I'm not sure I've ever had a beer quite like this one.  The front end seems to be like a spice cake (and again, like the aroma, with very light spice.  Much to my relief), but quickly allows that same crispness & astringency to quickly enter and juxtapose itself with the caramel and an earthy butterscotch note.  This is very unique!  More butterscotch and toffee notes arrive as the beer warms and it adds a great sweetness which combines superbly with the aforementioned spice cake.  It also rounds out a superb balance!  Toffee +butterscotch + earthy spices (nutmeg) are all being brightened and "unbittered" ever so slightly by the citrus.  Brilliant.  The finish is dry, bitter on the sides of the tongue, and shows much more of the spices that were so well hidden earlier.

Mouthfeel 5/5
A nice lighter offering that would be just as good in summer as it would in winter.  Its medium-light body and perfect carbonation (Not too prickly.  Not too much.  Not too little), are a great combination.  Add to that its high clarity and the touch of citrus and you've got yourself a beer that's very easy to tip back, as well as extremely flavorful.  That balance of drinkability and flavor is also not an easy thing to attain.

Overall Impression 8/10
The balance and mouthfeel are definitely the high points in this beer.  No wait, the balance and overall composition of this beer are the high points.  The balance was covered well in the "Flavor" section, so I won't rehash that, but let me restate how pleased I am with the start-to-finish vision of this beer.  First off, it's definitely not the alcohol laden, cinnamon explosion winter ale.  It's a lighter, drinkable beer unlikely to offend and maintains that throughout: lighter body, perfect carbonation, citrus for balance, and high clarity.  However, it also has elements of a bigger beer: bitter finish, slight warmth, spices, earthiness, and a nice malt presence.  This is impressively well constructed and the results are satisfying.

Total 43/50
Now, all that said, is this a beer that's going to bowl you over?  No.  Is it going to satisfy the inexperienced and the veterans alike?  More than likely.  This beer earned more points for its remarkable balance and overall construction than for being a powerhouse that beer geeks are going to clamor over each other to obtain.  However, being that this beer comes from Samuel Smith, it should not be any surprise that it is excellently made and an overall solid beer.  It also is a really nice change in scenery for those who love winter seasonals.  It has everything a winter seasonal should and shows what some brewers should be striving toward.  This is classic Samuel Smith's.  Basic, well-made, and balanced.  Cheers!

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!

Samuel Smith's - Old Brewery Pale Ale

Allow me to start by stating that my experience with true Pale Ale's (a.k.a. "English Pale Ale") is far and few between to say the least.  It is much more common to find IPAs or American PAs than anything else.  So while I am used to the style's variations, I cannot claim great familiarity with the original style.  Other styles you rather know what to expect: stouts are dark roasted and coffee-ish, hefes are cloudy, creamy, and spiced.  With this style relatively unfamiliar to me, I am really going to have to use my palate and sniffer to find out just what exactly I am tasting.  Wish me luck.  Let's pour!

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

Aroma 10/12

A sweet, sweet smell arises from this brew.  Thankfully, it is not the beat-you-over-the-head hop scent that the offshoot styles prefer.  There are apples and an extremely floral scent.  Very appropriate for this springtime when everything is budding and blooming.  The hops are there, but unaggressively so, which is appropriate for the style.  A very pleasing aroma.

Appearance 3/3

This beer may have the longest head retention of any I have had the pleasure of sampling.  I pours a lovely amber color with a healthy-sized beige head.  Everything is up to par here and rated accordingly.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 17/20

A superbly balanced beer!  I can see where the offshoot styles seize their inspiration.  First to the mouth is a buttery, almost nutty toasted malt.  Its sweetness is mild and is matched perfectly by the complimentary, not overstated, hops.  Although the hops are not floral nor sweet as they were in the aroma, they blend perfectly with the malt allowing it a sweeter finish before truly making their dry and bitter presence known in the aftertaste.  It is a very neat sensation.

Mouthfeel  5/5

Initially high carbonation quickly yields to a style appropriate level.  A smooth, medium-bodied beer with great drinkability.  No flaws here.  Keeps it simple and does it right.

Overall Impression (8/10)

It is hard to judge this beer because it is simply that: beer.  There are no gimmicky flavors here.  This is straight up, old school beer with classic ingredients and a near immaculate balance.  It is so fundamentally strong that it does not need gimmicks to cover up a lackluster flavor or flaw.

Total (43/50) Excellent

This score places it near the top of the "Excellent" category.  This is just a superbly made, simple beer.  If you're not going to experiment with the style, then you better nail it to the wall and Samuel Smith's does exactly that.  Samuel Smith's is commanding more and more of my respect with each brew of theirs that I drink.  They are not flashy, but they perfect authentic styles and tell you how it is supposed to be.  Definitely a session beer and an true authentic sampling in a time where craft beers too often turn to copious amounts of ingredients.  These simple ingredients blend perfectly (I cannot stress that enough) and should be a lesson to others in the art of balance.

This will not appeal to those seeking crazy, strong flavors, but it is hands-down a technically fantastic beer.  It would also be an excellent gateway to those entering into the world of "hop heads."  Best to know your roots before you sally forth, boys.