Samuel Smiths India Ale

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Tadcaster, England

Bottle. Pours a very hazy copper, with a thin, wispy off-white head. Nose is a bit of citrus, fruity, sweet malt, along with an almost medicinal quality. Taste starts off with with a dry, bready malt character up front, with a fruity, slightly buttery note shortly thereafter, leading into a grassy, herbal bitterness and more fruity, buttery malt. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a very subdued carbonation. Doesn’t quite live up to the high standards set by some of Sam’s other beers.

(Bottled 355 ml). Pale copper color, decent steady creamy off-white head. Light fruity-hoppy, a bit acidic nose. Fruity-hoppy English style IPA, apple notes. A bit diacetylic aftertaste. Lifeless.

amber pour with hoppy aroma, but malty-hop flavour. some grass, sharp fruitiness, otherwise the typically solid, drinkable and balanced sam smith’s fare.

12 oz bottle. Pours a clear vivid golden amber with moderate fluffy white crown that has decent retention and some lacing. Aroma is full of citrus, grassy, and floral hops, a slight hint of sweetness, and some malt. I did have to warm the glass a bit to get more of the aroma out, though. Flavour is very malty for an IPA, so it has a strong and large malt backbone but also makes up for that with a bomb of hop flavour in the middle of the taste that lasts to the crisp and dry end. There is a lingering bitterness of hops that remains on the palate after the taste that I could go without but the flavour in this beer is very good. I like the balance of the beer, especially the flavour and essence of the hops, though the only negative is the lingering bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, a bit resiny with moderate carbonation. A decent beer that I’d love to have fresh on draught over in England.

(Bottle at Tuulensuu, Tampere, on 2008-10-04) Amber. Clear. Small white head. Malty and grassy nose. Medium bodied quite dry palate with lots of carbonation. Hops, grass, malts, white bread, bitterness and fruitiness in taste. Bitter and fruity aftertaste.

Bottle 0.55 l. Clear golden amber colour with medium white head. Rather weak hops aroma. Very well balanced flavour with malt and hops. Soft carbonation. Long lasting slight bitterness in the aftertaste. A hint of licourice.

550ml - Malty aroma of caramel, sour fruit and earthy hops. Pours transparent copper with a small head and good lacing. Flavor is a weak match to aroma with a rusty water aftertaste. Palate is clean and creamy. OK but not something I’d buy again.

50cl bottle from Willow Bend Liquors (Tampa, FL). Pours a generally clear dark amber color with a thick and frothy white-tan head. Aroma is somewhat sweet and malty with notes of cooked veggies, fresh citrus, grass, hay, and maybe some ripe fruit. Flavor is somewhat fruity with some light hops and just a touch of sour malt toward the end. Generally light bodied with a somewhat quick finish.