Samuel Smiths Old Brewery Bitter (Cask)

Cask conditioned - handpump - Tiger Inn, Haxby North Yorkshire. A copper coloured beer with a Yorkshire white head. A dry aroma with a hint of sulphur. The taste is similar with some fruity notes. An old fashioned beer but perfectly drinkable and always dirt cheap.

Cask at various locations and times - certainly not the beer it was 10 years ago. Seems these days to have a permanent haze to it. Usual bitter colour with decent white head. Nothing special in the aroma; mainly malt with slight fruit. Decent body but lacks anything noteworthy with regard to hop or malt. Undistinguished finish and at its worst can leave an unpleasant tang. Higher rating as it’s cheap as chips.

(Cittie of York) Dark coppery colored, medium sized yellow head. Soft aroma with sweet fruits and mild bitterness, lemon also present. Thin to medium bodied. Flavor starts with fruits and apple, ending turns to slightly bitter and fruity. Good beer, still could have richer flavor.

On tap at the John Snow, Soho, 4th Feb 2008. Medium amber appearance. Aroma is sweet malt with a bit of hops. Stale, uninteresting flavour however and a thin, watery palate rounds off an unsatisfactory pint.

One of the great drinking travesties is that the dross brewed at Tadcasters other Smiths goes global whilst this little gem stays at home. Proper session bitter that tastes just as nice at 11pm as it did at 7. SAm Smiths pubs are pretty much a love em or hate em experience, but they can never be accused of putting branding ahead of brewing.