Samuel Smiths Old Brewery Pale Ale

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

Bottled. Charneol colour. Firm, frothy-ish head. Bit chocolatey at first, later comes caramel with some sacharine shining through. Low hop levels from start to finish. After comes a noticable bitterness.

550ml. Nice character ESB with hops blended smoothly into the earthy & medium roasty dry flavor profile. Were that all commercial beer be this good.

Bouteille de 550 ml, acheté au LCBO sur Rideau (Ottawa). Ambrée terre-cuite, peu à pas de collet. Arome de malte sucré au miel, avec d’amèrtume et peu houblonné. Goût légé de malte sucré au miel, un peu floral et une touche amère. Assez agréable!

(bottle): Pours a clear brown color, white-brownish head, average to small. Malty aroma, honey. Malty effervescent, honey taste. Fresh tasting. Lots of honey aftertaste. Nice session beer.

Bottle: Chestnut brown with a smaller beige head. Nose is mild of malts, caramel, and rye. Taste is maltier still with caramel, breadiness, and light floral hops. Earthy and dry. Not one to remember.

What I originallly thought as a horrible skunk, I think after trying a few times and researching some more is just a funky hop profile. That being said, I prefer my beers don’t smell or taste skunky/funky, especially if I think I’m drinking an English Pale. Other than that, it’s kind of a blah beer anyway, typical for style in malt flavorings and hops (English Pale Ales aren’t supposed to be hopped like a typical APA). Not bad, but there’s gotta be better offerings in the style.

550 ml bottle. Lovely red-copper brown with decent head - not a lot of lacing. And not particularly pale, especially when compared with North American offerings. Aroma of caramel, spice, a bit of bread. Taste is not complex; malt, caramel, a bit spicy. Restrained, is perhaps the word. Finish begins with brown sugar, ends with a light bitterness. Lightly carbonated, as it should be. Not bad, but there are better choices out there.

the beer is of course low in carbonation. there is is malty and earthy tone to the beer. but primarily i get a sweet hazelnut flavor. i suppose toffee like since the beer is slick tasting. the body is moderate but the beer still seems thinnish. since the flavors are recessed, one might mistakenly refer to this as watery. but i think not. decent head. i find the bite a mild one. i am wondering when one would drink a beer such as this! but it is somewhat refreshing.