Samuel Smiths Old Brewery Pale Ale

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

Nothing to rave about with this one. Colour and head were alright, but not much of an aroma. Taste was really subpar, with minimal hops. There are many better pales out there, for less$.

Poured from a pint bottle into a pint glass. The color is a dark amber/orange with a slight off white head. The smell is slightly hoppie, some hints of fruit like tangerine, notes of caramel, has a malty overtone and it a bit smother than expected. Taste is of rich malts, hops are present with the fruity flavor of tangerine, lemon, and orange. This beer is a great beer on it’s own .A better I.P.A. A sweet taste, it will give you the incentive to come back for more.

Ah, another familiar brewery has come to bat once more, this time with their classic Old Brewery Pale Ale. The only way to experience real English pale ale is in England herself, but being a debt-bound American at the moment, I shall have to settle for enjoying imports that are as close as possible to the real deal.

Brilliantly polished copper while glints of rustic mahogany and burnt amber sparkle and glitter beneath her rocky white head which fades slowly in pockmarked succession. After a few minutes, all that is left is a scattering of bubbly tufts, freeing the way for her advancing nose. Crisp and minimalistic, a unique character of English ales due to their water, and in Samuel Smith’s case, I would reckon also do to their aged Yorkshire Stones brewing system. Bursts of lemon, crunchy pears, red apples and peaches give her a wonderfully fruity presence while smooth butterscotch and caramel notes mingle with crunchy melba toast, wet fields of grain, and moist baking bread. Delicious, but how does her palate measure up? My first quaff is as equally minimalistic, brisk, and refreshing with crunchy nuts settling onto the top of my tongue. Gliding effortlessly through my senses is a gentle current of butterscotch and caramel with a snap of lemon zest right at the finish. Waiting for her softer cousins to step aside, melba toast, flat bread topped with seeds of grain, and bread crust support her continually brisk palate, while a wisp of cinnamon and nutmeg linger in my breath. This is an English pale ale, so of course the fruity esters I savored in her nose are equally present in her palate. Weaving in and out of her malty, fresh apples, pears, and peaches break with a crisp snap as I bite through their acidic skins into their juicy insides. Wonderfully executed and dangerously easy to drink, there is really nothing to fear other than the bottom of your glass and no second pint anywhere in sight.

Once more Samuel Smith’s shines on with the tried and true precision that has carried them through the 162+ years since they have been brewing. There is no decision process required when debating whether or not to bring a 4 pack home with you; just do it. If you want to get as close as you can to England without the expense of actually travelling there at the moment, their Old Brewery Pale Ale will transport you there in visceral fantasy.

A nice balanced beer with the hoppiness you’d expect from a pale ale yet adds some malt flavor with some spices added in for good measure. Very drinkable beer.

This better capture the soul of beer, or else! Pours a fairly clear copper with a nice big head. Aroma is a little metallic with lots of very earthy tones, I sort of get a musty character from this aroma, and I’m not sure if I like it or not. I suppose I like it more than I don’t like it. This is very well balanced even if I didn’t need to be reminded that beer is a product of the soil. I really enjoy the pear flavors in this beer, it’s plenty bitter as well with nice earthy hops. I don’t remember liking this as much as I do this time around in the past. A lovely surprise, even if I doubt its full capture of the soul of beer….

550 ml bottle. Pours a brilliant translucent copper color with a big off-white creamy head. The aroma is moderately strong with caramel, toffee, apples and bready yeast. The flavor is rich with caramel, biscuit, piney hops and pears. The mouthfeel is full with a bit of an astringent gritty feeling and lively, prickly carbonation. The finish is medium in duration and dry. Overall: There is much to recommend about this brew.

55cl Bottle. Amber body with off-white head. Flavour is malt, a little hops and caramel.

Caramel aroma with some unexpected citrus hops from an English brew. Appearance is reddish brown with creamy head. Flavor is fairly malty, almost rum like, but the hops are not as present as in the aroma. Some buttered caramel and apple as well. One of better English beers I have ever had, and gives me a new outlook on ESBs.