Samuel Smiths Taddy Porter

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: Porter
Tadcaster, England

(18.7 oz bottle) Yet another outstanding effort from Samuel Smith; The hugely aromatic and distinctive nose on this beer is out of this world, with aromas of lightly roasted malts, sweet butterscotch, and something similar to lightly sour oats and yeast; Lightly sweet, roasted coffee, fruity like not-quite-ripe cherries, with a fairly prevalent sourness that you don't really notice right away; The sweet maltiness fades away as the dry finish is fairly bitter with some smoke; Very smooth and velvety mouthfeel; Nearly black in color, but dark brown and transluscent at the edges; Tan head pours very large, slowly settling to a fairly thick final layer, leaving some lacing behind, but less than expected of such a large, creamy head

Purty stout. Great aroma-- a little peppery, some currant, strong fresh pear. Incredibly well-balanced, a lot drier than it smells. Roasty, but not coffee-burnt. Excellent with corned/roast beef, potatoes (or chips). Earlier reviews mentioned skunk, but I think they just got bad bottles. No skunk that I could find -- although some SS beers (Pale Ale) have a whisper.

There comes a time in every beer drinkers life when, after drinking nothing but 10% quads/strongs/doubles for 3 weeks straight, a well balanced traditional brew just goes down absolutely perfectly. This was a prime example. This beer was exactly what I needed at the time... flavors and aroma are not assertive but still rich and perfectly balanced... body is perfect for quaffing. Hard to challenge this for a wonderful session brew.

Re-rate 04/12/02: An ultra deep purplish garnet to almost brown color on the pour, with a stupendous in size head that is the consistency of marshmallows, the lace in hulking thick sheets that cling to the glass like glue. Nose is malt, sweet, hints of caramel and yeast, and quite a pleasant quaff. Front sweet, the top skimpy, the finish has a boisterous hop presence, the carbonation demonstrative, with a droughty somewhat bitter aftertaste, that lingers on. Among my porters, a favorite of the favorites, and I should say I keep a plethora of Samuel Smith Beers on hand, can’t be a bad day if you’ve had a “Sammy Smith’s”. Ranks #135 on my current 1000 beer master list.

550ml bottle. Deep brown colour with a foamy off-white head. Aromas of chocolate, and roasted coffee. Very easy to drink with a slightly oily texture and more roasted coffee bean flavours. Very good.

Very thick and substantial tan head on a dark body with a reddish glow. Not the heaviest aroma, some roasted malt, fruit and yeast. Flavor is fruity with a slight lemon sourness. Malt, bitter chocolate and Samuel Smiths characteristic yeast. Quite carbonated but still a smooth mouthful. Not as flavorful as Samuel Smiths stouts but still a great and easy drinkable beer!

[1734-20080928] Bottle. Roast malt, mild coffee and mild fig fruit aroma. Black brown body with a medium-lasting creamy tan head. Sweet roasted malt flavour has some coffee and banana split chocolate. Full body. Nice porter.
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Well, I needed something (preferably a beer) to take my mind off the crushing, soulless, fleeting and futile nature of existence, if only for a few brief minutes. That would be nice. So, that’s where the Samuel Smith "The Famous" Taddy Porter (in a brown bottle) came in. Appearance: Pours a black body with a creamy, light khaki-colored head. No lacing. Smell: Subtle aroma of toasted toffee with hints of chocolate, nuts, and a slight smokiness. Taste: A true medley of malt flavors with each sip - coffee, caramel, bittersweet chocolate, molasses. The finish has a soft, light hoppiness to it, but also carries with it a toasted sugar sweetness. Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Smooth, but a bit watery on the palate. Drinkability: For me, it could use just a bit more body, but perhaps the current recipe tested better with focus groups. So what do I know? Still, though, its a worthy English porter and exceedingly drinkable.