What’s up guys and gals?  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout made by the Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery (Tadcaster) located in Tadcaster, England.

Samuel Smith’s always produces solid beers that are true to style and rarely do I have one that I dislike.  I really enjoy chocolate beers, so this one really peaked my interest when I saw it on the shelf.

From the website, samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk, this bit of information was provided.

Brewed with well water (the original well, sunk in 1758, is still in use with the hard water is drawn from 85 feet underground), the gently roasted organic chocolate malt and organic cocoa impart a delicious, smooth and creamy character, with inviting deep flavours and a delightful finish – this is the perfect marriage of satisfying stout and luxurious chocolate.

Sounds good.  Let’s drink.

This brew came in 12 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 5.0%.

It poured a deep brown/black color with some shimmers of ruby showing around the edges.  The head was tan in color.  It wasn’t very large, but it was smooth and creamy with the texture.  The retention time was decent, however the lacing seemed a bit thin.

The nose was very nice and enjoyable.  Tones of sweet milk chocolate, a tiny touch of roasted grain and even a bit of sugary, rich caramel.  It developed a slight vanilla bean type of fragrance too.  Not bad.  It wasn’t extremely robust, however enough character was accounted for to keep me intrigued throughout the drink.  

The flavor was a little more forward in the roasted grain department.  The chocolate appeared to be more in-depth as well.  Savors of creamy chocolate milk, chocolate syrup and cocoa powder.  The caramel and vanilla were still there to some degree, but they were muted quite a bit in comparison to the aroma.  Again, pretty tasty I thought.

The mouthfeel was medium to almost medium/full.  Very smooth, chewy, somewhat chalky and mostly dry.  The carbonation was of medium strength and a solid dose of flavor was left on the palate after each gulp.

Overall, I found this to be a nice beer.  It wasn’t overly rich nor was it as sweet as some of the other Chocolate beers on the market can be.  The drinkability was good.  I think a person could have a few of these during one setting and be totally fine.  I would love to pair this with some vanilla ice cream that’s for sure.  Now, in my opinion, I don’t necessarily think this is the best offering that Samuel Smith’s has available, yet it’s still solid and good and worth a try.  It would be a great Chocolate beer to introduce someone to the style.  I doubt that it would overwhelm the senses too much.  So, if you see the Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout… give it a try and see what you think.  Be sure to leave a comment and tell me all about it if you wish.

Thanks for reading everyone.  I really appreciate it.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  4.0 out of 5
Grade:  B+