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Category Archives: Samuel Smith’s

Review of Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout

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+

2 Comments

Posted by Beer Apprentice on March 2, 2013 in Country: England, Samuel Smith's

Review of Samuel Smith’s Organic Apricot Ale

30 Nov

Hi guys. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to try the Organic Apricot Ale produced by the Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery (Tadcaster) located in Tadcaster, England.

I’ve never tried this particular Samuel Smith’s brew before. I do favor a lot of their products however, so I’m eager to try it.

From the website, samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk, we find this description.

Handcrafted at the tiny All Saints Brewery set in a time warp in Stamford using the old manually operated brewing equipment. Finest organically grown barley and wheat are used to create a complex ale which, having undergone primary and secondary fermentation with different yeasts and extended maturation, is taken to Samuel Smith’s small, independent British brewery at Tadcaster. There it is blended with pure organic cherry, strawberry, raspberry or apricot fruit juices and more organic beer to create fruit beers of considerable strength and flavour. The smooth distinctive character of the matured beer serves as the perfect counterpoint to the pure organic fruit juice.

Ok. Let’s give it a taste.

This brew came in an 18.7 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 5.1%.

It poured a hazy orange juice type of color with a soft, frothy, somewhat creamy, white head. It was nicely sized and the retention time was fairly decent. The lacing was solid. It left nice rings of foam after each and every sip.

The nose presented a sturdy waft of apricot. It was very clean, fresh and sweet smelling. Hints of wheat and bread added some complexity. It does smell an awful lot like fruit juice to be honest.

The taste released a very, very strong characteristic of juicy apricot. A little too much for me actually. It was very sweet and just a tad bit tart. I even found it to be a touch sugary. Some wheat, yeast and bread hid underneath, which tried to tame that sweet, fruity juice taste, however it had a hard time. Thus the flavor became a touch one dimensional I thought.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied. It was smooth, although quite crisp too. Very dry with a pleasing amount of medium strength carbonation. A good dose of flavor was left behind on the palate after each sip as well.

Overall, I thought this beer was “ok”. Not horrible by any means, but I doubt I go searching for another bottle anytime soon. I could tell it was well made, but it just had a bit too much sweetness and apricot for me. That in and of itself made it somewhat difficult for me to drink. It would be worth a try I guess. Summertime might be the best time to sample it though. Have you guys ever tried the Samuel Smith’s Organic Apricot Ale? What was your experience like? Be sure to leave me a comment and tell me all about it.

Thanks for reading everyone. I really appreciate it.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Grade: B-

Review of Samuel Smith’s Organically Produced Ale

18 Feb

For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be drinking the Organically Produced Ale brew by the Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery (Tadcaster) located in Tadcaster, England.

This brewery needs no introduction, so let’s just get to the website, samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk, and find out what this beer is all about.

A delicately flavoured golden ale in which subtle fruity esters from the Samuel Smith yeast strain interact with a background of maltiness and fresh hops. Brewed with water, organic malted barley, organic hops and yeast; fermented in ‘stone Yorkshire squares’.

Into the glass it goes.

This brew comes in a 12 oz. bottle and it has an ABV of 5.0%.

The beer poured a golden brown to deep rustic orange color. It was somewhat hazy with some burnt orange highlights showing through around the curves of the glass. The cap was off white, mostly smooth and semi-creamy. It was kind of small in stature from a medium aggressive pour and the retention time was just “ok”. The lacing was only average, but it did subside to a nice little ring around the edge of the glass.

The aroma revealed a very earthy and herbal hop punch to begin with. Followed by hints of butter, sour dough breads and biscuits. Some definite fruity aspects along the lines of apricot and cranberry juice. A little bit of sweet caramel malt really started to become more prevalent once the brew began to warm. Overall, the nose was quite harmonized and balanced.

The taste divulged a bit more of that earthy and herbal hop profile. I got quite a bit more of that cranberry juice flavor too along with some other types of dried fruit, of which I was having a hard time identifying. A very firm toasted grain profile was distinguished and some sweet bread gave the savor a bit of “roundness”. A decent snap of bitterness danced on the tongue for a parting shot while the malt handled the stability.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied, smooth, slick, dry and crisp. The carbonation was spot on and a decent amount of flavor was left behind after each sip.

I think we have a pretty good beer here. Like all Samuel Smith’s brews, this one fits the style very well. This product would make for a great session beer on a lazy afternoon that’s for sure. I enjoyed the nice little “twist” with the cranberry juice tones. I think that sets this apart, albeit ever so slightly, from other English Pale Ales. If you have the opportunity to try the Samuel Smith’s Organically Produced Ale, I’d say give it a try. I think you would enjoy it. For me, it’s just a solid, worthwhile and enjoyable drink.

Thanks for reading and commenting folks. I really appreciate it.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 3.75 out of 5
Grade: B