Telegram Sam

North Yorkshire Brewery Samuel Smiths has 5 beers in The Book and I drank them all. Already blogged about Taddy Porter and Nut Brown Ale, and now I’m closing the gap with the other three. Samuel Smiths Old Brewery Pale Ale is an organic ESB with 5%abv. that I shared with friends last September, before our big Real Ale Trail that one day I’ll find the time to write about here. Murky amber, white film. Ripe fruit and cooked pear and plum and then some spices in the nose, oxidized taste – fruity and old and sweet. Medium-bodied, long fruity finish and carbonated.

Next, Samuel Smiths Yorkshire Stingo, an English Strong Ale with 8 or 9% abv. (our bottle was 8%). We bought our bottle in an awesome craft beer shop in Manchester called The Beermoth – highly recommended if you visit this great beer city. Beer pours clear dark brownish gold with white film, has an alcoholic, apple aroma, with a sweet, cherry thingy in it. Bitter, alcoholic taste, medium body, slightly carbonated. Not too bad.

And last, the crown jewel, Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout, a robust brew with only 7% abv. – not a lot with a style that’s been raising the bar all the time. Not sure for how long we kept our bottle in the fridge, but it was a few good months between receiving it and sharing. Black with tan head. A little roast, slightly vinous aroma. Slightly bitter and faintly sour in the mouth. Full-bodied, nice roasty finish.

 

Samuel Smiths Old Brewery Pale Ale, Samuel Smiths Yorkshire Stingo and Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout are beers #359, #360 and #361 I Must Try Before I Die.

May Contain Traces of Nuts

Yes, I picked Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale for tonight’s dinner because of its name. I am going nuts and that was the one bottle in the fridge I felt like drinking. Don’t like it? Shoot me (and I’ll be forever grateful, though it probably means that I’ll miss my chance of visiting Samuel Smith’s brewery in North Yorks). Maybe it’s my state of exhaustion, but this brown ale IS nutty! Chestnuty, even. It has a chestnut-brown colour and it smells like an almost rotten roasted chestnut – do you know what I mean or do you get your winter fix all fresh and local and not a bit sketchy, like the selection in the hellhole where we live? The taste completes the aroma, a little sweet, like that spoiled chestnut taste, which works just fine in this beer. Gently carbonated, robust and a long, mellow bitter finish, this is a pretty good and balanced beer.

Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale is beer #269 I Must Try Before I Die. I think I’ll go to get some sleep now.