Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale

I've had a few of Samuel Smith's beer's before but haven't had the opportunity to try this one yet. English Style Ales have appealed to me recently, and I've had relative success brewing them. Ah, but I digress.

This beer came as a full Pint (550mL), which is quite fun.

I bought it from my favorite beer store, where it was in a cooler, so I let it warm up a bit before I cracked it open. English ales are best served a little warmer (~45-50F). It helps bring out the full flavors.

As you can see, a nice pour, very copper color. It had a thick white head, which lingered pretty long. Clear, with lower carbonation.

A strong caramel aroma greets the nose, hops are almost non-existant, except for a nice earthy undertone. The aroma smells of maple syrup, plums, (hints of black cherry?); probably due to the crystal malt. English yeast make wonderful esters during fermentation that lend a rich boquet of aromas to these beers.

Upon tasting, the beer is malty and smooth. Quite sweet, yet not cloying. It does this wonderful dissapearing act inside your mouth; Coating the tounge with rich dextrins and then scurries to the rear, where it vanishes, leaving you wanting more. The finish is nice, with earthy undertones and bitterness from the hops. This is a very balanced beer. Its malt forward, but not too sweet.

Personally, Its quite enjoyable. I like English Ales, but I'm not a fan of crystal malt. However, this beer pulls it off nicely. It balances that caramelly sweetness with a drying bitter finish that doesn't cloy. It makes you want that entire Pint after just one sip! 8 out of 10.