This is an excellent beer in the traditional of the English Pale Ale, brought to you by the folks at Samuel Smith’s. English Pale Ale’s tend to be reddish in color, with hop undertones and citrus aromas with a little bitterness. They became known as Bitter beers in England int he 1800′s due to the hops, and also thought also to be a way to differentiate them form other hopped beers, such as a Porter. Bitters range in ABV from 4% to 5%.
Sam Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale is what is known as a strong bitter. It has a deep, cloudy copper color to it and pours nicely into a pint glass with a medium head. The moderate carbonation is perfect, allowing the head dissipate only a little and leaving a nice lacing on the glass.
It has a subtle alcohol aroma, and smells of caramel malts. What struck me was the bread or biscuit like accents that creep out as you put it to your nose. Slight toffe undertones as well.
It tastes much like it smells. Strong malt flavorings balance out the hops with a sweetness to it that almost reminds me of orange. The biscuit notes make this a little heavier than some and make it a refreshing change from other European Pale Ales.
Overall, this was a great beer. I get lost sometimes in the wonderfully hopped IPA’s brewed in the U.S. that it is nice to have a brew this well balanced. Sam Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale is what is known as a strong bitter and weighs in at about 5% ABV. The slightly heavier feel to this one make it a great pairing with steak, roast chicken and spicier cuisine such as Manadarine Chinese or Indian. If you are having one in the late evening, this would go well with a rich desert like a nice slice of new Your Style Cheesecake.
