Samuel Smith's Pure Brewed Lager Beer - Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)

lyttleb

Florida

5/5  rDev +30.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is my favorite beer, and I've tasted hundreds. Any time I need something to lift me up that I know won't leave me dissapointed, it's this beer. The green and gold foil top screams quality and refined.

The best way to describe the taste is balanced, light, yet full-flavored and reminescent of honey. This beer is so clean that your buddies who won't venture past Bud Light will have respect.

Of course, anytime you have good memories associated with a good beer, the beer becomes one of your all-time favorites. Consume this beer when you want some good memories with good friends. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2009 02:47:06 | More by lyttleb

zythus

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +30.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow.

Beer drinkers distinguished by candor and insight boast in their inborn belief in the superiority of Samuel Smith beers. This lager is a harbinger of success. It is teeming with life. It is Unreservedly, unequivocally, and absolutely right, and I feel called upon to asseverate that Samuel Smith's Brewed Lager Beer will flow in a notable way amidst the mountains of God. I would say so in the presence of an Apostle.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2009 23:34:56 | More by zythus

liquoricefish

Ohio

4.8/5  rDev +25.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I've got to say, as a macro lager kind of guy, this is a damn good lager.

A - Not too many bubbles, good light golden color, but what does that matter?

S - I want to describe it as a sweet smell. Sweet in a honey-like way but not sugary-sweet. Beyond the sweetness I detect some very complex wheat and hops aromas. I really don't know what to say except this smells amazing! Sweet, but not sugary. Hoppy, but not overpowering. Like wheat, but not too much like wheat.

T - Wow. Very complex taste, yet no one sensation overpowers. Very nice and pleasant (very slightly) sweet and biscuity taste at first, with a very smooth finish.

M - Feels carbonated but very balanced. (Overall this is kind of what I'm saying - notice the incredible balance of this beer.)

D - Well, I could drink these all day, but too bad this is no cheap brew. Very very expensive in fact.

Overall, I wouldn't say this is absolutely my favorite beer, but it's really quite incredible. I enjoy beer that's not very dark, or fruity, or spicy, or sweet. Like I said, I'm anh all-American macro lager kind of guy. But this is what macro lagers strive to be, they're just unbalanced at some point. I admit, this is no perfect beer, but wow! Balanced! Smooth! Delicious! EXPENSIVE!

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2008 01:50:02 | More by liquoricefish

hustlesworth

Ohio

4.8/5  rDev +25.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- pours a crystal clear sparkling light golden yellow with a big loose airy egg shell colored head. foam is active and fizzy and recedes forming a thin membrane over the top with cobweb lined bubbles popping here n there depositing small chunky patches of lace around the rim of the glass. sparse bubbles rise up to rebuild the head but it falls pretty quickly with its thin skin in tact and a loose patchwork of foam bubbles underneath.

S- classic tadcaster hop and malt aroma, buttery sweet, but this time with an alluring sweetened bran cereal smell and golden raisins. honestly, this smells extremely similar to raisin bran and i just wanna keep sniffing forever. granola, oat, and pale barley are very prominent and inviting. hop aroma is floral and clean and just right, not overpowering the beautiful malt and soft spicy yeast. this is an amazing aroma to say the least and there is nothing to be desired here, except to a certain extent, i wish it were solid so i could eat it.

T- as far as i know this is the first english lager i've tried and i appreciate everything about it at first taste. the granola/bran aroma carries over into the taste along with fruity alcohol esters and a seemingly endless yeast/hop combination of white grapes and lemon rind, and unripe peaches. no grassy flavors that i'm used to in a EPL, but more of an overall herbaceous hop flavor that makes me think of roses, hibiscus, and flowering herbs. that old tadcaster stone water taste comes out near the end with a metallic tinge, making me feel at ease cuz sam smith's is like 'comfort beer' to me. finish is very well balanced being neither dry or cloying, with bitter green apple notes, leaving my mouth with a clean minty fresh feeling even at +/-45 degrees.

MF- juicy and silky smooth just the same as every offering i've had from this brewery.a deceiving full bodied feeling is created from the low carbonation level making for a pleasurable palate experience then thinning out in the throat ultimately quenching any thirst that may be distracting you from the supreme taste and aroma of this brew.

D- damn near perfect world class euro lager. tadcaster has obviously lent some of its ale techniques to the making of this one and the result is a wonderfully flavorful, uniquely complex beer the likes of which i could have never imagined. i'm not one for this style, but my favorite english brewery continues to amaze me.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2008 22:46:29 | More by hustlesworth

DarkBeer

4.8/5  rDev +25.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is a good beer. It has a yellowish gold color, and nice head when poured in a pint glass. The taste of it is similar to Sam Smith's Organic Lager, but with less of an acidic aftertaste. The soft water in Pure Brewed Lager helps it go down smooth and easy. There is a good amount of carbonation that blends well with the grainy aftertaste. It's very pure tasting with well balanced flavors and texture, something I can drink regularly.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 16:57:12 | More by DarkBeer

botham

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +23%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1 pint 2.7 oz bottle porued into a pilsener glass. pours a pale straw color with four fingers of tight white head that remains for a few minutes. light lacings.

aroma is lightlt sweet and malty, with a touch of floral hops and a distant note of grain. fresh in the nose, with a pleasant, almost munich malt-like character.

taste is more of the same, with a light and crisp quality. the malt and hops balance eachother out perfectly, leaving only a sinple and well proportioned brew. just what a good pale lager should be.

mouthfeel is light bodied with a thin texture and soft CO2 on the palate. finishes crisp and lightly dry with residual pale malts.

drinkability is excellent. this is a light bodied lager with excellent flavors and aromas, and a rich profile, despite its light mouthfeel. another excellent brew from Samuel Smith. cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2008 01:33:48 | More by botham

smgordo13

Texas

4.65/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance:
A beautiful Golden Yellow, slight head but nothing remarkable.

Smell:
Malty, and flowery.

Taste:
Flowery and Malty. I had it with a slice of homemade bread and they were surprisingly similar in flavor. Very refreshing, not bitter at all!

Mouthfeel:
Pleasant very light and refreshing. Like having a piece of homemade bread, buttered and melting in your mouth.

Drinkability:
Very smooth and refreshing. Very drinkable, no hard aftertaste, not bitterness (IMO).

This is a very refreshing, summery type lager. My 1st thought when I took the sip was me lounging in the pool with a glass of it. It is very flavorful but not overly complex. I am a huge fan of the maltiness!

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2009 22:33:32 | More by smgordo13

goochpunch

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours out pale golden with a loose, white head. Smells of honey and hefty malt with a nuttiness in the background. Tastes of bready, sweet malts with an aggressive hoppiness that offsets the malt perfectly. This tastes distinctly Samuel Smith and I can't figure out why. I thought at first that it might be the yeast strain, but would they use said yeast strain for their lagers too? Mouthfeel is extremely smooth for a pale lager, but feels a tad too sticky in the finish. This is an excellent beer from the great Tadcaster brewery. Without a doubt, this is the best lager I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2006 02:18:18 | More by goochpunch

putnam

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Country.

Stubborn, English country hops decorate this slick carnation. Chewy and decidedly herbal, the plantiness overwhelms the senses. This is forward beer. Stony purity. Harsh. Maybe the best English Lager ever...

Brown bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2002 22:22:51 | More by putnam

claytri

Maryland

4.55/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The Pale Lager poured a bright gold with a thin white head that settled down to an oily lace. It smelled of malt and hops with a slight citric aroma. It is slightly malty with just the right amount of hops, and features a dry finish with a minty flavor. The feel is smooth and oily with a dry finish. This lager has a beautiful blend of malt and hops. This is a beer that will find it's way to my table again and again.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2004 03:52:49 | More by claytri

Offa

California

4.55/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is a great lager with a full, malty body and great hop taste.

It's dark gold with a rather big, permanent white head that leaves some lace.

The aroma is lightly toasted malty grain, crackers, sweet, flowery hops, pine.

The taste is full-bodied grain that lasts all the way through, with herb and grass elements providing a nice, tingly herbal bitterness that smoothly blends with the sweet malt body.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2008 23:50:26 | More by Offa

NHGrafx

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 12 oz brown bottle.

Pours a golden yellow color with a big 3 finger head. Not the greatest head retention. Has good lacing.

Aroma is malty and grassy with some light sweetness. Some grainy smells are present. Light aroma from the hops and yeast comes through as well. Nice hints of honey come through too.s

Taste is very nice. Touch of malt sweetness, some corn like flavors come through with grains and yeast. Light bitterness, some grassy flavors. Slight lemony/citrus like taste. Slight honey like taste comes out too. Very light bitterness on the finish. Mouthfeel is good, carbonation seems moderate. Very drinkable and refreshing.

Easily the best lager I have had. Another great offering from Samuel Smith.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2008 01:15:14 | More by NHGrafx

Church89

North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

355ml brown bottle, foil wrapped cap. No gimmicks.

Pours a light golden color, a little murky.

Smells of crisp apples and light hops.

Taste is a little sweet, nice hops flavors minus the spice.

Mouth is smooth, not very dry at all.

Refreshing and smooth, great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 02:07:57 | More by Church89

b33rb3lly

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

After seeing so many good reviews of just about everything that comes from Samuel Smith I went on a quest looking for product. I should say that I have been looking for some time but never can find anything Samuel Smith in my area. Low and behold I did happen upon 2, 4-packs of the Nut Brown ale and 2 - 4 packs of this lager. I have to say it was really worth the seach and the wait!

It is simply a great lager. 4.5's all around... Pricey yes but well worth it.

I am going to go have one right now!

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2006 20:44:28 | More by b33rb3lly

WxAxGxS

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured with a nice bubbly head, mostly small bubbles with a few fisheyes. The brew is a crisp, clear golden yellow. Smells of citrus and hoppy... maybe a little too sweet in my opinion. The taste is clean, with a good amount of carbonation. There is a sweet maltiness to it, but it maintains a nice hoppy bite. It finishes pretty sweet, but dies off quickly leaving nothing but a hoppy bite on my tongue. Definitely not my favorite Sam Smith, but a great lager in my opinion and sometimes that's exactly what I want

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2008 00:56:41 | More by WxAxGxS

jayrod20

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The beer pours a golden color with a thin white lace head. The aroma is decent. It boasts primarily of pale malts and lager yeast with a mild hop scent. The taste is good. It is clean and refreshing. It has largely a pale malt flavor with a light hop taste. It is light and highly drinkable. This is a low bodied beer with decent carbonation. This is the best lager you will have. This is the best lager you can find other than the organic from Sam Smith.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2008 02:12:12 | More by jayrod20

smerkinb

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours with a 1 inch fuzzy pure white head. Crystal clear pale gold body under a rapidly falling head.

Sweet,sweet biscuity nose mixes with water cracker overtones. Little hint of hop plays against the sweet malt scent.

Sweet, slightly tangy malt, smoothes to pure biscuity flavor that yields slowly to rich yeasty notes. The end is punctuated by a light spiciness. Somewhere in there I get a strange (in a good way) taste that makes me think citrus blended with caramel and peach. Clearly I can't describe it better than that. Very light hops presence, just enough to provide a bit of balance.

Rich mouthfeel, not "thick" but definitely full-bodied. Nice carbonation followed by a satisfyingly dryish finish.

Pretty damn good brew especially on a hot spring day. Great balance of quaffable and flavorful. Top Notch!

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2010 02:06:51 | More by smerkinb

K9AleingPiss

Oklahoma

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The appearance was almost perfect,..good smoke after opening, nice blonde color,very busy with bubbles and good robust fluffy head and lots of lace. Looked like a TV commercial. The smell was also very enticing, an aroma with a clean malty sweet odor and yet some bitter hops to it as well. The taste is wonderful...again a great balance,very satisfying,no after taste, a wonder how they get both a malty robust taste and yet so light and a bit of hops to it as well. Overall just one of the best Ive had,and would recommned to anyone who likes beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 01:07:02 | More by K9AleingPiss

MikeMoriendi

Florida

4.47/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance - Golden yellow color with a frothy white head that disappeared rather quickly.

Smell - Not a very strong scent. I was actually surprised and thought there was something wrong with my sense of smell.

Taste - Very full taste that is a little sweet and malty. Extremely smooth finish.

I have been a fan of Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stoat for quite some time and after recommendations to try this I was not disappointed in the slightest. I still can not believe how very smooth the drink is. Definitely is one of the best lagers I have ever had the pleasure of drinking. I can now believe that Samuel Smith Breweries can do no wrong with their beer making. Highly recommended if you enjoy lagers and this will get my highest grade yet.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2008 16:58:03 | More by MikeMoriendi

oelergud

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I usually dont think much of pale light colored beer, which I learned was a big mistake, this brew pours a beautiful light amber with a fluffy white head, not much lace but it the head stays big for a decent amount of time.
The smell got me seeing big grassy fields with patches of grain growing here and there, very pleasant fragrance.
Taste is great as well, very clean smooth and simple, a beer to enjoy when you dont want to be bothered with half a dozen different flavors.
Feels very good going down, my glass was quickly empty leaving me wishing I had bought more than just 1 bottle.
I will drink this again, no question about that

-Oelergud

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2003 19:46:41 | More by oelergud

Mebuzzard

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into pint glass.
Hmm...this is difficult beer to describe.
Head was there, a bit lacey a bit rich. Stayed almost throughout.
Color was a nice golden hue. A bit cloudy, but an even cloud.
Taste is...well, the taste was malt, hops and yeast. A beer. Nothing fantastic stood out, but that's its charm. Smooth, easy to drink. After I finished one I didn't think I'd want another, but I did...and did.
Probably the benchmark lager.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2006 03:40:55 | More by Mebuzzard

tjd112

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation - Poured into (you guessed correctly) a Sam Smith nonic

Appearance - Golden, somewhat clear color, finger fluffy white head, good lacing

Smell - Very biscuity and grassy, some maltiness saving the day

Taste - Vanilla biscuits with some citrus-esque hops, the smell does not do it justice

Mouthfeel - Light to medium bodied with carbonation

Drinkability - Very

Overall - A good example of an EPL that's NOT in a green bottle. Also try the very similar River Horse lager.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2010 22:00:29 | More by tjd112

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from the classic Sam Smith 500ml bottle into a pint glass. This is what a lager should taste like.

Brilliantly clear gold with fizzy white foam subsiding to liquid. Minimal stickiness.

Plain beer smell but without the corn. Something happening in there. Little hop.

Clean taste with firm mild hop backing. Very smooth. Lightly carbonated.

Very drinkable, delicious. Fantastic as the months get warmer here.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2010 11:20:25 | More by KTCamm

Quaffer

Nevada

4.4/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks for the brown bottle, Sammy Smith!

Appearance: This brew poured a yellow, slightly orange color. It had a brilliant white head that sunk down quickly. A thin layer capped the beer for most of the drink, being fed from below by a heavy sustained bead.

Smell: What a wonderfully clean aroma. It was mild and fresh, being comprised of straw and malt. A rich sweetness was present as well, but it was not overpowering. The aroma is such a wonderful departure from the adjunct laden macro lagers.

Mouthfeel: The body was thin to medium-thin and very smooth for a lager. There was a slight carbonation tingle on the sides of the tongue and in the back of the mouth.

Taste: There were flavors of straw and mild citrus (possibly grapefruit) upfront that merged beautifully into a light hops bitterness. The finish was all hops and a soft sweetness.

I am not a big lager fan, but this is a great beer. I guess I had just never tried the right lager before. I will revisit this beer again very soon, especially with summer headed this way.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2003 18:49:35 | More by Quaffer

PintOHops

California

4.4/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a 1 pint, 2.7 FL.OZ bottle (550ml) into a pint glass.

Appearance/Smell - Appears a pale yellow/straw color. Lite carbonation with very little head that reduces rather fast. Leaves some spotty lacing. Smells of rich caramel malt & floral hops. Musky Biscuit, corn husk & a touch of chocolate as it warms. Very surprising and very inviting!

Taste/Mouthfeel - Tastes of rich caramel and malt, and ends dry hopy and crisp. A touch of fruit and very well balanced (No adjuncts or corny flavor!) Very clean. Biscuit & rich caramel flavor develops as beer warms (Pleasant) Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth. Lite-medium bodied, goes down easy. Crisp as well.

Drinkability/Final thoughts - One could find themselves drinking copious amounts of this beer, at least I sure could. From start to finish this beer left me wanting more. Sip by sip, I absolutely loved its rich caramel start, and dry hopy finish. This was my first Samuel Smiths beer, and it wont be my last. I definitely recommend you try this, you wont be disappointed. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2008 20:22:56 | More by PintOHops