Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale - Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

"Brewed with hard well water (the original well sunk in 1758 is still in use), best barley malt, yeast and aromatic hops to create a copper-coloured ale with a full, rounded flavor; fermented in 'stone Yorkshire squares'; the finish is a perfect balance of malt and hops. A good many British beers were very dark before the Industrial Revolution; new malting techniques led to pale malts allowing the evolution of this classic brewing style - a cornerstone of British pub culture." Brewed in the style of an English Pale Ale. No bottle date. Available in 550ml single bottles.

Poured from a 550ml. bottle to a pint glass. Served above 44º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a creamy/frothy copper-white head over a mild hazy orange amber body with plenty of vivacious carbonation. Retention is quite nice as the head thickens without settling through time. Lacing is thin but strong. A very enjoyable appearance. 4.25

(Smell) Doughy, biscuity malts, a notable hint of cider and vinegar qualities, evidently acidic. Some mild grain notes. Hard water aromatics. Faint earthy hop notes. Potency is medium. Smells right for the style, not particularly original but not underdone either. 3.75

(Taste) Doughy dry malts, some trace husky caramel & toffee sweetness, a mostly acidic bitterness, not so much hop profiles. Hard water qualities are mild with a mild acidity, good for drinkability's sake. Body depth is right for the style and the sweetness, while tame for this beer makes for a very drinkable English Pale Ale. It swings on the malt side, but it's enjoyable in its own regard. 3.75

(Mouthfeel) Mildly crisp, airy carbonation doesn't mangle the palate much. Body is just shy of medium for the style, below medium overall as well. Alcohol presence is low, pretty tame in this beer. Finish is mildly acidic, a bit doughy and faintly dry. 4

(Overall) This was my long delayed introduction to Samuel Smith's beers and I'm a little ashamed that I waited this long. The beer was impressive on most factors, as the flavor was mild, malty and enjoyable, the balance was nice and the textures were just mild enough to accent the flavor profile. It's a good deal at under 4 dollars a bottle. 3.75

Samuel Smith Old Brewery's
Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale
3.8/5.00

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 18:43:29 | More by Jadjunk

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Amber/copper; huge foam on bottle opening, but didn't last in glass

Aroma: Malty; dried fruit; hints of butterscotch

Taste: Sligthly dry, bitter start moving quickly into malty, juicy, vinous fruit mid; finishes with a dry, nutty flavor

Remarks: Pretty well balanced; pretty good flavor overall

Did not score A, T, S, M at that time; disregard those scores

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 22:24:06 | More by IchLiebeBier

SoCalBeerIdiot

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

06-12-2013 19:08:02 | More by SoCalBeerIdiot

DeutschesBier

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

06-07-2013 15:33:37 | More by DeutschesBier

2beerdogs

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

06-06-2013 06:02:49 | More by 2beerdogs

rangerred

Tennessee

3.49/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

550ml bottle into an English pint.

Pours a crystal clear deep copper with a one finger fluffy off-white head. Ok head retention with a few streaks of lacing.

The aroma I feel is a little on the weak side and is full of dark fruit, caramel, and toast. I would have liked it all to be just a little more forward, however.

This same lack of excitement carries over into the taste. Nice dark fruit and some grassy hops up front quickly followed by toast and burnt caramel. A nice moderate bitterness lasts throughout adding to the burnt character. Full, slick mouthfeel ending with a bit of stickyness.

Overall, a decent offering from Samuel Smith but I find it a bit lacking. There are better examples out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 01:35:55 | More by rangerred

cannunzi

Florida

4/5  rDev +3.4%

05-29-2013 19:20:28 | More by cannunzi

DrunkenMonk

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

05-28-2013 06:40:33 | More by DrunkenMonk

Bnoise11

California

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%

05-28-2013 03:26:46 | More by Bnoise11

kp29

Arizona

2.75/5  rDev -28.9%

05-27-2013 05:44:41 | More by kp29

WDJersey

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +3.4%

05-26-2013 02:06:41 | More by WDJersey

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

05-25-2013 14:29:10 | More by Slatetank

Dapperticus

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +16.3%

05-25-2013 01:17:16 | More by Dapperticus

kvnstfrd

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%

05-23-2013 04:27:48 | More by kvnstfrd

johntfox

Florida

4/5  rDev +3.4%

05-21-2013 01:11:48 | More by johntfox

mattparsons

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +3.4%

05-18-2013 22:16:05 | More by mattparsons

Xzfgiimtsath

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +16.3%

05-17-2013 12:40:10 | More by Xzfgiimtsath

KStark

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%

05-13-2013 14:33:46 | More by KStark

rph97

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%

05-10-2013 20:03:56 | More by rph97

thatdewguy

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +22.7%

05-09-2013 05:14:34 | More by thatdewguy

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.71/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

the glory of these beers is their price, less than 4 bucks per go? are you kidding me?! the quality to price point is unrivaled in the beer world. while some are outstanding, standard setters, others are just okay. this pale ale is somewhere in between. its clear in the pours, more red than copper, with a finger of off white bubbles that pop down to a thin skin before long. the nose is quintessentially English, with all the caramel malt dusty attic you could ever want, but with a welcomed touch of vanilla extract. the yeast doesn't really manifest itself until the flavor, neither do the hops. the yeast combines with the caramel malt to give a doughy cereal profile, while the hops finish the beer nice and bitter, balancing the vanilla expertly. tastes just a tad old at the end, but ill bet this is nearly perfect at the source on tap. thinner body, which im back and forth between liking and not, and airy carbonation that keeps this beer drinking easily. overall this isn't my favorite beer from sam smiths, but now that I have worked my well into their lineup, I can safely say that the quality of this brew is up to the high bar of the others. again, the economics cannot be beat.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 04:20:14 | More by StonedTrippin

DrewSnyc667

Massachusetts

4.44/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A: Slightly hazy brilliant copper color. Minor activity and almost no head whatsoever

S: Amazingly robust chocolate and caramel. Unique to the stye, I am chewing on the malts before I take a sip.

T: A malt fans delight. Super complex starts like chocolate chandy and ends with a nice little hop crisp

M: Nice amount of carbonation keeps that sweet malt at bay and makes this highly session able

O: I have been really into the English session ales lately and this one is another treat.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 01:35:02 | More by DrewSnyc667

Damian

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Drank from a 1pt. 2.7fl.oz./550 ml bottle
Served in a Samuel Smith's imperial pint glass
Thanks to my dad for this bottle

The beer poured a slightly hazed, deep crimson-amber. A two-finger crown of tight, frothy, beige colored foam topped the liquid and slowly faded to a lasting cap. Patches of lacing trickled down the glass.

The nose was very British. A bit steely and quite mellow overall. Good dose of biscuity malts. Somewhat toasty. Mild toffee notes. Slightly fruity and moderately sweet.

The flavor profile was decent. Biscuity malts dominated. Some toffee. Touch of noble hops. Fruity in the center. Earthy, bittering hops came through in the finish. Crisp and drying.

The mouthfeel was slick, smooth and somewhat creamy on the palate. Medium bodied with a fine and mild effervescence.

Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale might be spot-on for the style, but I found it rather boring. If you have an affinity for British session ales, this might be your cup of tea.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 03:22:32 | More by Damian

BigJohnny

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +3.4%

04-23-2013 10:29:29 | More by BigJohnny

bmurray10

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

04-22-2013 14:35:32 | More by bmurray10