John Smith's Extra Smooth - John Smith's Limited

Broman

Ohio

3.41/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- Everyone loves the cascade, albeit short lived but still an interesting and exciting sight. Pours a moderate half inch thick foam head that lasts the beer with ample lacing. Dark brown color once everything settles.

Smell- Little to none. Some mild sweet aromas.

Taste- Easy drinking taste. Some sweet undertones, more along the lines of a brown sugar cube mixed into a cup of water. Followed up quickly with a bland tinge of no aftertaste. Not overly exciting but enjoyable enough.

Mouthfeel- Best part of the beer. Fills the mouth. More of a comforting feeling then anything. Medium body on the palette.

Overall- Goes down easy. Comforting feel and taste. Somewhat heavy but it just adds some character.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-16-2013 05:08:34 | More by Broman

Zorro

California

3.28/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Clear dark amber colored beer with a dense snowy white colored head. Very dark I could see calling this brown.

Smell is English malt and hops. Slight butter aroma with scents of leather and tobacco and London cab. Toasted grain and light caramel with a mild herbal hop flavor.

Starts out mild and malty with toasted grains with light caramel flavor. Slight fig flavor just a very light English ale. Mildly sweet with an earthy hop after taste.

Mouthfeel is decent.

Overall a mild low alcohol English ale.

I could see starting a Great Britain beer tasting with this ale, it certainly would not alter your taste perception of what ever bitter or pale ale that comes next.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-30-2013 20:44:17 | More by Zorro

UCLABrewN84

California

2.7/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Nitro can pour at the BevMo Holiday Beerfest held at Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a clear orange-brown with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Tiny dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt and a slight caramel aroma. Taste is much the same but is very mild and lacking. This beer has a low level of carbonation with an almost flat mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty poor beer that is not very tasty in my opinion.

Serving type: nitro-can

12-02-2012 07:06:51 | More by UCLABrewN84

DoubleJ

California

3.53/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bring on the nitro-can! Something to wet my whistle for the evening. Coming out of a 440 ml can, on to the beer:

Cascade, cascade, stop. That's a lovely amber red color with a crimson tint, and that creamy head sitting on top sits an inch thick and holds its posture. The nose is muted. Something wants to crawl out, but something is holding it back. A little caramel and toasted malt crawls out , and some huskiness.

Subtle as expected, yet interesting enough to drink all the way through. Little flavors consist of fruity esters, toasty malts, a slap of honey, hard minerals, slight metallic accent. The body is light with a hefty creaminess, and it is very easy to drink.

Around my expectations, and that's not bad. A true session ale to be had in the US.

Serving type: nitro-can

11-20-2012 06:24:23 | More by DoubleJ

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Gale Sayers shaker pint glass.

Every other nitro'ed English pale/bitter/cream ale/what-have-you I've had has been at least decent, so this guy's gonna haveta be tried, thinketh I. It pours a clear sunrise bronze topped by a finger or so of creamy off-white foam. The nose comprises barley, light greens, and a touch of biscuit. The taste brings in more of the same, with a touch more biscuit, a drop of honey, and a twinge of spicy greens. The body is a light medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a silky smooth feel. Overall, a nice little English ale, something I wouldn't necessarily stock all the time, but something I would never mind partaking in.

Serving type: nitro-can

10-24-2012 19:30:16 | More by TMoney2591

beertunes

Washington

3.2/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Yet another oddball format, 14.9oz /440ml, why not 400, 450 or 500ml? Those wacky Euros and their metric system. Poured into straight pint glass. Poured a clean, clear coppery amber color with 3/4 inch of thick, rich, creamy nitro head that had great retention and very good lacing.

The aroma was mostly sweet malts, with some earthy grains and gentle hops in the background. The flavors were the same, a pretty typical group of flavors for the style.

The body was typically good for the style, full, rich and smooth. Drinkability was good, smooth and easy. Overall, a nice, but not notable, take on the style. Worth grabbing if you're in the mood for a nice (almost) pint of bitters.

Serving type: nitro-can

10-11-2012 19:02:49 | More by beertunes

schoolboy

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Nice. This is a nice English ale. Smooth, easy drinking and well balanced. Like all those crazy English widget brews, this baby starts with the beautiful infinite head. This quickly subsides into a well mannered drink.

The color is darker than expected. The aroma is weak but nice. It keeps producing lace. Overall, it is as expected - a nice English ale. From England, go figure.

Serving type: can

09-21-2012 23:53:13 | More by schoolboy

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A thanks to woodychandler for keeping me up to date in the world of canned beers. Poured from a 14.9 oz. nitro can. Has a brown color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is a bit on the malty side. Taste is malts, a touch of nuts, just a bit of hops, like it's advertised, very smooth. Feels creamy in the mouth and overall is a good session beer.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-27-2012 21:21:55 | More by tone77

zeff80

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a very cloudy, golden color with a pillowy, creamy head of foam. It left thick, sudsy sheets of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of caramel and mild floral notes.

T - It tasted of caramel, toastiness and a grassy bitterness.

M - It was smooth and creamy. A light bodied bitter ale with a clean finish.

O - This is pretty good. I had never heard of it, but it's pretty tasty.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-08-2012 02:45:54 | More by zeff80

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Don’t open a CAN until after Midnight, but if you mean to further The CANQuest (TM), let it begin then and CANtinue throughout New CANned Beer Sunday! So the battle cry sounded and I am off, reprising The CANQuest (TM) in all of its glorious excesses.

A nitro-CAN from Pinocchio's on Friday gets us out of the gate and the Crack released a buncha gas while the Glug caused a cascading action that resulted in a finger of dense, light-tan head. Color was a deep copper/brownish hue with NE-quality clarity. BUPGOO! Nose was quite malty, very biscuit-like. Mouthfeel was full and creamy as the result of the widget and the taste was only moderately bitter. It had a pleasant biscuit maltiness up front, followed by a light bitterness before the swallow. Finish was semi-dry and quite pleasant. This would be an excellent CANdidate for a session beer, especially at the beach.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-05-2012 04:52:36 | More by woodychandler

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

2.98/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

14.9 fl oz nitro can poured into a tumbler pint glass. Not expecting too much, but who knows what I might get?

A: Pours a reddish copper color with great clarity and general vibrance. The head is a one finger offwhite head with amazing retention and texturing - typical of a nitro can beer. If nothing else, this beer looks damn good; it would get a 5 if it didn't look rather flat.

S: Also typical of a nitro can beer, the smell is incredibly weak. There's small amounts of caramel, grassiness, and a bit of a grain note, but really it's just hella weak.

T: Quite low on flavor in general. Minor amounts of grainy malt, tea leaf-esque bitterness, and the slightest 'ping' of fruity hops is about all that's here. The head presents a slightly unpleasant soap character, but it's not too distracting. I'd even call it watery. But there's one saving grace here - it's a superb chugger. And I'm not talking about quickly sipping, I mean out and out slamming it. This is just about the fastest I've ever finished close to a pint of beer before. Sure, it's primarily due to its milquetoast character, but still, it's rare I find myself drinking several cans in less than an hour.

M: Very low carbonation, which I find oddly refreshing for some reason. Extremely light bodied with a clean, mildly dry finish. A bit chalky on the aftertaste.

O: I should hate this - but I don't. Hell, I even kind of like it. It's loaded with flaws, but it's just about one of the most drinkable beers I've ever had. A good 'please the masses' kind of beer.

But as a beer geek speaking, I'd love to see some more traditional English bitters in my area that have a lot stronger character than this. This definitely doesn't seem like a good representation of what the style can truly be.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-02-2012 20:37:00 | More by ThisWangsChung

brewskifan55

Mississippi

3.53/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served up at the Ale House, Bath England

A: Dark amber with a thick white one finger head that stays and stays. Took a while to settle.

S: Malts with just a hint of floral hoppiness.

T: Malts come frothing in. They weren't kidding when they said Extra Smooth. A slight taste of hops. Yum.

M: Light to medium with mediium carbonation.

O: Great with a Bath Pasty from the sandwich shop 'round the corner (braised beef, potatoes and onions). I see why this is so popular in stores.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2012 18:11:47 | More by brewskifan55

horshack7

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Poured into a mug is a dark amber almost mahogany with a cascading effect. The head is creamy in texture and marshmellow in color.

Aroma: Caramel malt sweetness, hops are there but only to give a light citrus note. Slight notes of molasses and a minor note of milk sugar.

Taste: Very creamy mouthfeel smoother than milk. Hops are roasted lightly but only lend a floralness. It's mostly malt with some caramel notes and bits of coaco.

Notes: It's sessionable and overall not too shaby of a brew. Cheers.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-30-2012 03:28:51 | More by horshack7

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From the widget can stamped: 31-05-X-L147-10:03. Sampled on July 13, 2012. The pour is agitated by the widget explosion with a medium copper amber tone and a soft, silky, foamy head. The aroma is rather bland with little to talk about but bread and grains. The body is smooth and medium. It tastes better than I thought it might given the aroma with an upfront sweet malt character followed by a moderate bitterness. This probably would be a pretty good pub beer.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-14-2012 01:43:57 | More by puboflyons

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I figured since I occasionally relish a nitro can I'd give this one a shot and its pretty much standard fare. A nearly clear copper beer with a big whipped cream head that settles down slowly; super creamy and clingy lace you'd expect on nitro.

Aroma is mostly a bready maltiness with light floral, almost fruity hop notes, some caramel sweetness, and a faintly metallic note underneath. Flavor follows closely, is pretty mild and watery, and has bready malt, caramel, very tame floral hops and restrained bitterness.

Body is just a shade below medium; carbonation is smooth and reserved. As I worked my way through the glass the watery nature of the beer became tiresome. Worth a try if you like nitro English bitters but doesn't stand out from its competitors in any particulalry favorable way; a small step below something like Tetley's.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-02-2012 03:03:52 | More by tobelerone

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

From 14.9oz nitro-can to Hess imperial pint glass on 6/20/12
*From notes

A: Simply gorgeous. Clean, dark copper-golden. A cascading white and creamy one finger head tops the beer. Crazy lacing like I've never seen, as it literally coats the glass.

S: I'm digging this. Vanilla bean, white buttered corn and clean golden malt.

T: Like the nose, I get a lot of vanilla. I'm also getting some forest floor, and hints of clean malt. This is really delicious.

M: Thanks to the nitro-can, this is creamy as all get-out. I'd like a bit more density, and I'd certainly appreciate more carbonation, but this is none the less an elegant glass of beer.

O: How in the hell did I miss this one for so long? This is an exceptional English Bitter. I love the nitro-can presentation, and everything about this comes together to create one of the better session beers I've had. I will most certainly be returning to this. A word to my degenerate friends: you'll be seeing this at future house parties.

Serving type: nitro-can

06-24-2012 00:49:52 | More by Rhettroactive

RodneyFarva

Spain

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

50cl can - part poured into pint glass, other part drank from can, to get both widget/glass experience.

a: pours a deep copper, one finger clear white nitro head sits and stays for a good while

s: watery, light caramel and toffee, very malty, almost no hops

t: quite watery, a light malitness, some caramel and toffee. mouthfeel is quite creamy and dulled from the nitro. extremely drinkable.

o: not particularly complex, nothing amazing, but I find myself coming to this beer and Boddington's Pub Ale occasionally simply for its simplicity. more complexity than a standard lager.

Serving type: nitro-can

05-19-2012 18:30:56 | More by RodneyFarva

oberon

North Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I recently read that this the top selling bitter in the U.K. so I figured I would give it a try.Poured from the nitro can a clear deep copper color with that one finger creamy cascading head.A little toastiness and light metallic notes in the nose,it will not blow ya away but it's not designed to.toasted bready malts are the main component on the palate with a mild mineral note.I can see why this is a big seller it's low in alcohol and has some decent subtle flavors,good for what it is no doubt.

Serving type: nitro-can

05-10-2012 20:15:45 | More by oberon

shambeano

Australia

2.88/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a pint glass.

A- Pours a clear ambery brown, with about an inch of creamy nitro head. looks pretty damn good.

S- Really malty, caramel and toffee comes through strongly, although there is no real hop flavour coming through, a little one dimensional.

T- A little bit malty, not as much toffee or caramel as on the nose, it takes some searching for. there is a little bit of bitteress towards the end, and something slightly medicinal, but apart from that very little hop.

M- lighter to mid bodied, very little carbonation but quite creamy. drying finish. not too bad.

O- its okay, but its pretty bland. i could have a couple if i was after something a little lower alcohol but i would get over it very quickly.

Serving type: nitro-can

02-14-2012 11:40:58 | More by shambeano

spdyfire83

Ireland

3.15/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

72nd Review
Nitro can to hatch

Enjoyed while visiting London.

A: Medium copper. Unsure on head as consumed straight from can.

S: Sweet caramel with dominant biscuity malt character. No real hop aroma coming off the nose.

T: Hint of malt and sweetness, but not too much going on here. Smooth and easy drinking.

M: Light bodied and soft carbonation.

O: An easy-to-drink beer that is not overly complex which (for me) is a nice change of pace. Nothing too memorable about this, but just a hint above average.

Serving type: nitro-can

12-23-2011 11:01:13 | More by spdyfire83

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Nitro can courtesy of ScrimshawFan. Into a Samuel Smith Imperial Pint.

A: Pours a nice copper color with a dense, inch thick nitro head. Excellent clarity, and as typical awesome retention due to the nitro. As frustrating as Nitro can be, it makes for a damn fine looking beer.

S: Smells of caramel malt, slightly grainy, and the unmistakable smell of a nitrogenated beer, kinda of sweet/tangy odd smell that reminds me of a Guinness draft or a Boddington's Pub Ale.

T: Grainy malts, fairly sweet and caramelly. Really a malty beer. Slight amount of bitterness in the finish that lingers on the tongue for quite some time after the swallow. A sweet malty beer that is actually quite tasty.

M: Thin with small nitro bubbles, finish is dry and clean. Just about right.

O: Not too shabby, I like this a little more than the regular bitter. Pretty nice little beer here, and definitely something I could drink a lot of.

Thanks Casey!

Serving type: nitro-can

11-26-2011 01:43:01 | More by pokesbeerdude

aeolianshredhead

Australia

2.95/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A- Pours a nice amber colour with an extremely well retaining slim, creamy head on top. Looks quite good.

S- Sweet. No real distinct ingredients stand out to be honest. All I get is just a general, malty sweetness on the nose. A little flat.

T- Very watery.. Thankfully, it doesn't end there. Basically, a sweetness hits the palate upfront which is followed by some nuttiness which gets carried out by some light hops. Definitely not on the robust side, but not on the off-putting side either.

M- Well, I got what I was expecting. This beer is incredibly watery and has very low carbonation. It certainly lives up to its advertising slogan "extra smooth", but this does not work for me. It definitely adds to the drinkability, but in all honesty, that adds very little merit to a beer's overall quality from my standpoint. Some beers are better drunk slow- this offers too much temptation to down it in one.

O- This is a satisfactory beer. It fails at providing anything new or exciting to the world of beer, but stylistically, it works. I probably won't actively seek this out anytime soon but if I was offered this by someone, I wouldn't pass it up. Hey, there are far, far worse offerings out there- Carlton Cold is a prime example.

Serving type: nitro-can

09-02-2011 13:19:51 | More by aeolianshredhead

ElCommodoro

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Absolutely beautiful appearance once it settled down. It was poured from a widget can, meaning it was meant to be drunk straight from the can, so it initially poured all foam, but it eventually settled into an amber colour with a centimeter or so of off-white head that remained, and it was perfectly flat and uniform, like it wanted to be seamless.
The smell is of malted barley. Not much sweetness or hops on the nose. It smells delicious, though, nonetheless.
The taste is decent. It's not too bitter, which was a relief.
Smooth is right! It was VERY creamy. That was not something I'm used to. Creaminess was clearly the primary intent here. There was absolutely nothing offensive about it either.
One big problem, not much flavour and a VERY watery body. Not even any alcohol make the wateriness more enjoyable because the alcohol content is so low. So, it was like creamy, mildly beery water. If that's what you want, go for it. Otherwise, don't expect anything more exciting than that from this beer.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-09-2011 23:40:22 | More by ElCommodoro

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On nitro-tap at The World's End; poured into a pint glass.

A: Clear red-amber body under a finger of typically dense off-white nitro foam. Just as sticky as you can expect from this serving method. I love it.

S: Clean, biting aroma of herbal hops and dry, biscuity malt. SOme clean caramel sweetness makes its presence felt as well. Very inoffensive, and reasonably balanced as well.

T: Caramel malt, nuttiness, and some faintly hoppy bitterness. A little sweet, but tasty.

M: Typical nitro body - full of super-fine effervescence. I'm a fan.

O: For a seemingly mass-produced Bitter on nitro, this wasn't half bad. I liked far more than the pint of Tetley's that immediately preceded it, and could easily see myself sessioning it if ever in a pub that didn't have any real ales. Good pint in a pinch.

Cheers!

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-19-2011 20:54:29 | More by woosterbill

heygeebee

Australia

3.35/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark copper colour, one finger creamy head - hangs around a while

I served this too cold (just like the can said - hmmm) Moderate aromas of malt - some toffee.

Light taste, malt driven not a lot else to say, a little bitterness

Low carbonation, light in mouth

Ok, better for a session than as a treat.

Question - why on earth do they say serve cold on the can?

Serving type: nitro-can

06-10-2011 04:42:37 | More by heygeebee