beer_name: Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale
text: Comes in a 550ml Bottle, with a label format that Samuel Smiths must have been using for years, a rectangular shaped label with a gold trim, the one where only the background color and name changes for different beers (this has a black background with the words Old Brewery Pale Ale) but always topped proudly by the White Rose of Yorkshire. I carefully dunked the beer, because I like a head on my beer. A big release of dissolved CO2 gives a rather deep, some 4, light brown head in my over size Glass. The voluminous head is a light tan brown color that pairs extremely well with the super clear brown, copper-chestnut colored ale. It really does look the part, and very appetizing. Tops marks for head retention as well it settled (eventually!) to about 1 but more importantly for me it lasted the distance. It also leaves a super looking lace on the glass walls. Nose is rather average in strength, but this is not detrimental for me as it contains a good dose of malt, which a Pale Ale should. Hops are somewhat feint but evident as well. Initial tastes are of sweet malt, an ever so slight almost delicate slightly roast taste, some hops come in towards the end, but the finish is perfectly balanced between the sweet malt and the hops. I swear I get some oak wood, or is it Walnuts? in the finish as well, how can that be? Taste lingers for some time, a sweet very satisfying mouthfeel. A great drinking beer, albeit 5%. Hell, do I wish they would sell this in Cask in England, what a great lunchtime session beer it would make. I could easily demolish a (UK) Gallon of this at lunchtime: screw work in the afternoon. Yet again, Sams do themselves proud, they do not disappoint, do they ever?! As a Yorkshireman myself, they also make me feel proud to be able to drink this high quality beer in the USA. Thanks to Merchant du Vin, a totally inappropriate name for the Importer. I have to tell you - this is THE beer to drink with Fish and Chips !! A truly great English Pale Ale, a taste of home and simply just, well -Bloody Marvellous.