beer_name: Samuel Smith's India Ale
text: 550 ml bottle poured into an Imperial Pint. No date or info to be found. A - Brilliantly clear honeyed pale amber in color. No carbonation action but a plump and dense creamy head burst fourth on the pour. The off-white beast took a long time to settle and left slight legs on the glass. Only specks of lacing though. S - The aroma comes out subtly but is very smooth and refreshing smelling. Not to be misunderstood with cidery, it has a fresh red apple aroma that's lightly tart. Light hops present a fruity and floral aspect but hardly smell like typical hops. Low aroma but not IPA-like based on smell. T - Impeccable balance on the flavor, the malty backbone starts out right away but quickly turns to a dry hop-present fruity - with that apple again - and floral kick. The finish is mildly hoppy though a touch more tart and astringent than bitter. Dry finish. M - Incredibly smooth and slightly creamy to start, it finished dry and a touch astringent, not bitter. Medium-bodied and smooth as milk all the way down. D - Pretty good, while not a typical IPA by any standards. Hop presence as we Americans know it is pretty absent. The balance is well done though.