Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale
8oz or so, enjoyed at a beer tasting with Samuel Smith, the son of the current head of the brewery @ the Winking Lizard. Consumed in a branded English half-pint glass. The beer is copper with some amber and orange highlights. It's not cloudy; instead, it's quite clear and has just a small film of head. Great color but poor head retention. The smell of this beer is enjoyable but not what I like in the style. I prefer just a touch more expression from the hops. I know English Pale Ales should be more malty than their American counterparts and lack the citrus and pine aromas, but this had very little from the Golding hops Samuel said they use. Some bready malt, caramel, and minor wet cardboard I can only assume was mild oxidation. The mild malt in the taste sets the stage for what could be an epic beer. But there's little to balance it, just some earthy hops and medium bitterness. Just not as flavorful as I like, and there's no contrast of sweet and bitter flavors. The mouthfeel is decent, with a crisp medium bodied beer having nice carbonation and a lingering mildly bitter finish. The pale ale, unfortunately, was my least favorite of the evening. But it paired well with the roast beef, horseradish mashed potatoes, and yorkshire pudding we enjoyed with it. I just wish it was a bit more flavor-forward and expressive. While discussing this with Samuel, we talked about American Pale Ales and he mentioned he enjoyed a few in Seattle the previous evening and said they were fantastic but certainly too hoppy for a session ;)