Organic Apricot Ale
Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)

Organic Apricot AleOrganic Apricot Ale
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
Ranked #25
ABV:
5.1%
Score:
87
Ranked #16,076
Avg:
3.89 | pDev: 13.62%
Reviews:
131
Ratings:
460
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 03, 2024
Added:
Mar 19, 2012
Wants:
  35
Gots:
  95
Handcrafted in Melbourne Bros' tiny brewery set in a time warp in Stamford using the old manually operated brewing equipment. Finest organically grown barley and wheat are used to create a complex ale which, having undergone primary and secondary fermentation with different yeasts and extended maturation, is taken to Samuel Smith's small, independent British brewery at Tadcaster. There it is blended with pure organic apricot fruit juice and a previously cellared organic brew -- creating an unparalleled fruit ale. The smooth distinctive character of the matured ale serves as the perfect counterpoint to the pure organic fruit juice.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of ResearchRado
Reviewed by ResearchRado from Oklahoma

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Appearance:
Fluffy pure white head that dissipates quickly, small amounts of spot lacing. Beautiful clear golden apricot color, looks like fancy juice.

Smell:
Kinda off-putting, a bit metallic; Some boozy sweetness hidden behind that.

Taste:
Tasty, interesting, weird, like a juice box for grownups. Sweet but not syrupy. Just kinda generic capri sun and apple juice box fruit flavors.

Mouthfeel:
Light but with a slight syrupy note. Mildly effervescent. Kinda like a sweeter, more dense cider.

Overall:
One of a kind. Not a normal beer. Not a normal cider. Not my favorite. If I wanted a think cider, then maybe. But the flavor just isn’t that good.
Mar 03, 2024
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

3.51/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
This one pours a clean-ish looking golden orange color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells kind of sugary, but not artificial, as the apricot aroma is authentic but overwhelming.

This is a pretty tasty beer, but in reality the apricot – syrupy sweet as it is – is really the only flavor here. It feels like a pretty weak base beer was blended straight with apricot juice, which honestly might be what happened here.

This is kind of syrupy, but drinkable enough, with a moderate level of carbonation.

I’ve liked other Sam Smith beers much more than this – it was tasty-ish but too sweet.
Dec 12, 2023
Photo of AGU313
Reviewed by AGU313 from Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
A: apricot orange, like a sunset, full head some haze
S: like a bowl of oranges, fruity
T: apricots and funk
M: full and frothy, soft and full
O: joyful
Nov 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.45 by DBosco from Massachusetts

Sep 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.4 by Beecham from California

Jul 13, 2023
 
Photo of MikeWard
Rated by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Decent apricot taste and very clean.
Jan 25, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by Justinprintz from New Jersey

Jul 15, 2022
Photo of maddogruss
Reviewed by maddogruss from New Jersey

3.74/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Had this on draft.
A: pours orange body with small white head with ok retention and lacing
S: really sweet apricot smelling taste; some floral notes as well
T: tart but sweet apricot taste; somewhat sweet after taste; definitely a strong apricot taste
M: medium bodied an smooth; somewhat overcarbonated, but decent
D: nice feel and taste combo; pretty nice beer, overall
May 09, 2022
Photo of BubbaGuppy
Reviewed by BubbaGuppy from Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
At one end of the rainbow there are IPAs. I love my IPAs, but they can range up to the almost punishing level of bitterness.
I'm currently working my way through a variety case from Stone Brewing, and I was frankly ready for a break from the bitterness.

All the way at the other end of the rainbow is this slightly "syrupy" confection from Sam'l Smith. It does everything well - refreshing, truly great taste... I love it. Generous 550ml bottle gives me time to realize how much I will miss it when it is empty.
Apr 06, 2022
 
Rated: 3.8 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Feb 26, 2022
 
Rated: 3.77 by Roejogan from Canada (BC)

Nov 28, 2021
 
Rated: 4.76 by Rhetion from Florida

Jul 15, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by arzt from Germany

Jul 03, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.25/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
355 ml bottle, ABV 5.1%, at Robert Raikes’ House (a Samuel Smith pub), Gloucester. Served ice cold. Golden colour, moderate white head. Distinct aroma of apricots. The flavour is medium sweet, not cloying, with distinct apricots throughout. Low bitterness.
Jun 02, 2021
 
Rated: 2.8 by Houborg1 from Denmark

May 08, 2021
 
Rated: 4.4 by Thirstytraveler from Oregon

Apr 20, 2021
Photo of KT3418
Reviewed by KT3418 from Colorado

4.44/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I absolutely love this. This might be the best thing I've had from Samuel Smith yet and I really like the taddy porter a lot. The apricot shines so bright and seems so fresh, this reminds me of Lindemanns fruit lambics but more beer based. Great brew, it is on the sweeter side but also...it's a fruit and not a sour beer. So...
Apr 11, 2021
Photo of imnodoctorbut
Reviewed by imnodoctorbut from Texas

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
pint bottle poured to Jester King tulip

pours a slightly hazed mellow yellow gold body with a thick and billowing frothy white foam head that has moderate retention and leaves occasional lacing as it settles to a murky cap with defined halo. pretty looking brew!

aroma is a mild funk with an easy floral sweetness; apricot is obviously present, but so is honey crisp and peach and something akin to white grape must

taste follows the nose pretty straight forward but really ups the vibrancy. while it very much so has a cider-like sense to it, it also has a slightly medicinal (?) kick to it, along with the taste of band-aids on the wings. juicy and tart throughout.

mouthfeel: moderately high carbonation and medium-light body. it's pillowy with a few sharper prickles here and there. juicy, fresh, and clean feeling with a crisp finish and a tartly sweet aftertaste that sticks

overall:
this was a near-Nectar-of-the-Gods moment for me, to tell you the truth. it was beautiful looking and the taste/feel of the thing is just so pleasantly balanced and enjoyable and refreshing. it's an interesting sweet spot between cider, mead, and beer that could easily be enjoyed as a session'r or a solitary nightcap. the aroma was a little muted, holding it back slightly, but otherwise a truly beautiful little brew.
Apr 09, 2021
 
Rated: 3.5 by mpenske from California

Jan 29, 2021
Organic Apricot Ale from Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 460 ratings