Mr. Smooth
Great Waters Brewing

 

Brown in color with a thick frothy head. A little bit cloudy. The nose is smooth and almost creamy if that is a possible way to describe a nose. The malt is what is present in that nose as far as "beer components" is concerned. Smooth and creamy attack. The mouthfeel is creamy in the way that many of the casks at Great Waters are. The malt dominates the flavor, but doesn't cling in your mouth. It is malty, but clean I guess. Almost a sweetness to the finish that might resemble toffee. Faint coffee hints in the aftertaste I believe as well. This is one of my favorite beers at Great Waters and if its available when I am there, I will no doubt have one. I don't know if there is any other way to drink this beer than cask, but having had it only that way, my opinion is that is just how it should be.

A- Pours a 1 finger thick white head from the hand pump. The beer has a nice cascade effect as it rests. The body is brown and has a slight haze to it.

S- A little uneventful on the nose. Some chocolate, nuttiness, a bit of caramel.

T- Starts out very smooth with toffee notes, bits of chocolate, cream, nuttiness. The finish isn't terribly complex, but is rather sweet.

M- very thick and creamy, but unfortunately, maybe served a hint to warm. I would guess they were in the high 50's.

D- This was a tasty beer but it was just a hint to sweet which hurt the drinkability.

Pours a very dark with a large head that had great retention. Heavy lacing is left on the glass until the ale is gone. Nice malt and nutty aroma. Flavor is soft and mild. Nothing that is going to blow your socks off. But it is interesting enough to keep drinking and ordering more. Light body with low carbonation. This beer is made to be sessioned.

Surly Mild is my first experience with the style, so all others will compare to it. That being said, I fell in love with the style and have been trying to seek it out ever since. I was in luck when I stopped by Great Waters this past Friday. Mr. Smooth was on cask and just asking to be tried.

The beer was presented in a Great Waters pint glass at a proclaimied 52 degrees F. It took a while for it to settle after being hand pulled from the cask. Once it did, it produced a lovely brownish amber color w/ a soft, off white head. The aromas were not very exciting. Some maltiness w/ caramel and toffee aromas. The flavor was great. I remember strong toffee and caramel maltiness w/ just a hint of tobacco and a touch of chocolate. The hops were present in a mild bitterness, just like they should be. Very well balanced and tasty. The mouthfeel was exquisite w/ an everlasting smoothness. This beer was named appropriately. The fact that it was on cask, definitely solidfied this.

Overall a very good offering from Great Waters. I have now been inspired to brew a mild. It was so easy to drink, it was ridiculous. Definitely a session beer. I think I will try to find this style on cask from now on, as this appears to be the best way to enjoy it. If you stop by Great Waters, you have to try this.

This brew pours dark brown color. The head is large, creamy and light tan in color. Lacing sticks all over the sides of the glass, and lasts until the beer is gone. The aroma is of roasted malt, and nuts with a hint of cream. The taste is like the aroma. The mouthfeel is smooth with a wonderful silky texture, fittingly low carbonation, and a medium body. Overall, this is a very nice mild ale. I could easily session this as it has enough complexity to keep me interested while still being light enough to drink all night.

A dark amber color, dark brown even. The appearance reminds me of a stout. Sweet smells, slighty nutty...very malty.
Taste? Just like a beer named "Mr. Smooth" ought to taste....very drinkable. Hits of chocolate and roasted malts.
Very easy to drink...if it weren't for the complex flavoring, I'd think it was watered down. Wasn't my favorite, but I could down a few of these easy.

On cask at the brewpub...

Darkish cinnamon brown, creamy flat head settles in at under 1/2 an inch and sticks around for a while. Laces pretty thickly on the glass. Deep aroma, malts with a molasses sense. Very light and delicate mouthfeel, carboantion is quite low. Flavor has some good fullness for a lighter offering, some ginger snap lingering in the chocolate main impression with a bit of smokiness tossed in. You do have to put on your "MIld" glasses on this brew, it might seem overly watery to some -- but the flavor is nicely persistant, seamless, and the beer has a good deal of drinkability.

On-cask at the brewpub: Blackened ruby. Dense, firm, medium-sized cap of off-white smooth, cask drawn foam. The topping stays throughout the entire session, fading to keep its girth present at just about a quarter inch plus. Lacing tends to be slippery with only a few strings and spotty patches deciding to stick.

Aroma is sweet of black malt, oats, and soft breads, slightly fruit sided with apple and pear. A faint smidgeon of roasted red licorice and woodish notes.

Flavors are nice, stays moderately sweet on the buds with a steady mildness of black and red malt sweetness. Tender, soft, rounded, and smooth with notes akin to breads, oats, light fruit salad, and a floating woody peat slipping into the finish.

Feel is much like its name, "Mr. Smooth", yep, its just that...smooth. Nicely soft, tender, well-rounded, and smooth with a great cask texture thats quite milky with a little fluffyness coating the mouth along with its mildly sweet flavors.

Mr. Smooth is Mr. drinkable. A nice sessionable ale that can be easily handled. A nice Great Waters pub drinker.