John Smith's Extra Smooth
John Smith's Brewery (Heineken UK)

John Smith's Extra SmoothJohn Smith's Extra Smooth
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From:
John Smith's Brewery (Heineken UK)
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
English Pale Ale
Ranked #192
ABV:
3.6%
Score:
73
Ranked #27,718
Avg:
3.16 | pDev: 21.52%
Reviews:
119
Ratings:
287
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 17, 2023
Added:
Jun 10, 2002
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  30
John Smith’s Extra Smooth was launched in 1993 and is now the nation’s No.1 ale. The boffins say it has a distinct cereal character, with malty, caramel notes being complemented by some fruitiness. But we just think it’s a right good pint.

Extra Smooth is available in draught or in cans to be enjoyed at home (Both 3.6% ABV). Plus – you can also get John Smith’s Extra Cold on draught: the same great taste, but colder. We don’t muck about with names see.
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Ratings by RodneyFarva:
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Reviewed by RodneyFarva from Spain

3.45/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
50cl can - part poured into pint glass, other part drank from can, to get both widget/glass experience.

a: pours a deep copper, one finger clear white nitro head sits and stays for a good while

s: watery, light caramel and toffee, very malty, almost no hops

t: quite watery, a light malitness, some caramel and toffee. mouthfeel is quite creamy and dulled from the nitro. extremely drinkable.

o: not particularly complex, nothing amazing, but I find myself coming to this beer and Boddington's Pub Ale occasionally simply for its simplicity. more complexity than a standard lager.
May 19, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.11 by JoshuaPerraton from Ireland

Oct 17, 2023
 
Rated: 1.51 by MrJones07 from Spain

Jul 07, 2023
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
Aug. 2007: A very smooth and drinkable ’bitter’, perhaps without too much character. Still, I openly admit enjoying it!

Rerate nitro-can: Delete the ’perhaps’ - it’s DEFINITELY without too much character. I over-rated this brew the first time. It’s still drinkable, but far from great!
May 28, 2023
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Rated by NCSapiens from Indiana

3.71/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Smooth cereal malt and caramel and a hint of bitterness.
May 28, 2023
Photo of IanCT
Rated by IanCT

3.11/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Easy drinker, a bit thin.
Not as good as I remember.
May 16, 2021
Photo of Thisdrinkinglife
Reviewed by Thisdrinkinglife from Switzerland

2.54/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 2.5
Review: 500ml can of John Smith’s Yorkshire Smooth Ale: 3.6% vol.

Comes in cans and on draught. Famous iconic logo, on green can, of the red magnet. Cans also come with the magical floating widget inside them.

So does the widget make any difference, lets see.

Yes, the appearance looks fantastic, very good creamy white head, with a copper colour. Looks as good as one can expect. Lacing present. 100% on the looks.

The aroma is very light on the nose, a real English ale style aroma for sure but not strong, not much of a whiff really, very faint and very disappointing. Sweet caramel and light malts on the nose.

Nice initial taste, getting the typical English ale type taste’s, nice creamy mouthfuls, lovely.

Immediate impression on drinking this was how light it was, definitely wasn’t as strong as I had remembered it. And sure enough I go and check and I see its 3.6 in Volume, a reduction. What the hell, “faffin about right there!”’

Could have a little more substance, but does the job, smooth, has a nice creamy texture and was very easy to drink. Getting the caramel, grains and hops, pale malts, all very light though.

Might be a little more adventurous in the general tastes and flavours, nothing really standouts but overall it was fulsome, well balanced in the tastes and I liked it, in terms of drinkability and how smooth it is to drink. But having had it from the tap, this is much weaker in the can in terms of not much in the taste, not much flavour, boring and all a bit plain. Perhaps the nitro carbonated it too much?
Feb 23, 2021
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Reviewed by Zapsincl from England

1.03/5  rDev -67.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
I think this beer is even worse than Watney's used to be. Leaves a terrible aftertaste in the mouth and is full of chemicals.
The only reason it's popular is that it keeps well and everyone stocks it.
If you go to a club and all they've got is John Smith's, Strongbow, Fosters and Guinness then you can be sure the quality will be poor and the pumps wouldn't have been cleaned for ages.
Jan 28, 2021
 
Rated: 3.5 by paulish from New York

Jan 22, 2021
Photo of WillDaniell
Reviewed by WillDaniell

3.55/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
Look: Huge creamy head above a murky brown colour
Smell: Fairly dull, slightly metallic with a little malt
Taste: fairly plain, but with clear cereal notes
Feel: smooth and watery with hardly any carbonation but not at all bad
Overall: Enjoyable ale but not mind blowing
Sep 16, 2019
Photo of misteil
Reviewed by misteil from Ireland

3.12/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Look : Big creamy flat head , dark murky brown/orange colour

Smell : Not much going on here , some sweet caramel scents , coffee , little malt , metal.

Taste : Very mild , so little taste but somehow not bad. The taste that is there is pleasant , some bitterness there , not as sweet as it smells , but still a little caramel on the aftertaste.

Feel : Watery , smooth , virtually no carbonation.

Overall : This was from a can , i've had it on tap once before and it was much much better - far more flavour. Out of the can however it was a let down , but still not too bad , drinkable enough.
Jul 01, 2019
 
Rated: 3.21 by socon67 from New York

Apr 08, 2019
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Reviewed by Scottish_Lad_48 from Scotland

2.7/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
440 ml can. Aroma is digestive biscuits and light toffee. Flavour is cereal w/elements of biscuit & toffee. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Finish was clean lingering bitterness.
Dec 20, 2018
 
Rated: 3.29 by O-Meg from New York

Aug 21, 2018
 
Rated: 3.9 by Rymish from Colorado

Jul 02, 2018
Photo of Dennis-King
Rated by Dennis-King from England

1/5  rDev -68.4%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
Possibly the worst beer ever brewed
Jun 10, 2018
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Rated by Archibald_N from Wales

1/5  rDev -68.4%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
Just as bad as the 'original' John Smith's, but it appears to have washing up liquid in it to make it 'feel' different. Awful stuff.
Apr 26, 2018
 
Rated: 2.46 by georgeanthorpe from England

Mar 11, 2018
 
Rated: 3 by kdivers from New Hampshire

Feb 28, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by Fettpopps from Massachusetts

Dec 07, 2017
John Smith's Extra Smooth from John Smith's Brewery (Heineken UK)
Beer rating: 73 out of 100 with 287 ratings