Is Samuel Smith Too Corporate to be Good?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Brianhophead, Jan 13, 2013.

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  1. HarryPotHead

    HarryPotHead Zealot (627) Aug 21, 2012 Maryland

    Funny, but I believe that even the so called "corporate" brewers can still brew good beer if they choose to. Comes down to ingredients, know how, commitment to quality, and pride in what they do. Sierra Nevada is "corporate" and their brews, while not "top shelf", are darn good....on the other side of the coin, the big three American brewers are more concerned about market share than taste. When you care more about how many people are drinking your beer than the beer itself the product will inevitably suffer.
     
  2. Zimbo

    Zimbo Pooh-Bah (2,281) Aug 7, 2010 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    Oh yes. And hardly a decent beer brewed in that old Heineken/John Smiths factory. But then I'm not sure if Sam Smiths beers are to their usual standards these days either. Rising costs and the retirement of Steve Berrett last year combined with a number of recent disappointing Sam Smiths bottles ( esp. the Imperial Stout) makes me wonder. And ironically, Heineken seems to be treating their ownership of the Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh with a degree of respect I did not expect.
     
  3. Treyliff

    Treyliff Grand Pooh-Bah (4,711) Aug 10, 2010 West Virginia
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    95% of the time, the size of the brewery compared to how small they used to be has zero effect on the tast and quality of the product. I think some of you have convinced yourselves of the opposite. "If its not rare, it doesn't taste as good!"

    Sam Smiths still makes some damn good beers. Their RIS is still one if my favorites to date.
     
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  4. jrbchef

    jrbchef Devotee (379) Feb 24, 2011 Connecticut

    There are some big brewer's that make great beer and some small ones that make crap. Judge the beer on it's merit not on the size of there mash tun or how clever they name there brews.
     
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  5. Thirstygoat

    Thirstygoat Initiate (0) Nov 22, 2012 Illinois
    Trader

    Back in the early 1980's when the good beer pickings were slim I often sessioned Samuel Smith Pale Ale. Recently I was wowed by my first taste of their Stingo (better than Boulevard's.) In between I've enjoyed their Brown Ale and Imperial Stout among others. Consistent product reasonably easy to find, what's not to like?
     
  6. afrokaze

    afrokaze Pooh-Bah (1,933) Jun 12, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Sam Smith's is too corporate? This reminds of a few weeks back and I was working at the bar, I had to convince someone that Sierra Nevada's beers were still worth drinking because he had "heard they weren't as good anymore" since they had gotten so popular. Sometimes us beer geeks have a hard time accepting a good thing...
     
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  7. Aml42000

    Aml42000 Initiate (0) Jul 21, 2011 Washington

    I'm sorry, but this is silly.
     
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  8. Brianhophead

    Brianhophead Initiate (0) May 16, 2007 Canada (AB)

    Tell us what's so silly?
     
  9. NWer

    NWer Pooh-Bah (2,145) Mar 10, 2009 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I just got bummed out reading all this. I'm sure my two Stingo I have stashed away are infected with corporate and they're now a drain pour.
     
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  10. MCDuhamel

    MCDuhamel Initiate (0) Dec 18, 2005 Ohio

    Beer is good if it is good and not good if it isn't. Whether the beer was made in someone's backyard or by an enormous multinational is irrelevant.
     
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  11. bramsdell

    bramsdell Initiate (0) May 27, 2011 North Carolina

    You can't taste corporate. I agree, this is silly. Do they make tasty beer? Do you have anything opposition to their business practices? This is so much worse than the GI debate. Sierra Nevada is significantly larger than Samuel Smith and there's nothing wrong with them. If Hill Farmstead suddenly producing at the scale of Samuel Smith, would your brother take issue with them, too?
     
  12. WhatANicePub

    WhatANicePub Zealot (598) Jul 1, 2009 Scotland

    In the UK quite a few people do have issues with them: http://samsmiths.info

    Or rather, they have issues with the allegedly capricious, bullying and whimsical management style of Humphrey Smith.
     
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  13. bulletrain76

    bulletrain76 Maven (1,287) Nov 6, 2007 California

    Too stale and generally bland and boring to be good is more like it. Never had a beer form them that was worth drinking again. If you're looking for a yardstick for more traditional English beers available in North America, Fullers beats them in every category, and a brewery local to you probably makes at least one of those styles better and in much better condition. I have no idea why people drink Sam Smiths over here, especially with how big of a dick the owner is.
     
  14. DelMontiac

    DelMontiac Initiate (0) Oct 22, 2010 Oklahoma

    If I have to wear a tie to drink it, then forget it.
     
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  15. antilite

    antilite Initiate (0) Jan 1, 2012 Florida

    Yogi Berra once said of a popular restaurant:
    "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."
     
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  16. Svendozen

    Svendozen Initiate (0) Dec 3, 2012 New Hampshire

    Let's not forget that a brewery doesn't get big unless they make a beer we love. I think this is the equivalent of people not liking bands anymore because they've "sold out". Laughable! Somehow because they successfully made something of themselves that makes us less cool for liking them. If you like them...like them. If you don't...don't. If I'm out to lunch with my craft brew buddies am I going to feel guilty about drinking an ice cold Blue Moon with a slice of orange? Not a fucken chance.
     
  17. chocosushi

    chocosushi Initiate (0) May 1, 2011 Oklahoma

  18. UCLABrewN84

    UCLABrewN84 Initiate (0) Mar 18, 2010 California

    I have a feeling a good number of us (American) BAs have no idea of the workings of Samuel Smith.
     
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  19. RaulMondesi

    RaulMondesi Grand Pooh-Bah (5,209) Dec 11, 2006 California
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    All I know is that I have three Samuel Smith Lagers in my fridge that taste like complete shit :slight_frown: I've liked other things though :wink:
     
  20. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,301) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Sam Smith's is a very small independent family owned brewery. To call it "corporate" would require the word to be redefined but that's been done here before by BAs :slight_smile:
     
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