Samuel Smith Underwhelming

I love any of the darker colored beers they have (porter, stouts, especially the oatmeal stout, brown, etc.) Any of the lighter color beers (pales, IPAs, etc.) are underwhelming.

Plus they are always at great prices (at least by me).

 

Yorkshire Stingo is the offering I treat myself to every b-day.

 

The Oatmeal Stout is a classic. The Nut Brown Ale is pretty damn good too.

 

Actually named one of my dog's Taddy back in the 90's...I liked the Oatmeal Stout better, but Taddy was a better name.

 

This is soooooo true. Their oatmeal stout was the beer really started me down the road looking for better and better beer. still one of my favorites.

 

In my experience, most of the lagers in England, Scotland, and Wales are Danish or German. I remember the brand Skol being everywhere long ago.

 

Your post illustrates the divide in opinion on Sam Smiths beers. You are typical of most American BA's in that your experience with British beer is limited to the relatively few bottled beers that are available in the US. You judge Sam Smiths based on that tiny sample. The British BA's compare both the bottled and kegged Sam Smiths beers to the large selection of excellent cask-conditioned real ales readily available via handpumps in pubs throughout Britain. They simply don't measure up. British BA's have long been perplexed by our lack of awareness of their great cask ales. You have to experience them in Britain to understand why they consider Sam Smiths beers mediocre and why it's frustrating for them when so many of us think they're among Britain's best.

 

Sam Smiths draught keg beer in Britain is only available in Samuel Smith's owned pubs, which are very few compared to the number of tied and freehouse pubs serving fine cask-conditioned ales throughout Britain. Smiths pubs usually have only one cask ale available, if at all, and it's mediocre. Although many Sam Smiths pubs are historic ones that have been preserved to varying degrees, they are hardly a factor in preserving the institution of the neighborhood cask ale freehouse or cask ale itself, which is what makes Great Britain one of the world's great brewing countries.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed their Winter Warmer. I keep meaning to try the other classics I read about here, but always get distracted.

 

I deal with the material given me. I can't compare Beer A to Beer B if Beer B is a few thousand miles away, so I'm not comparing Samuel Smith's beer to all of the beer available in the UK. In fact, I'm not sure what good it does me knowing that the beer a few thousand miles away is so much better than the beer available to me where I live.

And I'm not a fan of cask beer, though when you send me that airplane ticket to London, I'll happily try all I can get my hands on.

 

I haven't had a Samuel Smith's in years but back in the day I drank quite a few of them and always enjoyed them. I can't say that I ever had a bad Samuel Smith's beer. The Pale Ale, Oatmeal Stout and Nut Brown were always favorites.

 

Samuel Smith was one of the first breweries where I drank dark beer when I started getting into good beer in the mid to late nineties. Always will hold a a special place in my heart for those reasons but I really don't seek it out or cannot remember the last time I had one of their beers.

 

I think they have one of the top lineup of quality beers in the world. Everything ranks from pretty much solid/well crafted to world class/delicious. What's not to like?

 

You're likely not a fan of cask beer because it's seldom done well or properly here, so you don't really know what it should be like. The point I made was that the British themselves don't consider Sam Smiths remotely close to one of their better beers and they're bewildered by Americans like you who seem to think it's really good. If you think it's so great, fine, but I think the Brits better know its place among their many world class beers. Having traveled many times there over the last twenty years, I agree with them. Save up the money for a plane ticket yourself and go to a CAMRA cask ale festival and enjoy some hand pulled pints in a traditional pub and you'll understand.

 

Back in 1981 their Pale Ale was my favorite beer. I still like several of their beers.

 

So if my choices for an English pale ale are Samuel Smith or nothing, I should drink nothing.

Thanks.

 

Your post was legitimate until you mentioned CAMRA.

 

Drink as much as you like, just don't entertain any illusion it's anyway near the best the British brew.

A few here have lately become CAMRA bashers, but I think it's uncalled for. Yeah, some of them can be a little rigid re: cask ale, but they continue to promote it well and are a strong force for preserving independent traditional pubs and their beer culture. Their many real ale festivals throughout Britain are a world standard on how to hold a beer festival. There a large numbers of young drinkers in their twenties that attend them and are fans of cask ale. Many of them join CAMRA while they're attending. I've seen it. CAMRA isn't just a bunch of bearded old guys in woolen sweaters, although there is a reason for the stereotype.

 

Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout is one of my favorite beers to drink in the Fall. And their Imperial Stout is one of the best in the style imo.

 

Havn't had one of theirs in ages. Perhaps I should give them another shot.