John Smiths Bitter / Extra Smooth

Brewed by John Smiths (S&N, Heineken)
Style: Bitter
Tadcaster, England

On cask,The Griffin, in London, So this is Britain's leading selling bitter..well sometimes there's something to be said about leading sellers,afterall, I'm from the United States.

Nitro Draught: I don't care what the description says, the pub in England that I bought this at had it hooked up to a Nitro system! This beer poured more of a dark golden color with a hint of ruby to it. It had a Guinness-like cascade to the head. Similarly to Guinness, the head adheared to the sides of the glass all the way down. The aroma was pretty non-descipt: inhale deeply enough and you got a twinge of malts and hops. The taste wasn't much better. Somewhat bitter, but not too much malt at all. No malt sweetness either. Of my week in England, this was the worst one that I had.

i think it as a bit darker than most bitters. a bit watery. foamy head that lasts a long time. quite good, almost smoked flavour.

Amber color. Smooth cream colored head. Lightly bitter. I sense some tobacco flavor...

May 2003: Nitro keg, The Old Blue Last, Shoreditch. Met up with Linc at Wenlock Arms and we were heading for Bottles so decided to stop off at the Blue Last because it's claimed that this was the pub where porter was first sold. It's a dark, dreary, run down sod of a pub with one bedraggled couple apathetically drinking themselves into oblivion at one table, and a lonely old man in a mac tossing himself off at another table. The barmaid eventually heaves herself off her chair, the sweaty plastic making a long slurping sound as she does so, and flops herself onto the bar in front of us, fag still dangling from her lips. "Do you do porter?" I ask. "Nah, love - that aint made any more." We cast our eyes over the splendid array of cheap keg beers lined up before us. We both gulp deeply. Just how badly do we want to drink in the place where porter was first sold? Henry V's Agincourt speech rings in our ears and we screw our courage to the sticking place. "John Smith's," I hear myself squeak. Linc vanishes into the toilet - already he's throwing up. I raise the glass of shaving cream to my lips. Thankfully there's no odour. I nervously sip it. Mercifully there's no taste. Two more gulps and I'm also in the toilet. But, at least I can say I have drunk in the pub where porter was first sold. [0.7]
Aug 2004: Nitro keg in the Shipwrights Arms, Chatham. A rough local in a rough part of town. We go in, weaving our way past the kids running around and the teenage girls in skirts around their throats, to be faced with a row of bland keg beers. Nice. John Smith's it is then. There's no noticable aroma. The initial soft fruity sweetness soon gives way to a gentle bitterness which ends abruptly. It's not exactly a pleasurable experience, but then I wasn't expecting a quality brew. And, to be fair, I'm not offended. It's a McDonald's of a beer - soft bland marketable nonsense. [1.8]

Looks pretty good but like all widget beers it is thin and flat with a head you could bounce a coin off. Nutty and lightly bitter, this is like flavoured water. I hope it's better off real draught.

Ruby red color, nice creamy head. Sweet and slightly fruity aroma. Flavours of roasted malt, coffee and a bit of fruity sherry. Bitterness and some smoke in the finish. Aftertaste slightly sweet and malty. Thin body. Very drinkable.

If they made beer flavoured lemonade it would be like this. A bland featureless session beer. Generally known as "bloat" to my drinking buddies.