Samuel Smiths India Ale

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Tadcaster, England

Pours a rich, clear golden color with a small white head. The aroma is comprised of sweet fruit. The taste is much less fruity than the aroma. The aroma is much more carmel, roasty malts and coffee. This is no ordinary IPA. It has a lot of body, has almost no hop taste, and is not as crisp as many IPAs. A very satisfying beer if you are looking for a beer light in color with a lot of body.

Bottle. Golden orange color with an off-white head. Aroma of tropical fruit, citrus, honey and caramel. Tastes of citrus fruits, caramel, light pine resin, some spice and mineral/saltiness. Medium bodied and quite dry. A bit flat. Not what I expected and bit of a disapointment, but still a drinkable ale.

This is an all around great beer. It has a ginormous head, white a frothy with a lace that just wont give up. The citrus and hops aroma is a nice step into a sweet malt and just a little dry hop bitterness. I love it.

Dark bronze, medium bodied beer. Has a mild citrus and cloave nose, with a bitter taste. A lovely hoppy beer!

Color of honey. Smell of caramel, wet grass, pine resin. Taste of grass, caramel malt, and a long, sweet mineral finish from the slate fermenters. Finally a slightly sticky woodsy tinge of hops at the end. An elegant, delicious and understated IPA.

Pours dark amber with tight white head. Aromas of hops and citrus. Medium bodied mouthfeel with flavours of hops, malt and citrus. Very refreshing and pretty enjoyable, but it lacks complexity and character. At least the hopping was good.

Poured amber, thin head. Aroma was fruity and seemed like cola. Taste sweet malt, bread, and raisins. Hops are piney.

I am not an IPA fan, but this is good and it seems to me what a traditional IPA should be like. It is a bright, deep amber with a dense but thin white head that lasts long and leaves good lacing. The aroma is fruity, hops & malt. The taste is malt up front,faintly bready and sweetly malty, with a bitter hop bite that is slightly piney. It leaves a bitter hoppy finish, but this is not overly hoppy or bitter, with a malty fullness that is still pronounced and increases over time. It is especially flavourful with light food. As IPAs go, this is pleasantly full of flavour, well-rounded and balanced, while being crisp and bitter. One of my favourites for the style.