Samuel Smiths India Ale

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

9/12/07 from the bottle. Aroma is floral, malty, very grassy, with a solid sweet malt balance and some caramel. Appearance is hazy gold with a moderate off-white head. Flavor is low with a sweet malt/good hop flora blend forward, with light citrus and very light earthiness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carb texture and some creaminess. Overall, great flavor, just a little too light in many regards.

Bottle. Malt aroma with a hint of hops - much more malt than hops. Transparent amber color. Bitterness is a bit lame for me (especially since I expected it to be an IPA). High carbonation. Very mild taste. The name threw me off - I was expecting a nice IPA and got this. I will have to try again now that I know it is an ESB.

Light translucent amber with a medium offwhite head. Mild malt sweetness with a light touch of hops. I was thinking this tasted like a hopped ESB, and just now realize it actually is an ESB, and not an IPA. Caramelly malt flavor, with an almost butterscotchy finish, with some light hops and mild bitterness as well. This is a good all around beer that feels light, and has a good amount of flavor.

Pours a deep gold with a light white head. Aroma is malty with some butterscotch and earthy hops. Taste is a good balance between malt and hops. Very drinkable.

aroma is definate sma smith, kinda grainy, flaor was very nice so well balanced the malt is amazing and no crazy hops trying to over power just a very nice brew

Name: India Ale
Date: 10/19/1996
Mode: Bottle

Appearance: clear golden amber, thin head,
Aroma: pleasant floral hop aroma on top of lots of butterscotch sweetness,
Body: good malty body,
Flavor: light hop flavor with lasting hop bitterness,
Overall: an excellent example of an english ipa
-------- /> Name: India Ale
Date: 06/05/2008
Mode: bottle
Source: aa

Appearance: sweet caramel and butterscotch aroma with soft floral hops,
Overall: flavor follows the aroma with the sweet caramel and buttery character, light floral hops, light balancing bitterness,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **+/4

Poured a nice copper color with an off white head that quickly dissipated. The nose was of floral, citrusy hops with bready/caramel malts. The taste started dry with hops That were spirited in their bitterness. Plenty of grapefruit and a slight puckering astringincy. Malts are present from the beginning to end providing some good toasty bread character. Finish was dry also, but not overly so, with hops providing some pine and herbal grassiness which blend with the quiet toasty malts. As the taste fades, you are left with a hoppy and slightly medicinal flavor that lingers. Felt a little thin and had an ABV of 5.0%. A highly drinkable English IPA.

Samuel Smith calls this an IPA but ratebeer says it’s a Bitter/ESB which are different classes. If it’s an ESB than it doesn’t match up to Fullers..if it’s an IPA than it’s pretty boring.