Samuel Smiths Old Brewery Bitter

Keg at the Anchor Tap, RB Christmas pub crawl 2004. This beer must’ve made such an impression on me that I neglected to enter my notes at the time (and I was quite punctual with my ratings back then). Copper colour. Thick, creamy head. Thought I caught a fleeting glimpse of malt in the aroma but it didn’t last. Lacking in flavour. Easy drinking and inoffensive, clean but entirely bland. Better than the Sovereign.

Draught @ Anchor Tap, Southwark. Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a creamy off-white head. Fruity malty aroma with some hoppy hints. Fruity malty flavor with some hints of hops and caramel. Malty and fruity finish with some hoppy hints and a bitter aftertaste.

Draught at the Earl of Lonsdale, London - came dark copper/gold shade, with medium thick head. Aroma is very faint, some grassy hops is all I detect really, apart from some mild fruitiness. Flavour is similarly mild, some earthy hops, a touch of caramel malt and apple perhaps, but not much going on otherwise. Thin body. This seemed meant for serious session drinking, perhaps. Not much bitterness, very plain.

On tap at Waterguard in Cardiff Bay, good tasting beer, but bitter aftertaste. Looks and smells good, just a slight bitterness to the aftertaste, without this it would be perfect.

Bottle. Sweet, flat and dull, mostly stale malt characters. sweet, grainy malt notes and a watery finish. Thin mouthfeel.

regular keg at Kings Arm, York: aroma is slightly of carmel malt. copper color. flavor is slighly bitter, some carmel malt, and something that’s not very nice, a bit abrasive actually. thin palate. there are better sam smiths beer.

Keg at Anchor Tap, southwark. Dark copper/brown colour with thick creamyhead, some nice hop aroma, but dull malt, bit dead some bitterness but really dull and disappointing

Nitro Keg at the "World’s Funniest Pub", The Anchor Tap, Tower Bridge, London..
John Smiths in Sam Smiths form. Same town, same dispense method, same crap.
Sampled on the Ratebeer London Meetup & Pub Crawl, December 2004. With Silktork, Chris o, & Kook.