This is the first of many for the development of tasting beer. I love beer! And I've been beginning to take notice of the flavors, subtle and pronounced, found in different beers. "I like this stuff, I want to learn more," and so I did. I wanted to document my never ending journey for myself as well as for the world. I don't want to review beers and use difficult jargon without explanation. Sure, down the line I will be using the jargon in a way that I would expect you to magically know. But, for the most part, I"ll try to fill you in as much as I can.
You've had beer before, but I want to show you that many of the beers that you buy in 6, 12, and 24 packs are general public beer that is there to give you a buzz, and if you're like me, get you drunk. There's a lack of taste, sophistication, and passion in those beers. Sure, I drink them at parties, but for pleasure they're the farthest from my mind. In the end, I hope the read is good and palatable (see we're using our terminology already!) and not a boring 'my word is law' kind of review. So here we go.
I'm going to refer to BeerAdvocate.com. This site is really informative and also includes forums, event updates, a magazine, etc. I'll usually be using this site for reference information, but occasionally I'll be using other sites to get a more layman's explanation. Practically everything I feebly teach you here comes from this site.
Before we start with our first beer, you should know that there are basically three different styles of beer: ales, lagers, and hybrids. All of which differ only by how it is made. Examples of Lagers are Budweiser, Corona Extra, Malts (all you 40 ounce lovers out there), and such. Ales include Newcastle, Guiness Draught, and Hefeweizens. Hybrids are beers mixed with fruits, herbs, smoked, or something 'different' like that. There are tons of subcategories, but these are your basics.
You should also know that storing beer is important. Originally, I got confused and read about how to cellar your beer. Hell no I'm not going to start a cellar. For now, I'd rather enjoy your work. When I'm at that point in my life where I can start a cellar and play with beer, meaning age it to see what happens, then I will, but as a young gun, I'm enjoying what the breweries put out. So, if you bring home a beer, try to keep it around 50 to 55F. In other words, make sure your fridge isn't too cold, and even if it is, just throw it in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes then drink. If your keeping it there over night then I guess try not to make it too cold because coldness numbs the tongue and takes away taste. This is why we cool the shit out of Millers and Coronas--we don't want to taste it that much.
Finally, I'll be reviewing by these criteria: Appearance, Smell, Taste, Mouthfeel, and Overall Drinkability. That was long winded and you are now thinking "hurry up fool!" Okay, okay, but if you need to look this stuff up in more detail click here. This is where I learned most of my stuff. Finally, let's do this!
Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale
Appearance
This was a beautiful beer, although I am partial to dark beers; all my favorite beers are dark. The darker they are, the more enticing they look and this one was enticing indeed. It's like sex with an exotic dark skinned Brazilian, yummy. It was a deep brownish red color with a beige/tan color head floating on top like a rice cake floating on top of a glass full of maple syrup. The head was good (no pun intended) and retained well, but probably because I pour like a pro (duh!). Overall, it was a handsome looking beer.
Smell
This beer had a sweet nutty smell. It was very pleasant with hints of chocolate or caramel. I'm new to this so I don't have much more to say. Does it count to say that it smells like 'it makes my mouth water?'
Taste
Yes, my favorite part! The Ale tastes like what it is labeled as and closely to what it smells like--nutty. It's almost like having a pistachio shell in your mouth without all the salt. There's enough sweet and not a lot of bitter mixed in to the taste. The taste fades quickly, which, for me, means it isn't too strong, and doesn't leave much of an aftertaste, although there is a hint of the bitterness there after you swallow, but that's probably because the bitter section of your tongue is in the back.
Mouthfeel
The liquid is not thick but it does blanket the palate which gives a sort of silky feel. There isn't a lot of carbonation which makes drinking this smooth but enough to where it doesn't just feel like watery muck washing through your mouth.
Overall
This beer might become a favorite of mine, and by favorite I mean I could drink it regularly. Yes, again, I'm partial to brown ales so maybe this review is biased, but Newcastle was one of my favorites and this beer is a step up from Newcastle. I would say that if you take a Newcastle, double the taste, thicken the texture just a tad, and lessen the smell of water, and you've got Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. The back label on this beer explains how the Northern English are brown ale specialists. I found a beer judging site which tells you the difference between Northern and Southern English Brown Ales. I must try a South English Brown Ale soon. I smell a battle!
Well there's my first review. Hope you enjoyed. I've proofread this and it sounds extremely amateur if not completely idiotic. But, that's the point right? I grow with you and we grow together. I have an IPA or Indian Pale Ale waiting for me (in the pantry wrapped in a brown paper bag to take away more light, I might add). Catch you next time.
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