Beer Man - Organic Stout a tribute to brewery
Todd Haefer, The (Appleton, Wis.) Post-Crescent
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/...-stout/1823357
Beer Man is a weekly profile of beers from across the country and around the world.
This week: Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout
Samuel Smith's Brewery, Tadcaster, U.K.
samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk
I have a soft spot for Samuel Smith's going back to my earliest days of discovering craft beers.
Believe it or not, in the late 1970s and early '80s, there was virtually no such thing as craft beer, brewpubs or microbreweries. Sure, there were small breweries, but all they did was make their regional version of Miller and Budweiser, maybe supplemented by a bock in the spring.
However, nearly every sizable liquor store or bar specializing in imports had Samuel Smith ales. The British brewery provided my first tastes of oatmeal stout, imperial stout, nut brown ale and porter, all of which are as excellent today as they were then.
Times have changed, and the crowded field of U.S. craft beers has pushed Samuel Smith off many shelves. I know a bar owner not far from me who sold out his stock three years ago and has not been able buy them again.
I read about the brewery's new offering, Organic Chocolate Stout, three months ago, and was not able to find it in about six major liquor stores in a 60-mile radius until last week. I could say it was worth the wait, but I would much rather have had it three months ago.
The 5% ABV ale shares much in common with other Samuel Smith beers — a clean profile, strong head, smooth, solid body and mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Where it differs is that the intense malt flavors of its stouts and porter take a step back in order for a rich cocoa, not chocolate, flavor to shine.
Also different from many of its other ales is that the chocolate stout has a dry profile during drinking and in the finish that counteracts the slight sweetness.
Organic Chocolate Stout can hold its head proudly with the other flagship beers of the Samuel Smith brewery. And any liquor store not carrying Smith's beers is depriving customers of a number of the best beers in the world.
Many beers are available only regionally. Check the brewer's website, which often contains information on product availability. Contact Todd Haefer at
beerman@postcrescent.com
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