Try?
A funny thing
happened the other night at the beer store. Lately, I’ve been on something
of a Samuel Smith’s kick. England’s Samuel Smith is an accomplished brewer,
and they make a wonderful line of tasty ales sold in convenient 550 ml
bottles. Well, mostly they make ales. They do in fact also make a Pure
Brewed Lager as well, which is something most British brewers don’t do.
If anywhere in the world is ale country, it is Britain, although lagers are making inroads at an increasing (and to some alarming) rate. Still, as I said, Sam Smith’s makes a lager. A very good lager, an all malt lager, a nicely hopped lager. They brew it with lager yeast in a separate area from their ales, and they call it “pure brewed” with a nod to the German Reinheitsgebot, or purity law. That means that only malt, water, yeast, and hops can be used to make the beer. While that is decidedly un-English, it does make for good lager.
And this is good lager. Oddly enough, though, I’m not sure if I’ve ever tried it before. How could that happen, Bruguru, you say? I’m not sure. But as I picked a bottle up and decided to enjoy it again, I started to wonder if I had ever bought one before. England isn’t known for lager, after all, and I may have always deferred to the ales.
Call me a geek, but when I got home I raced to my computer to check the spreadsheet I maintain of beers I’ve tried. I was up to 3233 at the time, but lo and behold, no Pure Brewed Lager. OK, maybe I’ve tried it and forgot to record it. But something tells me no. Anyway, my eagerness to crack the bottle was only redoubled by this confirmation of my suspicions, so let’s try the beer out.
Samuel Smith’s Pure Brewed Lager pours to a bright golden color with a light creamy head and a soft malty nose. The palate is rather malty, much more so than your average domestic or import lager. The malt is crisp and biscuity but there’s a hint of caramel chewiness as well. It’s even a little creamy and very drinkable indeed.
The finish here is a touch bitter, with some nice grassy hop aroma and bitterness coming through. Not an exceedingly complex beer, and it is clean after all, being a lager. But I do enjoy the hearty malt and hop character. If you’re going to do an English lager, this is the way to do it.
I used to think Samuel Smith’s beer were somewhat expensive, but their price has remained flat while that of other specialty beers seems to have increased in recent years. So, this beer is a bargain for $3 as well. Perhaps not the best of the Sam Smith line, but still a credible stab at a lager, and one you should try. Purely on my advice, of course.
If anywhere in the world is ale country, it is Britain, although lagers are making inroads at an increasing (and to some alarming) rate. Still, as I said, Sam Smith’s makes a lager. A very good lager, an all malt lager, a nicely hopped lager. They brew it with lager yeast in a separate area from their ales, and they call it “pure brewed” with a nod to the German Reinheitsgebot, or purity law. That means that only malt, water, yeast, and hops can be used to make the beer. While that is decidedly un-English, it does make for good lager.
And this is good lager. Oddly enough, though, I’m not sure if I’ve ever tried it before. How could that happen, Bruguru, you say? I’m not sure. But as I picked a bottle up and decided to enjoy it again, I started to wonder if I had ever bought one before. England isn’t known for lager, after all, and I may have always deferred to the ales.
Call me a geek, but when I got home I raced to my computer to check the spreadsheet I maintain of beers I’ve tried. I was up to 3233 at the time, but lo and behold, no Pure Brewed Lager. OK, maybe I’ve tried it and forgot to record it. But something tells me no. Anyway, my eagerness to crack the bottle was only redoubled by this confirmation of my suspicions, so let’s try the beer out.
Samuel Smith’s Pure Brewed Lager pours to a bright golden color with a light creamy head and a soft malty nose. The palate is rather malty, much more so than your average domestic or import lager. The malt is crisp and biscuity but there’s a hint of caramel chewiness as well. It’s even a little creamy and very drinkable indeed.
The finish here is a touch bitter, with some nice grassy hop aroma and bitterness coming through. Not an exceedingly complex beer, and it is clean after all, being a lager. But I do enjoy the hearty malt and hop character. If you’re going to do an English lager, this is the way to do it.
I used to think Samuel Smith’s beer were somewhat expensive, but their price has remained flat while that of other specialty beers seems to have increased in recent years. So, this beer is a bargain for $3 as well. Perhaps not the best of the Sam Smith line, but still a credible stab at a lager, and one you should try. Purely on my advice, of course.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
