202. Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale

I've heard a lot of good thing about the beers out of Samuel Smith's Old Brewery.  They actually have a pretty impressive list of varieties (http://www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk) to offer.  This happened to go with a dinner of fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, and hushpuppies (Wager a guess as to where I went..?)  

The beer was poured into a stemless brandy glass.  It has a light color copper with about two fingers of fluffy off white head that leaves a spiderweb trail of lacing on the glass.  Aromas of faint grassy hops, smoke, caramel, toffee, toast, and spices that I can't discern.  Smells nice.

The taste first gives me the impression of a nut brown ale, but with a little more character.  I can taste burnt toast, caramel, some fruity esters, clove.  By the end of the drink, I feel like I'm drinking a roasted ESB.  My palate just seems to be all over the place with this one.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing.  Still, I found the beer to be quite enjoyable, and with a medium body and moderate carbonation, it goes down pretty easy.  With this good experience, I look forward to having more from Samuel Smith!

Grade: B-

Price Paid: $2.49 (550 ml bottle)

72. Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Here's another purchase from back in the day.  I actually picked this up the same time I picked up the Hen's Tooth Ale (See #71).  Of the two, this was the one I was most excited about.  I had noticed the bottle before, and the purple colors and labeling made me think of Willy Wonka.  I didn't realize that this beer was an international offering (http://www.wellsandyoungs.co.uk) until I started to write this review..props to the UK!

The beer poured a near black color with a one finger tan head.  Had an impressive look from the get-go.  There was some light lacing and a thin head that remained.  The aroma..wow.  Sweetness from the lactose, aromas of milk and dark chocolate.  I detected some roasted malt as well.

The taste was just as good.  Bitter chocolate flavors, with maybe some light coffee notes.  Refreshing for a beer that seems to be best enjoyed for dessert.  Sweetness didn't really come through taste-wise, but I'm not complaining.  Good mouthfeel, medium-light body.  I could imagine that this would be much better with a heavier body.  This was one of the first chocolate stouts that I've had and it doesn't disappoint.  Coffee & chocolate stouts are some of my favorite types, so I might be a little biased, but I think that for this particular beer, it's well deserved.

Grade: A-

Price Paid: $3.99

71. Morland Hen's Tooth Ale

Alright, I'm finally going back in time to review some of the beers that I haven't put on my blog yet.  I'm still catching up from back in late August, and probably have a solid 20 to go, but I'll ultimately get there!  Morland Hen's Tooth was purchased at my local Lowes Foods.  It stood out as a single and I decided to snag it.  The beer advertises itself as bottle conditioned, so it's not filtered.  I have some tasting notes, so here goes..!

The beer poured a cloudy amber color, with the cloudiness probably there because of the lack of filtration.  I was able to get a two finger head, with moderate retention, that settled into some beer film at the top.  Aromas were pretty neutral.  Some sweet aromas from the malt, maybe some caramel, but very aroma neutral.  

The taste was similar to the aroma.  Sweet and bready, some caramel notes.  Had a slightly bitter finish that didn't sit all that well with me.  Moderate carbonation helped the beer finish better.  Overall, I found the beer to be okay to drink, but nothing that gets me excited.  The unfiltered beer took a little bit of getting used to, but I'm glad that I had the chance to try a beer this way.

Grade: C

Price Paid: $3.50 (16.9 oz bottle)