A carnival of technology

Here’s yesterday’s beer.

Samuel Smith Pure Brewed Lager

Samuel Smith makes some of my favorite beers, in particular their imperial stout and the Taddy porter, but I’d never tried their lager.  I usually find lagers, especially the pale varieties, to be pretty boring.  At worst I associate them with the popular American Pilseners, and at best with the Reinheitsgebot, struck down in 1987 but still proudly followed, that restricted experimentation for German brewers.  This isn’t to say that lager beers can’t be interesting, I just more often find that they aren’t.

The Samuel Smith lager, poured from a 12oz brown bottle into a Pilsener glass that more or less looks like the one on the bottle, was clear and golden-colored and had a thin head that disappeared after the first couple of sips.  The aroma was rich and clean and like those beer commercials that show ingredients instead of swimsuit models: rich grains, flowery hops, everything pure and clean.

The taste was about the same as the smell: grainy, a light sweetness, a little bit flowery and a little bit bitter, and in all just clean, refreshing and well-balanced.  I liked it.  I guess “session beer” would be the term to use here.  It isn’t heavy like a stout or a porter, and 5% ABV is about average: a little higher than you’d find in Utah, but not as strong as something like an IPA.  This isn’t a beer that demands to be slowly sipped and pondered, but it’s tasty, light, and good for just drinking and enjoying.