Style: Fruit Ale
ABV: 5.2%
Presentation: Single 550 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery
Country: Tadcaster, England, U.K.

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Some people giggle and snort when they see this particular fruit beer on the shelf. A few of them tend to do the same when I confess to enjoying it from time to time. Well, that is until I flash them a dirty look to let them know I’m not kidding. This can lead to some confusion.

No fooling though, it won me over the first time I tried it. This is certainly not a beer I tend to drink on a regular basis, however I’m still inclined to take it upon myself to stick up for it, if not quite champion it.

The basis for that stems from two entirely separate reasons. Perhaps I don’t wander through country fields or visit the farmer’s market often enough, but the first time I tried this fruit beer from Samuel Smith was the first time in nearly a decade it felt like I tasted what a real strawberry should taste like. A real one, like the juicy, small, satiating ones that grow wild, or in the back gardens of people with a mind for that sort of thing. Not the large, bland, water-saturated abominations you tend to get in the supermarket these days, which smell like artificial strawberry flavouring that has been so overused in processed foods.

Maybe write that off as irrational nostalgia, but it’s a strong enough impression that I’m sticking to it and not budging. The other reason is a technical one. For a fruit forward beer this one is well put together. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still somewhat one-dimensional, but is not cloying or overwhelming. There is enough to go by to tell that some thought and effort went in to the base beer that delivers that big soul kiss of strawberries, what I read as low-hopped golden ale.

What also makes this strawberry ale special is that it is handcrafted at the tiny historic All Saints Brewery in Stamford, England, that was restored by Samuel Smith’s in the 1990’s. The brewery was actually founded as far back as 1825, yet between 1869 and 1974 it was known as the Melbourne Bros. Brewery, and acquired by Samuel Smiths after that. In a sense it is now an operational brewing museum, operating with the original Victorian aged manually operated brewing equipment.

When it comes down to the actual fruit content, pure organic strawberry juice is blended into the matured ale that has been transported to the Tadcaster brewery location. Not only are all the ingredients used 100% organic, to top everything off this is also a fully Vegan approved beer selection, for those who take extra caution in what they ingest.

This is a brew that will be served comfortably from a mug or a pint glass, however if you choose to get fancy feel free to grab a white wine glass, or even a tall champagne flute. The flavour isn’t overly complex, so glassware selection this time around is more for aesthetics or comfort rather than accentuating the content. Well-chilled is also an ideal serving temperature, you can open it straight from the fridge, or let it warm 5 or 10 minutes. Really, it will just get sweeter as it warms, without much other change to the flavour profile.

What you’ll find is a hazed yet translucent amber body, which turns to a ruddy deep golden hue when held to direct light. There’s also a loose, creamy off-white head that retains for a few minutes. The aroma is very direct by disclosing straight-forward light malt and a more prominent natural strawberry bouquet. I won’t beat around the bush with you, all you will taste in the flavour is strawberry. The key here is how that strawberry flavour is presented and executed, which starts to enter a realm of subjective nuance rather than quantitative description. So in the end take it from me, it all comes together and works. Well, unless you dislike strawberries in general, then this will be a definite pass for you. There’s a medium-bodied mouthfeel to this fruit ale, which is well carbonated, and offers a crisp, dry finish. Far from being jammy and sticky, as one might assume at first from the aroma and flavour.

Pairing this with food proves to be a bit tricky though. You could make yourself a nice spinach salad with chopped bell peppers (the bright coloured ones, avoid the more astringent green ones), and a handful of slivered almonds and dried cranberries or blueberries (or why not, some fresh or dried strawberries instead!). You can even get away with additions of soft or sweet cheese. Rather than topping it all with a dressing you could take a sip of this strawberry ale after each bite in lieu. Other than that I would stick to pairing this with dessert. It will go very well with chocolate desserts, and with most berry-centric cakes and pastries. Or really, save the effort and the extra dirty dishes and serve this for dessert as a digestif instead.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Old Brewery Pale Ale
The Famous Taddy Porter
Imperial Stout
India Ale
Nut Brown Ale
Organically Produced Lager
Oatmeal Stout
Organically Produced Ale
Winter Welcome Ale

Strawberry Beers:
Früli

Other Fruit Beers:
Cannery Blackberry Porter
Unibroue Éphémère
Aprikat
Lindemans Peche Lambic
Liefmans Cuvee-Brut
Wild Rose Wraspberry
Yukon Deadman Creek Cranberry Wheat
Pump House Blueberry Ale

Style: Extra Special Bitter
ABV: 5.9%
Presentation: Single 500 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Fuller Smith & Turner PLC
Country: England, UK

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

For many craft beer drinkers it’s not difficult to get so caught up in trying the newest twist or interpretation of classic styles, or seeking out the latest palate challenging and limit pushing behemoth, that at times we tend to overlook the basics. Not basic in the sense of “inferior” per se, but the styles that keep it simple and do it right.

In relation to this I feel English style Bitters tend to get overlooked. For starters in its native land Bitters tend to carry the stigma of being a default beverage of choice for the blue collar everyman, with at least a couple taps in every local watering hole, and offering nothing new to explore. In that light it tends to get labeled as “your dad’s beer”. On top of that is the mild nature of the style, nothing bombastic to overwhelm the senses, no real surprises to bring about a revelation through libation. However that was the intention in the first place, a moderate flavour profile in order to promote the ideal session beer.

Here in North America they tend to get overlooked by the common Pale Ale, which over time had evolved into a catch-all label for Bitters that are available in bottles, as traditionally they were served straight from the cask or keg. Our domestic varieties of Pale Ales tend to be much more pronounced and intense than traditional Bitters, especially the hop heavy West Coast style Pale Ales of which many can even be more intense than standard English IPA’s.

Traditionally a British brewery would offer three different sub-classes of Bitter, generally known as a Standard or Ordinary, then came a Special or Best, followed by an Extra Special or Premium. The differences between them stemmed from an ascending intensity of flavour and alcohol content. Standard Bitters can be so low in alcohol that the street name for them was often a Boys Bitter.

In the case of Fuller’s ESB it would fall in the final tier of this categorization, the ESB of course stands for Extra Special Bitter. This brewery even goes so far as to claim the designation of ESB as an industry trademark. They may even have some ground to stand on regarding this allegation as their Griffin brewery located in Chiswick is also contested as the oldest brewing facility still operating in England. Regardless, it is considered by many an educated palate as the epitome of this particular style.

It would be foolish to spend any unnecessary time in selecting glassware for this English Bitter, a pint glass is the long-established vessel of choice. A mere 5 minutes will suffice to wait in order to brush the chill off before opening and pouring.

This ESB pours out an intense copper hue, and tends to develop a full foamy off-white head. On the nose expect dry toasted malt, just a hint of caramel, while the hops provide a character akin to dandelion greens. If you allow it to warm more some light fruit becomes apparent as well, usually notes of apricot or peach, which is the result of a particular brewer’s yeast that’s allowed to ferment at warmer temperatures. It only requires a sip or two in order to recognize a well-balanced beer, although it does tend to lean a bit more towards the hops. Up front will be some solid toffee malt that then blends seamlessly with spicy and herbal hops, the character of dandelion greens being the most apparent. All this carried by a medium-bodied mouthfeel with assertive carbonation, and a level of dryness that tends to dry the palate over time.

Two words and a letter beg for attention when initially contemplating a food pairing for this robust ESB, and that is fish ‘n chips. You can carry out the seafood motif with most whitefish or shellfish, including smoked varieties. The more savoury flavours found in rotisserie chicken or cured ham will also provide a fine match. Even lamb wouldn’t be too bold a dining option, and if you want to keep it authentic serve some up with a shepherd’s pie.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
London Pride
London Porter
Organic Honeydew Ale
Fuller’s Vintage Ale

In-Style:
Duchy Originals Organic English Ale
Wells Bombardier
Propeller ESB
La Vache Folle ESB

Lateral Steps:
St-Ambroise Pale Ale
Hopback Summer Lightning
Boddingtons Pub Ale
Pump House SOB
Wild Rose SOB

For The Adventurous:
Duvel
Alley Kat Full Moon Pale Ale
Red Racer IPA

Style: Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 550 ml brown bottle
Brewery: : Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
Country: England

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

It is thanks to the founder of the beer importing company Merchant du Vin, Charles Finkel, that Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout even exists, let alone reintroducing to the world what had become an obsolete and nearly forgotten beer style.  Back in 1978 he had made it his mandate to seek out the exemplar version of what he defined as the two dozen major classical beer styles, all from traditional breweries found in the homeland of each respective style.  His quest was nearly complete when he realized that no one was producing an Oatmeal Stout, in fact the last consumer produced Oatmeal Stout hadn’t been sold since the turn of the 20^th century.  This was when Finkel approached the Samuel Smith brewery in Tadcaster to devise a traditional recipe so they could once again reintroduce Oatmeal Stout to the world again in 1980 after 3 generations of its absence.  There are many other fine stouts of this style available these days, however it is Samuel Smith’s version that is used as a benchmark for it.

For those wondering, yes there are actually several different styles of stout, and are hardly like the “thick black molasses” or “motor oil” that many people stereotype them as.  The most well-known is Guinness which is a Dry Irish Stout, which also contains a small amount of oats.  Sweet/Milk Stouts are just like they sound, sweetened with lactose which is milk sugar.  Russian Imperial Stouts are extra strong and higher in alcohol content.  Oatmeal Stouts are also what their name claims, possessing a larger amount of oats (although still not overly substantial compared to the overall malt bill), which adds more sweetness to the flavour, and a rounder, silky smooth texture.  This style of stout even used to be prescribed to nursing mothers, not only for its high iron content but also for many other nutrients found within it.  I can’t personally condone this, but then again I’m not a doctor either (…although I always wanted to play one on television).  Still it was very popular in the 1800’s, almost as a liquid version of a multi-vitamin pill.

Here’s an ale you’ll want to pull out your favourite mug for, or any handy pint glass for sure.  It doesn’t have to warm up too much out of the fridge, yet a few minutes resting in your hands will loosen up the flavours a bit more.  Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout comes in a sturdy 550 ml brown bottle with gold foil around the neck and cap.  Not quite the stereotypical pitch black in appearance this Oatmeal Stout pours out a nearly opaque, a deep dark brown that will reveal a patch of garnet when held to direct light, while a thick spongy beige head crowns it with impressive retention.  Be prepared for a sweet aroma with mild roasted malt, even hints of treacle.  The mouthfeel is smooth, a little bit sticky at times, yet it is mostly silky and smooth.  Finally, the flavour is equally as sweet as the aroma reveals, the malt is roasted along with some cocoa notes, hints of licorice, a creamy milky sweetness with a dry finish.  Some acidity may be apparent too.

This Oatmeal Stout is decent with desserts such as cheesecake, buttery fruit pastries, and baked chocolate goods.  Curiously the Samuel Smith website recommends a wide array of food pairings to go with this stout, some that left me scratching my head, but to quote:  “Pizza and salad, Italian foods, steamed clams, grilled ahi tuna, lobster with drawn butter, steak, ploughman’s lunch, crumpets, shish kebabs, vegetable ragout and eggs Florentine, dark flavorful bread and aged Stilton.”  Also of note is that stouts in general go great with bivalve shellfish, especially oysters.  The slight acidity of this Oatmeal Stout also compliments lamb as well.  One last detail of note is that Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout is a vegan beverage, for those who take extra personal caution with what they consume.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Old Brewery Pale Ale
Taddy Porter
Imperial Stout
India Ale
Nut Brown Ale
Organically Produced Lager
(also an Organic Cider!)

In-Style:
St-Amboise Oatmeal Stout
Bete Noire - Paddockwood

Other Stouts:
Shakespeare Stout - Rogue
Andean Stout - Cerveza Jerome
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout - Yukon
Jamaica Stout

For The Adventurous:
Old Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout - North Coast Brewing
Trois Pistoles - Unibroue
Old Crustacean - Rogue

Style:  English Pale Ale
ABV:  4.7%
Presentation:  500 ml brown bottle
Brewery:  Fuller Smith & Turner PLC
Country:  England, UK

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

It states “Outstanding Premium Ale” on the label of this English Pale Ale, and although I’ve had beer labels lie to me in the past, this one most certainly lives up to its own bold claim. Although there have been several changes in ownership, beer has been produced on the grounds of this Chiswick located brewery for over 350 years now, and presently most of their ales are exemplars of its own particular style. London Pride is no exception as this brewery‘s flagship offering, and if you’ve yet to discover the full rounded flavours that the world of ales has to offer, consider this one of the finest invitations and introductions that you can get.

One thing to keep in mind with the English style Pale Ale is that in general it tends to be a bit more balanced than its younger American version cousin, and if anything will lean more towards the sweeter maltier side of the flavour profile, therefore being a more approachable option for people who haven’t developed a taste for bolder hop character.

This ale is ideally enjoyed slightly chilled, but not quite room temperature, in order to fully appreciate the balanced nuances within the flavour. A pint glass or mug will serve just fine. Expect a transparent rustic copper amber appearance from this London Pride, with a foamy white head. Within the aroma, if the ale is not too cold, you should be able to pick out notes of crisp sweet malt, toffee, even some buttered bread, while the combination of 3 different hop varieties exude a grassy, spicy nature that is earthy yet possesses a soft citrus zest. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, and balanced between a light smooth roundness with enough carbonation to provide a crisp finish. Lastly the balance continues in the flavour where at first the malt provides the palate a buttery, toasted toffee that blends smoothly with mild earthy and herbal hops in the finish, which offers a crisp finish but doesn’t overpower the backbone of the malt.

For those of you who enjoy having a few of the same beers in a sitting this English Pale Ale is ideal for a session ale. With food it is pretty versatile, pairing well with your favourite comfort foods, while more specifically being an excellent dance partner with savoury foods, grilled meats, roasted chicken and turkey, Cajun dishes, and pasta dishes with white sauce. Heck, even the empty sturdy brown half litre bottles are perfect for you home brewers in the crowd to hang on to. Is there anything that London Pride can’t do? I don’t think so.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
ESB Ale
Vintage Ale
Organic Honeydew Ale

In-Style:
Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale
Pedigree Pale Ale
Bass Pale Ale

Lateral Steps:
Innis And Gunn Oak Aged Beer
O’Hanlons Yellowhammer
Hobgoblin - Wychwood

For The Adventurous:
Lead Dog Ale - Yukon Brewing
Brooklyn Monster Ale
Maximus - Lagunitas