Samuel Smith's, The Famous Taddy Porter

Date:	11/8/2007
Brewery:	Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
Beer:	Samuel Smith's, The Famous Taddy Porter
Origin:	N. Yorks, England, UK
Style:	English Porter
Container:	1 pt. 2.7 oz. brown glass bottle, normal cap covered in foil
Purchased:	SuperTarget, Rowlett, TX
Price:	$2.78 per single bottle
Alcohol:	5.00% ABV ABV
Brewer's Description:	History: Porter was the first commercially brewed beer. It was named for the train porters who were its original servers and consumers. Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery, Yorkshire’s oldest, reintroduced authentic porter to the British beer scene in 1979 after an absence of more than 50 years. Taste: Very dark, fairly full in body and packed with flavor. Intense, dry tangy character of roasted barley. Serving Suggestions: Oysters on the half shell, Rockefeller or Cajun style; clams, mussels, crab cocktail, lobster bisque and other shellfish, smoked mackerel pâté, veal with green peppercorns, porterhouse steak and of course chocolate. Serve at 55 degrees in nonik or tumbler. Alecolade: Platinum Medal, World Champion Porter - World Beer Championships "One of the world’s five best beers." -Michael Jackson Product sizes and quantities: Twelve 18.7-ounce "Victorian Pint" bottles. Twenty-four 12 ounce bottles.
Appearance:	Very dark brown in color. Poured a huge head and retained it pretty well. Head is a tan color. Too dark to see bubbles.
Aroma:	Smells rich like other porters. Can pick up chocolate and coffee smells.
Taste:	Definitely taste the coffee malt. First drink was kind of a shock. Got better after that.
Mouth Feel:	Not much carbonation. More than in a widget can, but still not much. Just a bit more would make it quite a bit better. After I poured the rest of the bottle, it was a bit better.
Drinkability:	Decent. I like Fuller's London Porter better, but this may be better than the Anchor porter.
Score:	4 / 10

Other links:

• Samuel Smith's, The Famous Taddy Porter scored an A- on
• Samuel Smith's, The Famous Taddy Porter scored 3.71 on

From Beer

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Fuller's London Porter Ale

Date:	9/13/2007
Brewery:	Griffin Brewery
Beer:	Fuller's London Porter Ale
Origin:	Chiswick, London, England
Style:	English Porter
Container:	11.2oz. Brown Glass Bottle
Purchased:	Kegs & Barrels, Plano, TX
Price:	$0 per Single Bottle
Alcohol:	5.4% ABV
Brewer's Description:	Fuller’s London Porter is an award-winning example of this historic English style; smooth and creamy with delicious chocolate and coffee flavours. The Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, has been brewing fine ales since 1654. The Fuller, Smith, & Turner partnership, dating back to 1845, brews an excellent range of award-winning ales, many of which are available in the USA, including London Pride Pale Ale and the world’s original ESB. I hope you will enjoy trying all our fine ales.
Appearance:	Dark brown in color. Head is a tan color. Not long head retention. Too dark to see any bubbles rising.
Aroma:	Has a very rich smell. I can smell the chocolate/coffee that they describe.
Taste:	This seems very rich for beer. It has almost a burned/charred taste. I can associate that taste with malt, I suppose. It’s pretty distinctive. Most of its taste comes as aftertaste. I don’t taste much bitterness or hoppiness. This is the beer that the lady at Kegs & Barrels suggested as a benchmark for malt flavor.
Mouth Feel:	It has a good feel. The carbonation level is good. It’s pretty creamy, but with carbonation release. It’s a little thicker (more viscous) feeling than others beers I’ve tried to date.
Drinkability:	I think this is an aquired taste, but I think I could learn to like it without too much difficulty. I would buy it again if I was in the mood.
Score:	5 / 10

Other links:

• Fuller's London Porter Ale scored 91 on
• Fuller's London Porter Ale scored 4.02 on

Abbot Ale

Date:	9/11/2007
Brewery:	Greene King
Beer:	Abbot Ale
Origin:	Suffolk, England
Style:	English Pale Ale
Container:	1-Pint Can
Purchased:	Kegs & Barrels, Plano, TX
Price:	$8.49 per 4-Pack
Alcohol:	5% ABV
Brewer's Description:	English Pub Ale - Brewed longer for a distinctive full flavor. From website: Greene King's flagship brand Abbot Ale is a favourite with the nation's discerning beer drinker. An iconic beer, Abbot is brewed for longer in a traditional way in order to achieve its world famous distinctive taste. The secret of Abbot Ale lies not only in its ingredients but the way it is treated along every step of its production, from the arrival of the raw ingredients at the brewery to the cask and beyond. The result (a pint of perfect beer) is due to the care, dedication and craftsmanship of everyone who works on Abbot Ale. Quality is the benchmark. Abbot Ale is brewed with pale crystal and amber malts to give an attractive colour and rich malty taste. Challenger hops give it bitterness with a spicy overtone and to really boost the taste and aroma to the maximum it is late-hopped with Fuggles to provide the floral tones and fruity esters. Full flavoured, smooth and mature, Abbot Ale is an exceptional, quality drink. No wonder this beer is the first choice for so many discerning real ale lovers.
Appearance:	Dark amber in color. Didn’t pour much head. Small bubbles randomly rise.
Aroma:	Has a somewhat rich aroma. Smelled a bit nutty.
Taste:	Not too far off from Wexford’s Irish Cream in taste. A bit bitter.
Mouth Feel:	At least it has more carbonation (a little) than Wexford’s. Still not enough.
Drinkability:	Overall, very much like Wexford’s. I don’t like it very much. I won’t get it again. I'll give it a 2, only because it had a tiny bit more carbonation than Wexford's.
Score:	2 / 10

Other links:

• Abbot Ale scored 83 on
• Abbot Ale scored 3.12 on

Original Wexford's Irish Cream Ale

Date:	8/28/2007
Brewery:	Greene King Brewing Company
Beer:	Original Wexford's Irish Cream Ale
Origin:	Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, UK
Style:	Cream Ale
Container:	1-pint Aluminum Can w/ Pressurized Widget
Purchased:	Kegs & Barrels, Plano, TX
Price:	$8.49 per 4-pack
Alcohol:	5.0% ABV
Brewer's Description:	Based on a traditional Irish recipe from County Wexford that dates back to 1810, we use only the best ingredients to ensure that our Wexford ale has a smooth mellow creaminess we believe you will enjoy. Following in an age-old tradition only the freshest, most natural ingredients are used to create the smooth mellow taste of our Wexford ale. For best results chill for at least 2-3 hours but do not freeze. Pour carefully down the side of a glass, observe the creamy head and enjoy the smooth mellow taste of Wexford.
Appearance:	Medium amber in color. Lots of foam immediately when pouring. Very long head retention. No bubbles rise while sitting.
Aroma:	Pleasant smell. Nothing in particular sticks out. Not strong smelling.
Taste:	Not impressed. Perhaps too much hops for my taste? Somewhat bitter.
Mouth Feel:	I can see what they mean by cream. Very smooth, maybe too much so. Not enough carbonation. Seems very flat. Almost like drinking tea that tastes like beer.
Drinkability:	Not good at all. I will not miss this beer. Lady at Kegs & Barrels said that it's no longer imported to the US. Good riddance!!!
Score:	1 / 10

Other links:

• Original Wexford's Irish Cream Ale scored 81 on
• Original Wexford's Irish Cream Ale scored 2.86 on

Fuller's ESB

Date:	8/27/2007
Brewery:	Griffin Brewery
Beer:	Fuller's ESB
Origin:	Chiswick, London, England
Style:	Extra Special Bitter
Container:	11.2oz Brown Glass Bottle, Normal Cap
Purchased:	Kegs & Barrels, Plano, TX
Price:	$10.99 per 6-pack
Alcohol:	5.9% ABV
Brewer's Description:	Fuller's ESB is the famous winner of many awards around the world; bursting with powerful malt and hop flavors, it is the world's original and the one by which others are judged! The Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, has been brewing fine ales since 1654. The Fuller, Smith & Turner partnership, dating back to 1845, brews an excellent range of award winning ales, many of which are available in the USA, including London Pride Pale Ale and the world's original ESB.
Appearance:	Dark amber. Does not evolve many bubbles at all while just sitting in a glass. Had about 1 inch of head when poured. Retained head fairly well. Bubles evolve when drinking.
Aroma:	Having trouble picking out any distinct smells. Definitely smells like an amber beer, but that's about it.
Taste:	This is another beer that has more aftertaste than anything. A little bitter for my taste, but not the worst. Not as good as Old Speckled Hen.
Mouth Feel:	This does have a good feel. Carbonation releases in mouth and provides just the right bite. Afterwards, it's smooth.
Drinkability:	Overall, I would prefer an Old Speckled Hen or Anchor Steam/Liberty. This is not bad, I just prefer others.
Score:	4 / 10

Other links:

• Fuller's ESB scored 88 on
• Fuller's ESB scored 3.64 on

"Old Speckled Hen"

Date:	8/24/2007
Brewery:	Morland Brewing
Beer:	Old Speckled Hen
Origin:	Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, UK
Style:	Pale Ale
Container:	12oz. Clear Glass Bottle, Normal Cap
Purchased:	Goody Goody, Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX
Price:	$0 per 6-pack
Alcohol:	5.2% ABV
Brewer's Description:	Named after an unusual, speckled vintage MG car, Old Speckled Hen is a pale ale which owes it's distinctive character and dry taste to a unique strain of yeast, first used in 1896. The complex flavour reflects skills developed across more than 280 years of independent brewing history.
Appearance:	Medium amber color. Slow bubbles. Retained head for only a couple of minutes.
Aroma:	Taking a deep breath of it yields almost a nutty aroma, but not immediately.
Taste:	OSH has a very complex flavor. It's unlike any I've had, so it is kind of hard to describe. There is definitely more of an aftertaste than a taste while in your mouth. Not too sweet, but not too bitter. Can't really pick out any specific flavors.
Mouth Feel:	Much smoother than the Sunshine from last night. Only a little bite from carbonation when held in mouth. Not as much carbonation as the Sunshine, which is a good thing.
Drinkability:	Very nice overall. Would not drink this beer for effect. Should be very good with a meal. Will definitely get this again. Will be interesting to compare this to Boulevard Pale Ale (one of my favorites).
Score:	6 / 10

Other links:

• Old Speckled Hen scored 81 on
• Old Speckled Hen scored 3.15 on