Beer review — Samuel Smith and Weihenstephaner

Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale 550ml $8.50
Smith’s unique ale is brewed in old, shallow square stone vats at Tadcaster, England. It entices with a warm, sweet, fruity-malty aroma, seasoned with herbal hops. The smooth, rich palate matches the aroma and because it’s only lightly carbonated the luxurious malt flavour, with its subtle, bitter, hops edge, remains at centre stage. Yum.

Weihenstephaner Korbinian Dunkles Starkbier 500ml $7.90
This is a strong (7.4 per cent alcohol), very malty specialty beer from Bavaria’s ancient Weihenstephan Brewery. The colour’s dark tan, bordering on black, and the opulent, sweet, caramel-and-malt palate, with its wine-like smoothness, reveals wonderful complexity at around 10 degrees. Hops bitterness balances out a unique, big, graceful beer.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2011