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What Ales You: Old favorite holds its own against newer local brews

A new look at Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout and Nut Brown Ale.

By TOM ATWELL

The two bottles of beer simply beckoned to me. Usually, I buy beer I have never had before so I can taste it and write about it. But sitting on the shelf at the grocery store were bottles of Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout and Nut Brown Ale.

Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout has a complex aroma with lots of malt and hints of fruit.

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Both are brewed at the Old Brewery Tadcaster in North Yorks, England, which opened in 1758 and still uses water from the same well it has had from the start. For a long time before I ever wrote a word about beer, I considered the Oatmeal Stout my favorite beer in the world. 

I hadn't had any Samuel Smith's in a while, though. With all the local beers appearing on the market, I had been steering clear of my old friends from across the Atlantic. It was time, I figured, to try these beers again to see how they stand up to all of the newer beers I have been drinking. They cost $3.99 each for a 550-milliliter bottle.

We started with the Nut Brown, which poured a clear, brown coffee color with a good-sized tan head and nice lacing on the side of the glass. The aroma was malty but not overpowering. The body was a bit lighter than some of the local brown ales I have been drinking recently -- not unpleasant or watery, but just light and lively on the palate.

And although it was heavy on the malt, it was still quite dry, with a good clean finish. The nuttiness in the flavor comes from the roasting of some of the malts.

This is a very well-balanced, easy-drinking beer, and at 5 percent alcohol, you could drink it all through a meal -- as well as before and after.

The Oatmeal Stout is an all-around richer beer. It was opaque and black in the glass, with a thicker and fluffier tan head. Its aroma is complex, with lots of malt but also hints of fruit, some chocolate from the roasted malt and maybe just a little bit of oak.

What always stood out for me in this beer is the texture. Oatmeal provides a silkiness to beer, and the residual sugars provide a lot of body. It's lightly carbonated. This is substantial without being heavy.

The flavor is rich and complex, with grain, malt, the roastiness and the oatmeal all playing on the tongue. And although you know there are hops in there, they are so far in the background as to be barely detectable.

This beer would pair well with hearty meals, even with dessert. And even though it, like the Nut Brown, is only 5 percent alcohol, it is still a beer you want to take your time drinking. It is just too good to rush.

Nancy liked the Nut Brown better than the Oatmeal Stout, preferring its clean crispness.

As expected, I favored the Oatmeal Stout. And while it is still among my favorite beers of all time, there are so many good local beers on the market that it has a lot of company on its pedestal.

WE ALSO had some of Maine Beer Co.'s Lunch recently. It was just released, and I know how quickly the company's seasonal offerings disappear from the shelves.

This is the second year that Lunch -- named after a whale that has been seen off the coast of Maine since 1982 -- has been offered. I know I tasted this beer last year, but a check of newspaper archives shows that I never wrote about it. A big mistake on my part. 

Lunch is just an absolutely wonderful American take on an India Pale Ale. It poured a wonderful bronze color with a pure white head. The aroma showed some citrus with just a hint of Christmas tree. 

While this is definitely a hoppy beer, it isn't so hoppy as to drive anyone away. It's still balanced with a little bit of caramel in the malt and nicely carbonated, and has a slightly heavier mouthfeel than most IPAs. It comes in at 7 percent alcohol.

This is another winner from Maine Beer Co.

NARRANGASETT BOCK is also on the store shelves for spring, although it seems like winter has barely started. This is a beer that has memories for me going back to college, and it was nice to welcome back a good old friend.

Tom Atwell is a Cape Elizabeth freelance writer. He can be contacted at 767-2297 or at:

tomatwell@me.com