Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale (ENG)

Samuel Smith's is one of the few "serious" brewers I remember from before my drinking days. At the time, I don't think I realized they made several different beers. It's sort of like how people say they like"Sam Adams." Which Sam Adams?

I paid about $10.50 for a four-pack of the Nut Brown Ale. A nutty aroma hits during the pour, which yields a clear burnt umber liquid and an off-white head that gives me a foam mustache after sipping. The texture is very smooth with fine carbonation. I think this is a bit on the dry side for a brown ale. The flavor has roasted hazelnut and a touch of hops underneath the malt. As advertised, this has a clean finish. At 5.0% ABV, it's right on the border of what many people consider sessions beers. Cost aside, I could down a bunch of these.

I think I'd rather drink the hoppier Smuttynose Old Brown Dog than this, but they're really two different styles of brown ale. I haven't had a Newcastle Brown -- the other English classic -- in some time, but based on memory, I'd take Samuel Smith's.