Winter is upon us and in case you have a fireplace that isn't working, you should have a good brown ale to keep you warm. Today's battle is a slugfest between a domestic craft brewer, Goose Island of Chicago, and an English import, Samuel Smith. Both breweries are well-regarded and offer Nut Brown Ales. So, in a side-by-side pour, Fat City decided to see which ale came out on top.
Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. It's brewed at The Old Brewery Tadcaster (Est. 1758) and has an alcohol by volume of 5 percent. The gold-foil wrapped cap and skinny bottle offer the promise of something different and the ale delivers on that promise.
The color is reddish-brown with an off-white head. It has an overall sweet smell that makes me think of fruit pulp and malt, maybe brown sugar. It's a well balanced beer with a creamy consistency and a slightly sweet taste. The finish is clean with hints of toffee and caramel. It's the kind of beer that would seem to go well with mutton or a rich beef stew.
The winner? The Samuel Smith's Brown Ale is slightly sweeter and less complex, but it's what I would want to warm my insides this winter.
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I disagree.
They ran out of Newcastle at Pizza Bella one night so they fetched a few sixers of Goose Island Nut Brown Ale from the nearby grocery. I have been hooked ever since.
Next time I'm in the Second City, I will head straight to the nearest place where it's on tap.
I am a fan of Newcastle, so nut brown ales tend to strike me in a "hey, I might like that!" kind of way. We saw a new one the other night at the new liquor store called "Tipsy's" off of Johnson Dr. It's Leinenkugels' Fireside Nut Brown, and I really hope my husband remembers to swing through and pick some up for us to try tonight...::texts husband::
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