The world is a very large place, to be sure. As I sip my Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale and enjoy its rich, full flavor this evening, I’m also sitting waiting for the Powerball homepage to load that I might see if I’m a winner. Tonight’s jackpot is $200 million, and the servers are jammed with requests for the page, hence my wait. I only splurged on a few dollars worth of tickets, but it’s worth it just to dream of all the places I’d visit were I to be the big winner.
Of course, we can’t visit all the places in the world we’d like to, but fortunately one can in fact travel the world in a bottle in the case of beer. That’s not unique to beer, of course, since we can often sample a bit of a far-off land’s culture by partaking in its cuisine, reading its literature, listening to its music, or studying its art. Beer, however, is my favored method of transport.
In a single night, I can survey the Cascade Mountains with a Deschutes Jubel Ale in hand, cross the Bavarian Alps while sipping an Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel, or climb the Appalachians with a Penn Pilsner. I can see the sunlight shining over Narragansett Bay with a Narragansett Lager, or watch the fog roll off San Francisco Bay while savoring an Anchor Steam.
Perhaps it’s all in my head, but I really do believe that an Otter Creek Copper Ale tastes like Vermont. A sip of their Oktoberfest Ale with eyes closed will have me seeing red, brown, and gold leaves dancing in the crisp Vermont air. A Geary’s Pale Ale will have me imagining myself sitting in Portland, Maine. And a half-liter bottle of Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale has me sitting in a pub in merry old England.
Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale pours to a dark brown color reminiscent of cola. The thick, creamy head helps reinforce that image. The nose suggests lightly roasted malt, and the palate is very malty, creamy, somewhat nutty (hence the name) with a unique mushroomy character almost akin to a Ringwood ale. There’s a touch of butter albeit a light one, and a surprisingly fruity finish, which strongly hints at melon and pear. A light toffee character and subtle roastiness permeate the beer as well.
This is a wonderful beer with red meat; perhaps beef Wellington or a prime rib and oven roasted potatoes. I enjoyed it with steak tonight and it was a perfect accompaniment.
And its a great way to visit England in a bottle.
Other Beers in This Series
Austria in a Bottle
America in a Bottle
Belgium in a Bottle
China in a Bottle
France in a Bottle
Germany in a Bottle
Holland in a Bottle
Lithuania in a Bottle
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