Lola would love Samuel Smith Organic Cherry Ale
I have always been a fan of Samuel Smith products, one of the first is their Nut Brown Ale and have been hooked ever since. So when I see a couple new products from a brewery like Samuel Smith I get excited. This time I was also intrigued by the Organic seal on the side of the label. So I picked up a bottle of the Organic Cherry Ale and went to the checkout.
Unless you have spent the last decade under a rock you should know that organic anything is a real buzz word for marketing. I am not really surprised to find USDA Certified Organic versions of just about any product in the supermarket today. So what does Certified Organic really mean to us beer drinkers?
According to a USDA fact sheet the requirements for ”Products labeled “organic” must consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). Any remaining product ingredients must consist of nonagricultural substances approved on the National List including specific non-organically produced agricultural products that are not commercially available in organic form.” That being stated it seems that Samuel Smith took this idea and ran with.
The Organic Cherry ales pours with a nice head of foam which is pink in hue and you are immediately hit with the smell of Cherry Juice. The mouth feel is light but the carbonation was medium in body, much like a soda with natural juice added. To be honest this whole beer reminds me of a Black Cherry soda, except the alcohol and the bitterness associated with beer. It was like drinking a Cherry Jolly Rancher, and to me that is a compliment. I have to say that there was nothing that screamed, “Man that’s an Organic Beer!” but it was enjoyable to say the least.
To be honest I would like to think most of the beers we drink are mainly organic. Since the definition and standards of the USDA are strict, then you have to use a large amount of organic materials. I can’t say that the 95% organic materials made this beer better, if I had to bet I would put my money on the skilled Brew Master at Samuel Smith Brewery.
Cheers.