Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter

Brewery: Samuel Smith's Old Brewery
Style: Porter
Location: Tadcaster, England
Brewery Website
Rating: A-

Samuel Smith's The Famous Taddy Porter is one of the flagship beers from one of England's top craft breweries. The Taddy Porter is a very dark brown (nearly black) and completely opaque in the glass. The head is deep brown, like the color of chocolate milk. The foamy head hangs around for a good long while. The nose has coffee and chocolate notes detectable in the overall sweet and roasted aromas.

The initial flavors on the palate are coffee and caramel. Smoky, roasted notes start to pick up as the initial sweetness starts to fade. There are some fruity notes, like sweet cherries. There is a bit of acidity present as well. There is an initial fizziness from the carbonation that fades to a light-to-medium bodied creamy mouthfeel. The finish fades with more of the smoky, roast coffee and chocolate notes.

The Samuel Smith Taddy Porter is a world-renowned beer, and rightfully so. My only reservation is that to me this is a big beer stuck in a body that's just a bit too light. There are some big flavors here that seem a bit held back. Sometimes it's a good thing to be left wanting more, but not for me with this beer.