Kansas City Food Blog

​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.

​Goose Island Nut Brown Ale. This ale checks in at 5.2 percent alcohol. It pours a very dark brown and smells of malt and coffee.

The taste is nutty with a hint of caramel -- a bit heavier up front, followed by a finish that had the slight bitterness of hops. I also get a burnt taste that, while not the dominant note, is strong enough to make me take notice in this medium-bodied ale.

Drinkers of Newcastle Brown Ale might want to slide this beer into the rotation. Those who like the smell and feel of roasted nuts or coffee beans would be drawn to it.
 
​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.