Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout

Tasting Notes

The aroma leads with roasted malt and genuine baking chocolate, with a faint earthy undertone from the organically grown ingredients. On the palate, flavors of dark cocoa and light coffee sit over a rounded, moderately full body — the lactose sugars keep bitterness well in check without tipping into cloying territory. The finish is smooth and moderately dry, with chocolate lingering longer than the roast. It's a restrained, well-integrated beer that earns its sweetness rather than simply asserting it.

About the Brewery

Samuel Smith's operates out of the Old Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England, a facility dating back to 1758 that still uses a stone square fermentation system and the brewery's own house yeast strain. They are one of Britain's most recognized traditional ale producers, known for a broad range of bottle-conditioned and specialty beers exported widely across the US and Europe. Their organic lineup and fruit stouts have earned a particular following among drinkers who want classic British brewing craft without industrial shortcuts.

Food Pairings

A square of dark or bittersweet chocolate is the most direct match, as the beer's cocoa notes amplify rather than compete. Slow-braised short ribs work well because the residual sweetness from the lactose cuts through fatty, rich meat without overwhelming it. A slice of flourless chocolate cake pairs naturally since the beer's roast provides contrast to dense sweetness. Sharp aged cheddar offers a counterpoint that makes both the cheese and the beer taste more complex. Finally, vanilla ice cream — either alongside or as a float — lets the chocolate and sweet notes play off each other without either element drowning out the other.

Style Guide

Milk stout, sometimes called sweet stout, is a British dark ale brewed with lactose, a sugar derived from whey that brewing yeast cannot ferment, leaving behind residual sweetness and a fuller body than a standard dry stout. The style typically runs from roughly 4% to 6% ABV and is defined by flavors of roasted malt, chocolate, and a noticeable but not aggressive sweetness. It originated in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, marketed partly as a nutritional drink, and differs from Irish dry stout by trading that style's sharp, roasty dryness for a softer, rounder character. Compared to an imperial stout, it is considerably lighter in alcohol and intensity, sitting closer to an everyday drinking weight.