Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout

Should phrases like "malt beverage with natural flavor added" and "Flavored Beer" be giant warning signs?  Is it right to be a staunch purist and have the Reinheitsgebot tattooed on the back of one's eyelids?  Or, is it better to just enjoy things as they come, to place no limits on what you are willing to draw pleasure from?  Should the word "organic" be banned from my booze cabinet?  This week's beer is a thinking man's beer.

Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout, or, to quote directly from the label, "Malt Beverage with natural flavor added[.]  Samuel Smith's Brewery (Tadcaster) N. Yorks[.]  1pt. 2.7 fl/oz Product of U.K. 550ml."  A dark brown, modestly thick, kinda frothy beer.  Beer?  Malt beverage?  Bottle of lies and broken promises?

Before I get too tied up with definitions, I will bravely drink a beer.  First impression: that is a very tasty beer.  No bullshit, it's great.  Drinky drinky, gulp gulp.  Go to town folks!  Do you like chocolate?  How about stouts?  Dare I ask about you're interest in chocolate stouts?  Lots of question marks this week.  10 so far.  All the same, first glass: drained it dry with a smile on my face.

It smells like a quality mocha, with wafts of chocolate and coffee with just a touch of violins playing.  The taste is at first light, then the choco goodness bubbles up and starts telling you about the chocolate malt and whispers about banana, yeast, perhaps that familiar metallic tinge.  Like I said, good stuff.  If you put in in your face, you will be happy.

But, dammit, I can't shake this feeling that I need to be offended by something here.  I don't like reading the word "organic" on my beer.  I don't mind that it is organic, but it doesn't seem natural to have it plastered all over the label like it is supposed to be there.  No no no no no.  Better, I think to just leave that shamefully out of sight, like a deformed twin tied up in the attic with a bucket of fish heads for supper.   Also, the question remains as to whether or not this is beer.  There are some strange laws regarding beer labeling.  "Beer", "Ale", "Malt Beverage" all have specific usage definitions totally unrelated to anything in reality.  I could look them up, but, no, screw that.  Sounds like work.  Here is the thing, I like drinking beer, and, while I will usually shy away from an "organic", "malt beverage", or (god forbid) "gluten-free", if I drink one, and it's good... Well, I suppose it is fish heads for me, and that's OK.