Yards Tavern Spruce

Brewed by Yards Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

I can almost visualize the Christmas trees being dipped into the vats to signify Spruce Ales glorious winter return. A refreshing ale that I noticed is brought to life chilled, not fully refrigerated and served in room temperature glasses instead of frosted. I noticed this brings out more of a deeper aroma which ultimately adds to a bolder yet perfectly placed taste of molasses and piney spruce-ness on the palate and yet still a pleasingly refreshing finish. Perfect for the winter, I bought a case of this stuff last season and have been awaiting its triumphant return ever since. Alas, my favorite seasonal ale returns not only in my dreams but in reality! Cheers to Ben Franklin and his recipe (in which I believe he created in France, in his diplomatic years) for he is putting a smile on my face and others 300 years later!

There is a malty aroma, but some sweetness as opposed to spruce/piney.It has a beautiful dark brown scotch color to it. The flavor is delicious, but I didn’t detect as much spruce as expected.

Enjoyed this one while watching game 1 of the 2009 World Series with Armed. Phils beat the Yankees 6-1 and Cliff Lee pitched out of his mind! It was apropos to enjoy a great Philly brew during this game. The aroma is woody, almost a bit smoky, with spruce scents. Flavor is the same. Great beer overall.

Pours amber with a small off white head. Aroma is off sweet mollasses. Flavor if molasses up front with some sharp pine notes in the finish. Nice full mouthfeel. This stuff is pretty unique stuff. Bonus points for the historic aspect.

THOUGHTS: Very herbal. It is truly different and nice. A little like a beer version of a Ricola cough drop. It may not get a perfect rating from me, but I will definitely be buying this again and again. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured dark, brownish amber with a very small, off-white head that mostly diminished. The aroma was nice but too light. There was light molasses, spruce, herbs, Ricola and sap. The initial flavor was sweet and acidic; while the finish was rather sweet, acidic, slightly bitter and lightly tart with a fairly long duration. The medium body was syrupy and then dry with fizzy carbonation and a dry and light to moderately astringent finish.

12 ounce bottle from Whole Foods Market, Charlottesville, VA. Cool to see these guys in Virginia, as I’ve heard good things. Pours a clear deep copper color with a tan offwhite head. Fair head retention and lacing. Aroma of brown sugar, wood, spuce, wet dog. Taste is very strong spruce along with molasses and brown sugar. Nice caramelization note. Generally I get a weird gummy taste out of spruce beers which this one avoids, and though the flavors seem to be discordant on their own, the whole is greater than the sum, and this one works quite nicely. Medium bodied, smooth, fairly strong carbonation.

pours clear mahogany with a thick, here-to-stay head. aroma is malty and caramel, slight biscuit, with a tiny bit of piney hops. flavor is malty, molasses is apparent, slight breadiness. finish is sweet and malty. beer is thick and buttery.

Tastes like a sweet stout. Good quality offering but I couldn’t drink a bunch of them at once - good with a dessert. Nice dark color and sweet (but not too sweet) flavor.