Yards Old Ale

Sweet, roasty and vinous. The plummy dark fruit flavors blend with a little bit of toffee and maple and there are blackberries and acidity in there too. Ends witha dry (tobacco?) note and a hint of smoke/char. May be past its porime (’99 bottle) but still quite tasty.

1999 Vintage (tasted on 1/5/05). Poured a dark reddish-brown with a huge (almost 5 finger) off white head. Aromas and tastes of dark fruits (raisins), chocolate, licorice and a little smoky. Some sour cherries lurking in the background and at the finish. Lightly sweet. Lively carbonated body with a nice dry finish. This one aged well and I’m glad I picked it up.

(Vintage 1999) Huge light brown head of tiny bubbles. Settles very slowly. Great carbonation which keeps a thin foam on the surface. Rich aroma of raisins, chocolate covered cherries, tobacco and a dusty dryness. Color is a deep dark brown/red. Bit of sweetness and a good helping of raisins, dry smoky tobacco and a nice bitterness. Finish is dry and a little bitter. Very good old ale that has aged well. Little strange flavor in that it is very dry and dusty. Still quite good though.

Pours with a huge, rocky head that refuses to settle down. It leaves an impressive lace, actually more of a sea foam impression than lace. The aroma is mostly malt sweetness with a hint of cherry. The taste is interesting. Very prominent malt flavors which remind me of a good bourbon's sweetness. Some fruitiness is also apparent, but it doesn't seem to be a single flavor. The alcohol is noticable, and the finish is a touch too bitter in that the bitterness seems to linger. And with all the sweetness, there is a slight sourness on the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is a little edgy, with strong carbonation attacking the tongue and gums. This may help offset the sweetness a touch.

This is a strong beer with a sweet flavor. It can be cranky at times. It's at its best if you get it cask conditioned.