Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale

They significantly changed this recipe recently and so far I believe that I am the only one who has rated the new version. All previous raters were rating the older english style pale ale which I have had previously and I can agree with the other raters that it wasnt very good. However- thier new pale ale is now american as they have switched from english hops to simcoe hops- giving it an intense grapefruit aroma and flavor. In addition the malt has been changed from english marris otter to an american pale or 2-row malt. The color has stayed the same being a very light yellow/light orange. The head and carbanation have been reduced significatnly which greatly enhances the mouthfeel. It goes down very smooth now and is easy to drink compared to the previous version. Joe- one of the brewers at yards says that this beer had gone from their worst selling beer to thier best. On the whole this new pale ale is perhaps slightly overhopped given its low alcohol but it comes out as a nice hoppy and refreshing ale. Well done this time.

Cloudy golden yellow with a ridiculously large head. I tried to pour as soft as I possibly could, and this thing just keep on growing. Nice aroma, however. Orangy, lemony, very nice. Flavor is nearly non-existant until the finish. It’s bitter yuck, like chewing on a lemon peel that has no lemony flavor, and much, much too carbonated. The final spicing is nice, however, as it finishes almost like spiced lemon tea. Drop the carbonation levels and this beer would score higher.

Hazy golden blonde coloured body with a SUPER-THICK bubbly white head. Way too much carbonation-this could be an over-yeasted bottle...but this isn’t pleasant to drink it one sip at a time. Aroma of lemons, yeast, wheat (wierd) and fresh hops-smells like it will go right through you! Light-bodied; Super carbonated, strong hop flavour with a good malt backbone and plentiful coriander seed and pepper spice to deal with in the palate. Aftertaste shows some bubbles still and a lot of bittering hops-pretty neat for the style. Overall, I thought this was more an IPA than an APA, but my bottle seems a bit over carbonated compared to others? I sampled this twelve ounce bottle (after holding onto it for 3 months or so) purchased from Norm’s in Vienna, Virginia on 15-December-2004.

This was an unusual pour. The head overwhelmed the glass. I had to wait for the head to dissolve before continuing to pour. There was excellent lacing on the side of the glass. The color was a cloudy golden hue. The beer was OK, but not special. The hoppy flavor was the most notable characteristic. Not sure I would seek out this beverage. My second one on 1/29/05 also overflowed the glass. There were hints of peach. Very balanced Pale Ale.

This pours out with a golden body with a tall foamy rocky white head that I had to wait for to go down before finishing the pour. Good amount of lacing was left as well when this was consumed. The aroma was overall pretty weak with a light floral and citric scent being the only obvious components. Not the most flavorful either but that taste was interesting as there was a bit of caramel malt mingling with the citric flavors with a touch of pine. Pretty good flavor that could have been better if it was a bit less subtle and tried to get noticed. Mouthfeel was about average for the style with no particular pluses or minuses. Not the most robust and flavorful APA but a decent one none the less that I would probably try on tap if I came across it.

Bottle. Nice pour with decent lasting head and hoppy aroma a bit like their India Pale Ale. This one is not as complex or enjoyable as that beer, but it is very solid with nice malty flavor and a citrus aroma. A bit more like an English pale, which I am not as fond of. Don’t get me wrong, but IPA’s are the bomb. This one has nice palate, nice nose, and nice flavor. Solid once again from the folks on the dirty side of the state. Good work Yards!

bottle-frothy head almost over cartbonated. head was about sevreal inces when first poured into glass. hoppy aroma with sweet fruit notes. mild hoppy flavor not mcuh else.

on tap in philadelphia. pretty bland for a yards beer. brown, not a lot of aroma, pretty simple citric bitterness, pretty uninspiring