Yards Thomas Jefferson Tavern Ale

Brewed by Yards Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Mediocre beer with a strong floral scent resembling a mint leaf. The beer does have a nice hidden alcohol taste and does provide the warming sensation. Decent winter brew.

THOUGHTS: This one was way better than I remembered it, having last tried it probably ten years ago or more. Not overwhelming at all, but hid alcohol incredibly well. I still don’t care for it, but it grow on me slightly. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, medium to dark orange with a very small, off-white head that mostly diminished and left fair to good lacing. The aroma was rye bread, light to moderate hops, pineapple, honey, canned fruit cocktail and vegetable (but not in a bad way). The initial flavor was sweet and bitter; while the finish was very sweet, acidic, rather bitter and slightly sour. There was canned fruit, pineapple and metallic hops. The medium body was syrupy with fizzy carbonation and a slightly metallic and lightly astringent finish.

Bottle. Citrus, freshly mown grass, and lightly nutty caramel malts spill from the bottleneck. Clear deep orange body (a little darker than orange) with a sudsy beige head. Tastes strongly of nuts and caramel, sweet but layered; earth, cracker, and pine. Just a hint of alcohol, some bockish grape, touch of smoke, touch of spice in the back (though I can’t decide between a hop-contribution or one from the yeast). Wonderfully crisp, just that perfect medium level, with a touch of sourness, light bitterness, medium body that can go either full or light depending on the moment. Nice herbal quality. Very authentic, somehow, and something I’d love to hover over in my favorite smoky, darkly lit 18th-century tavern.

The American brew has a sweet aroma and a perfect copper color. The flavor is also sweet, but complex with bitter undertones. It is very piney as well.

Bottle. Pours a clear amber body. Aroma is malt. Flavor is smooth malt. No flavor of alcohol whatsoever.

Draught at TJ’s: Aroma of pale malts, slight spices, and candi sugar. Poured amber in color with a medium-sized, off-white head that lasted throughout. Clear. Lightly sparkling. Good lacing. Flavor is light to medium sweet. Tastes of white grapes, light spices, slight yeast, pale malts, kosher wine, slight grains, and fruit. Medium body. Thin texture. Average carbonation. Lightly sweet, fruit and pale malt finish is lightly dry.

Pours a dark amber/copper color with white head some lacing on the glass sweet caramel notes and a little malty, but the flavor hides the 8% well...... it wasn’t too heavy more medium bodied a nice ale

12oz bottle 7/11/09 (Foodery (10th St)-Pours a dark golden with a nice white head. Aroma of hops and malt. Taste of the same with some caramel and sweetness coming through. This medium bodied brew is not bad and it hid the alcohol very well.