General Washington's Tavern Porter - Yards Brewing Co.

yuenglingfan101

Indiana

5/5  rDev +30.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into glass. Head was about 2 fingers and the color was dark and rich not quite yet black. Taste was smooth and malty. Overall mouthful, this beer went down really smooth and was no after taste to it. Overall a good beer just the way General Washington intended it to be. Thumbs up and Bottoms Up

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 16:11:03 | More by yuenglingfan101

WissBrauSean

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This beer pours a very dark brown where if you look at the base of the pint in my picture it is actually quite clear with a tan one finger head that remains as a full ring and center cap on top of the beer and leaves a very nice wet lacing pattern on the glass.

The aroma is of molasses, caramel malts, milk chocolate, vanilla, a hint of bread and sweet dark fruit with not much in the way of hops, maybe something piney, but so distant that I can't make it out.

The taste is a very similar profile as it's nose. In fact, just reread what I wrote above and add in a mild bitter finish that balances the beer almost perfectly if not perfect (to keep it from being overly sweet) and leaves you slightly dry and in complete anticipation of the next sip! A slight peppery tastes lingers as well and there is no hint of the high 7% ABV content of this beer.

Mouthfeel is definitely creamy, smooth, slightly sweet and very full in body. The carbonation is just under moderate and refreshing. Mildly dry finish.

Overall, I would like to say that this beer is world class. I think that some may argue with that assessment on the grounds that it may be too sweet with too much molasses or somehow doesn't completely fit with the grain bill. But it seems to me that this is a pretty broad category in beers and allows for such differences. I'm going out on a limb here and calling this 5 out of 5. It's so very complex, sweet yet dry, balanced with the only hint of the ABV being the warming feeling in my stomach. World Class!

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 00:37:21 | More by WissBrauSean

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a very deep brown color with reddish highlights. Moderate creamy off-white head that left slight lacing as the glass. emptied. Smell is toasty with very strong notes of dark bitter chocolate. Taste is reminicent of strong black slightly bitter coffee. Some nice ripe dark fruit taste is also present. The alcohol is slightly present, but really compliments the other flavors in the beer. Finish slows a moderate bitterness, mixed with coffee and chocolate and leaves a truly excellent taste in the mouth. Nice and creamy. A perfectly balanced beer. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2006 01:20:57 | More by tgbljb

loveingminor

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a nice dark amber color. Definitely "porter" colored. Has a nice head.

Smell: Nice rich, roasted, porter smell.

Taste: Complex, rich, roasted. I don't really taste chocolate, but then again I'm not much for chocolate in my beer.

Mouthfeel: Not overly carbonated, but has a smooth feel.

Overall: I'm glad I picked this one. Can't have more than 2 in one night, but that just makes my stock last longer.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 02:32:18 | More by loveingminor

MichaelMeister

Georgia

4.55/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer on tap at the City Tavern in historic Philadelphia. I think the fact that my wife and I sampled this brew in such a significant historic setting may have influenced my review of this beer quite a bit. Still, we both loved this porter.

The bartender at the tavern showed us the original recipe copied from the original book written over 200 years ago. It was very interesting to see how it was described. One could not try to clone this brew from the ancient formula, but it was interesting to see the wort to molasses ratio involved. The molasses had much to do with it's smoothness and sweetness.

Another historic fact about this particular beer is that it's original ABV was 17%!

We spoke with chef/proprietor Walter Staib who told us it took quite a few trials and errors to reduce the ABV down to its present 7% and get the taste right. That, they certainly did! Very good porter!

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2006 02:32:44 | More by MichaelMeister

OMGTheyKilkenny

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle into a pint glass

A: A thin caramel colored head with a rich, dark chocolate body. This is how a porter is supposed to look.

S: Strong aroma of coffee grounds. Heavy chocolate notes with very toasty malts. Through all that, you can still smell the alcohol. This should be fun.

T: Very nice classic porter. Bold toasted malt flavor hits up front. Semi-sweet chocolate with a bit of coffee. Nice little bite on the finish.

MF: Surprisingly crisp. Solid body, but lighter than you'd think. Lingers a bit on the back. Medium carbonation with just enough body.

D: Excellent, given the strength. No wonder we won the Revolution. If you’re ever in a war and one side’s drinking this while the other is drinking tea, bet on the side fueled by this beer every time. Big flavor, but surprisingly light body makes for solid drinkability. Much lighter than the flavor would suggest. Overall, very nice composition. I love it when a “novelty beer” delivers above and beyond expectations.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 21:20:15 | More by OMGTheyKilkenny

turnstile

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served from the cask at Varga Bar in Philadelphia.

Appearance: Dark, dark brown with ruby highlights; a creamy one inch tan head sticks around till the very end. Phenomenal lacing all the way down the glass. Looks chewy and inviting.

Smell: Dark sugar aromas up front - molasses and dark brown sugar. Some dried cherry notes as well. Malts are sweet and roasty.

Taste: Molasses, bittersweet chocolate, dark fruits, and roasty malts. Bitterness is minimal and finishes sweet. The complexities hide the ABV well.

Mouthfeel: Very creamy with minimal carbonation. Built well with a medium body.

Drinkability: Exceptionally drinkable and therefore my favorite porter. No wonder why Washington was our first President.

It's undeniably best served from the cask at cellar temperature. The molasses involved in the brewing process makes it a great dessert beer or even a winter warmer. I'm content with just one, but if you happen to this brew in the cask soak it up while you can.

Serving type: cask

04-10-2010 03:56:04 | More by turnstile

dacrza1

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Date: 17 January 2013...Glassware: Yuengling pint...Occasion: The Blind Side on NetFlix--probably the last football fan to see this film (call it a Ravens aversion)...Appearance: dark burgundy body and a thick brown head; fits the bill for a porter, and an old-school one at that...Aroma: fragrant, lactic scent with a hint of peat that is indicative of a deeper flavor--rum and spices (nutmeg?)...Taste: malty, pleasant, smooth and lightly smoked--easily a win when considering the weighty 7% abv this beer's pushing...Palate: thick, creamy, full-bodied porter--much creamier than expected...Overall: Nice to know that goodbeer doesn't change much in terms of its recipes; this is my favorite of the the Ales of the Revolution sampler--and that is a Hancock-sized compliment! This takes its place among the Yuengling, Samuel Smith and Victory's offerings...

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 02:46:23 | More by dacrza1

pezoids

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a deep and dark murky brown with some amber highlights when held up to the light. The aroma is very interesting and complex. Getting hints of old leather and prunes, caramel, brown sugar and butternut cookies. The taste is rich and smooth, with a strong and dark sweetness that shields the presence of any alcohol. It’s full of flavor with caramel, a variety of fermented fruit, molasses, figs and licorice. There’s a solid malt undertow running through this beer. Smooth, well blended and highly rich. It’s chocked full of goodness.

I really enjoyed this unique and rich porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2004 22:25:48 | More by pezoids

ark57

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It is a dark brwon to black in color. The aroma has some roasted malts and dark fruit in the nose. It is really smooth and sweet. Not overly sweet, but it is on the sweet side making it an excellent close to any meal. There is chocolate, fruit, and caramel notes. In finishes with a long molasses taste. It lingers for some time and coats the mouth well. There are so many flavors going on, that i did not notice the alcohol. It is comforting.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2004 14:34:16 | More by ark57

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Murky magenta, with able cocoa-toned froth.
Aroma, rich and toffeeish, coffee-ish, chocolatey, a little...a trickle of treacle, some molasses and anise. I like.
In the taste: nice, a repeat of the above, with a little bit more. Sweeter, richer, thicker, and quite tasty. Different from the average porter, that's for sure. A bit stronger, as well, and it is felt.
this was George's own recipe? Really? Damned good general and president, but mightyfine brewing man, too!
Yum...I could get acquainted with this one!

much thanks to KafkaESB.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2005 10:24:35 | More by feloniousmonk

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

What a surprisingly pleasing Porter. (I like my porters). This is so much more than I expected from Yards.

Appearance: Pours a brown that looks black when not to the light and it has a creamy tan head with minimal retention but when it fades the beer still leaves a nice coat of lacing down the edge of the glass.

Smell: Dark chocolate, fudge, caramel, berries, dark grapes, plums and coffee; mmm.

Taste: Dark malts, chocolate. Lots of chocolate and berries, red berries and molasses and caramel Kayro Syrup more fruits and then bitter chocolate and hops; a bit of dry burnt malt and a hint of alcohol showing through. A perfect dry finish that is slightly bitter with some pleasant fruit notes bordering on vinous and hints molasses in the aftertaste, makes this a good choice for burnt Porter fans like myself.

Mouthfeel: A slick chewy almost medium body beer.

Drinkability: This was my first General Washington's Tavern Porter. It won't be my last. Next time I am buying the case. I drink porters as my everyday beers. I love 'em. I have been on a Sierra Nevada kick but that is over. This is one heck of a tasty beer and a new regular in my rotation.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2006 05:27:42 | More by Phatz

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This compared favorably to the bottle version of the ale, which I'm quite fond of.

With each successive pour you're not rewarded with much head. Even with a little agitation from a vigorous pour, maybe a 1/3''. Same as the bottle and not surprising for the style. Syrupy, blackstrap molasses color which makes sense due to the molasses in the recipe. In any case, it looks like any ole porter with a richer constitution.

Smells wonderful. The balance between the malty, syrupy sugars and the subtle roasted bitter is quite inviting. It teeters on unrefined because the sweetness is almost cloying, but I feel it falls in line with the charm of this being a historical, homebrew recipe.

Easily one of the tastiest porters I've had. Despite the added sweetness, by way of the full-bodied maltiness and, I'm assuming, the molasses, compared to the average porter, the essential characteristics of porter are most definitely intact.

Goes down like liquid candy. No significant carbonation to slow you down. If you dig the flavor, you can put back several of these in one sitting, especially when pairing it up with a hearty meal - turkey, stuffing, potatoes, root veggies, for instance. I will admit, though, that the sweetness does grow to cloying after 3-4 without any food to intercede. But, nonetheless, this is one of my faves.

Serving type: growler

07-15-2010 02:36:25 | More by Bouleboubier

Schmidts

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From the bottle Pours black tan with a beautiful tan head that stays. Loads of laceing.
Smells of cherries and sweet chocolate and malts.
Tastes of Black cherrys and a little bitterness and then the malt flavor comes through and finishes with a nice hit of Alcohol. Creamy and smooth the Laceing is still there with a little bit of head.
Having worked at a Distillery right out of High school back in the day I enjoy that little hit of Alcohol taste.

Very Refreshing in your mouth and creamy smooth going down, a very drinkable porter and Yards has hit a home run with this one.
I give it an overall of 4.5 this is a very good Porter.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 21:57:08 | More by Schmidts

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

General Washington's Tavern Porter
Yards Brewing Co.

Appearance: Very dark brown with a mocha cream head with good retention. This beer has legs, and lace...hey now...

Smell: Molasses, dark breads, alcohol. Alittle bit of cocoa. Roasted malts. Coffee.

Taste: In the flavor, brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses, coffee, faint spruce note. Astringent roasted malt mixes well with the sugars. Chocolate emerges again. If one was a simple town-person in Washington's time, I can see the quality of this beer developing an army of loyal followers. Hell, I want to grab a pitchfork and hit the streets right now! This beer is delicious!

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, smooth, creamy feel. Carbonation is solid. Flavors of coffee and vanilla linger into the glorious finish.

Overall: This is impressive porter. If Washington brewed a similar beer, he truly was the right man to lead this newborn nation. I wonder if he sold six packs?

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 06:46:09 | More by Stinkypuss

rabsten

West Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle from the Yards Variety case. Poured into a pint glass: Thick, thick head, good retention, solid lacing. Dark mahogany to ebony, depending on the light, while the head is mocha colored. All you could ask for in a porter appearance.

Light malt smell with fruit undertone. Plums or some other stone fruit, perhaps?

Sweet and dark tasting. The sweetness is not cloying, like some molasses porters I've had before. Maltiness grows with each sip. Pure speculation here, but: If I could keep from drinking it so quickly, it may open up into a whisky-like quality. There's a residual taste of anise, as well.

Easy to drink, pleasant mouth feel. The sweetness lingers a bit too long at times, making an ice water chaser a good decision, but other than that, very nice.

So, General Washington wasn't just the Father of our Country, but a pretty good brewer as well. This makes me want to seek out the Samuel Adams take on the recipe. .

It's not a favorite yet (SN Porter and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald are at the top). Right up there with other good porters from all over.

Yards has a winner here. Worth getting a six at least, and a case if you like the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2006 21:53:24 | More by rabsten

droomyster

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very dark brown with a beautiful, frumpy tan head that sticks all over the glass. Aromas a brimming over with molasses and spices like cinnamon and ginger. There's far more alcohol on the nose and far less roastiness on the nose than I normally like, but the uniqueness of its spicy bouquet has completely stolen my heart. This porter tastes (in order of flavor intensity) like sweet molasses, burnt sugar, Christmas spices, dark chocolate and general roastiness. Unlike any porter I've ever had. Intriguing stuff, for sure. I'm going to give this beer, along with Yard's Spruce Ale, as gifts to fellow beer geeks this December.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2010 06:55:05 | More by droomyster

engisch

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep dark brown with a nice lacey head that coats the glass. Smells a bit of chocolaty sweetness with a slightly roasty or dark chocolate aroma.

Sweet malty slightly bitter chocolate flavor. A hint of molasses. There is a slight creaminess to the mouthfeel.

An all around nice porter. I would definitely drink this again if it crossed my path. Nothing crazy going on here. Great balanced porter.

Way to go Kehoe!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 23:42:55 | More by engisch

MrOH

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Black with reddish brown highlights, two fingers of khaki head, decent retention. Lots of lace.

Chocolate, brown sugar, dark fruits. Like really high quality dark chocolate.

Slightly ashy roast for a second in the beginning, then dark chocolate and fruit. Quite tasty.

Silky, heavier side of medium, low carbonation.

A really solid porter. I tend to like a bit more oomph from the black patent, but this is thoroughly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 04:06:00 | More by MrOH

microbrewlover

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This brew pours dark, almost black with a large head which takes several minuets to dissapate and lacing which remains in the glass throught.

There is the strong smell of coffee, chocolate and molasses. With a "smoky" quality.

The taste is pretty much like the smell with the chocolate and the coffee alternating for attention on your taste buds. There is only slight bitterness, much less than most porters.

The mouthfeel is a little thin and malty.

The taste that is left in the mouth after swallowing is that of chocolate and coffee with a "smoky" quality with a hint of bitterness.

This is an excellent porter for a cold winter night. If Washington did brew a beer similar to this it was definitely worth fighting for.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 01:21:34 | More by microbrewlover

DevilDogBeer

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Yards’ General Washington Porter poured a dark brown color with a tan, creamy head. The head stayed for the duration of this rich porter. The smell was indicative of what awaited me in this glass of American History; a rich, malty nose with just a hint of molasses and only enough hops to balance. The taste was great. The front is malty and sweet with just a hint of molasses, but not at all overpowering. The finish is smooth with the roasted malts coming through nicely. The mouthfeel of this brew is smooth and enjoyable, and it does nit sit heavy or leave a poor aftertaste. This beer is quite drinkable, but at 7% ABV caution must be taken to not overindulge! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2007 20:52:31 | More by DevilDogBeer

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottling date from September stamped on the case.

color is close to black, only brown edges when held up to the light. white head that fades to a thin covering. decent lacing. rich chocolately aroma.

smooth tasting, with typical chocolate and coffee notes. very flavorful but easy drinking.

thick velvetly mouthfeel. a damn good porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2010 04:00:00 | More by jmdrpi

beer2day

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark, dark brown pour with 1-finger dark chocolate head. Laces very well all around the glass. Decent head retention.

Chocolate with a nice shot of citrus hops hit the nose. Roast malt underneath. Very well presented.

Roast malt and bitter chocolate hit your tongue right away. The beer goes quickly creamy and finishes with a rich, medium bitter chocolate flavor. The citrus hops really start to come into the finish about half-way through the glass.

Feel is right on for the style. Very rich tasting porter, though, and could have used a bit more body to match up with that taste.

Slightly high abv is the only thing that brings down the drinkability. Really well done, if you are having only one or two.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 23:17:03 | More by beer2day

Gavage

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep burgandy / brown color with a thick 2 inch creamy tan colored head. Lacing was produced through the drink. The aroma is mild as roasted malt and faint licorice tones are detectable. The flavor is of roasted malt, light coffee, molasses, and caramel.

The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Very flavorful as the roastiness lasts well after swallowing. This is a little heavier bodied than other porters but is extremely drinkable. Great brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2004 16:03:35 | More by Gavage

jaluria

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was eager to try this beer having heard very good things about it as well as the brewery located in Philly. I hope to take a tour of the brewery in the near future.
Getting to the beer:
Poured a viscous, opaque, black color with an incredible light mocha color that seemed to grow and bloom into an entity entirely separate from the the beer. I took me a few minutes to pour the entire beer into my 16 oz. pint glass. A moderate amount of lacing was left behind in my glass. Aromas of chocolate, fresh coffee beans, wood, and raw grains seemed to come out. Quite exciting. The taste was just incredible with a sweet/bitter balance that left me wanting more. Flavors of chocolate and coffee were present throughout the session and yet subtle; not crowding out other interested flavors of burnt wood, roasted grains, and complex malt. Refreshing, robust, and full of flavor, this beer insisted on being had repeatedly. Each sip was an experience to be enjoyed. The texture was thick with a creamy center that mixed very well with the head giving the impression of an ice cream float.
Overall, this is an excellent porter and one that hides it's alcohol content very well.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2006 14:22:02 | More by jaluria