Thomas Jefferson's Tavern Ale - Yards Brewing Co.

mikeyv35

New York

5/5  rDev +32.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Date: 06/13/2010
Type: 12oz. Bottle
Vintage: 2010
Glassware: Portsmouth Tulip

Pours a light red mahoghany in color w/ a small white cream head, leaves minimal lacing on the glass that dissipates rather quickly. Nose was of candied sugar, orange peel, light toffee, light caramel, breadiness, and a touch of booze. Taste pretty much follows the nose, w/ candied sugar, orange peel, and toffee/caramel up front, and a finish of breadiness and very mild hop bite. The mouthfeel is thin and crisp, but the flavors are rich, and the brew is decently creamy due to proper amounts of carbonation. Drinkability? As Lionel Ritchie once said, "All night long!"

For what this is, an English Strong Ale, it is simply perfection in a bottle! It encompasses all the ideal qualities that an English Strong Ale should have. Yard's has done a fabulous job trying to recreate Thomas Jefferson's original recipe for beer!

When I drink this beer, as I do quite regularly, I feel as if I get time-warped back to a dingy, old English pub in the 1800's. I feel like I should always drink this out of a pewter mug or something, might have to seek one out. I would seek this brew out if I were you.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2010 06:18:59 | More by mikeyv35

stingo

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The second of the "Ales of the Revolution" I've had the good fortune to have on tap at home. Pours a darkish orange color, with an off-white head. No nose to speak of, but the taste is delightful. Very well balanced sweetness and bitterness, and alcohol? what alcohol? You'd never guess this was an 8% brew. And mouthfeel is JUST right for the flavor - it's thick enough and rich enough, but not so rich as to fill you up (and prevent you from getting another). I will definitely have this beer on tap again. Very highly recommended, and props to Yards for another fine instigation to Revolution.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2006 17:25:06 | More by stingo

DevilDogBeer

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Yards' Thomas Jefferson Tavern Ale poured a great amber color with a creamy head. Unfortunately the head thinned out shortly after the poor, but it did not go completely away. The smell was clean and light with a hint of sweetness, likely from the honey. There was a slight note of caramel malts and just a hint of hops. The taste was crisp and clean with just a touch of sweetness to set this apart form other tavern or pub ales; the non-bitter character of this ale was a welcome change from many ales in its class. The honey came through in the taste, but certainly not too much, just the right amount. The smooth feel of this ale on the tongue and its light finish make this a great ale to enjoy on many occasions. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2007 21:16:17 | More by DevilDogBeer

WissBrauSean

Pennsylvania

4.76/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I poured this beer at about 55 degrees F into a standard pint and it poured a light amber colour with a full one finger ivory head of tiny bubbles that stay as a nice ring and Friar Tuck center cap and sticky balcony-like lacing pattern. Very attractive this beer is!

Right away I notices the darker fruit notes with this beer as well as the pale sweet malts, honey and a bready yeast. The honey aroma is just fantastic! As the beer warms the honey is more pronounced. This beer is approaching room temperature and it is coming alive!

As you sip, your nose takes in the honey and your tongue is greeted with pale malts, honey, green raisin, sweet citrus a bit of tart fruit and not until the very end do you get the earthy hop bitterness with a black peppery numbing feeling on the tongue that I assume is a combination of the carbonation, the alcohol and the hop dryness. This beer is a pleasure to drink and drink her just a tad lower than room temperature. 60 degrees is awesome.

The mouthfeel of this beer is silky smooth, creamy mildly sweet and approaching full bodied. The carbonation is one step above moderate, no where near hot, but she's a lively English tart this lady.

Overall, I am deeming this lovely lady world class. She gets the Cate Blanchett award for being a true beauty! There is absolutely nothing that I don't like about this beer and I feel that it fits Beer Advocates criteria to a T. Although they mention a solvent aroma as part of the class, and I don't get that, OR want that! 5 out of 5 on this baby Yards! I don't think that I have given a score like that yet!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 02:29:38 | More by WissBrauSean

shippos

New York

4.63/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

thanks to ppoitras for this most excellent beer, even though i took my sweet ass time getting around to it, definetly worth it though.

poured with a huge rocky pillowy white head on a slighlty hazy orangey honeyish color. fruity hoppy aroma, very citrusy with some sugar/malt sweetness and a bready yeasty character develops as this warms up. very very smooth body and a slick suculant mouthfeel. sweet raw sugar, very well defined hop character with a dry bitter aftertaste. very highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2005 18:58:49 | More by shippos

scar

New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Holy Cr@p. This is the most drinkable 8% beer I have had in a long time.

Appearance- clear with good lace, like most of Yards' beers.

Smell- Nothing off, but nothing amazing. A little earthy hop, sweet malt,little fruitiness.

Taste- THIS IS THE BEST PART OF THIS BEER. SOOO balanced not sweet, good hop presence. If this is actually Jefferson's recipe its amazing he was able to drafts our countries most important docs. He must have had a proof reader.

Mouthfeel- Much thinner than expected but also a highlight of the beer. Thinner than their IPA, the honey and nonbarley malts most likely thin it out. Makes me want to keep drinking this beer.

Yards just keeps on making great beers, these guys are truely masters. In most of their beers I can really taste the PALE ALE MALT, much like IPSWICH, GEARY's and the UK imports.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 16:16:27 | More by scar

Ryanm1

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've had this several different times and just about every one has been from the bottle.

I'm going to post this review through the draught that I had at City Tavern a while ago.

Moderate head, white foam pouring to an Amber colored beer. It is brewed in the English Strong Ale style which registers 8% abv. The taste is on the sweeter side, hints of honey florals, and spices. Full body aromatic and full of various flavors. Most Yards beers have a distinct matl characteristic.

This is a throwback to the turn of the century ales that were brewed back in the day. One of my favorite beers partially cause I am homer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2012 19:59:30 | More by Ryanm1

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a solid but clear ruby/dark-orange color, with a thin head that doesn't retain well, just a small skim across the top. Bubbles are abundant and active.

Aroma is a bright mixture of lemon, ginger, and vanilla (big on the vanilla) and maybe not watermelon exactly, but damn close to the watermelon bubblegum I remember from childhood. There's a malty presence that carries through like malt does in barley wines: syrupy, molasses-like. This was meant as a unique beer experience, a kind of time travel, and they sure succeeded in offering a fairly exotic and different aroma. I can't think of a beer, American Pale Ale or otherwise, that smells like this. Oh, the taste? Right...

The dessert-y spices and sugars detected in the aroma are all there in the flavor: vanilla and lemon dominant, ginger and straight-up traditional bubblegum flavors too. Thankfully it avoids being oversweet thanks to some grainy and toasty elements. And despite a kind of glowing/warming, the alcohol is extremely mellow. Where's the 8%? I would've believed this was in the 4-5% range.

Mouthfeel is creamy and hefty, not thick, not thin, goes down real well. Slight sticky coating after the swallow.

This is so different, and the 8% alcohol so well-hidden...I wish it was a more readily available beer, for the good of all beerkind. Really really good stuff.

[If you've ever had Smuttynose's Wheat Wine from their Big Beer series, that's comparable to TJ's Tavern Ale.]

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2006 21:59:52 | More by Metalmonk

MikeRa

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Here is what I can say about this ale:

A: This ale is a mix of a Golden Honey color and a Amber/Copper color.

S: You can smell some of the malts used

T/M: This ale has a subtile taste of citrus fruit in it, which is due to this ale being unfiltered.

D: This is a ale that I will drink again and again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2009 14:21:07 | More by MikeRa

Dantes

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Package: 12 oz. longneck, crowned brown bottle. No date information. ABV indicated at 8%. Blurb claims this is part of a line of “beer reproductions,” and tagged “Bottle Conditioned” and “Authentic Recipe.” Prominent portrait of Thomas Jefferson centered on the label.

Cost: X77AB-F per 6-pack at Total Wines

Presentation: Poured into a Shaker pint glass at ~45º

Appearance: Presents a classic ESB-like reddish-blond glow, with copious brown flakes coruscating through the body. The yeasty lees produced a sort of reverse-smoke-plume through the center of the glass, staining the moderately loose, quickly resolving white head. Quite a few large-ish bubbles clung to the sides of the glass.

Smell: A nutty, bready, yeasty aroma; with a hoppy top-note. Seemed a very classic, bitter or ESB-like bouquet. Not much of an alcohol presence either, despite its relatively high 8% ABV. A truly classic, panoply of mild ale aromas: grain, moderate hops, toasted bread, and buttered toffee. Nose is restrained but complex, improving as it warms.

Taste: Very much a classic bitter in taste, with a substantial grainy, malty foundation; well-layered with bitter (not citrusy) hops, toast, nuts, and buttery toffee. I can’t identify the hops, but they are very much in the British style, leaning toward bitter, grassy, woody flavors; with little citrus or other astringent notes. The heightened alcohol is barely noticeable, only showing in the lengthened, deep, warming finish and perception of extra-concentrated flavors.

Mouthfeel: Despite some large-gauge bubbles in the glass, the carbonation in this was very good. Robust and persistent, but also pretty smooth and subservient to the beer’s flavors. Body is excellent.

Drinkability: Very easy-drinking, despite its hefty ABV. If I didn’t know its strength, I could easily see downing WAY too many of these in one sitting. As it is, I could feel its effects after two of these and a slightly weaker porter.

Backwash: If this is indeed “authentic,” I can see why the Founding Fathers were, braver, smarter, and more innovative than the statesmen of today. This comes pretty close to the kind of beer I’ve often dreamed of brewing or drinking: a “double” or “extra strong” ESB. In any event, it's definitely more than a pale ale. This sacrifices very little for its higher ABV, maintaining a nice balance between malts and hops and a very nice drinkability. I don’t know exactly why this is quite so expensive, but I have to say that much of the cost shows up in the glass, so I’m much less likely to quibble about it. Maybe it’s because I let this sit for awhile before getting around to drinking them and they improved, but I was genuinely surprised that more people didn’t enjoy this as much as I did.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2004 16:49:28 | More by Dantes

kenito799

New York

4.38/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle bought at brewery, poured into a pilsener glass.

Clear golden amber color, 3/4 inch head foams up and recedes slowly leaving lots of rings of lace.

Fresh, unassuming malty aroma with caramel notes.

Mouthfeel is excellent, creamy and inviting. The taste is extremely well balanced with soft maltiness almost but not quite sweet at first, then nice hop bite that doesnt hit too hard. A strong more English style, with 8% alcohol dangerously well hidden. Enough hops to leave a pleasantly bitter finish, highly drinkable. But too many at this ABV will get you in trouble, and wow you want to polish this stuff off fast it's so good!

Along with the ESA, my favorite of the Yards offerings. Would love to try this from a beer engine.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2006 01:21:20 | More by kenito799

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly fogged amber with a crème head. Nose is slight pine-y hops. Full, but not in my face. Flavor is outstanding I say. Nice full hop tones that stay constant. Almost seems to be a fruity edge to it that seems like apples and a touch like cherries. Feel is very smooth with carbonation and has a nice body on the liquid. Overall this is extremely drinkable. Goes down smooth and has a nice full character. Would love to have this on tap.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 19:51:12 | More by RblWthACoz

BigMike

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

"Revolutionary times called for Revolutionary Ales"

Brewed and bottled in the city of brotherly love.

Pours a golden orange with two fingers of creamy head.

Taste is buttery and sweet. Very malty and fruity. Some peach flavors are there and caramel.

I am really impressed by this Ale. Lots of good flavors. A good amount of carbonation. Easily drinkable and an 8%abv that is for the most part hidden well.

Great beer from Yards. I will definitely be searching for this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2009 21:14:02 | More by BigMike

oberon

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poures a deep burnt orange with a huge billowing head that really takes its time settling leaving big globs of lace behind,really pick up some lemon rind in the aroma along with some Belgina like spiciness?Not sure what kinda yeast is used here but man I get like a spicey,yeastiness in the aromas very unexpected.Wow nice mingling of flavors very citrusy and lemony upfront with that underlying spiciness but finishes with a dry toastiness with just a tad bit of alcohol burn as it warms.Very interesting and unique ale here is this what one of our greatest forfathers was brewing at Monticello?The bottle says so, damn I wish I could have shook his hand,just great.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2005 23:39:51 | More by oberon

BabySnakes

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle into pint glass

I find the honey-orange color intriguing and unique. A foreshadow of good things to come. Not too much head in this pint glass.

The smell is very sweet and pine-apple-y. Perhaps a hint of wheat?

The taste is strikingly familiar to the aroma. Sweet and citrusy with pineapples and a candied grapefruit finish. This may well be my first "English Strong Ale" so I'm limited to this one. That being said I find this flavor very unique. It seems strange and familiar all at once. Its not unlike a "beer" at all (like a sour beer would be compared to a "typical" beer) but the exotic (to me) flavors are, well,.... exotic.

The mouthfeel is medium heavy and dances on the tongue.

This is a drinkable beer, as i have drank this beer all night before, but I really wouldnt call it a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 00:29:11 | More by BabySnakes

WilliamPhilaPa

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The appearance is a deep, clear, copper color, small creamy tan head that settles with a good lace. On the nose the aroma of dark fruits come through, black cherries, and a tiny whiff of alcohol. On the palate the flavor has nice sweetness, dark fruits, black cherries, plums, very light hints of caramel, very drinkable brew. The mouthfeel is very smooth. Finishes with a slightly spicy dryness and a hop bitterness.
The Ben Franklin Special Ale along with the George Washington Porter and the Thomas Jefferson Ale are all from Yards brewing co. and are brewed exclusively for the City Tavern in Olde City in Philadelphia. This beer that is well worth seeking out if your in the area…

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2003 18:01:56 | More by WilliamPhilaPa

beerluvr

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one pours with a rocky, just off-white head settling (with awesome lacing) over hazy sunset amber liquid. There's apparent fruitiness in the nose, with lightly toasted maltiness sneaking in as well. The taste offers rich mouthfeel with lingering hoppy undercurrents mixed with yeasty fruitiness, malty sugars and a bit of warming alcoholic heft. Finishes toasty fruity and bitter...those Colonial boys sure drank some good ale back in the day.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2003 19:10:19 | More by beerluvr

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

poured a deep peach color with nice long-lasting head that stayed throughout the glass.Smell is fruity with a bit of hops. Taste is supremely smooth with a nice fruity texture. Finish is moderately dry and absolutley enjoyable, This is a geat beer. I find it hard to believe that they put 8% in here.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2005 01:51:22 | More by tgbljb

jmz62565

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This pours a nice golden color with a huge foamy head.The smell is very biscuity with some citrus aromas.The taste has a real fruit,apricot,buttery,malt,and hop flavor.The m/f is light and well balanced with a real nice crisp flavor.This is an excellent ale.I highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2006 04:46:49 | More by jmz62565

tjd112

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I poured this into a Sam Smith nonic. It is a dark orange-amber colour, and like any good English ale, it has a fluffy white head and good lacing. I'm detecting some grapefruit and hops, although its more muted than your average IPA. But once you begin to taste it, there is a thicky maltiness, almost caramel. Mouthfeel is medium with dry finish. This is a great beer to drink occasionally, and I must give Yards credit for doing hard to find British styles.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2010 00:20:54 | More by tjd112

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a brilliantly clear deep gold/light amber hue with a big sticky off white head. Nose is extremely subtle a first. Lacing is extremely stellar. Subdued earthy and herbal nose. A touch of dry coriander as the beer airs out.

Taste has an overall buttered toast like quality to it. The flavors in general are modest as well. Starts with a biscuit like graininess followed by caramel, oak, and a touch of butter and finishes clean and crisp. Alcohol warms very slightly on the swallow. Balance is pretty superb.

For a subtle beer I happen to enjoy this one a lot. A touch of bright fruit balances the richness of the beer on the finish making the large body more approachable. Pretty damn good.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 04:09:57 | More by jtierney89

gr0g

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Burnished amber/gold in color. Clarity is high. A two finger head with average retention leaves some spotty lacing. Aroma is of biscuity and slightly toasty malt. Toffee malt notes at the forefront, backed up by a very pleasant floral English hop note.

Flavor profile starts off with malty sweetness, but it's held nicely in check by a mild hop bitterness. Overall, it's quite well balanced for an 8% beer. Caramel and toffee for the most part with some bright hops on the finish. Mouthfeel is straight down the middle of spectrum,and carbonation is neither lacking nor overly fizzy. I guess I'd liken this to an "Imperial ESB." This beer is more than the sum of its parts and achieves great flavor and balance for a strong ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 00:54:02 | More by gr0g

donniecuffs

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a cloudy copper/amber hue, with two fingers of white head, and great lacing. Smelled sweet; caramel, apple, honey, and malt. Taste starts with malty/apple/molasses, and then eventually dissolves to a sweet apple finish. Well-hidden alcohol content; no hint of it. Thick and smooth; creamy texture. Very good specimen of a strong ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2010 20:52:53 | More by donniecuffs

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

hazy dark copper color with cream colored 1/4" head that stays around. great lacing.

a little bit of a boozy aroma, sugary.

taste is heavy on caramel malt. sweet, with a hint of earthy spice. nice balanced and blended flavors. very tasty.

thick smooth mouthfeel. very drinkable for an 8%abv beer. appearently Jefferson had it right.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 04:27:08 | More by jmdrpi

dacrza1

New Jersey

4.21/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Situation: a Lego-rebuilding Thursday night...
Glassware: Howard's Pub pint...
Appearance: bright orangee body with a thick, frothy white head...steady effervescence...
Aroma: floral and citric as expected...robust and pleasant...
Palate: nicely balanced, medium-nodied ale; creamy smooth, fortified beeyond the average weight...at 8% abv, the alcohol is not overstated here...
Taste: sprucey, hoppy, aggressively biting with citric-orange at the fore...entirely drinkable, despite its strength...
Overall: a beautiful, simple reminder of what an ale can be--strong but drinkable, aggressive but rewarding--worth the sampler purchase by itself...

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 05:12:45 | More by dacrza1