Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce Ale - Yards Brewing Co.

orbitalr0x

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Deep garnet red pour with bright highlights when held up to the light. A quarter inch of light tan foam atop the brew. Not getting much lacing. Aromas start with caramel malts mixed with notes of spruce and a touch of molasses and dark fruit. Kind of earthy as well.

First sip brings caramel and toffee sweetness upfront with a nice kick of earthy spruce. Woody notes with molasses and a kiss of fruit. Flows down with some linger pine, pretty tasty!

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth with steady carbonation. Pretty easy drinking brew and I enjoy the spruce twist and the historical recipe. Have had this once before and would have it again. Thanks smokeypeat.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 00:56:48 | More by orbitalr0x

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.16/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Pours medium dark brown, some reddish tints, good white foam. Rings around the edge. Pine nose, molasses too. Syrup as well. Taste is a subtle sweetness. Slight root beer taste. Mint/spruce sprig taste. Smooth & flavorful. Pretty damn good original recipe.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 20:10:19 | More by KTCamm

philaduffia

New York

4.75/5  rDev +33.1%

05-11-2013 04:17:42 | More by philaduffia

derekdenim

New York

3.75/5  rDev +5%

05-05-2013 19:33:11 | More by derekdenim

Professor_X

Virginia

4/5  rDev +12%

04-24-2013 18:32:36 | More by Professor_X

RobertColianni

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +19%

04-24-2013 16:49:32 | More by RobertColianni

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -9%

04-22-2013 15:13:38 | More by Jason1337

Omnium

Pennsylvania

3.84/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle > Alpine Spring glass
A - Pours a nice clear brown, one finger head with decent retention and lacing.
S - Smells like sweet toffee malt and a nice fresh pine and spruce hint with some spices, a little dried fruit, and hint of toasted nuts.
T - Good malt foundation that has just the right amount of spruce and other spices, a touch of mint and some earthy hops in the mix as well.
M - Good carbonization, well bodied, medium feel.
O - This is really refreshing and different, its not the best, but a good addition to this series.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 23:57:49 | More by Omnium

WeissBoy

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +5%

04-14-2013 03:55:37 | More by WeissBoy

Bamarooster

Virginia

3/5  rDev -16%

04-11-2013 23:18:15 | More by Bamarooster

beans923

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +12%

04-05-2013 16:51:57 | More by beans923

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.79/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Beige khaki head. Dark copper caramel color.

Flavor is of lots of spruce and spice. Very earthy and herbal. Some sweet malts. Not overly spiced which is nice. There is something that I taste but I can't determine what it is. It is really unique.

Mouthfeel is spiced and smooth. Medium bodied.

Overall, better than expected. Not overly spiced which is nice.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2013 16:19:42 | More by mothman

brheuer

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +12%

03-24-2013 20:25:30 | More by brheuer

DruRho

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -9%

03-19-2013 00:09:02 | More by DruRho

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a tulip pint.

Appearance
Brownish amber with 1 fingers of loose, white head. Excellent clarity and moderate carbonation.

Nose
Spruce and mint.

Taste
Mint and spruce. Toasted bread and brown sugar.

Mouthfeel
Light-medium bodied, crisp, clean and refreshing.

Overall
It tastes like an Irish Red had a baby with some mint leaves. I like it!

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 17:30:12 | More by justintcoons

guezarka

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +12%

03-15-2013 22:03:21 | More by guezarka

kangarooAdam59

Maine

4.34/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled 1/28/2013:

Into a pint glass:

A: dark red body yields a two finger head that slowly concaves into the body, light lacing clings to the pint glass

S: spruce, molasses only comes out once the beer warms a bit

T: earthy/rustic sweetness through previously mentioned flavors

M: medium, sessionable, sweet spruce aftertaste, feels hot going down - I`m thinkin` spruce is doin' that b/c the abv is only 5%

O: these herbed/spice beers can be hard to judge b/c the spices and herbs vary so much that I can only say this one is very good to me because all of the previously mentioned aspects combine very well. This one goes against the grain for the rest of its style because I don't see too many beers made with spruce, molasses and sprigs. Well done Ben Franklin and Yards!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 04:20:27 | More by kangarooAdam59

canawler

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5%

03-09-2013 09:49:42 | More by canawler

DaveOB

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5%

03-05-2013 03:38:19 | More by DaveOB

WissBrauSean

Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25

This beer is in the category Herbed/Spiced Ale and it is a pretty broad category including pumpkin beers and the like. This recipe comes to us courtesy of Benjamin Franklin actually as it is one of his originals. Yards brewery has 4 beers in their Ales of the Revolution collection I believe and this is one of them. I suggest trying them all, they are really interesting.

This beer pours a deep amber to mahogany red colour with a thin rosy/tan head that fades to a tiny ring around the glass and leaves some nice mobile lacing on the glass. Very clear and attractive.

I poured this from a bottle at 50 degrees into a tulip glass and was immediately hit with molasses and malt sweetness. There is some slight aromatics of evergreen in there, spruce to be exact, but I couldn't really decipher it to tell the truth. I also read from another review about a tea aroma, I get that a little as well.

Throughout the sip is the base of caramel malt sweetness. I think it starts off that way and then mid way through a tea-like herbal taste sets in and smooths out some of the carbonation and then leads finish that is maybe a little bready, peppery and slightly hoppy. It's balanced a little better than you would believe by the aroma.

I think the mouthfeel is a little lighter than medium. Almost slightly watery, yet sweet. The carbonation starts off just above moderate and fades nicely ending well balanced and slightly dry.

Overall I think this is an excellent beer and only a tiny bit watery (like tea). It's hard to judge a beer of this category and that is the only thing that I think is wrong with the beer, if it is wrong at all.

Get out and try one because life is too short to drink crappy beer!

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 23:17:20 | More by WissBrauSean

mark-herrmann

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -9%

02-21-2013 18:16:24 | More by mark-herrmann

DarkLordPsycho

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -2%

02-20-2013 05:51:59 | More by DarkLordPsycho

Phillyz

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -16%

02-19-2013 21:13:39 | More by Phillyz

DIPAFAN

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -30%

02-18-2013 21:19:33 | More by DIPAFAN

zillo043068

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -16%

02-18-2013 16:57:02 | More by zillo043068