Yards Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 4

Oh, such a coincidence that I should taste after shopping for a pine tree! Interesting and rather cool colored blue 12 oz bottle. Popping cap, no apparent aroma but perhaps a hint of yeast. After the pour into my steeler stein it does have a hint of pine needles in the background. Pours pretty dark brown, looks like root beer. This is my first yards for a while. Has a roasty pine needle flavor that is odd and interesting at the same time. Seems pretty strong in the alcohol department. When I say pine needles, I mean needles, not pine wood. Good for a single try, go for it, you must experience. Finish is like no other, very sprucely and unique. My first traditional ale. Could only drink one per sitting.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Pours a mahogany color. Smell is dominated by spruce. Taste is spruce, pine, a bit of menthol. Overall this is a unique and different beer, but worth a try.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Interesting...I guess. It is definitely different. Aroma is just not there for me. Appearance-wise it sure looks like a beer - dark amber with a fluffy head to start, good lacing. Mouthfeel is quite watery, Flavor is...bland but somewhat beer-like. Piney overall, worth a try for the novelty, not the flavor.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A very interesting way to wrap up 2006. Poor Richard's Spruce Ale pours a dark reddish brown with a thin head that melts quickly, but leaves a good lace ring around the pint rim. The aromas are medicinal. It reminded me of a cold remedy I used to take as a kid, but I can't remember it's name. Scents of evergreen and pine are also quite noticeable. (Did someone grind a Christmas tree into the kettle???). On the buds, one can detect mint, cloves, heather and an earthy grassiness, with an ever-present dry hoppiness in the finish. I did not taste any molasses while imbibing this one, though. Ben Franklin had some unusual tastes when he created this beer style. I think he would be proud of Yard's interpretation.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

I had Yards Poor Richards Tavern Spruce on tap at the Grey Lodge. It poured an amberish colored body with a small head. The taste was a pleasant piney taste but milder than one would think. Pretty good receipe.