Yards Thomas Jefferson Tavern Ale

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

A vigorous pour yields a two finger thick, pale tan crown of froth. The beer is a brilliantly clear amber color that shows a nice copper hue when held up to the light. The aroma smells most notably of sweet, concentrated malts at first; aromatic notes of caramel, some slight toffee, and a rich breadiness. After the first smell of the aroma some hop character begins to become apparent; the hop notes supply a light spiciness, with perhaps a touch of herbal character and maybe even a hint of citrus zest. Somehow the malt seems a little dusty and has maybe a hint of oxidation character to it.

Lightly sweet tasting up front, but it has a solid herbal flavor to it as well as a noticeable bitterness that is noticeable from beginning to end. The beer finishes with a toasty, biscuit-like malt flavor that provides some drying to the palate. A touch of warming alcohol is also noticed in the finish as it couples with a slightly harsh, astringent note. Malt flavors of toffee, lightly stale caramel and lightly browned soda crackers add to the flavors of the beer. The herbal hop notes, which can get a bit astringent at times, also mix with some light spiciness that is a welcome note. The beer is a touch lighter in body than I would expect for a beer of this strength, it makes it a touch more quaffable, though a little more richness might have been nice.

An interesting beer, I still have no idea what this really is. It seems a little bland, but with such a generic bottle description I don't even have an idea of what the brewer was trying to do.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

Hazy orange with a small white head. Dry aroma of honey, grassy hops, herbs, oranges and caramel. Clean and a bit dry grassy flavour, hints of oranges and honey. Clean mouthfeel with a surprisingly thin body. Medium dry hoppy finish of grass.

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

Hmm, interesting. My wife brought this back with her from Philly. She just took a sip from my glass and said she had it on tap there and it was different. I can’t help but to wonder what Jefferson was really trying to make or if this was even his creation. Pours a light orange color with a decent head and a tiny bit of lace. Aroma is...grassy a bit with some citrus going on. Flavor is also grassy with some phenolic presence. Not bad but it could be better; my wife said it was better on tap. Palate is well-carbonated and crisp but has an aftertaste that’s not very pleasant. Overall it’s okay. I’d buy it again to give it another shot but wouldn’t want a six-pack. I’d definitely try it on tap for comparison. I’m a US history buff so this means a bit more to me than most beers so I may be a bit biased.

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

I had Yards Thomas Jefferson Tavern Ale on tap at the Grey Lodge. It poured a golden colored body with a small white head. It had a nice hops aroma. The taste was slightly sweet with a hops kick. Not bad.

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

Very hazy amber with a thinning head. The aroma is slightly malty with a little bite of almost peppery hops. I really was a bit surprised that the beer was as strong as it is. It’s pretty drinkable. Toasted bread is the base of the malt in the flavor. This could pass for a decent ESB. Drinkable.

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

Bottled. Hazy orange colour, mediumsized white head. Strong sweet apricot in aroma along with citrus and a sting of alcohol. Smooth fruity and flowery flavour. Some hops too.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 6

Poured a hazy golden color with a small, white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of spices, sweet caramel malts, and orange peel. Taste of spices, sweet malts, tart citrus, and a touch of alcohol in the finish.

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

Light gold color. Large white foamy head. Aroma is fruity and touch funky (leather and must). A medium to full bodied American Strong Ale. Malts are fruity and sweet. Kind of bright yeasts. Except for the hops, the taste is very similar to a Belgian Strong Ale. Hops are spicy and somewhat bitter. Nicely balanced. Fairly smooth taste. Very nice beer. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

Nice orange reddish color with a nice white head. Very yeasty. Hoppy and malty. Full bodied. Enjoyable. Full bodied. Well balanced. Smooth tasting. Citrus hops. Spicey flavored. Cloves. Good beer.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 5

I realize that I stated that every time I try a Yard's product for the first time, I become impressed. This however is a different story. Thomas Jefferson had this beer recipe for semi-annual brewing of this ale at his Monticello, Virginia estate. Our third president must have had a tremendous liking for hops, because TJ Tavern strikes me as more of an IPA, with lots of hop bitterness. Fruity aromas and tastes are present in this ale, but the hoppiness is just to much for my palate. I preferred the General Washington Porter in their “Ales of the Revolution” series of brews.