REVIEW 28: THOMAS JEFFERSON'S TAVERN ALE

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA

BREWERY:  Yards Brewing Company

STYLE:  Strong Ale

ABV:  8.0%

PURCHASE:  13-oz. draft, $7.00

SERVING:  Said draft, served in tulip glass. More or less a standard head (around 1.25") from the tap.

APPEARANCE:  Deep copper color, bordering upon auburn or henna. Cream-white tinted head. Walks the line between transparent and translucent. Lacing is initially outstanding, then fades to nothing with each sip.

BOUQUET:  Somewhat cidery in the nose, and a tad bready*. Mostly, however, there is an intriguing aromatic mix of malt dextrins, pronounced fruit essences, and caramel (or maybe honey). Hop notes are minimal.

*Upon further reflection, rye seemed to be the grain, or "bready" note, in question.

PALATE:  Medium body with mild carbonation. Spice notes (mainly pepper and coriander) not present in the aroma make an unmistakable appearance in the taste, entering just past entry and remaining for the long haul. As with the bouquet, hop notes are at a minimum here. A whiff of straight alcohol seems to emerge in the crisp finish. The aftertaste is warm, slightly peppery, and a bit grainy and piney. Honey is detectable if you strain for it. If there is one overlapping analogy I can make here, it's that the Jefferson Ale is Belgian in overall character. Experienced drinkers will know what I mean by that.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  Thomas Jefferson, the third president of these United States (and unquestionably one of the greatest), reportedly brewed a beer at Monticello strikingly similar to this; according to Tom Kehoe, a brewmaster at Yards, it is brewed with honey, wheat, and rye. In retrospect, I can affirm the honey and rye; but I couldn't honestly make out any wheat factor. Oh well. In any case, this is one of Yards' "Ales of the Revolution."

Despite any minor discrepancy I may have with the official description of this ale's brewing process, it's a noteworthy entry in the Yards lineup, and one my rival reviewers have been too timid to fully endorse. 




GRADE:  A-