Yard House Pale Ale
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

Draft into pint glass at Yard House in San Diego, Calif., on July 28, 2012. One-to-two fingers of head when I got it. Honey pale color. White frothy, uneven head/lacing. Good retention throughout the pour, on the sides and on the top.

Smelled light wheat, caramel, citrus, lemon, grass, bread.

Tasted pretty bland. Some light pale notes, but nothing stood out. Lemon, honey, pine.

Light body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Abrupt watery finish.

Really wasn’t too much of a fan of this one. It was a bit refreshing, but that’s about it. Way too watery with little flavor.

Enjoyed at the Glenview Il, Yard house restaurant and taphouse, a quick and decisive choice to buy some time while a scope out my next selection.

The beer arrives with a medium gold, light copper color and crystiline clear. Brightly lit carbonation continues to build the fluffy white head that settles into a creamy sheet. Moderate lace and retention finishes the beer with class and comfort.

Medium and balanced, the aromas are partly of caramel and mildly kilned grain and then with the counterpart of light grapefruit and orange peel. The simplified scent is neutral of yeast, but has a focused dialogue between hops and malt with little interference otherwise.

Flavors are a mirror of aromas. In fact the consistent ale starts with caramel sweetness in moderate fashion and is balanced to perfection with citrusy American hops. Although the malt is sweet and the hops are cleanly bitter, there persists the thin grain flavor with light grass and herbs from the spicy cones. Reading into things a bit, I can gather background notes of bread crust and stemmy woods as the beer warms.

Medium-light bodied, the early carbonated creaminess and malt sweetness are quickly foregone and replaced by dry malt texture, light grain astringency, and resin dryness from hops. Crisp and clean overall, the beer is refreshing with a mild minty warmth that brings closure to the beer.

Where I can see this pale ale as a very versitile choice that would pair well with a lot of menu options and despite it's clean and crisp refreshment, it lacks enough backbone and interest to stand on it's own in extended tasting.

 

Served on-tap at Yard House in Vegas, poured into a pint glass. Decent head for a pale, thin but dense. Smell was light, with bits of barley in the nose. The taste was barley on the front of the tongue, and a sour undertone in the middle-to-rear of the tongue. The beer itself was extremely smooth, with very minimal aftertaste. It wasn't remarkable in the realms of pale, and could be easily interchanged with most middle of the road beers of this genre.

On tap at the Newport Beach location of Yard House in August 2009. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a light copper color with an off white head. The nose brings forward a decent amount of pine and citrus as well as some lighter caramelized bread. The taste isn't very bitter at all, but does bring some nice pine as well as a bit of grapefruit pith. The mouthfeel is a bit odd, without much bitterness or sweetness, it just ends up being a carbonated beverage. Some good flavors and a decent brew.

The house pale of the Yard House, experienced at the Tatum Street Scottsdale location. A very serviceable pale. A good bitterness, hop aromas. Yellow and lacey. Decent drinkability, though would like more citrus taste to be superior.Average mouthfeel.

I stoped in at the yard house for a few pints before a movie the other day. First time in about 4 years.

A- Pretty clear with a little bit of amber showing through not much at all though Has no head and leaves no laceing at all " weak sauce "

S- A pinch of pine and a dash of hops not much there at all. nothing complex at all

T- I got two words "Watered down"

M- Kind of like a perrier water, lots of bubbles and thats about it.

D- At six bucks a pint I would just pass on this one. I would think that firestone would of put just a little more love it this. Got to love contract brewing... Just rember they have SN pale ale on tap at the yard house.

Stopped in at the Yard House in Rancho Cucamonga after leaving a really lousy concert early. There were 4 house beers and the bartender informed me that they are brewed by Firestone.

The pale ale poured a clear slightly amber with some white head. Pretty standard for a malty american pale.

Aroma was fairly well loaded with hops which was quite refreshing. Balanced between pine and fruit. Some malt showing through as well.

Flavor was dry as was to be expected, but not as much of the hop flavor carried through as I would have hoped. Standard med/high bitter american pale.

Well carbed and refreshing. I enjoyed the pint but I was kind of hoping for Union Jack IPA or something.