General Washington's Tavern Porter | Yards Brewing Co.

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

5/5  rDev +30.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My absolute favorite beer I've ever tried. This porter puts Guinness to absolute shame.

Look: IT pours a very dark brown with a rich head bubbling up- no "gizmo" required. Head is thick and a light brown color, not white. Lingers forever.

Smell: Smells like hints of coffee and chocolate and wonder. And a moderate alcohol smell.

Taste: This is where it really knocks it out of the park. VERY rich flavors. The coffee, coco, and the malt of the beer are perfectly bouqueted but offset enough to not be cloying. Pleasant aftertaste that lingers.

Feel: Thick and rich, in a good way. The carbonation is just right to avoid it feeling like oil, but no more.

Overall: Try this beer. This is another fantastic offering from my new favorite brewery.

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4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark brown with a slight red hue. Virtually no head, maybe a millimeter of white.
S: Smells of dark coffee, rich cocoa, roasted pecans and walnuts, toffee
T: Tastes like it smells with a deep coffee flavor coming through in the beginning (with the help of the nose) and the after taste. Even a faint taste of butterscotch within the java flavor along with dark syrup notes
M: I was almost worried that my beer was flat because there was almost no head or lacing to the beer, but once you taste it you realize there is a carbonated bite to the porter that makes it refreshing and deep and flavorful. Still wish there was a little more fullness to this porter
O: Other porters I have had are either too strong in the coffee, chocolate and other complex flavors. This beer is very drinkable and has more simple flavors than many other porters. But, this beer still has a delicious balance of more simple ingredients that makes it very drinkable but still tasty

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4.07/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a deep crimson with deep brownish tint with a thin light brown head that didnt stick around long,black strap molasses is big in the aroma along with bursting fruitiness,very effervescent.Molasses and bitter chocolate notes hit up front maybe a touch of orange finishing with light earthiness to keep things in check.My only complaint and its a small one is that it seems a bit thin but the alc% is hidden well and is quite drinkable.I bought it on Presidents day for the fact it was GW but it is a real fine beer what ever day you buy it.

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4.07/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – Murky brown in color with a little carbonation and not much of a head.

Smell – Man, what a nose. This is heavy duty chocolate cocoa here along with some molasses and brown sugar. I’m sure there’s more to it, but the cocoa is overwhelming.

Taste – Much more balanced at the taste. The lightly-roasted malt comes out nicely along with a deeper chocolate and some winey characteristics. There’s a lot of fruit going on in this one. The red grapes especially kick things up a notch.

Mouthfeel – Lightly carbonated and medium in the body. I thought the balance on this one was very unique and helped it pass through the cheeks with ease.

Drinkability – This was much different than other examples of the style that I have tasted. I enjoyed it very much, but others looking for a heavier porter or something bitter or even a NW hop monster version should stay away.

Comments – I received this gem as part of the Christmas Exchange put on my xlperro this year. I was fortunate enough to draw jcalbi, and this is just one of many terrific bottles that he sent my way. A big BA thanks for this Porter.

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3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

3.8/5  rDev -0.8%

4.5/5  rDev +17.5%

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

3.54/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is a dark brown, nearly opaque, body with a small, beige head that retains well, and coats the glass with sheet and patch lace.
Aroma has the expected, dark roasted malts with hints of cocoa, but an interesting fruitiness of pear and apple aromas suggests that this is not your average porter.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and creamy, with low to medium carbonation.
Taste is unusual for a porter. Dark roasted malts are suggestive of mild chocolate and a hint of coffee, but there is no burnt bitterness. Pear and apple fruitiness play as prominent a role as the dark malt flavors. Finish has a hint of coffee, but it's not a burnt or bitter note. The 7% abv is not in evidence.
The hidden alcohol, and lack of bitterness combine with the fruity flavors to lend this a pleasant drinkability. Very offbeat for a porter, but this is said to be modeled after 18th century recipes. The Founding Fathers imbibed well, if this brew is a true indication of their favorites.

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3.5/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle, lacking any freshness dating, Boo. Pours dark chocolaty amber, light for a porter. Tan head, with decent retention. leaves long stringy lacing. Nose is maple syrup. Medium bodied and fairly chewy. Malt sweetness upfront, more maple, caramel and some light coffee notes.Sweetness linger and leads to a dry and slightly bitter finish, with some chalkyness in the mouth. Eh, so so porter

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3.35/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

poured dark with thick tan head. smelled of roasted hops and chocolate, fairly complex. thick body/heavy feel, again can really taste roasted hops with suble hints of the molasses. finished a bit dry. drinkability is the only downside to this satisfying porter

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3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

5/5  rDev +30.5%

4.08/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle courtesy of AKSmokedPorter. Thanks, dude!

Poured a bold-looking deep and dark, dark brown, almost black in color with a nice-looking dark tan head that not only lasted but also managed a good ring of lace multiple times on the pint glass. Aromas are heavenly...all sorts of requisite porter scents: cocoa, dark & bitter chocolate, toasted malt, coffee beans fresh from the grinder. Flavor sees the same profile as the nose, but there's a sweet twang that I would attribute to the molasses. Not as big as I'd expected, but still flavorful. Ends with a dry and bitter chocolate-red wine flavor. A little on the thin side but still drinkable.

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1.97/5  rDev -48.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

I got this as a single at Union Jack's on the Manatawny. I drank it in a pilsner glass. It looks like an attempt was made to put a date on the bottle, but it was mostly rubbed off when I bought it.

Pours a slightly hazy deep garnet with a brown tint. A two finger head of tan foam forms on top. The head eventually drops to a good coating and a ring, with great lacing on the glass.

Why is it that everything from Yards has the same off smell? Every damn one! It's an odd, cardboardy fruit type smell, not real pleasant. I can also pick out a citrus hop aroma in the back, and maybe a little chocolate as well.

It has the same off flavor all their beers have, too. It's a hot cardboard, band-aid taste that is in all of their beers. There is some chocolate and roasted flavor in there, but it is just overwhelmed by the cardboard. This could be hard to finish.

Mouthfeel is kind of smooth, semi-sweet, with a weird metallic finish.

This could be the last Yards beer I ever try. Almost every one I've had has the same damn off characteristics. Someone at Yards needs to completely dismantle the brewery and sterilize everything. They've got bugs in the works. If, for some reason, these are the flavors and smells they are seeking, they need a new recipe writer, or a new yeast, or something. Their stuff is just weird.

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4.25/5  rDev +11%

Pours a medium dark brown with huge tan head and chocolate aroma.

Taste is surprisingly sweet from the molasses. Almost as sweet as a milk stout. Notes of coffee on the palate but the sweet chocolate predominates. Drinks like a light milk stout. The finish is bitter dark chocolate. No wonder we won the war.

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3.62/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Looks more like a dark ale than a porter. Thin-looking body, light showing through the liquid at the edges of the glass. Beige head doesn't really rise, but dissipates quickly. Aroma is toasted malt and cocoa, plus some hops shining through. Mouthfeel is full and round, leading to a quick initial roasted malt and cocoa flavor, but morphing almost immediately into bitter coffee and a cherry tang. Cherry flavor lingers, as does a tannic talc feel. With each successive sip, the cherry builds and adds a bit of raisin. The tangy flavor unfortunately overwhelms the malt profile.

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3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Yard's George Washington Tavern Porter is a really nice English Porter. It is a dark brown, almost black with just some transparency when held up to the light. The beer smells very roasty with definite coffee and chocolate notes with some malt toastiness that is almost like a mocha with a bowl of oatmel. The beer has a molasses, caramel sweetness, medium roast flavor and a subtle bitterness. There is a jammy fruit character from the English yeast that melds well with the coffee. This is well balanced, without any dominating flavors allowing this beer to be easily enjoyed and many flavors to come through.

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