Old Ale
Yards Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

Presentation: 12 ounce (355ml) sample. A rather traditional looking cream label, with a centrally located black oval, which has an old-fashioned look to it. The words “Yards Old Ale” and something else which I have not seen for many years, an Original Gravity is listed on the label as O.G. 1070-75. This used to be extremely common in the UK, until a law was passed that all strengths be listed as ABV sometime in the late 80’s. Bottled Date is ‘nicked’ on the side as “01”, making a couple of years old – nice.

Appearance: A massive light brown tan head forms rapidly as the beer is poured, above a clear, but dark, mahogany brown body. The voluminous head slowly collapses, but holds its own for some time and leaves a fractal lacing as it rescinds. Looks impressive.

Nose: Vinous odors dominate and mix with a malt background. A dark farmyard funkiness has some Oak aged Sherry aspects to it. Has a definite “aged” nose that is unmistakable and pungent.

Taste: Wow!! A very aged feel is immediately evident with the first sip. A port like maturity mixes with a sourness that is enticing and reminiscent of a Flanders Brown Ale. Malt vinegar middle that has a dark fruitiness and a lingering sourness that is to be savored in the attenuated ending. Mmm…..very good.

Mouthfeel: Even after say 2 years, it has a vivacious feel on the tongue, and a wholesome presence, but the farmyard funky sourness adds some complexity to the mouthfeel.

Drinkability: This is a sipping beer, but even at 7.5%, it has a rather average feel to it lending a high drinkability. A very pleasant night cap offering, and it pairs exceptionally well with a plate of quality cheese and some pickles!

Overall: As a lover of Sour Belgium Ales, and some classic English Old Ales, such as (the now sadly defunct) Bullard’s Old Ale, the vinegar sourness really attracts me to this beer. To others, I can see that it may just be offensive and off-putting. The mature sourness that has developed is rather classical in nature, and atypically good. That said; I feel that this beer will not improve any further though, and may well degrade sooner rather than later, so if you have some left, I would drink it sooner – rather than later.
I really enjoyed this rather unique, old-style Old Ale.
A Big Thanks to NF for this one.

Dark brown/ruby in color with a creamy, off-white, two-finger head which dissipates down to a thin, silky, but very persistant top. Good lace. Aroma is spicy, with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, with something of a sharp, vinegar-like note. The spices come off in the flavor, too, though malt dominates. Malt starts off slightly sweet and develops a slightly burnt flavor as the sip progresses, generating a bit of bitterness in the finish. A certain tartness and fruitiness come in to play mid-palate, while the hops do not really assert themselves until the aftertaste, where they are accompanied by more ligering spicy flavors. Very complex progression of tastes. A good beer for sipping after dinner.

Bottled '01, sampled '02 (thanks Nerofiddled).

Pours out a deep brown, clear but opaque - well it is - and with a moderate tan head that's kind of slow to rise, and holds with a good lace. The taste has a very winey - porty feel to it: it's obvious that this has been aged. Rich, sweet, and relatively complex malt characters build on the port base. Mouthfeel is reserved, with very small-bubbled but noticeable carbonation. Drinkable - yes, but more suited to calm sipping than the average beer. Thumbs up.

2001 bottling. Pours with a huge, rocky head that refuses to settle down. It leaves an impressive lace, actually more of a sea foam impression than lace. The aroma is mostly malt sweetness with a hint of cherry. The taste is interesting. Very prominent malt flavors which remind me of a good bourbon's sweetness. Some fruitiness is also apparent, but it doesn't seem to be a single flavor. The alcohol is noticable, and the finish is a touch too bitter in that the bitterness seems to linger. And with all the sweetness, there is a slight sourness on the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is a little edgy, with strong carbonation attacking the tongue and gums. This may help offset the sweetness a touch. This is a decent beer, which I think I would have enjoyed more with less hops assertiveness.

This is one of my favorites from Yards, I drink it every Sunday on special for $2.00 a pint! This is the first time I had the bottled version. Pours a medium brown with a slight off white head that fades quickly. Leaves lace throughout. Big aroma of alcohol, but not in the taste, yet. Nice malt and hop balance and crisp hop finish. Then you taste the alcohol kick. Nice!

This is an aged bottle - well over a year, and probably two. Poured carefully it's quite clear. The body is deep brown with reddish highlights topped by a creamy, light tan head that holds well and leaves some very nice lace. The aroma, unfortunately, is starting to show some vinous notes - although they haven't appeared so much in the flavor. The body is medium with a gentle carbonation making it quite smooth and somewhat creamy in the mouth. The flavor shows a light acetic note on the front of the tongue at the start, but that's the extent of it. The flavor is lightly fruity and full of rich dark malt that expresses chocolate and a very soft touch of "burnt" character. More like black malt than roasted barley. The perceived bitterness has declined greatly with aging, leaving a very nice, rounded character. It finishes gently, semi-dry with a soft fruity maltiness. I'm really surprised how the aging has affected this. I've had British brewed old ales that expressed a much stronger tartness, and I think it's light enough here that it may even help to thin the rich malts a bit. And it certainly adds to the character. I really liked it. However, this is clearly on it's way out and I wonder how long it will be before it becomes intrusive. Hopefully, winter will bring a fresh batch, although it's still unsure as to whether or not it will be brewed. If it is brewed again, I will certainly buy a case for aging.

Pours a dark brown color with and decent off-white head. On the nose, aroma of caramel malt is the only thing I could pick up. On the palate, malt dominates the flavor profile, the hops balance the pleasant maltiness and residual sweetness. The finish is slightly dry. Overall not to shabby…