Brawler Pugilist Style Ale | Yards Brewing Co.

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

4.6/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I know that big, high-alcohol, massive flavor beers are en vogue at the moment but I'm really starting to appreciate the easy drinking subtleties of a mild.

During Philly Beer Week I must have sample over 100 different beers and one of the beers that sticks out in my mind is truly Brawler. After 4 plus 12 hour days of drinking, brawler is just what I had been searching for. An easy drinking flavorful, low-alcohol beer that I could sip on all afternoon without loosing my head.

Kudos guys...job well done. To make a tasty beer with big flavors in a session strength is no easy feat.

I hope more breweries follow suit and I can't wait to get back to Yards and try another glass of Brawler.

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4.05/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Toast, Grassy, Quaffable, Balance

One of the only brewers in the US to successfully have a Mild Ale as a core beer in their portfolio and an excellent one at that. Malt forward with a bit of body, smooth with just enough crispness to bring this brew to a lofty height of drinkability. Maltiness drives forward throughout, sip to sip this ale opens up with suggestions of toast, biscuits, & faint caramel. Such a beautiful beer.

STYLE: English Dark Mild Ale | ABV: 4.2% | AVAILABILITY: Year-round

Review from BeerAdvocate magazine issue #94 (NOV 2014)

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5/5  rDev +35.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I believe this beer is severely underrated. When it comes to session ales, this beer is at the top of the list for me. I have never had a session beer excluding a session IPA with this much depth of flavor and malt character then the Yards Brawler. A buddy of mine and I were talking and we both a agree that this beer goes fantastic with pretzels. Specifically sourdough pretzel nuggets. Overall it is one of my top 5 favorite beers ever and not to mention it did win silver at the GABF.

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4/5  rDev +8.1%

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

3.67/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

4/5  rDev +8.1%

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: 3/4 inch head, dark brown in color, clear, high carbonation

Smell: meadow, bark, and caramel malt—a very outdoorsy smell

Taste: pale malt, toffee, meadow, and a small touch of tea and chocolate

Mouthfeel: high carbonation, sweet start with a light bitter end/aftertaste, light bodied

Overall: A wonderful, sessionable beer that is very English in character. Nice and malty but the hops do just enough to balance this one out. I will look for this one again when I am in the Philly area.

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4/5  rDev +8.1%

2.25/5  rDev -39.2%

3.88/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

4/5  rDev +8.1%

3.87/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

3/5  rDev -18.9%

4.01/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A new brew from Yards which part of their mixed case. Pours with a thick head that laces nicely. Dark amber in color. Not much smell but a little malt. Tastes of smooth malt. Extremely drinkable. I would love to see this on cask. A worthy brew which would make a great session beer. Cheers.

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3.43/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A buddy brought this over for a board game session, and I was impressed.

The Pugilist had a ruddy brown tint and smelled a little like beans roasting from the coffee shop down the street. The taste was interesting -- my mouth registered almost no taste initially, but some malty, almost chocolately goodness swept in and stayed there for a bit. I made little exclamatory remarks like "huh!" and "hmmm" as I drank. I think that's good?

Not my favorite beer, but I'd definitely drink it again. And it's another good one from Yards.

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3.16/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Received in November shipment of my BOTM club.

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Nonic Imperial Pint.

Appearance: Somewhat cloudy, orangish-brown with thin white head and light lacing.

Smell: Bready malts with cherry, caramel and a slight English hop spiciness. The smell is mostly gone after a few minutes.

Taste: Light malts with a focus on bread, tea and light caramel. Ends with a spice and cherry finish that almost tingles. Pleasant but bland.

Feel: Moderate carbonation, somewhat spritzy light body that is a little watery.

Drinkability: As the bottle says, it is good for a "few rounds". Always nice to have an English Mild in the US, even if it isn't that exciting.

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3.5/5  rDev -5.4%

4.5/5  rDev +21.6%

4.02/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

3.66/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Deep brown to chestnut in color with a quarter inch of beige resting on top. Aroma is of caramel and light malt. The flavor is full of caramel, light milk chocolate, and light malt. The mouth is very delicate and smooth.

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4.5/5  rDev +21.6%