The beer poured with a noticeably slightly off-white, one finger head that had virtually no retention. With that being said, the beer has a nice deep copper body with solid clarity. The aromas come off really refreshing — mixed organic herbs and zesty hops — it seems difficult to identify all of the spices used here. Although, the one that really shines through is the clove with a subtly sweet citrus accent from the oranges.

Schlafly’s Christmas Ale presents us with a traditional seasonal taste for the holidays. The beer has a medium to light body and the flavor developed as the beer warmed. A zesty black pepper comes out, followed by a welcomed citrus taste. The beer finished off strongly with some complex, slightly bitter hop notes. The Christmas Ale sort of reminded me of those orange and clove Christmas decorations and air fresheners. Strangely intriguing.

The beer has a nice solid blend of flavors and is a great seasonal offering from a brewery I was not familiar with. Special thanks to my friend Justin for sharing a whole case of Schlafly with me. The Christmas Ale is definitely worth trying and I would love to try this one on tap, but would be hesitant to pick up a full six-pack.

Rating

87
out of 100

Yards was established in 1994 in Philadelphia; however, the journey started with two college friends who had a passion for quality beer and decided to start brewing themselves. They started the brewery in the Manayunk section of the city, and later moved it to it’s current location on Delaware Ave. This brew is part of the Ales of the Revolution series and is based upon Ben Franklin’s original recipe.

This Ale pours a dark, cloudy amber color into my pint glass. I was happy to see it settle nicely into the glass with a mild head. There was a little bit of lacing as the beer is consumed, as well. I wasn’t surprised by the color at all, as it really shows the molasses coloring very well. The scents are mild on this brew. It has a nice refreshing pine smell to it, though not very overwhelming. The molasses tends to shine through the pine smell as well. It’s a very well seasoned beer, and reminds me of old fashioned candy.

The taste was actually pretty spot on. I was taken back at first, as I was expecting a somewhat hoppy taste, instead it was molasses. The reason being is this Ale is brewed to Ben Franklin’s original recipe which called for spruce and molasses, as barley and hops were not that accessible. It was a very mild taste and very enjoyable. The alcohol content is a mild 5% ABV, making this a great sessionable and year-round beverage.

This is a quality brew from Yards and has me excited to try the rest of their beer. Hats off to you guys, well done. This is a brew that is much different than your average beer, so if you’re looking for something special, this is a beer for you.

Overall: 8.5/10

Legend has it that anything King Midas touched would turn to gold. This brew is no exception. The color is a brilliant golden-amber color. Holding the glass up to the light you could see it shine through like liquid gold. There was a nice balance of carbonation in the glass as well.

This brew had a nice and refreshing taste. The beer was light in body and prominent with the taste of barley. The barley, while prominent, was not the only dominant taste. The honey and grapes that are used to develop the beer are worth noting as well. Overall, I thought it was a very well balanced beer between the bitterness and sweetness. There was no alcohol burn at all with this brew.

I was pleasantly impressed with Dogfish Head’s Midas Touch. The flavors were pleasant and the balance was nice. This is another great beer that you can enjoy with your friends this Spring and Summer. Well done Dogfish Head, once again you did not disappoint.

Overall: 8.5/10