A Year of Craft Beer, Vol. 106, Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale

Hi everyone!

Before I continue with Yards week I have to apologize for being away!  An unknown stomach illness, which I believe was a Celiacs flair up, but could also have been food poisoning has kept my intake of food and beer at a bare minimum.  Last Saturday I had a few beers, but at a bad consequence so I held off until last Wednesday when I had reviewed the Grey Lodge for my shared article with Donny Smith called Ale on the Town and then I only had samples.  I have posted stuff on Untappd under my name Sean Null, I don't know if a person can follow someone else on there, but I also share it on FaceCrook.  So I have had a few beers, but no real time to get to this blog and I feel sorry about that and I do feel a little out of practice!  So Eff it!  I'm diving back in tonite with Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale.  Thanks soooo much for your patience!

Beer Advocate considers this beer an American Pale Ale.  Yards calls it a Non-Traditional Ale.  Both pretty much have the same meaning.  American Pale Ales are a take on the English style but more experimental with the engredients such as using American hops. Yards takes it another step further by using pilsner malts.  

I poured this beer from bottle at around 55 degrees F into a 16oz pint glass and it poured a very clear gold with a white one finger head that lasts as a ring and center cap.  The lacing is lightly sticky with an unorganized pattern.  Nice.

Honey, malts and hops all approach my nose equally to form an overall sweet citrus aroma that is exquisite!   Let the beer warm a bit, you will see exactly what I mean.  There definitely a hint of the pilsner malt in there.  It's really a nice aroma.

The flavor is just as exquisite.  Semi-sweet pilsner malts entwine with honey, very mild grapefruit, and a mild piney hop that really comes out in the end rendering the experience as mildly sweet, then mildly dry and overall very well balanced.

The mouthfeel is mildly sweet and finishing dry almost like a champagne and light bodied.  The carbonation is moderate and if it were higher this beer would be champagne like in yet another way.  Mild pepper finish.

Overall, this beer was a pure pleasure to try!  I would totally recommend this beer to anyone really.  This would be a great sessionable summer beer and I think a good candidate for being canned as I would love to take this camping with me!

Life is too short for crappy beer.  Get out and try something different!  I stumbled upon a great summer beer tonight!

-Wiss