I first had this beer at Standard Tap in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia. It was served on a hand pump and I remember enjoying it immensely. The one I am drinking this evening was poured from a bottle. Although I am currently enjoying this beer, for whatever reason, I remember enjoying it more at Standard Tap. It probably has more to do with the bar than the actual beer. If you haven’t been there yet, I highly recommend the place. Great food, great beer, great atmosphere. Standard Tap has been getting great reviews for years, and they are 100% deserved. I have only one complaint… it can get a wee bit loud. But that probably has more to do with my advancing age, cause I don’t hear so good anymore. I’ll blame my defective hearing on all of those rock concerts from my youth. Deep Purple at the Spectrum in Philadelphia (circa 1985) was particularly deafening! OK. I have digressed enough. Back to the beer review…

Yards ESA is somewhere between a regular Ale (think Bass) and a Porter. The color is a dark amber and it’s slightly cloudy. The head doesn’t have much staying power and fizzles rather quickly. Perhaps that has something to do with the carbonation. This is not a heavily carbonated beer and it has a rather creamy consistency (like a Guinness, but not quite). The finish is mildly bitter, and overall, I found it very easy to drink. If I had to give it a rating, I would say that it deserves a B+ on hand pump, and a B- in the bottle.