Beer Review: Thomas Jefferson's Tavern Ale

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Eight percent

Appearance: Thomas Jefferson's Tavern Ale pours a light copper and honey brown with a fair amount of orange hue elsewhere in the body. It also features a white head that's heavy at first, but settles down and leaves an appetizing and thin layer of foam. There's also plenty of ample lacing as you consume this brew. Altogether, this beer has a thick appearance to it and that's with the body being a lighter shade of copper/brown.

Smell: Initially, this beer smells very dark and toasty. I got a lot of caramel malt and toffee. In essence, it smells like this beer would be farther into dark spectrum given the strong notes I was taking in.

Taste: It's very strong on the front. The harshness was mostly due to the bitterness of the toffee and the strong hop character this beer had. The aftertaste is definitely pleasant, though. There's a subtle, yet sweet honey taste on the finish.

Overall Rating: 

Tavern Ale is very appetizing in terms of look and aroma. I just wasn't expecting the harshness in the taste. Just a little bit too strong in the toffee and hops department for my preferences. Still, this is an excellent beer choice for a history buff.