The Yard Brewery & Smokehouse

Rating:

It has been a long time since we’ve hit the road and visited one of the countless new breweries that have opened since we last got together for a brewery review.

This time we decided to check out The Yard Brewery & Smokehouse. It’s situated in Morriset on the Central Coast, which is just off the Pacific Highway about 45 minutes’ drive south of Newcastle. It was opened in 2022 by 5 different families.

Inside, you’re greeted by an expansive and beautifully designed brewhouse and taproom. They have 12 taps and all 12 are pouring a top to tail range of their own well-crafted beers. One gets the feeling that there was a large upfront investment injected into this place. Even the toilet doors open automatically just for pure convenience (and probably hygiene too!)

Once we were seated, we were ready for a paddlin’! We tried:

  • Hazy IPA
  • Oat Cream IPA
  • West Coast IPA
  • Red IPA
  • Pacific Ale
  • Pale Ale
  • White Ale
  • Dark Lager

Out of all the IPA’s the Oat Cream was the standout. It was akin to Mountain Culture which is a ringing endorsement for the brewers. The Red IPA was probably the next best with its delicious caramel malt base and fruity hop profile. We would’ve loved to see the ABV pumped up a bit more for extra oomph and substance though. The last 4 on the above list were all great beers, more entry level stuff if we had to be honest but they all displayed excellent balance and shows the brew team know what they’re doing.

One of the other massive drawcards to this brewery is its smokehouse which you get a whiff of every now and then. The smell of smoked meats and rich BBQ sauce makes it near impossible not to order something. We went for the tasting plate for 1 which was an insanely delicious combination of pulled pork and beef brisket with hand-cut fries and a small side of slaw. The meats literally melt in your mouth and the crispy fries and slaw add the crunch. Magnificent stuff.

Of note, the Espresso Stout was one we were both itching to try but the ABV meant that one of us couldn’t drive so we took a couple of take-aways to try and review at a later date.

Overall it was a fantastic experience. Especially when you consider the meagre amount of options a craft beer fan has between Hornsby and Newcastle. More like this will do just fine thank you very much!

A big shout out to Blake. The service was excellent and exactly what anyone would want from their bar staff.

Cheers!