Fat Yak - New Flavour?

[adryargument]

For the last 6 months I have been treating myself to a nice pub lunch everynow and then.
Normally I grab a fat yak as where I am it's the *only* beer on tap that's worth buying.

However I have never really found it anything special.

Today I decided to treat myself again and I'm gobsmacked. Have a glass of fat yak that I can smell from 1-2 feet away with an intense sharp hoppiness - im guessing it's loaded with galaxy hops.

Is it just me or are Matilda bay picking their game up?

 

[cam89brewer]

Maybe it is to do with the age of the kegs??? I thought the quality was dropping off a bit(still tasted good just not the same hop freshness) for a while there but maybe their stock was starting to back up a bit?

 

[Nick JD]

Isn't Fat Yak Nelson and NZ Cascade?

Wouldn't surprise me at all if they had trouble getting those two hops and had to look elsewhere for fruitiness.

 

[adryargument]

Maybe it is to do with the age of the kegs??? I thought the quality was dropping off a bit(still tasted good just not the same hop freshness) for a while there but maybe their stock was starting to back up a bit?

It has been dropping off alot. I completely agree but what's in front of me is divine in comparison.

 

[bignath]

Isn't Fat Yak Nelson and NZ Cascade?

Wouldn't surprise me at all if they had trouble getting those two hops and had to look elsewhere for fruitiness.

I thought so too.

The first time i tried fat yak it was marvellous.
The last time i tried fat yak it was shithouse.

 

[Diggs]

Had some on Friday night, pretty ordinary - not the fresh hoppiness I remember

 

[Charst]

if i buy bottled the hop flavour is always sh*t, The times ive had it fresh in pub thats moves it its a nice drop,
same goes for White rabbit Dark, all about catching it at the right time.

 

[piraterum]

if i buy bottled the hop flavour is always sh*t, The times ive had it fresh in pub thats moves it its a nice drop,
same goes for White rabbit Dark, all about catching it at the right time.

+1 On tap it can be surprisingly good with plenty of hop flavour. In bottles I find it varies alot, sometimes the hop flavour is almost non existent.

 

[Jarthy]

i had it off tap on Saturday night and was also surprised at the aroma coming from it.
to me it was like it had been freshly dry hopped with Amarillo, but that is probably my inexperienced noise.

was pretty amazing, then i backed it up with a couple of old bottles i had of it in the pantry on Sunday, and it tasted completely different. not the fact that it had been in the cupboard for so long, but different hops.

 

[Dunkelbrau]

Very interesting! I hadn't had it for ages and a few weeks ago grabbed a schooner at a pub while I was out of town for work, immediately it was WAY better than I remembered..

 

[Snowdog]

On my way home from work I sometimes stop in at Finnigan's Chin in Keppera for a pot of Yak. Its the best of the lot, with the possible exception of Kilkenny. It's inconsistant. Some days it tastes wonderful with a nice balance of hops, and some days it tastes like burnt grass. Not undrinkable, but not so pleasant either.

 

[Screwtop]

Ask the barman for a Black Yak!!

50:50 Fat Yak and Tooheys Old or Carlton Black

Yummmmmm!!!

 

[DarkFaerytale]

Ask the barman for a Black Yak!!

50:50 Fat Yak and Tooheys Old or Carlton Black

Yummmmmm!!!

hope it's just as good with guiness! nice work screwy

 

[Midnight Brew]

if i buy bottled the hop flavour is always sh*t, The times ive had it fresh in pub thats moves it its a nice drop,
same goes for White rabbit Dark, all about catching it at the right time.

+2, I had it on Saturday night at my local and wasnt expecting much and then I had two sips and was really impressed. I think I had only had it on tap once before that and I thought it was rubbish and every other time in the bottle.

 

[JaseH]

I'm gonna have to try it on tap - I've been disappointed with the recent bottled examples I've grabbed. It used to be a favorite for a reasonably priced session beer. Maybe the title should be renamed "Fat Yak - New Lack of Flavor?"

 

[Truman42]

Out for dinner tonight and had a Fat Yak and Wow. First thing I could smell was the awesome hop aroma.

I thought it was galaxy but the wife thought Amarillo (She's often smelt my hops when I'm brewing)

So what do they use to hop this beer?

Is it nelson and cascade as per the clones I've seen here.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Probs.
The Matilda bay website used to say "Fat Yak is brewed with natural ingredients, including premium malts, American Cascade hops and a hint of New Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops."
[font="#39Helvetica NeueUI"]and what's his face said on radio brews news a month or two ago that they haven't changed the recipe. See if you can find the podcast[/font][font="#39Helvetica NeueUI"]
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[Muscovy_333]

Nelson and cascade works well in a clone recipe.
I'd given up on it but I had it on tap tonight also and concur that it is about a bazillion times better than out of a bottle.
Fresh Nelson Sauv...magic


@Truman...Jacks Bar in Mt Eliza

 

[Truman42]

@Truman...Jacks Bar in Mt Eliza

I took Shalla and Belle to Daveys for dinner. Not a bad feed. I asked the barmaid "Do you have any stout", she looked at me and said "Whats that?..

Saw the Fat Yak on tap and was a bit hesistant, but had it anyway and was pleasantly surprised. You could smell the hop aroma as soon as she put it down on the bar.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Always better on tap - no flavour in bottles.

Had some at the ALH (Woolies) owned pub attached to Dan's. It was cascade, and really nice.