Matilda Bay - Fat Yak

[LRB]

Whatever,

Its a decent beer, with a good amount of flavour, that may very well act as a gateway beer to some of the more challengeing matilda bay offerings,

I guess LCPA is ***** because its readily available too?

I freely admit to being the first to denounce a new beer on its merits, but to me denouncing this one is very difficult to justify

"Challenging Matilda Bay offerings"? -What's that? BeezNeez? Bohemian Pilsner? :lol:

It's a bit of a leap from "mediocre" to "*****"... To say that something is not so great is not the same as totally bagging it. And who's saying that LCPA is so great?

 

[Pollux]

I first tried this when we went the Australian Hotel for lunch, after glancing at the taps I was swung by the name "Fat Yak", at this point I had no idea who made it, but I was quite impressed upon tasting it to the point I went and got another pint.

No marketing (other than a catchy name) swayed my appreciation of this beer.

 

[manticle]

Whatever,

Its a decent beer, with a good amount of flavour, that may very well act as a gateway beer to some of the more challengeing matilda bay offerings,

I guess LCPA is ***** because its readily available too?

I freely admit to being the first to denounce a new beer on its merits, but to me denouncing this one is very difficult to justify

I certainly never said it was *****. I agree with the other bloke though that it favours late hops more than malt and that's not to my taste.

Someone expressing distaste for a beer you like isn't the end of the world.

 

[Bizier]

It is a decent beer... just not either exciting or overly flavourful.

But it is getting marketed out the yin-yang (eg. big arse billboard CBD bound on Broadway, Syd) and hopefully this will cross people over into more flavourful beverages.

I would drink one of these over three of any other swill if I was offered. But that said, it is a simple little US pale, and here on AHB we can all brew something more exciting incredibly easily.

 

[Katherine]

and here on AHB we can all brew something more exciting incredibly easily.

Ill get there

 

[HoppingMad]

may very well act as a gateway beer to some of the more challengeing matilda bay offerings,

+1 on it being a gateway beer (drug) to educate megaswillers on getting used to hopiness in their bevvies. A few years back we had no beers tasting like this. Fashions come and go and the Yak is part of that trend (to utilise citrusy US hops like cascade in a pale ale).

Personally (and loosely based on LRB's point raised about marketing) I think 'Fat Yak' and the look of the label seems somewhat similar to 'Mountain Goat' and reckon that's where MB have got their design & name cues from. Just as a starting point, but the similarities are there (name of a horned animal, grungy look, same coloured background, shadow symbol that looks like stencil art). Seems a shame that Fosters have deep pockets and pay for a big marketing company to come up with an original idea, and instead they reference a small but successful craftbrewer. You'd think that money could buy a bit of originality.

But I guess the micros in a sense are leading the way on a lot of fronts, because they are smaller and nimbler and can experiment a lot more. That's why big brewers watch what they're doing with interest and copy them when they're successful.

Tried the Alpha today after reading from some posters here and don't mind it. Certainly a bigger tasting beer than Yak on the hop front. Anyhow, didn't mind Yak, but now a confirmed Alpha fan.

Cheers and may whatever you drink be good drink,

Hopper.

 

[Snowdog]

It will be a wonderful day in paradise when Alpha is served at nearly every pub in the Brisbane CBD like Fat Yak is now...

 

[clean brewer]

I had the Fat Yak on tap at the Spotted Cow in Toowoomba on Thursday night just gone, I really enjoyed it actually, but there were so many other Beers to try, so after 3 Schooners, it was time to hit the 07 Coopers Vintage Ale(on tap), this went down nicely on a chilly Toowoomba Night... As did others..

 

[caleb]

I went to 1st Choice yesterday to get another pack of Hop Thief, only to find it is already sold out! NOOOO!

So, looking for a replacement ale for my Yule feast this Sunday, I came across this Fat Yak, and decided to give it a go as it promised "hops, hops, hops, hops... and a truckload of hops'' according to the label. Also, it was the same price as James Squires...

I was quite disappointed. It is not a bad beer by any means. However, nor is it the IBU fueled mouth puckering, tongue disolving lupulin delivery vehicle promised on the label.

Honestly, it's more of a light summer style golden ale. Again, NOT a drink any time of the year beer - (especially cold winter days) as the label says.

So, a reasonably good but not exiting beer let down by a label that promises way too much and doesn't really deliver. (A bit like another 'MB' craft brewer). I was left wishing I'd just purchased the James Squire IPA instead. (not for the first time either)

 

[hatchor]

I went to 1st Choice yesterday to get another pack of Hop Thief, only to find it is already sold out! NOOOO!

So, looking for a replacement ale for my Yule feast this Sunday, I came across this Fat Yak, and decided to give it a go as it promised "hops, hops, hops, hops... and a truckload of hops'' according to the label. Also, it was the same price as James Squires...

I was quite disappointed. It is not a bad beer by any means. However, nor is it the IBU fueled mouth puckering, tongue disolving lupulin delivery vehicle promised on the label.

Honestly, it's more of a light summer style golden ale. Again, NOT a drink any time of the year beer - (especially cold winter days) as the label says.

So, a reasonably good but not exiting beer let down by a label that promises way too much and doesn't really deliver. (A bit like another 'MB' craft brewer). I was left wishing I'd just purchased the James Squire IPA instead. (not for the first time either)

Agree on a number of fronts, but if the mass marketed beer production machine is able to 'gently' sway the mega swill drinkers towards something that at least has a 'bit' of a hoppy taste, then all the better I reckon.

And I also agree with the Squire IPA, it is a beauty.

 

[cdbrown]

Had a few pints of this stuff last week down at The Gate - it's quite a nice drop, nothing really fantastic but easy to drink with some slight bitterness and some hop flavour. Wish they had the Alpha Pale Ale on instead though.

 

[technocat]

Tried a stubbie of Fat Yak Pale ALE on the way home tonight and found first on the palate very sweet. This mystified me somewhat as it said on the bottle a truckload of hop. I had knocked back a stubbie of Cascade draught about an hour before which has a strong hop flavour on the back of the palate. My thoughts were a good dose of crystal in the grain bill and the sweet malt smothered the hops whatever they were.

:icon_cheers:

 

[randyrob]

I haven't really been following this thread, so excuse me if it has been discussed before but has anyone else detected diacetyl in any of the fat yack's they have been drinking?

when i've tried it was on tap it was a fine but probably the last few times i've had it in bottles at various venues it's had varying levels of diacetyl at first i thought it was

just the fact the hops had died down a bit and the sweet malt was comming thru but after trying it a few more times it's definately diacetyl.

Rob.

 

[horner34]

Go down to my dads local to catch up with him since he's been os for 8 weeks, and they have replaced the hightale with fat yak.

Not bad on tap

Spewn hightails gone

 

[eamonnfoley]

I haven't really been following this thread, so excuse me if it has been discussed before but has anyone else detected diacetyl in any of the fat yack's they have been drinking?

when i've tried it was on tap it was a fine but probably the last few times i've had it in bottles at various venues it's had varying levels of diacetyl at first i thought it was

just the fact the hops had died down a bit and the sweet malt was comming thru but after trying it a few more times it's definately diacetyl.

Rob.

yep its been talked about somewhere on here - I cant stomach it, so i havent gone back to Fat Yak. Its very sad they choose to launch their new flagship beer in such condition, and not recall it!!

 

[haysie]

yep its been talked about somewhere on here - I cant stomach it, so i havent gone back to Fat Yak. Its very sad they choose to launch their new flagship beer in such condition, and not recall it!!

Is is a very ordinary beer nonetheless, diacetyl or no diacetyl its Ordinary. Makes me wonder why so many hide behide diacetyl as the precursor of a bad beer. Its not the only only mis-nomer available. I thought this beer had no body, no smoothness in the mouth and certainly no balance. Sure it had hops but dont all beers.

 

[ausdb]

I drank two Fat Yaks last night as part of my ongoing studies to try and pass the BJCP exam. I must admit to having a very high threshold for Diacetyl so couldn't pick it in the ones I sampled. Whilst there were some nice typical APA hop flavours present in the beer, the aromas must have somehow escaped between cracking the stubby and the thirty seconds to pour it into the glass :huh:

This beer left me pretty confused as to why there has been so much traffic lately on how to clone it????

 

[mika]

Agree with Haysie and Ausdb, I don't get what the fuss is about. People comparing it to LCPA must be getting a much different product to the 6 pack I sampled.

 

[kirem]

I have a BIG difference in this beer on tap and out of the bottle.

On tap it is fresh and I very nice beer, in bottle it less than average.

 

[DJR]

I have a BIG difference in this beer on tap and out of the bottle.

On tap it is fresh and I very nice beer, in bottle it less than average.

Would MB be pasteurising the bottles and sterile filtering the kegs? Could explain the flavour differences. I definitely tasted a big fat filter on the tap version, i think it is a better "session" beer than many other pale ales due to the low level of flavour

 

[[email protected]]

Just had a blind tasting of Fat Yack against LCPA and Moo Brew Pale Ale and the Fat Yack smelt like a newly opened jar of vegemite... No hops at all. Best before date was Feb2010 so obviously something's going wrong.

Cheers

 

[O'Henry]

This does not inspire confidence. I just bought a 6 pack. Was pretty good last time I had it. But I was in the sun with the greatest felafel ever and some good friends, so perhaps the experience was unfairly weighted... Will crack one later.

 

[Sprungmonkey]

Would MB be pasteurising the bottles and sterile filtering the kegs? Could explain the flavour differences. I definitely tasted a big fat filter on the tap version, i think it is a better "session" beer than many other pale ales due to the low level of flavour

they pasteurise the bottles and flash pasteurise the kegs.

 

[matti]

OK I have finally scrolled through this thread with a Fat Yak going down.

Never tasted this Beer before and bought a Six pack from local Bottle shop.
It poured easily into the glass with a lasting head.
The beer is about 6+ degrees and the aroma disappeared quick but an ever so slight nose on the citrus.
Neither lemon or passion fruit but a slight mixture with a grassy note.
Oily mouth-feel with a definite lasting passion-fruit getting through with an ever so slight cabbage on the nose.
After 3 sips I can ignore the cabbage and enjoy the beer.

For Craft-brewers used to APA's, this a Very Mild effort but OK for a 1/2 way beer.
I can't Categorise this beer and it would think it would be difficult to score.
If I had managed to brew this beer I would have been disappointed but then again I didn't.

Over all it beats all the Mega-swill Beers out there by 2 horse lengths but as a craft brewed Garaged Engineered Beer, It lacks the Punch for a GOOD APA.

My2c's on Father DAY
Hip hip to all of us

Matti

 

[benny_bjc]

OK I have finally scrolled through this thread with a Fat Yak going down.

Never tasted this Beer before and bought a Six pack from local Bottle shop.
It poured easily into the glass with a lasting head.
The beer is about 6+ degrees and the aroma disappeared quick but an ever so slight nose on the citrus.
Neither lemon or passion fruit but a slight mixture with a grassy note.
Oily mouth-feel with a definite lasting passion-fruit getting through with an ever so slight cabbage on the nose.
After 3 sips I can ignore the cabbage and enjoy the beer.

For Craft-brewers used to APA's, this a Very Mild effort but OK for a 1/2 way beer.
I can't Categorise this beer and it would think it would be difficult to score.
If I had managed to brew this beer I would have been disappointed but then again I didn't.

Over all it beats all the Mega-swill Beers out there by 2 horse lengths but as a craft brewed Garaged Engineered Beer, It lacks the Punch for a GOOD APA.

My2c's on Father DAY
Hip hip to all of us

Matti

Have you tried the Alpha Pale Ale.... that has a bit more of a punch to it!
35 IBU's I believe.... but even this is nothing if your homebrewing and into AIPA etc etc...

 

[matti]

Have you tried the Alpha Pale Ale.... that has a bit more of a punch to it!
35 IBU's I believe.... but even this is nothing if your homebrewing and into AIPA etc etc...

No but I will keep an eye out for it.

 

[matti]

I said yesterday That Fat Yak lacked the punch for an APA.
I tried today and I thought it had plenty of hop Punch but lacked the body to carry it.

Yesterday I had fish and chips prior to drinking it and today it was pasta an hour ago.

Interesting beer any way.
One thing is for sure it has some cabbage and leaves a grassy note.

This could be due to the massive amount of hops absorbing in the kettle and bringing some trub with it or just from all the late hopping. don't know enough of tasting to make that call yet...

The bottles use by was 18 april 10.
Maybe I should keep a bottle and try it after the new year??

Some people thought it was poor balanced. maybe were are drinking too fresh.

 

[manticle]

Some people thought it was poor balanced. maybe were are drinking too fresh.

If it's not ready for drinking, it shouldn't be released. I won't be giving my beers to the vic case swap unless I've tested them first. Surely a commercial brewery should do likewise?

Quality control.

 

[O'Henry]

I don't think everyone is as scrupulous as you are though manticle.

I thought Fat Yak lacked the same flavour as when I had it a few months ago. Def felt that the hops had been reduced. Would have tried it on tap at the Australian last saturday but got distracted with '1809 Pale Ale' from the Rocks Brewing Co. Was a nice drop. Bit sweet, but had a good flavour. A nice comparisson to the Fat Yak and LCPA already on tap there.

 

[LLoyd]

Lil' Creatures and fat yak in the same line? I know some people **** on a bit about LCPA, but there's a wee gap between a well crafted cascade-ish ale and mega-swill with cascade and nelsun on the label..