Matilda Bay - Fat Yak

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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 wank 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..

 

[O'Henry]

I think I have given you the wrong end of the stick. I wasn't saying the beers were equal, just that they were both there on tap. I agree with your description of both beers. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[LLoyd]

I could just have easily TAKEN the wrong end of the stick, given my unusually large consumption of beer...

Cheers mate

Lloydie

 

[benno1973]

Tried the Fat Yak out of the bottle earlier in the week and it was fantastic. Hugely hoppy, grassy and citrus notes with a malty backbone to balance it nicely.

Then I drank a pint on tap at Tiger Lil's in town and I swear it was almost like drinking a different beer. Flat and lifeless, minimal hop flavours and aroma, more like the crappy version of the JS golden ale.

How is it that a commercially produced beer can vary so radically?

 

[O'Henry]

I think you got the same batch I had a little while ago. Even on tap in May and July I enjoyed it. Will be trying a couple more tonight. Hopefully they will be different (although I doubt it, same 6-pack).

 

[jayse]

How is it that a commercially produced beer can vary so radically?

Because of the larger amount they now sell and it being in so many places maybe some production has shifted out of the garage and into the fosters beer factories.

The last 6 pack i got was lifeless and dull, all it really needed was a little more bitterness to finish it of and it may have brought it up a notch.

I really don't like the mentallity of go low on the bitterness on beers like these in the thinking it will be more approachable to the mass audience, in the end it just makes for a sub standard compromised beer. h34r:

 

[Mercs Own]

Because of the larger amount they now sell and it being in so many places maybe some production has shifted out of the garage and into the fosters beer factories.

The last 6 pack i got was lifeless and dull, all it really needed was a little more bitterness to finish it of and it may have brought it up a notch.

I really don't like the mentallity of go low on the bitterness on beers like these in the thinking it will be more approachable to the mass audience, in the end it just makes for a sub standard compromised beer. h34r:

Yep started out at the Garage Brewery - fresh and hoppy - then moved to Cascade - dull and lifeless.

I had one off tap on fathers day and it was not how I remembered it the first time I tasted it.The first time I had it it was like a milder version of the Alpha, the one on Sunday was much more like a main stream bland beer. Shame.

 

[sam]

Do Cascade do much brewing for Malt Shovel? Or anyone else for that matter?

 

[Sprungmonkey]

Do Cascade do much brewing for Malt Shovel? Or anyone else for that matter?

Malt Shovel are owned by the opposition of Cascade - Cascade are Foster's owned. Malt shovel are owned by Kirin (Castlemaine XXXX)
:icon_offtopic:
I think its kinda weird in QLD how XXXX is regarded as an "aussie beer" when it is owened by Kirin while foster's don't seem to have that image (although 100% Australian owned). anyone else agree?

 

[sam]

Malt Shovel are owned by the opposition of Cascade - Cascade are Foster's owned. Malt shovel are owned by Kirin (Castlemaine XXXX)
:icon_offtopic:
I think its kinda weird in QLD how XXXX is regarded as an "aussie beer" when it is owened by Kirin while foster's don't seem to have that image (although 100% Australian owned). anyone else agree?

Yeah, stuffed that one up, I meant Matilda Bay, not Malt Shovel.

Brand is a powerful thing.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Yep started out at the Garage Brewery - fresh and hoppy - then moved to Cascade - dull and lifeless.

I had one off tap on fathers day and it was not how I remembered it the first time I tasted it.The first time I had it it was like a milder version of the Alpha, the one on Sunday was much more like a main stream bland beer. Shame.

I think it took Cascade a while to adapt to brewing this one - I had a bottle of the Fat Yak yesterday that was definitely brewed in Cascade and it was good again - back nearly up to the standard it was when the Garage was getting it right.

Inconsistency should pretty much go away now that its coming out of tassie - but there might be a few old kegs etc floating around and its definitely a fresh is best kinda beer. That grassy, passionfruit / mandarin character fades pretty fast and it doesn't really have enough of a malt backbone to be "good" without the hop hit.

Mind you - blanding it down a little isn't out of target... its supposed to be a crossover beer. Matilda Bay has a full tilt, hops in your face beer... the Alpha Pale. If the Alpha is your kind of beer... then the FY isn't really even aimed at you.

Oh and mentioning it in the same sentence as LCPA -- I would. I'm not all that fond of the Fat Yak (I like the Alpha) but if they were both on tap at the same pub... I'd have one LCPA for a perfume bottle in my beer fix... then I'd drink the Yak for the rest of the night.