Fat Yak Pale Ale - Matilda Bay Brewing Co.

marcoeloco

2.45/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Seems to me this beer has gone out the window, I have had it a few times on tap and it is still ok but in the bottle poured into a glass it has lost allot of everything. The aroma is now virtually non-existent to what used to be, not allot of head and not a great flavour.
About six months ago I had some and thought it may have been a bit off or something but I have only just had a go at another batch and if anything its worse.
I suspect the recipe has changed. to my taste it is definitely not the beer it used to be.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 02:37:56 | More by marcoeloco

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.23/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a nice, foamy, frothy, fluffy, cream colored head at a good temperature and a little lace. Color is a clear honey amber with plenty of small bubble trails. Aroma is hop, malt, caramel, toffee, fruit. Flavor is ok, a little cardboard, circus peanut, sweet on top with some bitter and carbonic tang along with nose qualities. Body is ok and carbonation a bit fizzy. Finish is like flavor & fairly long. Not one of my favs.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 14:47:57 | More by drpimento

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle from Woolworth's. From notes.

A - Pours dark gold. Good carbonation, one finger of white head, slight lace and a film of retention.

S - Good citrus, grass, orange and light malt. Floral as well. Light but nice.

T - Floral with lot's of citrus. Juicy orange and sweet malt. Good citrus finish with some grain and peach.

M - Strong carbonation, medium body and a dry finish.

O/D - A nice little pale ale. Good drinkability and pretty solid. Not mind blowing but well-crafted with nice flavours and light. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 02:13:55 | More by tbeckett

aBeeraWeek

Australia

3.63/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It is a rich amber colour with a fair amount of haziness. Pours with a reasonable sized light coloured head.

The smell is mostly of the distinctive florals that are typical of the cascade hops - some very light citrus notes.

There is light citrus on the taste but now this is nicely offset with a more malty character. Well balanced with out with a mild hoppy finish.

Medium amount of carbonation and body that suits the refreshing flavours.

Overall it’s nothing too challenging or different, just a brew in the true sense of the American Pale Ale style.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 22:03:10 | More by aBeeraWeek

dansmcd

Australia

3.4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Golden amber in body with a bright glowing white head which dissipates down to a ring fairly quickly.

S - Mild citrusy hops without much else.

T - Hop flavours of grapefruit and orange yet no real bitterness. Some floral character pokes through and the sweet malt backing provides some balance.

M - Medium in body, nicely carbonated.

O - A decent drop alright. It was on tap at the office Christmas party and I wasn't going near the other option (Asahi) so it made do as a session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2011 11:18:07 | More by dansmcd

soju6

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: served a dark golden color with a decent head and good lacing.

S:Mild aroma of citrus with bit of pine and some malt sweetness.

T: Taste of mild citrus and some malt sweetness. Fresh grain and an underlying bitterness and clean finiah.

F: Medium body,smooth nice balance.

O: Easy drinker, reminds me more of an English Pale Ale. Still an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2011 11:15:37 | More by soju6

mcselecta

Australia

2.35/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

This beer has changed dramatically in the last 2 years. The florality has died in the hops, and the beer is no longer a crisp refreshing pale ale.

I am forever trying to figure out whether it tastes off, or is this what it is supposed to taste like.

But a lot better than other beers lol

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 08:24:10 | More by mcselecta

Stew41

Australia

2.35/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Not too bad but not great, and of course not a patch on the very good Alpha PA. Hop aroma is quite decent, albeit it mild. Think soft piney notes with a dash of tropical fruit. Can’t work the flavours out? Very dry, lean, somewhat bitter, but to me very much under fruited and under malted. I would have thought this would have posed competition to Mountain Goat (sorry Berge!) had it been any good but really it’s very much in the bland camp.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 12:57:59 | More by Stew41

Morningstorm

Netherlands

4.1/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My favorite sessionbeer while backpacking in Australia. Drank it loads from the tap and bottles.

A: Pours a deep hazel colour with a 1 cm thick lacing that reduces to a 0.5 lacing that stays the entire drink.

S: Sharp smell of citrus and hops.

T: Accents of hops, citrus and other fruit. Well balanced between the hops and the malt.

M: Nice body, not heavy like some Pale ales but also not too light. Nicely balanced. The carbonation is present but not exploding in your mouth, nice.

Overall: Well balanced beer that’s good for being sessionbeer. Drink it to clench your thirst.

p.s. there’s a huge difference between the tap and bottle. Hops come a lot more forward in the bottle and its more balanced while tapped. I recommend to drink it from the tap.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2011 21:13:04 | More by Morningstorm

aeolianshredhead

Australia

3.53/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Amber and reasonably murky. Good 2 and a half finger head which didn't stay around.

S- Nothing but floral hops. Simple but still somewhat enticing.

T- That citrusy taste followed by a definite hop bitterness. Can't detect much in the way of maltiness or anything like that. Pretty good, but not jaw-dropping.

M- Crisp and thin. Not a bad thing here though. Refreshing.

O- This beer offers no real surprises. That being said, it is still fairly decent. Basically, this brew is a true case of the old phrase, 'Could be better, could be worse.'

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 13:48:06 | More by aeolianshredhead

eric5bellies

Australia

3.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - This beer pours a slightly hazy Amber colour with a White head that dies very fast.

S - Tropical fruit and some citrus. Not getting a lot of malt.

T - Taste of mainly malt and a little hop but fades ato the malty biscuit flavours.

M - Medium body and medium carbonation.

O - I prefer the Alpha over this but will quench a thirst.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 12:56:27 | More by eric5bellies

heygeebee

Australia

3.88/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Decided to review as had on tap today at Jacksons On George. Had in a pint mug.

Good one finger head, lovely deep copper colour. Lacing stayed for almost the whole pint.

Aromas of citrus, not too overpowering, and hops.

Taste is well balanced on tap, and perhaps less pronounced than from the bottle. Bitterness and hops give a well balanced backbone. Had with a beef pie, lovely match.

Drinkability improved and improved, as the pint went down. I suspect the lighter flavour of the on-tap serving helped here.

Moral of story, try your beers in a number of ways, wherever you can.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2011 08:13:50 | More by heygeebee

philphilphil

Australia

3.2/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

appeared a deep amber with a decent head.
smellt of hops, and perhaps a little malts
taste was good albeit overhopped.
mouthfeel was good. solid carbonation.
overall it was decent but too hoppy for my tastes. would drink anytime but better things out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 16:02:29 | More by philphilphil

Macca

Australia

3.28/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This pours a light golden/orange colour with a minimal white head.

The nose is tropical fruit, bit of citrus. Not getting a lot of malt.

More malt on the palate but not a lot. The hops are a bit more resinous in the mouth.

Medium bodied.

This is won't change your life but it'll slake a thirst on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 09:32:45 | More by Macca

doktorhops

Australia

3.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Fat Yak certainly has a reputation of a beer that is much better on tap than from the bottle, I guess I'll test this theory myself (I've had this on tap many times before).

Poured from a 345ml bottle into a Guinness pint glass.

A: Clear copper body with a white 1cm head that soon fades to a thin lacing ring.

S: Front powering floral hops give way to a sweet malty grain, with a hint of caramel. Nothing out of the ordinary here style-wise.

T: Sweet and malty with a back note of grassy hops. The hops are weaker than I remember from the tap version (although it has been a while since I had it on tap and I'll follow up with a review of the tap version soon for comparison). I think the hops could be a lot more pronounced for this style of ale.

M: Nice carbonation, not too fizzy, there is body to this ale however it is well balanced (not too thin, not too heavy).

D: This ale feels to me like an entry level brew for drinkers interested in the pale ale style - it's easy on the hops, the malting is pleasant and not too sweet, it's a well balanced affair. I could drink many of these over an evening, so it's a decent ale but it falls short of Little Creatures in the flavour department.

Food match: Chow Mein, or any other lighter Asian fare. Pizza; Margherita, Fungi or spinach and feta are all great options.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 09:05:58 | More by doktorhops

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

What time is our flight???? We have an hour and a half??? What are we to do??? You have a membership to the Quantas Club...Let's go...BITCH!!! Yeah Baby! Word to the wise....Brisbane's Quantas Club has Fat Yak....ON TAP!!! YEAH BABY!! United RCC could learn something from this place!!! The color was copper with thin white head. The smell was pleasing...subtle hints of hop and citrus. The taste was equal to the smell....for an Australian Pale....not too bad. Certainly beat the XXXX Gold!!! Fat Yak a SESSION...ABSOLUTELY!!! Stay parched my friends!!!

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2011 12:33:23 | More by WoodBrew

drtth

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes taken on a recent trip to Sydney.

Poured into a wine glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: As poured the beer is a clear pale golden, almost bronze color with a ½" white head that leaves some lacing on the glass. but soon recedes and so sipping leaves very little lacing.

Smell: The aroma is mostly floral/grassy hoppiness with touches of citrus and traces of malt.

Taste: The flavors are pretty much as expected from the nose with some floral and grassy hoppiness alsong with some light sweet malt flavors. There also seems to be a touch of tropical fruitiness. The impression is clean flavor, without much crispness, but with a balance favoring the malt. There is some hop character here but the focus is more on the malt.

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is medium bodied and has some reasonable carbonation throughout most of the beer. The finish is medium in length and hop bitterness shows more as the sweetness fades and turns dry.

Drinkability: I found this one drinkable enough in that one sip followed another easily and I certainly had no difficulty moving on to a second one. That said, I prefer my pale ales with a bit more hop forward character and the extra crispness provided by a stronger hop presence.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 01:36:42 | More by drtth

Finite

Australia

3.63/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Golden colour, head is a little disappointing but overall not totally unappealing.

Well balanced. Good hop flavor. Green, pine-like hops prominent in this one. Balance is pretty spot on malt tone reminiscent of a sweet rye.

A well rounded easily quaff able beer. I liked this alot more than I thought I would.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2010 03:10:44 | More by Finite

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.38/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear bronzed amber colour with a filmy but solid head of white foam, that laces the edge of the glass in a tight ring. Nice carbonation keeps the beer looking lively. Pretty good.

Nose is slightly citric with a little leavened hop fragrance, but also a slightly sweet buttery diacetyl character. There's something rougher to it as well, with some earthy tones of tobacco and leaf mold. It's not bad, but it's missing the fresh and lively characters of the best.

Taste is similar - diacetyl comes through here as well, with some fresh green hop characters giving the only lift. Bitterness is extremely restrained, just a light bite on the back of the palate. Lacking some body as well.

It's a poor comparison to some other Australian Pale Ales. Much of the character is tamed, and it tastes overly filtered and dumbed down. Still, it's a drinkable beer, and eminently approachable as an introduction away from the generic macro lager.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 05:36:53 | More by lacqueredmouse

rowey77

Australia

3.85/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light colored ale with a thick feel to it.

Flavor up front is very acidic and fairly bitter. Floral, tasty hoppiness with light citrus & fruit. Very light on the malt.

Very acidic, coupled with carbonation makes for a stronger mouthfeel without the strong flavor to back it up. Good with food.

I found it easy to drink with a great taste so two thumbs up for me.

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2010 23:18:54 | More by rowey77

koolk

Australia

3.58/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a fairly clean dark amber colour with a small white head that has good retention.

Inital aromas of dry hopping - a lot of tropical fruit and a fair whack of grass. Passionfruit even. Fairly nice, albeit one dimensional.

Palate flavours are very light and uninspiring. Starts with some citrus flavours but finishes with a nice, but boring, roasted finish. Like the nose, fairly one dimensional. Low bitterness. Slightly watery on finish.

Mouthfeel is intially nice and creamy but drops off to nothing. Very short. Loses big points here.

Overall another standard issue APA. May serve as a gateway beer for many people - which in itself is not a bad thing - however, for my tastes there are far better APAs out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 06:59:16 | More by koolk

mulder1010

Australia

1.95/5  rDev -43.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

On tap at the Freeway Hotel

A-- A reddish gold color with an off white head with a good one finger head that kept retention through the drink. With sticky, thick lacing on the glass

S-- Very faint smell of malt, pine and citrus. Malt being the one that stuck out the most. Had to basically stick my nose in the beer to get a smell out of it.

T-- Not a big citrus taste or a hop taste, more of a carmel malt taste and very dull. NO real flavor.

M-- Was on the sweet side and very carbonated. The warmer it got I really thought I was poured something else. Was just carmel malt and sweet. Not what a APA is at all. I started thinking I may have got a bad keg.

D-- If it was a bad keg I will review again, will try again in bottle at a later point. Very little citrus in this and had a just plain bad mouthfeel to it. Honestly felt like I was drinking a VB or Carlton. Great look to the beer but went downhill quick

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2009 12:51:16 | More by mulder1010

LittleCreature

Australia

3.68/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - 4.0
Amber orange, sticky white head.

Smell - 3.5
Faint citrus fruit and bready pale malt.

Taste - 3.5
Soft, low to moderate bitterness, fruity, citrus flavour.

Mouthfeel - 4.0
Goes down smoothly.

Drinkability - 4.0
A good session beer choice, although not for the die-hard APA drinkers.

OVERALL - 3.7
My second review of this beer. If I am not impressed by a bottled beer, I rarely bother to review it on-tap, but I thought that it was necessary in the case of Fat Yak. A much better tap beer, although I have found it laced with diacetyl previously. Not in this example, where it is a soft, fruity and easy drinking pale ale that makes a great session beer. A good mainstream-craft crossover beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2009 10:15:13 | More by LittleCreature

ADZA

Australia

3.7/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a see thru amber colour with nice carbonation that leaves a pillowy two finger head that subsides and leaves subtle lacing,the aroma is pine needles,citrus and some kiwifruit,it has an above average mouthfeel and starts off a nice citrus burst and finishes with a subtle touch of lemon with no bitterness at all,quite a easy drinking beer and definately alot better than all the macro swill out there but in saying that have had better types of this style.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2009 11:16:00 | More by ADZA

IHasaFlavaFlav

Australia

4.22/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Golden colour, one centimeter of bright white head. It disappears to a small ring. Some nice lacing.

S - Bright citrus hops, very crisp and clean.

T - Citrusy hop flavour up front. I find the flavour more intense drinking from the bottle, the glass seems to lose it abit and from what I remember from having it on tap, from the bottle is still my preference.

M - Refreshing, little after taste until you burp. And then you get a big kick of hops.

D - Very drinkable, loses its punch after the first six pack but still a pleasant drop, if you drinking to get pissed.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2009 12:59:29 | More by IHasaFlavaFlav