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Fat Yak Pale Ale
Matilda Bay Brewing Co.
- From:
- Matilda Bay Brewing Co.
- Australia
- Style:
- American Pale Ale
Ranked #1,092 - ABV:
- 4.7%
- Score:
- 79
Ranked #26,486 - Avg:
- 3.46 | pDev: 14.16%
- Reviews:
- 53
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 30, 2023
- Added:
- Mar 06, 2009
- Wants:
- 7
- Gots:
- 31
Fat Yak first impresses with its golden colour, distinctive, hop driven, fruity and herbaceous aromas, giving characteristic passionfruit and melon notes, followed by a hit of hop flavour at the finish. The taste is refreshingly clean on the palate.
25 IBU
25 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Rated by Thebeerbrothers from Australia
3.07/5 rDev -11.3%
look: 5 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.07/5 rDev -11.3%
look: 5 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pleasant enough, little bit of hop flavour. No harshness, not complicated. Quite enjoyable.
Dec 22, 2021Reviewed by Nath91 from Australia
2.57/5 rDev -25.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
2.57/5 rDev -25.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Fat Yak, along with Coopers Pale Ale, was one of my first beers that introduced, and seduced me into the world of Pale Ales - notably American Pale Ales. It was a really good beer, until Carlton & United bought out Matilda Bay, and then something happened. The beer stopped being as good as it initially was. Speculation was rife they had changed something in the brewing process to make it more appealing to your rusted on lager drinkers. Needless to say my lover for the beer diminished greatly. I think sales took a massive hit as well, because all of a sudden, it wasn't as easy to find this on tap at a pub, as newer breweries become more readily available.
I would like to think that the boffins at Carlton & United have learnt their lesson with not meddling with micro and craft breweries, as their acquisition of breweries like 4 Pines, and Balter have not diminished those products at all. So I saw a bottle of Fat Yak on special at my local bottle shop, and thought I'd give it a crack after many years of not drinking it.
Look: NIce copper appearance, thin egg shell head that's probably not going to stick around in an Ikea tumbler. Still looks like a decent pale ale.
Smell: Initially there's a rather strong unpleasant smell, like stagnant swamp water. Getting through it getting very sweet syrupy malt, dark stone fruit, but definitely a sickly sweetness. almost like fruit cordial or a fruit tea. The initial scent was nasty, but it mellows out nicely.
Taste: Quite sweet, with caramel notes, slight stone fruit taste of plum, some light orange peel. There's a light metallic bitterness at the back of the sip. But it's not very bitter.
Feel: Less carbonated than most lagers, but more than a English pump ale. It's fairly thin, so does have a refreshing element when served cold.
Overall: Disappointing. Used to be such a great beer, now is more an easy-drinking English style Amber Ale rather than an American Pale. Definitely not what it used to be when it first came on the market. Used to be much hoppier, more flavourful. it's not awful, aside from that initial weird smell, but with so many better Pale Ales from craft breweries on the market these days, its not a beer that I'm going to be drinking much of, unless it's free at a function or something.
#️⃣3️⃣4️⃣
Sep 07, 2021I would like to think that the boffins at Carlton & United have learnt their lesson with not meddling with micro and craft breweries, as their acquisition of breweries like 4 Pines, and Balter have not diminished those products at all. So I saw a bottle of Fat Yak on special at my local bottle shop, and thought I'd give it a crack after many years of not drinking it.
Look: NIce copper appearance, thin egg shell head that's probably not going to stick around in an Ikea tumbler. Still looks like a decent pale ale.
Smell: Initially there's a rather strong unpleasant smell, like stagnant swamp water. Getting through it getting very sweet syrupy malt, dark stone fruit, but definitely a sickly sweetness. almost like fruit cordial or a fruit tea. The initial scent was nasty, but it mellows out nicely.
Taste: Quite sweet, with caramel notes, slight stone fruit taste of plum, some light orange peel. There's a light metallic bitterness at the back of the sip. But it's not very bitter.
Feel: Less carbonated than most lagers, but more than a English pump ale. It's fairly thin, so does have a refreshing element when served cold.
Overall: Disappointing. Used to be such a great beer, now is more an easy-drinking English style Amber Ale rather than an American Pale. Definitely not what it used to be when it first came on the market. Used to be much hoppier, more flavourful. it's not awful, aside from that initial weird smell, but with so many better Pale Ales from craft breweries on the market these days, its not a beer that I'm going to be drinking much of, unless it's free at a function or something.
#️⃣3️⃣4️⃣
Reviewed by shiu-chan from Singapore
2.75/5 rDev -20.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
2.75/5 rDev -20.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Both draft and from 330ml bottle, Clear Copper Amber with little carbonation, one finger head and no lacing.
Nose and Palate are both flat, lacks complexity given that Aussie takes pride making good craft beer.
Overall, I would choose other APA given a choice.
Feb 19, 2018Nose and Palate are both flat, lacks complexity given that Aussie takes pride making good craft beer.
Overall, I would choose other APA given a choice.
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
2.98/5 rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
2.98/5 rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
Had on tap on the roof deck overlooking at Sydney Harbour at the Glenmore in The Rocks restaurant district.
(If you want a scene of singles mingling, this is the place. But if you are a serious taster of beer, go somewhere else.)
As for Fat Yak, I suppose it is an APA; but its handicapped by the Aussie tendency to drink beer too cold and bland.
I suppose Fat Yak looked average in the glass, but it was hard to get any distinctive Smells. If there are Tastes in there, I couldn't find them because of the cold. Feel did not linger, but that that was a good thing as my goal was to escape the mob scene. Can't blame the scene on the ale and I hope I don't. But, Fat Yak is not the makings of a culinary treat.
Jan 12, 2018(If you want a scene of singles mingling, this is the place. But if you are a serious taster of beer, go somewhere else.)
As for Fat Yak, I suppose it is an APA; but its handicapped by the Aussie tendency to drink beer too cold and bland.
I suppose Fat Yak looked average in the glass, but it was hard to get any distinctive Smells. If there are Tastes in there, I couldn't find them because of the cold. Feel did not linger, but that that was a good thing as my goal was to escape the mob scene. Can't blame the scene on the ale and I hope I don't. But, Fat Yak is not the makings of a culinary treat.
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand
3.12/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.12/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Copper with soada like carbonation, topped with 3 fingers of off white head.
Smells of red tea, light fruity esters, and is slightly nutty.
Nutty, red tea, fruity esters, its much like an English style brew.
Light body, moderate carbonation and a dry, tannic finish.
Got in Australind, WA, drinking in Thailand, Aug 26th, 2017. Malt forward brew, that is light and uneventful.
Aug 26, 2017Smells of red tea, light fruity esters, and is slightly nutty.
Nutty, red tea, fruity esters, its much like an English style brew.
Light body, moderate carbonation and a dry, tannic finish.
Got in Australind, WA, drinking in Thailand, Aug 26th, 2017. Malt forward brew, that is light and uneventful.
Fat Yak Pale Ale from Matilda Bay Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
79 out of
100 with
146 ratings
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