Full Moon Pale Ale - Alley Kat Brewing Company

Dawkfan

Alberta (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A- Pours a golden orange. Small white head, decent lacing.

S- Citrus & pine hops, Carmel malt backbone.

T- Lots of hops upfront that gives way to a nice malt finish. I'm left with a bitter/metallic taste in my mouth.

M- Medium body, low-medium carbonation, very crisp.

D- The hops in this apa are prominent but not overpowering and just works together so well with the malts. I could session this all night long. What a shame that this is almost impossible to find on tap in the city where it's brewed.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 04:06:34 | More by Dawkfan

Olek4374

Alberta (Canada)

4.04/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Surprisingly, despite being an Edmontonian this is the first review I am doing of one of Alley Kat's main line of beers. I've had all before and all are fantastic, but they certainly warrant a real review.

This beer comes from Alley Kat's new variety pack, which boasts a pleasant selection of five beers (their 4 main beers and their current seasonal). I didn't really care much for this beer when I first began drinking craft beer (I thought it was too strongly flavoured), but times have changed for sure. This is, bar none, one of the best pale ales I've ever had. I'm not even being a homer here - this beer puts Granville's and Okanagan Spring's pale ales to shame. While their brews are very good, this one is so much deeply flavoured with a much easier drinkability I feel.

The beer has a great dark bronze colour with a generous 3-finger head. The main aromas I'm picking up are citrus (something I notice a lot with these cascade hops). I'm also picking up what I can only describe as a carrot aroma. It's really pleasant to say the least- and ever changing.

The taste is super - exactly what you want from craft beer. It's sweet at first with the same citrus burst I desrcribed earlier, but there is a big hit of bitterness at the end of the sip. It's a little sweet and a little bitter - perfectly balanced beer. The carbonation is not excessive and certainly noticeable.

Fantastic beer overall, and likely the best of Alley Kat's mainstream beers. It's rich in flavour but has a pleasant drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 07:27:52 | More by Olek4374

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-04-2013 22:42:55 | More by Kmat10

IanSpindler

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

05-03-2013 03:01:20 | More by IanSpindler

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.16/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A long time want, thanks wordemupg!

Appearance. Pours a clear orange-gold with a finger of cream coloured head that leaves thin bands of lace.

Smell. Toasted griany malts, piney and floral hops with some dry citrus and a little tropical fruit.

Taste. Sweet citrus fruits, pine and floral hops with some dry toasty grain and a little tropical fruit.

Mouthfeel. Medium body, maybe on the low side with smooth medium carbonation.

Overall. Very flavourful pale that I could drink many of.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 00:43:34 | More by Rutager

cbnz

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

04-14-2013 03:06:54 | More by cbnz

sumpjh

California

4/5  rDev -1.5%

03-05-2013 14:40:58 | More by sumpjh

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Alley Kat Full Moon has a classic clear, golden-amber complexion. For a pale ale it looks perfectly the part, although it could use a little more foam atop, especially if it is to call itself 'Full Moon'. Though far from flat, this lacks anything you could confidently, fairly call a 'head'.

Candied citrus peel, flower petals, and grass clippings combine with ultra-bready malt to make for a bouquet that is resonant and expressive. It's a slightly smaller size than those pale ales made south of the border, but it delivers all the requisite qualities. The malts smell like cookie-dough and upgrade the aroma to 'heavenly'.

Full Moon is not rich or explosive, but it is delicious. It has a palpable feel of citrus that makes you just want to drink it, if for no other reason that the grapefruit, papaya and lemon flavours are just too irresistible. The aftertaste, especially, is flower-infused and keeps the leafy hop impression running long into the finish.

The ale shows a bit of muscle without abandoning the style's mild, medium-bodied structure. In particular, I admire the way the acidic, citrusy hop notes blend with the sweet, cookie-dough malt on the finish. The beer is impeccably well balanced and has a textural depth that isn't always found in this style.

Well-hopped pale ales are the thoroughbreds of session drinking and given all the choices in the world Alley Kat Full Moon would be among my top picks for a night of long, easy consumption. It is a wonderfully complete ale with a stunning style that features layers of sweet malt and bitter hops. Without doubt one of Canada's best.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 17:09:03 | More by biegaman

Scrylol

Alberta (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice one finger head that disappears quickly, leaving behind some bubbles and lacing. The body has a nice dark golden color. Few bubbles streaming up to the top.

Smells citrusy and piney, with very slight hints of tropical fruits. A bit of caramel and malt.

Bit of a fruity and piney taste on the mouth, and leaves some dry earthy notes behind. Bitterness balances quite nicely with the malt, none are overpowering the other. Slight notes of bread on the tongue.

Decent thickness to it, slightly chewy and still easy to drink. Quite a bit of carbonation tickling the tongue.

A nice Pale Ale by Alley Kat.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 02:04:50 | More by Scrylol

wesbray

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

08-01-2012 18:58:45 | More by wesbray

Alberta_Beer_Guy

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

07-16-2012 01:06:19 | More by Alberta_Beer_Guy

mdevonshire

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

07-15-2012 15:16:22 | More by mdevonshire

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Craft Beer Market in Calgary.

beer is an orange/amber colour with a small white head. Retention mediocre but good lacing.

Lots of toasted malt in the smell, along with earthy and grassy hops. Floral notes as well. I do not get the citrusy c-hop scents that one would expect.

Taste contains toasty caramel malt, grassy hops. Some orange as well, providing the only expected west coast hop flavour. Quite balanced. Relatively bitter.

Medium bodied, moderate to high carbonation- a bit irritating.

Overall, pretty good but not the beer I was expecting. Didn't come across as the West Coast APA that I expected. Was it me, the beer or the taps? Who knows.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2012 06:19:35 | More by jrenihan

Vandelayindustri

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

06-22-2012 09:02:07 | More by Vandelayindustri

ScottWestmaas

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%

04-06-2012 20:39:28 | More by ScottWestmaas

goalie35

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

02-09-2012 20:20:35 | More by goalie35

hockeybarbie

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

01-29-2012 07:44:34 | More by hockeybarbie

EnemyWithin

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%

01-06-2012 17:30:51 | More by EnemyWithin

microwavabledish

Alberta (Canada)

5/5  rDev +23.2%

12-18-2011 09:44:19 | More by microwavabledish

benbou17

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

12-05-2011 03:10:10 | More by benbou17

bottlerocket24

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

11-30-2011 04:30:46 | More by bottlerocket24

rbuisson

Manitoba (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

11-25-2011 20:42:45 | More by rbuisson

jmdr

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

11-23-2011 05:00:33 | More by jmdr

chickenm

British Columbia (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%

11-20-2011 02:33:45 | More by chickenm

shadynasty

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

11-19-2011 00:37:25 | More by shadynasty