Sherbrooke Bad Hare Day
Alley Kat Brewing Company

Sherbrooke Bad Hare DaySherbrooke Bad Hare Day
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From:
Alley Kat Brewing Company
 
Alberta, Canada
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
7.8%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.12 | pDev: 7.52%
Reviews:
25
Ratings:
30
Status:
Active
Rated:
Apr 09, 2014
Added:
Mar 25, 2008
Wants:
  11
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Hornet2003:
Photo of Hornet2003
Reviewed by Hornet2003 from Canada (BC)

4.15/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a nice copper/red colour. Little head after a few minutes.

Smell: Powerful hop punch in the aroma with a candy-ish, burnt sugar character as well.

Taste: Lots of citrus and malt. Orange, grapefruit, fig, and apricots.

Mouthfeel: Sweet and creamy. Good carbonation that lends itself well to the prickly bitterness.

Overall: Another great Sherbrooke beer! As a DIPA, I would compare this more to a DFH 90 min, east coast style rather than the fresher, peppery west coast style. I'm really digging this stuff for a hop fix and the 7.8% ABV means it's got decent drinkability.
Aug 02, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by rogerdandy from Canada (AB)

Apr 09, 2014
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.77/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle: Poured a deep amber color ale with a relatedly large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of medium citrus hops with some grassy and earthy hops notes also noticeable. Taste is also dominated by grassy hops with some earthy hops notes and some medium citrus notes. Quite a bit of caramel malt with good balance to avoid overshadowing the hops. Body is full with good carbonation. Enjoyable though probably a tad too much caramel malt presence for my own taste.
Sep 20, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by strang from Canada (AB)

Sep 13, 2013
Photo of andrenaline
Reviewed by andrenaline from Canada (ON)

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Huge props to joemcgrath27 for the hook-up on this gem.

A - Pours a slightly hazy brown colour and an amber hue, thumb of off-white head, solid retention and nice sheeting lacing.

S - Scent is dominated by musty caramel and resiny pine and earthy cedar hops, bready spiced undertones linger.

T - The bitter earthy pine hops dominate, the bitterness is strong but pleasant. A resiny hop flavor lingers alongside some toffee undertones and some biscuit notes.

M - Medium bodied, smooth with a touch of dryness and sticky finish.

O - A tasty DIPA, loads of flavor and an incredible bitterness that is surprisingly smooth and drinkable. Super pumped to have had the pleasure to try this. Definitely a worthy pick-up for any fan of the style.
Oct 06, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by Edgerrin32 from Canada (SK)

Sep 23, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by artemh from Canada (AB)

Jul 31, 2012
Photo of leaddog
Reviewed by leaddog from Canada (AB)

4.17/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance - Pours a coppery amber with a very fine line of white head.

Smell - Earthy piney hops, citrus, caramel, slight breadiness.

Taste - Initilally starts with a malty sweetness followed by a strong hops presence with hints of citrus/grapefruit and breadiness. Nice bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Dry finish with a bit of stickiness. A little sweetness from the malts is left.

Overall - A well-crafted DIPA by Alley Kat. As the words on the bottle suggest, this ale has lived up to the "very hoppy" character. The malty sweetness is balanced by the hops presence. Glad to have tried this rarity and worth seeking out if available to you.
May 28, 2012
Photo of papat444
Reviewed by papat444 from Canada (QC)

4.11/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Big thanks to biboergosum for this one.

Poured from a 341ml. bottle.

Appearance: A thick ecru colored head that leaves lacing all around like a band. Body is a slightly hazy orange-amber. Every sip reveals another ring of foam and halfway to the bottom, it becomes a thick coat.

Smell: Piney, citrusy, fleshy orange, cedar wood and floral notes.

Taste: Very fleshy fruit, pink grapefruit, sweet peaches and biscuity. Develops a nice fruit syrup mixed with candy as is warms.

Mouthfeel: Very creamy and bitter on the initial sip though it does settle back. Really balanced with some malty sweetness.

Overall: Lives up to the hype for me. Very drinkable and half my glass is gone before i notice it. Grab one of these for sure.
Apr 30, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by jmdr from Canada (AB)

Nov 22, 2011
Photo of alpineclimber
Reviewed by alpineclimber from Canada (AB)

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to wordemupg for this bottle.

Poured into my favourite chalice the colour of the brew is copper and clear with a small wispy white head.

The smell is fairly malty with a slight tinge of tangerine, the smell kind of reminds me of an English barleywine.

The taste is of light citrus hops a slight taste of piney hops on a big malt backbone. The taste is heavier on the malt with just a small bite of bitterness from the hops. The alcohol can hardly be preceived. A nice medium mouthfeel.

This is a great tasting beer. It's not very hoppy as advertised and compared to some American DIPA's it barely fits in the style with what is available on the market. This tastes more like an English barleywine.
Jul 15, 2011
Photo of wordemupg
Reviewed by wordemupg from Canada (AB)

4.02/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
341ml bottle poured into tulip 25/6/11

A clear ruby bronze with a finger of cream colored foam that leaves lots of random lace before it falls to a thin film

S some tropical notes with lots of brown sugar and a little booze

T again quite tropical with some pine and more brown sugar but this time its a little burnt and its slightly acidic

M medium bodied but still thicker then expected from the color, a nice bite to it and it leaves a little behind in your mouth

O good beer but for a DIPA its pretty malty and could use some balance but it's not the balance DIPA's are usually lacking

something I'd drink often if I could buy it here in Calgary but for now I need to thank Jim for bringing me a bunch of his Sherbrooke goodies this far south
Jun 26, 2011
Photo of bylerteck
Reviewed by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Bottle courtesy of biboergosum. Thanks!

A - Pours a dark gold or medium copper colour with good mediumish carbonation in the Duvel chalice. One finger Khaki head looks thick and creamy with some big bubbles. Bright. A film of head retention and a thin ring of lacing is left.

S- Really juicy, resinous west coast fruity hops. Pineapple, grapefruit, mango perhaps, some richer dark malts, and a touch of alcohol hidden away in the back.

T - You can initially tell that there is a ton of malt in this beer. It balances quite well with the aggressive hopping. All the fruity, tropical elements come out again with some roughness akin to pineapple cores. You get a good bready element mingling with pineapple and grapefruit again. No alcohol is obvious in the taste.

M - Mild-medium carbonation with a medium body and a scraping bitterness in the finish that isn't overly aggressive but just enough so to let you know what it aims to be. Not too heavy, not too carbonated, and not too bitter.

O/D - I'd have to say this is a fairly high quality IIPA. The slightly lower alcohol plays into its strengths. I know it's 7.8% but keeping the ABV in check and below say, 10% and masking it well is a plus in my books. The good balance with the obvious IIPA hopping characteristic also makes this a tasty little brew.
Jun 25, 2011
Photo of joemcgrath27
Reviewed by joemcgrath27 from Canada (AB)

4.3/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Complete fluke stumbling across this on tap in Calgary at the Hop n Brew, and I believe it was a single keg as it was gone a couple days later
A - clear amber brown, short head retained well with foamy lacing
S - caramel hint quickly gives way to hints of grapefruit, pineapple, and pine cones
T - like the nose a caramel sweetness shows first but is quickly replaced by pine and grapefruit, some light herbals, all finishing fairly sweet and balanced
M - generally medium, lightly sticky and bitter with some malty fullness remaining
O - a very balanced DIPA, and extremely drinkable, would never guess its a higher octane offering, so glad the opportunity crossed my path
Apr 24, 2011
Photo of EnemyWithin
Reviewed by EnemyWithin from Canada (ON)

3.68/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle on April 18, 2011 in Unibroue glass

Appearance: 4
Poured a golden amber brown with a nice 1 inch white-orange head that slowly dissipates leaving moderate lacing.

Smell: 3.5
Light to moderate citrus and floral notes from the hops. Also faint toffee malt is present, growing as beer warms.

Taste: 3.5
Initially a moderate sharp resiny and bitterness of hops dominates. Less citrus notes that I would expect and hope for based on aroma. Midway the sweetness of the malt becomes more present. Finishes with a fading bitterness and mild caramel breadiness of malt. Initially as I drank this beer I felt it was not as aggressive or complex as I remember when I first had this beer last year. But as the beer warms and opens up, it gets significantly better. I recall the same improvement in taste as I drink when I had it last year too. Changing me from feeling somewhat disappointed to actually finding the beer quite pleasant. Strange! In the end, the beer has a nice strong piney hops with a balance, but more subdued sweetness of malt.

Mouthfeel: 4
Nice moderate feel, with appropriate sticky, astringent elements of hops. Mild to moderate carbonation that is appropriate for style. Alcohol of 7.8% is very well-hidden and never overpowering.

Overall: 4
As previously mention, I felt this beer change significantly for the better as I continued to drink it. I can't really explain why. In the end, it is an enjoyable selection. Not a beer I'd seek out regularly, but I find it very easy drinking overall and nice local seasonal.
Apr 19, 2011
Photo of berley31
Reviewed by berley31 from Canada (NB)

4.32/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Poured with a medium-sized, off-white head that dissipated to 1/2-finger or so. Body is a dark orange color and hazy.

S: Awesome aroma packed full of hops... citrusy and minty.

T: Wow, this is a hoppy beer (as it should be). I can actually detect some nice, malty sweetness at the beginning, but then a strong punch of citrusy hop flavor comes through. Oddly, the finish actually isn't crazy bitter... don't get me wrong, it's bitter, but I find it balanced perfectly with the actual flavor of the hops.

M: Medium-bodied, medium carbonation. Just a touch of alcohol warmth.

D: An excellent DIPA... great work from Alley Kat.
Jun 22, 2010
Photo of MAB
Reviewed by MAB from Canada (AB)

4.67/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
One of many brews that I bought that day, this one stands out from the crowd:

Appearance is always the hardest for me to evaluate. It looked like beer and I can't say that the appearance could be improved any--so is it a 4, a 4.5, or a 5? I went for 4...

The aroma is flowery and all hops, as is to be expected. I had guessed that this beer would simply be a "Full Moon Pale Ale" (also brewed by Alley Kat, and a fine IPA it is) with extra hops, but it's way more complex than that.
The taste was spectacular. The extra hops are used for flavor, rather than bitterness, so the double hops are used for a purpose, not just be "Hop Stoopid" (a Lagunitas reference, there). The base flavor of the beer is a very boozy IPA, with great bitterness, and then you get the hop finish.
Perfectly carbonated and with that many hops you can't have a bad head. I could easily down a couple of these, but more than two would kind of ruin any further sampling of other brews.
Jan 17, 2010
Photo of Derek
Reviewed by Derek from Canada (BC)

3.78/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A: Copper with a light tan head, some retention & lacing.

S: Nectarine & grassy spicing with an underlying biscuity malt.

T: Nectarine, tangerine, pine, biscuit. Good bitterness. Alcohol is really subtle... seems more like an IPA and a half.

M: Well-attenuated moderate body is smooth with a slight acidity & dry, digestible finish.

D: An easy drinker.
Jun 14, 2009
Photo of entheogen
Reviewed by entheogen from Canada (AB)

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours deep copper with a light beige head that sticks around. A little bit of lacing remains. Moderately carbonated
Smells very strongly of hops initially, then sweet malt.
The hops are up front here, and they're sharp enough to evoke immediate salivation - but not unpleasant at all. Herbs and melon segueing into a really full bodied malt punch. After this, a subtle peak of alcohol. Very subtle considering the ABV. A little heaviness in the mouth which is mitigated by the carbonation.
Lingering bitterness that sticks around for a little while after the swallow.

Absolutely awesome with spicy food - it opens up the herbal and citrus rind character of the beer.

Very tasty, very well balanced.

edit: Please do another batch. this stuff is dynamite.
Apr 16, 2009
Photo of niangelo
Reviewed by niangelo from Canada (AB)

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I very excitedly snapped this beer up in Edmonton after seeing it - I mean, who doesn't want to drink a beer that's described on the label as "Very Hoppy" next to a cartoon of a ciger-chomping, tattooed, easter-egg grenade toting rabbit?

Poured into a Boston-Pizza beer glass (don't laugh, it's my favorite). Very dark copper and gold tones, with a ruddy, creamy gold-white head, which stuck around for the duration of the brew. Very lively carbonation. Good citrus on the nose, with hints off caramel and fresh bread.

Now, I've had a few IPAs, but this is a different animal. I mean, to compare it to Tree Brewing's beloved Hop Head is a total stretch. I was expecting a dry, choppy brew with some punchy hops, but not so with this one. This is a big, smooth brew that reminds me of high-test dark chocolate - sweet at first, then the bitterness hits you. Caramel, more bread (but like a sourdough) tons of ripe, sweet grapefruit. And a teensy bit of alcohol at the end, but nothing that would suggest this ABV.

Totally enjoyable, very unique. I hope Alley Kat considers bringing this back from time to time.
Oct 18, 2008
Sherbrooke Bad Hare Day from Alley Kat Brewing Company
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 30 ratings