Fat Cat IPA
Wolf Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

My bottle says "Red Brick," which I assume is simply a rebranding of the original brew. I picked it up from the brewery.

This beer describes itself as a "generously hoppy" "west coast style IPA"... I'm curious how it lives up to this description.

It pours a medium golden colour with minimal head and lacing. I could easily mistake this for some kind of lager. It lacks the deep coppery colour of many West Coast IPAs. At the same time, it doesn't look unappealing. It appears much more in line with an English IPA.

The aroma is dominated by rich and slightly sweet maltiness. There isn't much of a hop profile (as the description suggests). Again, it is more in line with an English style IPA, and certainly smells good enough to drink

This beer is very malty for an IPA. The hops are noticeable and pleasant across the tongue, though it is hardly bitter. The maltiness really develops nicely in the aftertaste... I'm kind of craving another gulp.

Overall, I would say that this beer isn't the best example of an IPA, and certainly does not follow the tradition of other west coast IPAs in the way it advertises. In that sense, it is a little disappointing. When I look at this beer without all the IPA context, it has a lot more going for it. This is definitely a decent beer, and would be great at a BBQ, or to drink right from the bottle on a hot day. Just don't expect a bold IPA, and you'll enjoy it.

A- The color is a very nice orange amber color, and is slightly hazy. The head, which is eggshell colored, starts out quite impressive with a good dense thickness, slowly settling down to about a quarter inch layer of puffy foam. The lacing unfortunately leaves a little to be desired as there just really isn't any. I'd like to rate this area higher but just can't...oh well, still a nice looking beer.

S- The initial aromas are quite fruity....reminds me 100% of dried mangoes and/or apricots. Lesser aromas are present, including toffee, nuts and soft, citrus hops on the finish, which totally caught me off guard...I was expecting bold, fresh and spicy hop bitterness.

T- The flavors are similar to the aromas but the fruitiness is less pronounced, and the rich nutty/roasted malt is much more prominent. The finish again is soft, with a tart bittering profile noticeable. Flavors left on the palate after the swallow include sweet caramel malts...interesting and nicely balanced, but again, not what I was expecting.

M- Medium bodied and soft carbonation. It is actually quite mellow in character yet there is enough bitterness on the finish to keep this thirst quenching, while maintaining a rich flavor profile.

D- I'm not a hophead, I admit, so I was a little leery when opening this up, seeing as it's a US pint....lots of beer to get through. I love the balance in this one, and do have to say that it is quite malty for an IPA...oh well. I am enjoying this enough to buy it again, whenever I get the chance...would like to try this on tap!

Fat Cat IPA pours a nice orange copper with a fluffy head that lingers. The aroma is a slightly citrusy, but relatively mild hop character. More hops come through in the flavor with herbal and citrus notes. The moderate bitterness is rounded out with a nice light caramel maltiness.

Overall the beer is pretty balanced for an IPA, not a typical West Coast version of the style.

Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a fluffy one finger head that has okay retention and leaves nice lacing. A steady stream of bubbles rising in the glas.

Smells of apricot, lemon and caramel malt. A bit faint smell overall.

Tastes of apricot, lemon, caramel malt and flowery hops, finishes with unripened cherries.

Mouthfeel is medium/light with a sparkling soft carbonation and a dry finish.

650ml bomber from a BIF :

Lightly hazed amber-gold with a good 2 finger cap that lasts and laces.

Aroma is citrus, floral, caramel sweetness with some earthiness.

Sweet malts disappear almost immediately and it turns pleasingly bitter, a bit fruity and dries out in the finish.

Good solid brew pub fare but slightly two dimensional

I remember not liking this beer in bottle as it had no hops for the style. Well I saw it on tap at the pub in Silva Bay on Gabriola Island and I decided to revisit it. It is a totally different beer on tap as it comes off as a lovely English style IPA with a brewery smell on the nose and a complex fruity finish. I tried in bottle that day and the on tap version is miles better. On tap this is one of the most underated beers in BC. In bottle it is a malt bomb.

Enjoyed this on draught at the recent "Island Beer Festival" at Element Nightclub in Victoria, BC. Fat Cat gets criminally little attention in Victoria pubs or liquor stores, so this was a real treat and to my tastebuds, the best IPA/ESB of the day. Very drinkable at its' ABV, English (as opposed to American) tasting (I'm not enough of a hop expert to pick out the varieties used) and I returned for several of the 4 oz. tasters. This is a better beer than initial reviews would indicate, especially when fresh.

pours a clear amber-orange with a large white head, and great lacing.

smell is faint with some caramel.

taste is of caramel, citrus, flowers, hops, and a strange funky taste, ends a little strange and somewhat bitter.

overall not that great of a IPA, looks a lot better than it tastes.

22oz bottle poured into a 22oz mug

Pours hazy light golden with medium head but little lacing. Smell is weak, slight pine, slight sourness, slight something malty.

Taste is weak. First impression is very watery, but there is some piney hops to it and a little tannic bitterness and some grapefruit our, you just have to go looking for it.

Mouthfeel is fine, very dry, light. Moderately drinkable beer, but I'm not going to go out and buy it again.

22oz bottle pours a golden color with lots of frothy head that is fed by streams of bubbles - looks like a honey ale. Lots of spotty lacing.

Smell has hints of citrus hops, some malty caramel sweetness, hint of generic beer.

Taste is a little unsettling. I know not all IPAs are to be over-hopped but this one seems to lack any real hop base. Hints of citrus hops are hidden behind a light initial bitter hops and all this is followed by an awkward malty sweetness mixed with some odd bitter/lactic type notes. It's not bad, but it really doesn't fit my bill for an IPA and it has some slightly "off" tastes in the finish. It needs some more vibrancy from the hops.

Can't say I'm overly impressed and yet it would make a decent generic food beer and would suit those who don't mind a dash of hops but still don't crave the real deal. Pretty much so-so.

I grabbed a bomber of this at that tiny liquor store in the Vancouver airport, it being a better place to spend time than being a baggage claim area zombie...

This beer pours a slightly hazy light amber colour, with lots of foamy, puffy white head. It smells of mild, muted British malt, kind of nutty. The taste is floral, earthy, and slightly citrusy hops, and grainy cereal malt. The carbonation is on the low side, and it finishes a tad malty. A very good example of the style, no pandering to the West Coast IPA hegemony... :-)

A: pours a nice, clear, copper colour with a big off-white, bubbly, head and lost of rising carbonation bubbles. The head has decent retention and leaves a pretty good lace.

S: crisp hop aroma with a sugary sweetness and slight touch of citrus zest.

T: bitter hops up front with caramely sweetness in the middle and a lingering hop finish - too sweet and not quite enough hops IMO.

M: light bodied and smooth. Crisp, clean and goes down smooth.

D: Very easy to drink - I could definitely have a few. Far from my favourite IPA though (could use more hops and alcohol and less sweetness). Nevertheless, still an enjoyable beer to drink.

Not what I expected from an IPA. Moderate copper color. Lots of foam on the pour, subsiding quickly, minimal lace, Aroma of malt. Pretty smooth mouthfeel, minimal bitterrness, finishes dry in the back of the mouth. More malty and bready than citrusy or piney, which is more what I'd expect. Very sessionable. Kind of bummed that my sister only brought back one bottle of this when she visited Nanaimo.

Bomber from Reuven, thanks. Fresh, like a West Coast IPA except the aroma of grapefruit is subdued, and the citrus taste is there but on the overcarbonated side. Noticeable butterness and carmel malts to balance it. Otherwise quite quaffable. I think underrated.

I'd say this was more American than English. It certainly has a piney aroma and flavour... though the original IPA's did often use American Hops...

I'll agree that it doesn't have the in-your-face hop profile of a lot of American IPA's.

A: Copper with an off-white head. Not much retention, but it leaves a little lace.

S: Bready, caramel malt with a piney and citrousy hop aroma.

T: Well rounded hop flavour (pine, citrous and earth), a little bready malt. Unfortunately, the bitterness comes up a little short. Perhaps there's too much caramel malt sweetness? A VERY good Pale Ale (perhaps a 4.5), but a little lacking for an IPA.

M: Moderate body feels a little syrupy and acidic, moderate carbonation.

D: It's good. It's a well balanced brew, I just expect a little more bitterness in an IPA.

Pours a cloudy orange brown, huge white head forms, settles then laces well, head sticks until the end. Smell is very malty, some caramel, citrus and yeast. Taste is very malty as well, grainy with caramel, some floral hops, little bit of yeast. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, low carbonation, dry and alcohol warmth. Like an IPA without the hops, the bitterness is there but no aroma/flavour hopping. Worth a try though.