Big Kat
Yards Brewing Co.

Picked this up at Fanwood Liquors late last year as I never had anything from Yards out of a can before. Enjoyed their more popular bottled offerings years ago and like those, this had a distinct feel to it but unlike those, it wasn't colonial in nature as the Belgian notes really emerged once this completely warmed up.

This had the look of a Belgian IPA with it's appearance like tea and frothy, bubbly head that never fully settled down. A nice amount of suds stayed behind with thin rings near the top as the thicker ones settled down near the bottom. Lots of banana and raisin in the nose as a herbal and tea-like undertone came through in the taste. Smooth with leather, dank blue and gooseberry, and softly subtle earthy hops way down, this was plenty slick, a bit sticky, and a nice hybrid of something from overseas with a hoppier offering from these parts. The yeast was present, but not strong, as the dark fruit and berry slickness were persistent and inviting, until the last sip.

Not overly strong, this something I'd crack open again had I had more than one can on hand. Dated 8/23 on the bottom of the can, this held up well over the last 7 1/2 months as there wasn't any sediment to be seen. Lots to like here if you're into this style and although it wasn't strong in any aspect, it was worth savoring for those willing to take the time with it!

Yards Brewing Co. "Big Kat"
16 fl. oz. can coded "082322 1115 55:48". Sampled on 092522.

Notes via stream of consciousness: It's poured a hazy dark copper colored body beneath a finger's width of off-white foam. The nose offers a combination of darkly caramelish malt, a light fruitness, and some spicy character from the Belgian yeast. There's some hop to it but not a lot and it really seems more like an amped up Belgian pale ale than an IPA. If I have to pick some particular notes that define the hops I'd go with tangerine and berries. On to the taste then... it's surprisingly not that different. I'm getting some additional clove from the yeast, some dark skinned fruit (raisin, date, dried apricot, plum), some "dank", resinous, and herbal character, and a little bit of leather. The spiciness is soft and round, wrapped in the dark fruitiness and herbs. It's an interesting beer to say the least, and certainly not what I was expecting. I'm thinking of it as being like a De Konink mixed with some abbey dubbel and a Houblon Chouffe. It has some strength, a good bit of malt to it, a solid bitterness, and some hops but they're not really bright, they just add to the overall complexity. Again, the tangerine and berry notes stand out to me and they might be skewing the malt to suggest the other dark fruits but I don't know for sure. In the mouth it's medium-full in body and velvety smooth across the palate. It's a little weird for me to drink a 16 ounce beer out of a chalice as opposed to a British pint glass but that's probably the best way to enjoy it. I don't think this is going to turn any heads because it's quite subdued but there's a lot going on if you dig into it.
Review #8,262