Ein Prosit!
Alley Kat Brewing Company

 

 

 

Pours from the 750mL bomber into my stein a fairly dark amber/red/copper colour, topped by two fingers of tight head that recedes pretty quickly to a few islands but leaves some lacing.

Smell is quite malty, sweet-ish, with some biscuit, some toasted/roasted caramel flavour, toasted bready notes, maybe even a hint of hazelnut or light coffee. And then some bitter green, showing evidence of noble hopping. Very nice.

Taste is malty, toasted, biscuity goodness, caramel sweetness, again with a bit of a balancing noble hop bitterness. Ever so slight leafy greens. Faint notes, again, of almost hazelnut or coffee, and maybe even baking spices? Nice moderate body and balanced, moderate carbonation.

I *really* like this offering: probably the best marzen/Oktoberfest that I've tried from a brewery outside of Germany.

 

 

On-tap at Beer Revolution, perfect time for an Oktoberfest beer.

This beer is clear, medium amber - orange color, with a thin foamy, tan head. Thin ring of fine bubbles, and spider web thin lace. It smells of bready malt, caramel and/or toffee. Taste has the same malt sweetness, and also some dark fruit. Floral hops add to the balance and aftertaste. The carbonation is average, body is medium, finish is smooth and a bit dry.
Not overly complex, but still good flavor.
A drinkable choice that was well enjoyed on this evening.

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Great amber-red. Slight head.

Smell: Noble hops, and biscuit aromas. Smells rich and warming-like a perfect fall beer should.

Taste: I'm digging this O-fest beer. It's got a pretty refined malt backbone but there is definitely more bitterness than the German Marzens.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is spot on for a rich, amber lager. Lots of bitterness with a sweetish finish on the tongue.

Overall: This is a great interpretation of the Marzen/Oktoberfest style.

Loving the Alley Kat seasonal 6-packs. Inexpensive and crafted to style in an exemplary way.

A - Pours nice copper colour, finger of head with solid retention and some sporadic lacing.

S - A tad mild, but grassy hops, sour citrus, lemon and toffee.

T - Very earthy and leafy, a unique citrus flavour lingers on the tongue, the bitterness is pronounced but non-offensive. Toffee and caramel notes come through on the finish.

M - Thinner bodied ale, which given the style is suitable for heavy drinking, but I'd prefer if it had a bit of a carbonation boost.

O - A tasty marzen, easily drinkalbe and a good representation of the style. Certainly some unique aspects that make it memorable.

 

20oz pint, on-tap at the Next Act on a sunny, and then suddenly (big surprise) very crisp autumn afternoon.

This beer appears a crystal clear, medium bronzed amber hue, with one flabby finger of puffy, thinly foamy, and mildly creamy off-white head, which leaves a few layers of bleeding paint swath lace around the glass as things slowly blow off.

It smells of crisp, semi-sweet bready and doughy caramel malt, a further biscuity cracker character, mild pome and drupe orchard fruit, and soft floral, leafy, and herbal noble hops. The taste is more robust bready and wet crackery caramel malt, some tangy, and further sweetening dark earthy fruitiness, and more tame, but duly supportive leafy, herbal, and woodsy hop bitterness.

The carbonation is fairly average in its steady and occasionally playful frothiness, the body a sturdy middleweight, and perhaps a bit tacky, but adequately smooth. It finishes off-dry, the punchy biscuity and otherwise varied malt holding fast against any latent, and maybe somewhat metallic (but who's sayin'?) hop dryness.

Perhaps not the most complex of similar offerings, but that's hardly the metric to be held up to here, I suppose. More to the point: flavourful enough in its Bavarian odes, in both hop and malt, to warrant multiple sessions of seasonal drinking and dirndl appreciation, at least until the snow, she flies.

A - poured into a tulip, crystal clear copper, respectable off white head that retained at a half finger with intermittent lacing
S - strong caramel and nutty aromas, light leafy and fruity accents
T - elements like the nose but it is generally dominated by a mineral or blood like flavour from start to finish, tasty but somewhat deceiving
M - medium with a slightly syrupy feel to start, but quickly drys out but does leave a bit of a film on mouth roof
O - bring back fond memories of my 2010 Oktoberfest experience, although this beer had more dunkel type elements than many of the fest lagers I've had, it is still a great brew and a timely seasonal

341ml bottle poured into tulip 14/9/11

A clear copper with just a few bubbles feeding a short lived thin film of head that leaves a few random patches of lace

S honey, dry cereal and a little toffee

T some dried fruit and nuts on top of what I smell, some sweet malt but not a whole lot of sugar

M medium bodied with just enough carbonation to keep it from feeling flat, nutty aftertaste lingers for a few minuets

O nothing offensive but nothing exciting either, no reason to turn it down but I wouldn't go searching for it

Alley Kat's been pumping out the brews this summer and I hope this continues through Fall and Winter. Not all great beers but at least their trying new stuff or in this case bringing old brews back to life

Pours a dark orange bordering on brown, with a thin cap of tan head. Head fades to a ring rather quickly.

The smell is a mix of malty toffee and a fruity hop smell, that makes me think of peach more than anything else.

Taste starts out faintly sweet, but not a strong malt profile. A little bit of biscuit in there. On the way back the hops take over with a slightly dry and bitter taste. Neither taste seems to stand out, it feels more like a balance of two hops. Nothing offensive here, balanced, but I was looking for more.

There is a little bit of body to this beer, and the carbonation is on the light side. It is smooth and drinkable, though at times feels a little on the light side to me.

Not a bad beer, but it doesn't really do much for me.

Amber in colour with medium carbonation. The aroma was a bit more fruity than I expected, but the malt aspect began to shine through the more I smelled it. The flavor profile is quite interesting... evolving from fruity, to malty, to bready, and finally toast. Good heavy body to this stuff too. Wonderful complexity overall, but I would have prefered the bready-toasty elements to be a bit more front and centre.

What can I say about this elixir?!?! Very close to sex in a bottle. I like German beers and Marzen is a particular favorite and this rendition from Alley kat is the best Canadian Marzen I have tasted….beating out Dieu De Ceil, Cheval Blanc and other pub-brewed marzens I have tasted. The difference is in the hop mixture used in this brew….marvelous! Orange in color with a tall frothy cap and a delicious sweet bread and caramel aroma interposed with whiffs of German herbal hops. Medium bodied, creamy delivery of chewy sweet malts and earthy-musty notes…a great Oktoberfest in the finest Teutonic fest-bier tradition. I can’t get enough of this brew…too bad it’s a once a year phenomena.