Crossing Streams
Alley Kat Brewing Company

Appearance is clear with a reddish, brown color to it with some dark copper highlights to it, topped with a single finger width of loose looking tan colored head that has poor retention to it and leave very little watery lace.

Aroma is sweet with loads of toffee and a good amount of dark honey with ghostly berry notes and hint of smoke.

Solid bodied forward, pretty sweet tasting with a smoky dark honey flavor to it with a light trace of a red apple flavor to it.

Backbone is a smoky, scotch malt with an almost chewy toffee flavor that rolls around on the tongue pleasantly.

Finish has a very faint hint of sappy hop flavor to it but mostly leans towards the sweet and smoky with a lingering wood smoke aftertaste that lingers along with a faint hint of apple sourness that grows on the palate as it warms.

Medium bodied but with a solid almost chewy mouthfeel to it, with a bit higher then average amount of carbonation.

 

 

650ml bottle - the latest in their Back Alley Brews series. This time they've gone all the way down to Water Valley, Alberta, and obtained some honey from FallenTimber Meadery, to brew what they believe to be Canada's first 'Wee Heavy Braggot'.

This beer pours a clear, dark orange-brick amber colour, with two fingers of puffy, finely foamy, and somewhat bubbly tan head, which leaves a few bands of low-lying, streaky lace around the glass as it quickly fades to nil.

It smells of smoked, and sort of meaty caramel malt, some singed black stone fruitiness, faint sugary honey notes, and very subtle earthy, leafy, and floral green hop bitters. The taste is roasted caramel malt, peat bog, watery honey, a weak dark orchard fruity character, some free-range ashiness, and more understated earthy, musty, and mildly tipsy floral hoppiness.

The carbonation is average in its palate-taunting frothiness, the body a so-so medium weight, and generally smooth, the peaty smoke dialing it back a bunch at this particular juncture, for some reason. It finishes off-dry, barely, as the roasted side of equation still maintains a firm grip on the lingering reins.

Overall - yup, this one comes off as much more Wee Heavy than Braggot in its bearing, with the poor 'natural' honey (are there robot bees out there?) getting overshadowed by the big Scotch whisky smokey essences. That said, it is pretty tasty, and the 14-proof booze is well integrated, for the most part. Worth checking out, even if I couldn't weave a Ghostbusters reference in here.