15th Anniversary Cascadian Dark Ale
Alley Kat Brewing Company

15th Anniversary Cascadian Dark Ale15th Anniversary Cascadian Dark Ale
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From:
Alley Kat Brewing Company
 
Alberta, Canada
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
7.6%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.96 | pDev: 9.6%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
15
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 20, 2014
Added:
Nov 17, 2010
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Howlader:
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Rated by Howlader from Canada (AB)

3/5  rDev -24.2%

Jul 20, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.5 by Iggy12

Jul 30, 2012
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Reviewed by Derek from Canada (BC)

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Dark brown/black with ruby highlights, lasting light tan head, great lace.

S: Floral, citrus, pine, sponge toffee, biscuit, cotton candy and hints of sweet caramel. Very nice, but not over-powering.

T: Dark toffee, grapefruit rind, biscuit, pine, floral, hints of roasted nut, modest bitterness. I really like it, but it's a bit light on the bitterness & hopping for a CDA.

M: Well-attenuated moderate body has a hint of hop acidity.

D/O: A really easy drinker for its strength. I love it, but the hopping & bitterness is somewhere between a CDA and an American (Texan) Brown.

Thanks Boney!
Jun 09, 2011
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Reviewed by EnemyWithin from Canada (ON)

3.39/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
December 4, 2010. Bottle in Duvel glass.

Appearance: 4.5
Black with slight brown tint. 1 inch brown cream head with very good lacing. Head fades to incomplete surface covering.

Smell: 3
Not very potent aroma. Initially malt of brown sugar with hints of roasted coffee and chocolate. Faint notes of citrus hops that quickly dissipate.

Taste: 3.5
Combination of mild-moderate bitterness with notes of piney/ resin and malt of molasses. But hoppiness tends to overly dominate profile. Somewhat unbalanced, in comparison to other beers I've had in this style.

Mouthfeel: 3
Thin to moderate carbonation. Like more sweetness to balance dry feel of hops.

Overall: 3
Good effort, but not a beer I'd seek out again. Have had better in this style.
Apr 19, 2011
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Reviewed by elricorico from Canada (AB)

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Looks great, it is near black in the glass with just a bit of light showing brown at the edges. A solid three fingers of beige head from a steady pour that takes a few minutes to start shrinking, and leaves a bunch of lacing. I'd say this is the best looking Alley Kat brew I've seen.

Very sharp grapefruit rind aroma at first, with little else to show, but the beer is a bit too cold at the start. A little bit of acrid smoke slips into the aroma as it warms over a nutty and faintly chocolaty malt base.

Hops star in the flavour department, with a true cascade kick at the end. Nuts and caramel malt flavours in the middle of the mouth. Grapefruit rind and some orange citric flavours at the finish. When it starts to get a bit warmer, it starts to develop a bit of chocolate to the malt.

There is a fair bit of body to the beer, and there definitely is an impression of aggressive hopping in the body of the beer, as it feels like it could peel a few layers off whatever it touches.

Good beer, I'd like to see this one come back sometime. One of Alley Kat's best efforts.
Feb 01, 2011
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Reviewed by peensteen from Canada (ON)

3.65/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a cola coloured brown, very nice head and left some nice lace on the glass. Smells of coffee up front, followed by a nice hoppy aroma and a toasted malt presence. Coffee comes through on the palate followed by a toasty malt, some sweet notes and finishes with a nice hop bitterness. Fairly light mouthfeel but syrupy at some points. I enjoyed this, thanks to Sammy for sharing.
Jan 25, 2011
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Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Bomber from Presario. Another 15th Anniversary special. Black body with one-quarter inch of head, and is lacey. Dark roast, this is more of a blackbier with hops than a typical black IPA. A little smoke in the aroma. Chocolate malts. A meal of the roasted malts.
Dec 30, 2010
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Reviewed by kwjd from Canada (ON)

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Sammy's bottle. Pours a dark brown colour with thick tan head. Some mild lacing down the side of the glass. Smells of lots of roasted malt and coffee, with some citrus hops taking more a backseat than other Cascadian Dark Ales. This is fairly similar to a hoppy porter, though I suppose that is what a CDA is. Bitter flavour from the hops comes though, still a lot of roasty sweetness. Quite a smooth mouthfeel. I enjoy this a lot.
Dec 30, 2010
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Reviewed by joemcgrath27 from Canada (AB)

4.13/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A - deep red amber, tall creamy smooth never ending head
S - floral and spicy, caramel sweetness and cedar wood
T - hop notes are floral and grapefruit, balanced with a roasty malt and woody earthiness
M - low carbonation creamy smooth, finishing bitter
D - great presence of cascade hop flavour with a sturdy malt backbone, 7.6% abv is dangerously well hidden, very drinkable
Dec 28, 2010
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Reviewed by Dawkfan from Canada (AB)

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A- This is nearly black in appearance, only when help up to a light you can see that it isn't. Head is beige in color, frosty lacing coating the glass after this settled in to a thin layered cap.

S- Very malt forward, chocolate & caramel. There's underlying citrus notes of grapefruit & orange.

T- Very malty at the beginning, turns citrusy in the middle. The finish is a mix of bitter grapefruit & chocolate, both linger for some time. Very good balance here.

M- Full body and average carbonation. Creamy feel and a touch sticky.

D- Not to familiar with this style, but I can see what the hype is about. A great finishing ale for Alley Kat's 15th anniversary.
Dec 06, 2010
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Reviewed by andrenaline from Canada (ON)

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A - Pours a dark mahogany colour, thumb of big bubbled off-white head, decent retention, some fine sticky lacing.

S - Brown sugar, burnt marshmallow, sweet citrus hops, dark chocolate and espresso on the finish.

T - Very nicely balanced with the chocolate malts coming through nicely along with some nice bitter and earthy cedar hops. Roasted flavours definitely complement the hops, making for a delicious ale.

M - A little light and could be a bit less carbonated to make it a bit smoother, but nothing overly offensive.

D - This is by far my favourite of the series. Well done Alley Kat! I've really enjoyed indulging in the various offerings throughout the year, and it always made my day whenever a new beer hit the shelves! Highly recommended ale to any hop fan, and an excellent take on the Black IPA.
Dec 04, 2010
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Reviewed by hoser from Canada (AB)

3.8/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I agree with most this is a hoppy porter at best, I have enjoyed the 15th anniversary series, think the Triple was best.I agree with most this is a hoppy porter at best, I have enjoyed the 15th anniversary series, think the Triple was best.I agree with most this is a hoppy porter at best, I have enjoyed the 15th anniversary series, think the Triple was best.
Nov 25, 2010
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Reviewed by wordemupg from Canada (AB)

4.35/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
650ml bomber poured into tulip nov22 2010

A looks pretty dark but I'm in a fairly dark room right now, big ass tan head has great retention but only leaves a couple patches of lace

S lots of milk chocolate with citric hops, not much else though but I like what's there

T I love the balance of dark malts and heavy hops, a little earthy and just a hint of booze and pine. not too familiar with this style and I'm thinking I may need too get acquainted

M pretty thick and creamy with a little bite and I could taste it well after I swallowed it

D quite high considering how strong it is, working well with this stupid cold night here in Alberta

one of the better brews I've had from Alley Kat, big surprise with this one I didn't know what to expect and I'm pretty happy. too bad it's not going to be in the regular rotation I could see myself drinking a fair bit of it
Nov 23, 2010
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Reviewed by IronDjinn from Canada (AB)

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
From a 650 ml brown bottle, red label. The final anniversary offering from Alley Kat's 15th year. It seems black in appearance, but turns a dark transluscent brown with oaky highlights when held to direct light. Creamy, foamy light beige head that slowly settles.

Sweet milky chocolatey aroma, toasty and nutty, mild roast, very faint leafy hops in the background. Definitely malt forward in the aroma.

The grapefruit and citrus from the Cascade hops are apparent from the start, blending with a creamy sweet chocolate character, milky sweet by the middle. Although by the middle things pick up a drier toasty and nutty profile, which continues into the finish along with moderate leafy and citrus hops. Once again the malt is more assertive in the flavour as well, however the hops linger on in the aftertaste much longer as it warms.

Full-bodied and smooth mouthfeel, moderate carbonation, deceptively easy to quaff given the abv%

A great dark ale all around, could use a bit more hops for my liking given the style, although I can't argue the balance pulled off with it. To my taste buds it may come across far more malt-centric than it is (I do expect more of a hop profile in a Dark IPA), but this could also easily pass for an American Stout that allows some hops to poke through as well. I hope Alley Kat puts this into regular production at some point, it'd also be a treat to see it on tap around town (or the province!) as well.
Nov 20, 2010
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Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

4.34/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
The final release in Alley Kat's 15th anniversary series, and an ode to the eponymous hop and brewers that so inspired them.

This beer pours a clear, very dark ruby red amber hue, with tons of thin foamy, puffy off-white head, of the overflowing sort, which eventually leaves some decent hanging lace around the glass as it recedes. It smells strongly of grapefruit and orange citrus hops, and creamy caramel nougat. Wow. Just wow. The taste is edgy, bitter pine and citrus pith hops, lightly roasted biscuit and caramel malt, a bit of lemon, and earthy, soft yeast. The carbonation is on the low side, the body dense, on the north side of medium weight, just a wee bit prickly, but generally smooth. A very subtle warming is the only evidence of the elevated ABV. It finishes with a further waning of the caramel malt, and a steady as she goes melange of bitter hops.

It's like AK took Full Moon, and roasted, hopped, and boozed it up to "Cascadian Dark Ale" levels. And what a job they did! Intense, yet balanced. Strong, yet smooth. 650ml, but not for long...
Nov 17, 2010
15th Anniversary Cascadian Dark Ale from Alley Kat Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 15 ratings