“When the Fat Cat was brewed I was looking for a distinctive hop that might play against the caramel-like malt profile. Nelson Sauvin was one of the only types of hops at the time that was available fresh from the 2008 harvest. The choice was not difficult as in 2006 at the Helsinki Beer Festival I tasted a beer made only with this hop. The malt used is a mixture of British Maris Otter and German münchenermalt along with caramel malt, husked chocolate malt and raw barley from rich New Zealand soil.”
This brewery would have to be in the top 5 best Danish breweries. Served in a shaker glass the murky amber pour boasts gorgeous copper hues. Atop sits a 1 inch beige head with good retention which allows spotted lacing to be strewn all the way down the glass. Aroma is dominated by resinous hops and pine with a refreshing herbal character also coming through. Sweet undertones of peach, forest berries, candy and toffee add depth to an already magnificent nose. In the mouth it feels smooth with medium body. Medium carbonation and an assertive bitterness marry up well with the slightly earthy fore-flavour. Pine, berries, grapefruit and subtle hints of caramel are all driven on a caramel malty backbone that essentially produces a highly palatable red ale. 4.7% ABV is a tad low, we thought a slightly higher volume would have really benefited but that aside it’s a good offering.