It is a rare opportunity when I get to sample a beer before it is officially released, but that was the case this past week with Alley Kat’s latest release in their Big Bottle Series, Full Moon Belgian Pale Ale – their regular Full Moon Pale Ale fermented with Ardennes yeast strain instead of their regular yeast. Their intention was to give the beer the distinct spicy Belgian yeast character without losing the sharp hop accent of the beer.

I couldn’t make it out to the release party on Thursday, but did, thanks to a fortuitously timed meeting with Neil and Charlene from Alley Kat,  get my hands on a a bottle 24 hours before the release. Alas I could not sample it Wednesday night, but made a point of opening it Thursday evening. So I can’t say I was the first person outside the brewery to drink the beer – as their launch party had been going for a couple of hours already – but I was likely the first to get to drink it in their own home.

I was plugging away at my taxes that night, and so the beer served as an enticing distraction from T-slips and deduction receipts.

The beer looks exactly like Full Moon, so I need say very little else there. The aroma is surprisingly subdued. I get a touch of citrus hop (less than in the original), an expected crystal malt aroma and then a quiet earthy and light pepper yeast character. I find myself noting just how different this beer smells from regular Full Moon. The yeast really alters the initial impressions.

As for flavour, the front is earthy and musty. I expected more malt, actually. There is some, however, of light crystal and biscuit. The earthy, spicy yeast character builds quickly. I pick up a soapy, anise-like accent to it. The finish brings out that classic Full Moon hop bitterness and flavour – the yeast couldn’t devour that. Also in the linger is a musty, dirty yeast character, which I associate with a good saison.

I am impressed at how thoroughly the yeast changes the character of Full Moon. It is a nice example of the power of yeast to affect flavour and aroma. I can recognize Full Moon underneath there somewhere, but the earthy, spicy yeast notes push the pale ale character to the background.

A pleasant Thursday night distraction from paying my share of keeping this country functioning. (For the record, I started this post on Thursday night, but then Friday got away on me and I couldn’t complete it; which explains both the absence of a Friday post and why this loses a touch of its immediacy.)

I hope Alley Kat (and other breweries) continue to play with their regular beer and unusual yeast. I think the opportunity to see how yeast alters flavour is attractive. We do it with hops these days. Why not yeast too?