It started in Fremantle way back in 1984 and was not an instant success.

They had trouble trying to sell their beers and so the co-owners decided to buy their own venue and turn it into a brewpub – called The Sail and Anchor.

In 1988 Carlton and United bought 20 per cent of the business and two years later the CUB parent company picked up the rest.

For people anywhere other than Western Australia, this meant the big company’s distribution could send Matilda Bay’s Redback beer and others in the stable like Alpha pale ale and Dogbolter dark lager.

But in recent years, the brand has really lost its way. 

The core beers that made its name have fallen by the wayside while the more recent creation of Fat Yak pale ale dominates sales.

That led to a change in focus to build the Yak name into a whole new brand.

First up was a rather bland pale ale aptly named Lazy Yak.

Now the third Yak in the family has been released – and oddly enough, it’s another pale ale.

Three Yak beers  and they’re all pale ales. Weird. Talking about reinventing the wheel over and over again.

The Wild Yak is tagged a “Pacific Ale”, presumably to try and piggyback on the recognition Stone & Wood’s Pacific Ale has in the market.

As a beer goes, there’s really nothing at all “wild” about this. It might serve as an entry level craft beer – but Matilda Bay already had one of those in Fat Yak.

Flavourwise, it’s okay. Not as good as Fat Yak but definitely, definitely better than Lazy Yak.

The label promises a “fresh and fruity” beer and that isn’t really true. In terms of tropical fruit characters, this has less than the Stone & Wood beer it seems to be mimicking.

No doubt the beer will sell, because the massive distribution CUB has will put it in almost every bottle shop.

But for my money, if you want a fresh and fruity beer the Stone & Wood Pacific Ale is a better bet.