Seasonal “American spring” bock layers bright tangerine-peach tang above plain honeyed wheat base. Perceptible bitter hop sharpness intensifies fruity allure as unwavering alcohol depth expands.
All posts by John Fortunato
FLYING DOG ROAD DOG SCOTTISH PORTER
Pine-scented maroon-burgundy hued port with amber highlights maintains pliable Scotch twist, smoky maple-molasses influence, roasted nut dryness, and burnt hop sop intensified by chocolate-seeded coffee bean souring. Lactose vanilla-caramel finish amply sweetens creamy medium body.
FLYING DOG OLD SCRATCH AMBER LAGER
Comical ‘bug’ label will draw novelty crowd, but pert sugared malt arrival and lingering grain finish will secure true believers. A tad spicy and citric sweet, this moderate dry lager maintains refined distinctiveness.
FLYING DOG K-9 CRUISER WINTER ALE
Tinny winter warmer lacks seasonal hop spicing, proper chocolate-crystal malting, and decent body. Slick metallic drear.
FLYING DOG K-9 CRUISER ALTITUDE ALE
Malted cocoa sweetness counters cursory burnt hop bitterness of pliable brown ale. Stray wheat-chaffed barley toasting and fluctuant chalky mocha murk blur bleached-out cherry-grape-quince fruiting at dissonant rye finish.
FLYING DOG KERBEROS TRIPEL
Though lacking efficient ‘tripel’ character, clouded copper Belgian-styled strong ale benefits from candi-sugared citrus tang, tropical fruit melange, and white-peppered floral tinge. Syrupy whiskey malts increase fruity sweetness.
FLYING DOG IN-HEAT WHEAT
Cloudy golden hefeweizen gathers bruised orange souring, banana peel variance, and lemony tartness to uplift hop-bitten mint-clove sensation. But metallic bone dry finish hampers vegetative surge, murky malt splurge, and wheat biscuit merge.
FLYING DOG HORNDOG BARLEYWINE STYLE ALE
Thickly syrupy alcohol-soaked ruby brown barleywine scatters prune-fig-raisin thicket atop deep molasses bottom, picking up milk chocolate and dry cocoa notes to rum-spiced finish. Tangy black cherry, grape, and melon core usurps burnt sugar center as toasted hop bittering surges.
FLYING DOG GONZO IMPERIAL PORTER
Tributary champagne-bottled jet black Baltic porter celebrates gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson. On tap, bittersweet cocoa-powdered dark chocolate coarseness befits tar-like burnt coffee bittering topping smoked molasses malting, dry Cascade hop roast, and charred bark recess of syrupy 9.2% alcohol sinew. In 12 ounce bottle, slick hop-oiled coffee roast, astringent caramel-chocolate malting, and nutty citric reminder falter just a tad, lowering appeal.
FLYING DOG DOUBLE DOG DOUBLE PALE ALE
Engrossing copper-toned double-hopped India Pale Ale cannot conceal astringent 10.5% alcohol volume and never skimps on strong whiskey warmth. Colossal pine needled citric-peeled bittering counterbalances sappy maple-spruce stickiness and brown sugared apple-pear-nectar sweetness up-front. Evergreen-freshened grassy-floral hops usurp sinewy honeyed malts to potentially harsh wood-lacquered vodka finish.
FLYING DOG DOGTOBERFEST
Distantly pumpkin-wafted marzen-styled autumnal medium body (from ’07) brings caramelized sourdough, baked bread and dried wheat mildness to arid clay-hopped apricot-pear spell. But metallic acerbity belies bland cinnamon raisin tease and unctuously astringent nutty vanilla lull.
FLYING DOG DOGGIE STYLE ALE
Aggressive light brown pale ale framed by pleasant hop bittering and pale mocha sweetness, but too homogenized to be competitive Colorado microbrew. Thin lightweight bottle must be less expensive to transport so check the price to see if it’s cheaper.