Country of Origin: United States
Price comparison: About $2 more per twelve ounces than national-branded beer.
Alcohol percentage by volume: 10½%
Cute bottle/label? Standard twelve-ounce brown glass; label depicts a slavering creature that appears to be a crossbreed of a rabid dog and a dinosaur of some sort, given that it has spiny plates on its back and a large, rhino-like horn protuding from its forehead. This barleywinelike ale is a member of "the Flying Dog Litter of Ales."
Appearance: Dark reddish-black with a thick tan head that dissolved down to a small island of lace.
Scent: Plums, saltwater, heavy malt, alcohol.
Flavor: Very sweet, with prominent alcohol; malt and slightly like cherries in the first tasting, becoming more like toasted nuts as it warmed. Very slight hops and a thin finish with a vague alcoholic aftertaste.
Impressions: Neither barleywine nor ale, this is too thin to be warming in cold weather and too boozy to be refreshing in hot weather. Serve it with food, preferably a meal as opposed to snacks, and preferably something with some bitterness or smokiness: chili or sausage would stand up to this nicely and keep you from overindulging.
Will I buy this beer again? It's not bad, and for the price, it's slightly more cost-effective, if not as impressive, as barleywine. Also, I love the Flying Dog punkass labels. I'd buy this again and serve it with dinner if I was having company that could appreciate that artwork.
Rating:
3½ out of 5 cute beer glasses
Reviewed: August 29, 2005
