Flying Dog – Road Dog Porter

Flying Dog is based out of Frederick, MD and is probably best known for it’s IPA – Raging Bitch; as well as, their labels that are “Gonzo-style” in tribute to Hunter S. Thompson.  The brewery was originally founded in Aspen, CO and Hunter S. Thompson lived in nearby Woody Creek.  Road Dog (6% ABV) is an American Porter.

American Porter – description - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/159 - Beeradvocate

Appearance – Pours brown with red highlights and a two-finger head.

Aroma – Roast / toast from the malts with a very light hop profile.

Taste – Road Dog is porter and it not bad, but nothing stands out about it.  It is not bad, but it is not not great.

Overall – B- / C+ - I would rate this as average – it is not bad, it is not great.

Label description – "Blessed by Hunter S. Thompson...Dog Porter was our first beer to be illustrated by Ralph Steadman. This is a dark, rich and malty beer, with hints of chocolate and licorice resulting from the use of four prized malts. We also defended Road Dog’s honor when the Colorado state liquor board tried to ban us from selling it because “Good Beer, No Shit” was on the label. It took 5 years, but we won.”

URL - http://flyingdogales.com/

Pale Ales – Full Sail and Flying Dog

Full Sail Pale Ale (5.4% ABV and 37 IBU) has won a few awards over the years pours clear golden amber with a lacy head.  Full Sail describes Pale Ale as, “a fresh hoppy aroma that comes from two (top secret) Northwest hop varieties, while two-row Pale and Crystal malt give it a mild sweetness that finishes clean and crisp.”  Full Sail’s Pale Ale has a nice balance between sweetness and bitterness and this is another nice offering from Full Sail.

Going across country to the East Coast, I tried Flying Dog’s Doggie Style (5.5% ABV and 35 IBU) is a Pale Ale.  The numbers are very close to Full Sail’s offering and the beer pours a similar color to Full Sail, with a larger head.  The taste is different and I am thinking it is probably from the hops and different malt profile.  The hops are Northern Brewer (probably for bittering) and Cascade (probably for aroma). Flying Dog describes Doggie Style as, “the Alpha of the pack.  Doggie Style compliments a wide range of foods.  Flavor notes: Grassy, citrus, and slight perfume aromas with subtlety sweet malt body.”  The flavor notes are spot on and I did enjoy Doggie Style more than Full Sail’s Pale Ale.  Both pale ales are good; I just liked Flying Dog better. 

Denver - Winter BrewFest

Tibor and I attended the Winter BrewFest at the Mile High Station on Friday night and it was very good event that allowed us to sample a number of beers and chat with some of the representatives from the various brewers.  I had an opportunity to speak with a number of the representatives and talk to them about their respective beers, the brewery, and thank them for working the event and for the wonderful beer they make.  It was great talking with Dustin from Avery, Andy from Ska, Marty from Stone and the representatives from Alaskan, Breckenridge, Oskar Blues, Upslope, Mountain Sun, Rogue, and Sierra Nevada.

I tried many different styles from various breweries and my favorite of the evening was Modus Hoperandi from Ska - I had not has this one before and had a couple of samples of this one.  I also tried the Black Barley wine from Sierra Nevada that has garnered many accolades this year and won a metal at GABF.  I did tell the guys from Alaskan that I liked the 2008 Alaskan Barley Wine better.  I liked the Chocolate / Mocha offerings from Rouge and Great Divide.  The IPAs from Avery, Oskar Blues, Alaskan, Stone and Flying Dog were all very tasty.  If you get a chance to attend a beer festival - I encourage it.  The attendees were well-mannered, the brewers are friendly and you get an opportunity to try many beers.  You have to be selective, because there is no way to taste them all.   

Flying Dog - Raging Bitch IPA

Flying Dog - Raging Bitch is an India Pale Ale with 8.3% ABV and 60 IBU.  I had been wanting to try Raging Bitch for some time now as I had read that it was a recommended IPA to try.  Raging Bitch pours a light amber / golden color and has nice carbonation with a nice foamy head that takes a little time to recede.  I like to let my IPAs warm up a bit to take in the aroma and taste this beer.  Flying Dog uses graphics associated with Hunter S. Thompson and you immediate see it on the label.  Flying Dog describes Raging Bitch as "Bitches come in a variety of forms, but there's never been something as sassy as Flying Dog's Raging Bitch Belgian IPA. An American IPA augmented with Belgian yeast, our 20th anniversary beer jumps out of the glass and nips at your taste buds with its delicate hop bitterness. At 8.3% ABV, this bitch is dangerously drinkable."  This is a nice IPA and I paired it with a nice chunck of blue cheese and the pairing was very nice.  Flying Dog recommends a strong blue cheese with this beer.  The bottle and website noted this as a 20th anniversary and Flying Dog has a nicely balanced IPA with a hoppy finish - but not too hoppy.  If you like IPAs, I would add this one to the try list.

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