Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine

Brewed by Flying Dog Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Frederick, Maryland USA

Vintage 2003. Served at 55 degrees in brandy snifter. Pours deep brown in color with a slight orange tinge. Head almost non-existant. Pleasant aromas of dark fruit, plum, molasses and caramel dominate the nose over the 10.5% alcohol and hops. Somewhat like the smell of dark fruitcake soaked in dark rum. Mouthfeel was a bit too thin for such high alcohol barleywine. Pleasing sweet flavor matches the aromas quite well, but the alcohol seems to prove a bit harsh early in the finish. Some hop bitterness makes a late appearance. A fairly decent Barleywine from just an so-so brewer.

My bottle too is highly carbonated, but once it settles down it leaves a silky gem. Smooth deep malt flavor, bit of anise and liquorice. Hops are really nice in the background, but a nice counterpoint to the sweet maltiness. Definitley the best I’ve had from this brewery.

at 10.5%, this remains contraband here in ohio. i feel like quite the desperado hunched over my keyboard, shades drawn, sipping furtively out of a brown paper bag and my hogleg .44 mag at the ready. my bottle is 2001 (young yet, but precocious and a little sassy). it pours dark chestnut as a belgian draft horse, and approximately as strong. the lacy lady-like head swooned quickly from the alcohol vapors. a rum-like brown sugar aroma, buttery pecan pie maybe. the jolt of sweetness at first is unsettling, this would give a hummingbird a sugar-rush. still, the bravado of dark malt, raw as freshly split timbers, swimming in portwine and aviation fuel, followed by a hop wallop that lurked in the shadows--well, it all makes for a very interesting sip. it’s a liqueur to savor with a nice punch corona. and like today’s stocks, it’s bound to get better. really. (hic.)

Vintage 2004 pours a bright dark amber with some floating yeast throughout, small creamy off white head that leaves some lacing in my glass. Aromas of sweet fruity plums. Dark cherry, chocolate and caramel flavors. Full bodied with mild carbonation makes for a creamy and soft mouthfeel, alcohol well hidden, finishes sweet.

Bottle. Pours a very nice clear dark amber with biege head. Aroma of Floral, malt, with alcohol aroma. Tast is very sweet, malty, hints of roasted grains, nice hop flavor and alcohol spice. Full body with medium carbonation. Good beer!

pours deep ruby with small thick head. aroma is dark fruit and licorice. nice somewhat syrupy mouthfeel. warms going down, there is no hiding the 10.2%. really nice flavor, malty, not overly hoppy. even better since it was only $2.50/bottle, unlike most other barleywines.

Nice, dark carmel color with beige head. Aroma is sweet malt with a little alcohol, reminds me of a gel that we used to be able to buy as kids 35 years ago and blow hard sided balloons out of with a hint of fake pineapple candy. Good fruit and brown sugar flavor that does seem to be a carbonated wine at times. Worth another taste sometime.

Pours deep dark red with a creamy tan head. Smells of barley, and some chocolate. Taste is smooth, malty caramel, and a little liqourice hops edge and chocolate. Ends with a nice level of bitterness, warming alcohol and smooth chocolate/caramel malt. Very good.