Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser

Brewed by Flying Dog Brewery
Style: English Strong Ale
Frederick, Maryland USA

Bottle Code 070A06, Sampled November 2006
Pours with a brilliantly clear, deep, dark ruby colored hue when held up to the light; otherwise it sits a brooding almost black color that has hints of red and brown to it. The head when poured briskly summons forth a frothy, meager fat finger in height and is a tan color. The aroma is definitely malt focused with notes of burnt caramel, raisins, cherry flavored roasted toffee, toasted biscuit-like malt. The aroma definitely has a sweet twang to it, but also has a hint of roasted malt character as well.

The beer has certain heft to it up front, perhaps not as much as I could wish for in a winter ale, but enough to stave off a light chill. Fairly drinkable, at least it is light enough for that, and it only coats the mouth lightly as it passes down my gullet. As the beer warms a bit a certain creaminess comes to the body of this beer. Sweet, richly caramelized malt notes lean towards fruity notes of raisins and even a touch of cherry, but both fruits have been lightly burnt and concentrated under a nice hot broiler. A touch of roasted grain character leaves a light burnt note that lingers on in the throat after the sip, yet still the concentrated sweet malt notes dominate the long finish. This certainly has some hop components to the flavor profile as well; notes of sweet tinged herbs intermingle with a light citrus character and a lingering bitterness. This is a nice beer, for some reason it reminds me of a slightly smaller version of Deschutes Jubelale, which seems to strike the winter warmer profile a bit better than this beer does.

Purchased: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Tucson, AZ

Bottled. A dark brown coloured reddish beer with a short-lived beige coloured head. The aroma has hops, chocolate and caramel. The taste is malty with a hoppy backbone. Toffee and berry fruits also. Quite decent and pretty earthy.

Thickest beer yet from this sampler. Opaque brownish black color. Smells of roasted coffee. Slight burned and roasted taste follows through. Simple and not much else to the beer. Maybe a little hop bitterness on the aftertaste.

A Sim Rate (bottled from The White Horse): Aroma of red wine. Almost sweet and cherry. Flavour is similar with a morello cherry taste. Lovey sweet finish...like the last sip of a shirley temple. Great red amber colour.

Aroma is malty and fruity with a bit of citrus at times. Taste is similar very drinkable for the strength.

[bottle at GBBF 06] Dark brown with some red tingest, minimal head. Sweet malty nose, caramel, berry fruit, toffee and a faint touch of smoke. full body, sweet finish. too sweet for my tastes but nice

Poured to a brownish re, with medium off-white head that dissiopated fairly quickly, to a little lacing. Initial aroma was dark fruit, mostly plums and raisins. Flavor at first was more of the malty dark fruit. As bottle warmed, the alcohol, though only 6.2%, became more evident in both the aroma and taste. This beer was a little like a Braleywine, but not quite there. This was not one of my favorite beers from Flying Dog.

Bottle at GBBF 06’: sweet (a bit too much), molasses, honey, very matly and very fruity, dried fruits, some delicate roasted and hoppy bitterness, lots of spices (cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon?), overall a great beer.