Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA (2008 and later)

Brewed by Flying Dog Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Frederick, Maryland USA

Smell of hops hits right away, color is dark golden with a white head - taste is nice bitter hops finishes with a dry hoppyness - very nice beer

Typical IPA pour with a clear, orangey-amber pour and an average, off-white, pillowy head which settles to a small frothy layer quickly and leaves some drippy lace. Nose has pleasant notes but are a little muted for an IPA; notes of orange citrus is prominent, light grass and pine needle, and a faint herbal note with mild sweet malts in the background. Flavor is similar with spicy, piney hops dominating, orange citrus notes are lighter, and the same herbal and grassy characteristics gain more presence in the progression. The bitterness is more than moderate but the sweetness is approaching moderate with some sweet, sugary biscuits and faint caramel. Palate is lightly sticky, faintly drying, lively, and nearly light to medium. Finishes mostly bitter with the herbal, piney, and grassy notes almost becoming rustic or pine cone-like. I had the tried this in the past and was not pleased but the new version is not too bad. A solid, IPA from FD benefiting most from the complexity the malts added. One could argue that the additional malts are not typical for an IPA, but I feel they make the beer, regardless of style. One note, however; I rated this one very fresh and liked it but had the same batch some months later and it lost some its malt balance. Maybe it was a bad bottle.

Enjoyed via 12oz bottle. Pours the typical copper color. Nose of wonderful American hops. One is greeted with the trademark "catty" note of Columbus hops, which I feel is perhaps key in a great American IPA. Palate is undoubtedly hop-forward, but still has a nice background balance of character malt sweetness. Overall, one of the better American IPAs I’ve had recently. Another well-crafted beer from the people at Flying Dog.

12 oz. bottle at Flat Rock Saloon. Poured clear orange with minimal head. Very astringent flavor of bug spray and rotten oranges. One of the least drinkable, worst IPAs I’ve ever had.

Bottled poured into chilled pint glass. It has been a long time since I have had this beer, and I think this is my first experience with the version brewed in Maryland. Pours a nice orange/mango color. Head disapated quickly. Flavor is smooth, perhaps less bitter than I expected for a 7.1 hoppy beer. Very easy to drink though, could be a good one to introduce people towards hop beers.

Bottle. Light amber coloured with a medium sized off white head. Nice hoppy aromas of hops - pine and grapefruit. The flavour is sweet and fruity with a hoppy and bitter finish. Tropical fruit, pine and sweet malt. Very drinkable IPA.

Beautiful signature label design by Ralph Steadman, the guy who did all the illustrations in Hunter S. Thompson’s books and articles. This and the Hunter quote on the bottle alone make me want to buy the beer. Excellent brand image. Along with Anchor, Flying Dog beers are the only US beers imported into Europe.

From the bottle, bought at Cracked Kettle, Amsterdam. Beautiful deep orange-red color, clear and with tiny head that immediately disappears. Not much lacing. Floral-sweet aroma of pine, chewing gum and caramel. Taste is grapefruit, good strong hops and a caramel malt backbone. Finnishes bitter and dry, very nice.
Also had it on tap at the Delirium Cafe, Brussels and it was even more hoppy. Very drinkable and tasty IPA.

Pours a medium bodied amber bearing a very frothy white head that likes to stay a while. Big aromas of citrus/floral/pine hops and grapefruit producing a sweet undertone. The flavor in my book doesn’t quite live up to the aromas but quite good. Has the upfront citrus then goes into a little pine note. There is a little malt backbone. Semi sweet the a big bitter end. A good IPA all around.