Flying Dog Wild Dog Schwarz

Brewed by Flying Dog Brewery
Style: Smoked
Frederick, Maryland USA

Pretty damn good beer by Flying Dog. Amazing balance and extremely flavorful. Definitely a smoked beer but the flavors aren’t so aggressive you can taste it the next morning (although I haven’t gone to bed yet and woken up)...cocoa, oak, charcoal, beef brisket, molasses, and brown sugar are all present. Vanilla and toffee in the nose pair with the typical "smoked" aroma well. Medium mouthfeel. This one impressed.

Currently my favorite among the smoke beers available locally. The easy drinking natur of Monschoff Shwartz, meets a small portion of the smoke to be had in a Schlenkerla which leads to one of my favorite things in a beer. BALANCE. Not overly alcoholic, so I can sit down with the 750ml bottle by my self and not feel too guilty about it. There are plenty of malt notes happening here. Bakers chocolate, dark bread, molasses, maple, and a slight fruityness appear. The hops are there, but not intrusive. Slightly earth/spicy and more for providing bitterness to counter the malt. The center piece of this somewhat pricey lager is the smoke. It’s certainly not wet campfire like some rauchbiers, but isn’t wimpy the way some beers from California seem to have become. It is woody and aromatic with out overpowering he other players. If you can find one, get it.

Bottle shared by argo0 on 1/10/09: Pours a barely transparent dark mahogany with a stringy-lacing dark tan head. Aroma of sweet dark caramel and smoky dark chocolate. Body starts with good fullness and sweet dark malts with nice rich smoky balance toward the finish. Has good dark chocolate flavors throughout. A nice smoked beer.

Pricey 750ml I found and immediatly bought and brought back to SD to share with my favorite fan of smoked beers, my girlfriend Cyn. Pours blackish brown with a nice tan head. Nose is quite smoky and pungent. Taste is sweet, rich and malty with coffee undertones, the smoke is there but restrained at least until we get to the aftertaste, a smoked the non-smoked lovers can enjoy.

From a bottle poured black with a small head. Nice malty flavor with a lingering smokey aftertaste.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown, near black body with a frothy, off-white head. Smell: Nose of roasted malts and wood smoke with notes of baker’s chocolate, mild coffee, charred grains. The smoke is distinct but discreet; it’s no Schlenkerla. Taste: Roasted malts swirled with a rich, but tempered smoke character -- flavors of unsweetened chocolate, licorice root, coffee, blackened barley, and pitch glide by the tongue. Delicate touch of black currant fruitiness. Mild bitterness. The smoke is still there, still present, but it’s still somewhat reserved. A more predominate roasted grain flavor develops. Finishes dry a lingering (but still subtle) smokiness. Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-plus carbonation, which keeps the brew delightfully light and aids in overall drinkability. Drinkability: A pleasant, quaffable, bumped up smoked-schwartz, but, at the prickly price of $18.25 a bottle, this’ll have to be a one-time visit.

Sample thanks to John. Pour is deep black/brown with a frothy brown head. Aromas of campfire, beef jerkey, roasted malts, and some vanilla. Flavor is mellow with light smoke, huge roasted malts, and finishing smooth. Easy drinking and not overpowering with a smoke. Nicely done.

This is my Bacon beer, best with BBQ and burgers, or anything roasted . It’s something to be savored