Spanish Peaks Black Dog Ale

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

NEWTIMESBEERFEST. Nose is well balanced sweet malt with a hint of hops. Candylike sweetness and light notes of caramel. Light brown with a patchy white head. Very thin, and pretty uncomplex flavorwise, but okay.

Wow - my first rating! 12 oz bottle from the grocery store. Poured a clear reddish-brown with a pale gold head. Was not as bitter as I expected and had a lingering flavor. Not a bad beer.

12 oz brown bottle. I’ve only tasted a few of these English Pale Ales. A little fruity smelling when you first pop the lid. The color is transparent brown reddish orange. Has a ring around the inside of the glass for a head, otherwise there is a thin tea like froth on top. Says Boseman Montana on the label but I think this stuff is made in Colorado. Taste is pale ale-ish to an extent, some hop bite in the bitterness but it is not real hoppy. Nice story on the label to keep you entertained while you drink it. Nice carbonation on the tongue, very friendly palate. The finish has a gradually building medium bitterness on the back of the throat but I’m not sure if this is hop or malts. Better than Saranac pale ale and on par with Great Divide Denver Pale Ale and Michelob Pale Ale. English pale ale is not one of my faves but it is certainly better than IPA or regular Pale Ales.

Bottled. Medium brownish/amber color on pouring. Sweet slightly fruity aroma with a hint of hops. Slightly roasty brew with a little bit of hop character towards the finish. Not bad, but not special.

Pours a brownish orange. Head is creamy and thin/short-lived. Smells of orange peel, toffee, and clove. Tastes of caramel malt, melon, clove. Pretty good English ale. Not my favorite style, but a decent beer.

Bottle. Pours dark amber with a small white head. Aroma is malt, with some lemon and earthy hops, and hint of caramel and roast. Flavor is nondescript and slightly roasted malt, a little thin, with some earthy and citrus hops. Something just feels off on this the whole way through, and it’s not particularly good.

well wasn’t too impressed by this. body seemed a bit thin, malts seemed to have a bit of a caramel flavor, mix of hops added some bitterness.

Another beer sampled on draft at Max’s Taphouse in Baltimore. The color was a rich, dark amber color, with a smaller off-white head. The mouthfeel was somewhat dry, and on the thinner side, but still with decent carbonation. Its flavor was mostly bitter, with a bit of sourness; not very sweet. The aroma was malty, with some chocolate and fruit notes, but equally present were some grassy/earthy hops. A pretty solid beer, but it does not excel in any features.