Flying Dog Road Dog Scottish Porter

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

This was poured from the tap at Boudreax in Blacksburg, Virginia. The Porter was thin and lacked the full bodied taste of other porters. Not one of the better porters. I am unsure if the keg impacted what I normal get in a bottle. The food was good for local resturant with a choice of micro brews.

Bottle thanks to Swalden28. Dark brown in color with a small off-white head. Aroma is of toffee and roasted malts. Taste is the same.

Pours brown with red at the edges. Aroma of roastd malt, a little smoke, and a slight caramel sweetness. Flavor is lots of bitterness, and some sweet malt. Not very balanced.

(35.5cl bottle) Clear, reddish brown colour with a light-beige, mid-sized foamy head. A bit dusty, slightly sweet and roasty malty aroma with a tinge of acidity, caramel and shy herbal hoppy notes. Moderately sweet flavour, light to medium bodied with a light carbonation. Delicately roasted malty taste with light notes of caramel, milk chocolate and a shy grainy touch. Sweet and faint bitter, mildly roasted finish. Not the archetype of a Porter, furthermore a bit slim for its abv (16.II.09).

Bottle. Clear deep red with an off white head. Aroma: light alcohol, toasted malt and fruit notes. Flavor: Malty flavor with dark fruit sweetness.

Sampled at the Flying Dog tasting at Blacklick Wine and Spirits on 2.12.09. Pours medium brown with a thin off-white head. Malty aroma, but not much roasty character. Flavor tastes like a dark lager. Too much hop and thin to medium bodied. Pretty crappy for a porter. I have had Gonzo, so I know these guys know how to make a porter.

Bottle 355 ml
Appearance: Clear brown look with medium plus creamy slightly tanned top. 3+.
Nose: Creamy , mildly roasty front with citrus finish. Roasty ash feel at very end.7-
Flavor/Palate : Medium bodied. Slight bite of alcohol ,ash with brown malts with blended in hop feel. Bit funky formula for porter but did not mind.

Despite their ready availability, I have sampled very little of the Flying Dog portfolio. While not necessarily intentional, it is a travesty I intend on correcting at some point. When, I cannot say for sure, but more likely slowly and surely then all at once. Keeping that in mind, I have before me today the Flying Dog Porter. Much like Unibroue, besides the good brew inside, Flying Dog is known for their creative label art, many of which pay homage to the literary genius that is Hunter S. Thompson. Something tells me that he would approve of this beer, much as I found I did.
My Flying Dog Porter pours an earthen black with a thick tan head which fades ever so slowly into a soft blanket of temptation. Marking her previous trail is a splintered network of lace, always a gorgeous site to behold. Raising her glass-encapsulated body to my nose, I am greeted by lemon zest, raisins, and soft notes of chocolate, vanilla, and cream. Her body follows suit with a pleasantly light, soft and frothy sensory indulgence. Fresh notes of chocolate, coffee, raisins, prunes, and a crisp lemon finish brings me immediately to my next equally enjoyable quaff. A growing dry finish moves me past the lemon zest to more lingering chocolate and coffee notes. It’s as if the lemon nibs act as a wakeup call, ensuring the Flying Dog Porter has my full attention as she dazzles my tastebuds. Rich and complex without getting in my face, my Flying Dog Porter was a quaffing delight from start to finish.
Another fine brew from Flying Dog, one which furthers my belief that Flying Dog has achieved a perfect balance between being complex without being confusing, and quaffable without being weak and watery. If you are looking for a more commanding porter, then give their Gonzo Imperial Porter a try, but otherwise one needs look no further than their regular porter.