Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA (2008 and later)

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

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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From a 12 oz bottle. It looks like they added some steroids to the old Snake Dog. Amber with of particles to create some haze, and a thick off-white head that left wonderful lacing. Nose is seriously hoppy and full of citrus and floral odors. Mouthfeel sis almost oily. Flavors of caramel malts nicely balanced with the citrus hops. Good bitter finish. Excellent IPA made even better.

Draught at Haket, Göteborg, Sweden. Shady amber with a small head. Hoppy with tropical fruits and dark berries, weak malt character, and some alcohol. Quite bitter. I agree with the previous rater, it is a one-dimensional IPA.

Bottle poured a clear tarnished copper with a lasting ivory head. Aromas of carmel, earthiness, light tropical fruit and light pine. Palate was medium bodied and smooth with a dry finish. Flavors of carmel, earthiness, light pine and light grapefruit peel with a smooth lingering bitter finish.

While this is better than the old recipe it’s still a pretty boring one dimesional IPA.

I guess quality pale ales like this are a dime a dozen in the States, but some of us would kill to have this on the shelves here in Oz. There are some good pale ales down under but none that manage this wonderful marriage of crystal malt and Pacific Northwest hops. (Matilda Bay Alpha Pale Ale would be the closest contender.) This is a cracking middleweight IPA with plenty of punch and just enough held in reserve to go 15 rounds. Okay, 12 rounds. 10? The point is, it’s as sessionable as a beer can be at these abv levels. Poured a cloudy Lucozade orange with a sloppy head and some lace. Rich aroma of toffee malts and puckering lychee. Medium-bodied and a bit sticky, with moderate carbonation. In the mouth, it’s big, bruising and delicious. Caramel backbone and resinous hops. Lovely stuff. (355ml bottle from IBS, Perth. BB 1/7/08)

Bottle from Leaf & Ale. Pours a cloudy copper color with a small white ring of a head. The aroma is not ridiculous, but it is very bright and citrusy with plenty of delightful hop notes. I sure do love Columbus. The flavor is very well balanced with emphasis on juicy, citrusy hops. Hints of lemon drops, pine, caramel, flowers, honey, green tea. This is a really tasteful IPA. I enjoy the upgrades Flying Dog has taken here. I could use more hops, of course, but this will do. Oh yes, tihs will do.

12oz bottle. Poured a deeper golden colro wtih an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of citrus and floral hops. Tastes of citrus, light caramel, floral, and some spicey hops. Lacing left on the glass.

Snake Dog IPA is a very clear and sparkling light amber ale with a thin, oily, off-white head that leaves great lacing. Orange peel dominates the aroma, with a backdrop of crackers. It’s medium bodied; smooth with a slightly chalky finish. The flavor balance is great. The citrus bitterness is like tangerine and pine needles. First, it’s juicy. Later in the flavor is the alcohol and black pepper and juniper, which lingers. It’s an enjoyable IPA.

Light Amber in color with a typical strong hop aroma that one comes to expect with an IPA. Poured a nice head that held on for most of the time it took to drink this one. The taste was spicy in nature with little notice to the citris. Left me with a nice hoppy aftertaste that lingers a while.

Copper color at pour, kind of bitter taste as typical of IPA’s, but its as it should be. Smooth aftertaste however.

White head on a copper body. I’m rather partial to IPA’s, and this is a good one. It has the hoppy taste, is refreshng and even has the good sense of informing about its alcohol content on the label, which is a rarity among American beers;