Beer of the Day Review - Flying Dog Classic Pale Ale

Today I bring you last Thursday's Beer of the Day, a beer I knew nothing about and had never before considered buying, Flying Dog Brewery's Doggy Style Classic Pale Ale.


See, what happened was that I was at my local supermarket with the intention of picking up a 6-pack of the Sierra Nevada Wheat Beer, which was on sale, but as I was reaching for the Sierra I saw the 6-pack of Flying Dog and noticed the Hunter Thompson quote on the packaging. I immediately let go of the Sierra and grabbed the Flying Dog. Any beer with a Hunter Thompsoon quote on it is a beer I have to try. Click on the above picture to see if for yourself.


For those that don't know, Hunter S. Thompson was the famed gonzo journalist who garnered infamy in the late 60's and 70's with his drug fueled writings and misadventures through the American landscape. He was brilliantly, and accurately, portrayed by Johnny Depp in the movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and also had couple of hillarious appearances on Conan O'Brien before he passed.


As it turns out, the Flying Dog Brewery's founder was a friend and neighbor of Thompson, so the quote on the packaging, which reads: "Good people drink good beer", is not just a cheap marketing ploy. Of course, there is more to that story and a few more nutty quotes which you can read for yourself on their site, http://www.flyingdogales.com/.

Now, enough of that, on to the beer.

This sucker pours a dark copper color, just a shade or two lighter than the Red Seal previously reviewed. Its a nice color but it makes me wonder how they can get away with calling this a Classic Pale Ale when it's that dark. It gives good head when poured but quickly receedes to a thin film and leaves very scant lacing.

When you smell this beer you get the malt first, then a good dose of hops come through. It it a balanced and welcoming, if not subdued, nose with a touch of fruit (citrusmango) and an ever so slight hint of buttery biscuit. It has a clean smell in an almost lager-like way.

As is typical of American pales, this is a hoppy beer. Not super-hoppy but definitely more hop presence that the English Pale Ales one would believe this 'Classic" ale is patterened after. The piney-citrus hops hit you right away, then you notice the subtle but solid malt backbone. The carbonation is good and the finish is crisp with a miniscule touch of hop resin on the tongue.

This is an American Pale Ale all the way, and a good one at that. But after tasting Red Seal Ale two days earlier, and seeing how similar these beers are, I can't help but think of all the things this beer isn't. It's tasty and crisp and refreshing but this Dog is no Seal. It's good but not great. So with that said I call this a Glass 1/2 FULL beer. Definately worth trying out just for the crazy artwork on the bottle but if I had to recommend only one it would be the Red Seal. Your opinion may differ, though, so let me know what you think, remember feedback is always welcome. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day