Today’s craft beer review is going to be of the Flying Dog Double Dog Pale Ale brewed by the Flying Dog Brewery located in Frederick, Maryland. 

I, honestly, don’t have a tremendous amount of experience trying beers from this brewery, so I’m not sure what to expect with this one.

The website, flyingdogales.com, has this bit of information on the Double Dog Pale Ale.

This is a big beer that calls for equally big foods.

Flavor notes:  Citrus hops with sweet malt and subtle alcohol burn (like a kiss on the cheek).

Pairs with:  Extra sharp aged Cheddar and stinky Blue cheese; smoked brisket; spicy foods with chili or cayenne pepper; earthy desserts like carrot cake.

I’m ready for a taste…. how ’bout you?

This beer comes in a 12 oz. bottle and has a very robust 11.5% ABV.

The Double Dog Pale Ale poured a very dark, burnt orange/copper color.  It appeared hazy in the beginning, but cleared nicely once the “chill” dissipated.  The head was an off white color of decent size and decent retention.  It was mostly smooth looking, but it did have a few large bubbles around the spot of the final pour.  The lacing was pretty nice looking I must say.  Scant, sticky cobwebs of lace clinged to the glass for the entire drink.

The smell brought about a relaxed, but confident bouquet of hops leaning toward the grapefruit and orange individuality.  Bold hints of sweet caramel and toasty biscuit coincided with a slight, churned butter note which climbed above the citrus.  The alcohol was insubstantial in the nose at first, however as the brew warmed it became way more apparent.  I, personally, never found any spiciness or any of the like.  Overall, the aroma was good, although it could have been balanced just a wee bit better I thought.  Still well represented however.

The taste revealed more of the “malt forward” aspect.  That’s ok though, I liked it.  Sugary, sweet, toasty caramel malts did nothing to conceal themselves.  A dry breadiness poked through and fit in nicely with the sweetness also.  The alcohol was quite a bit more opulent in the flavor.  I didn’t find it to be distracting, yet I could, most assuredly, recognize the savor.  The hops brought forth an even bitterness of grapefruit, pine and a slight resinous profile.  The overall suggestion was more malty than hoppy or sweet I thought.

The mouthfeel was medium/full, dry, creamy, slick, velvety and almost chewy.  Tons of flavors were left behind on the palate after the swallow.  A very tremendous, but nice, alcohol warmth and burn lasted for the duration of the drink.  I thought the mouthfeel on this beer was very, very good.

I really liked this beer.  It’s “BIG” for sure, so that may be a deterrent for some, however I found it to be very good in all aspects.  The overall balance of the aroma and taste might not have been top notch, but I still thought of them to be quite enjoyable and worthwhile.  The high ABV would not allow this beer to have a high drinkability I wouldn’t think, but if you favor bigger beers, don’t hesitate to give it a go.  There’s plenty to enjoy here. 

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I really appreciate it.

Cheers.

Score:  4.05 out of 5
Grade:  A-