Old Foghorn/Horn Dog/Below Decks Barleywines

For whatever reason barleywine is a style I'v barely explored. I haven't reviewed one yet on this site, and I think the only one I've ever tasted was Sierra Nevada's. So I picked up five barleywines -- or as they're all American, "barleywine style ales" - to help me survive the cold. Three now, two later.

Anchor Old Foghorn: From the US perspective, this is the original, so I figured I'd start with it. The bottle is dated 7SG, i.e, 2007, September 7th (G is the 7th letter). Nice clear, mahogany colored brew. Quite viscous in texture and delightfully low on carbonation. Kind of a pruney/raisiny maltiness to it, but also some citrusy hops. Caramel and/or toffee as well. By today's standards, this is fairly low in alcohol (under 9%), but it's still a sipper all the way, due largely to it's thick texture and rich taste. I thought it was fabulous.

Flying Dog Horn Dog: This is a bit higher in ABV at 10.2%, and pours hazier out of the bottle, but it has a similar aroma (Cascade hops again) and similar viscosity to Anchor. Again, it's from 2007. It claims 45 IBUs, which really isn't a lot given the malt level. Nonetheless, I found this to be hoppier than others, with sort of a citrus rind hit to it. Some dark cherries come through as well. Also a very good beer, but maybe not quite as great as Anchor.

Clipper City Below Decks: Another Maryland brewery (Flying Dog having moved from Colorado). The bottle is dated 2006. Retailers must love barleywines, as you don't have to worry much about old bottles. I think all three of these are considered English-style barleywines, but Below Decks actually uses English hops (Fuggles, Goldings). Thus, a different non-Cascade aroma. The beer also has some yeast floaties in it (my fault because of an aggressive pour?). It's sweeter than the others and a bit less thick. Also, at 10%, the alcohol comes through a little more than for the others. Licorice, molasses and fruit flavors abound. This seems to have a lesser reputation than Anchor and Flying Dog, but I don't really see why. They're all pretty close.

Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA/Road Dog Porter (COL)

The last two from the Flying Dog mixed pack are the two heaviest.

Snake Dog IPA: The label text plays on a "crazy, stalking EX" theme. Note that it never refers to the ex- in question as female, although there are hints ("it slaps you in the face"...if that's a guy slapping a woman, it sounds pretty bad). Apparently Snake Dog has been reformulated recently, as ratebeer gives it a separate entry for 2008 on onward (now 7.1% vs. 5.75%). It's a looker: clear copper with sustaining white head. Dry-hopping with Columbus gives it a citrusy aroma. the hops are used more for flavor -- citrus, floral, and spice, I think -- than pure bitterness. Without being competitive about its bitterness, Snake Dog is in fact an exemplar of the American IPA style. Well done.

Road Dog Porter: Used to be called "Scottish," but they seemed to have dropped that. This is the first beer I've had which refers to itself as shit (e.g., "this shit is some dark, rich and malty shit."). Do traditional German breweries do that? It pours dark brown and ruby but still translucent. Again, a nice head. It's a smooth one, with a medium body, light carbonation and somewhat sweet flavor. Chocolate malts come through, but it isn't highly roasted or burnt (not that it should be). I tend to drink seasonally and would just as soon skip porters all summer. Still, this is quite good and easy drinking at 6% ABV.

I'd say these are the two best of the mixed pack, but the hefeweizen is really nice as well.

Flying Dog Doggie Style Pale Ale (COL)

A third one from the Flying Dog variety pack. The brewery's beer information sheet says this is dry-hopped with a "shitload of Cascade hops." Ah, there's that American craft brewery in-your-face attitude.

Indeed, the Casacde's citrusy aroma comes through clearly. This is also a very pretty pale ale, with its clear amber body and lasting head. Flavor wise, I have to say, it isn't anything exceptional. The malts are fairly sweet with a touch of caramel, and there's some hop bite, but not as much as I was expecting. Possibly my bottle wasn't fresh enough (I can't decipher the label date). It's 35 IBUs (the dry hopping doesn't boost this), which is about the same as Sierra Nevada's. I don't really like the malt flavor as much as Sierra Nevada (a beer I'm crazy about).

I don't want to sound too negative, as this is a good pale ale. It's not something I'm likely to seek out.

Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat/Tire Bite Golden Ale (COL)

Two beers from a Flying Dog 12-pack I bought for over $16. This is a six-by-two 12-pack, which is nice for tasting purposes. Old Scratch Amber Lager was the lone lager in the pack.

Flying Dog is known for label artwork produced by Ralph Steadman of Hunter S. Thompson book jacket fame. He also has done photography and DVD artwork for Withnail & I, and apparently has several wine books.

In-Heat Wheat: An unfiltered hefeweizen at 4.7%. A bit orange in color and in taste. Its citrus aspect are more smooth orange sweetness than lemon tartness. There also isn't much wheat twang (or whatever it's called). The last hefe I tried was highly tart, so this really works in the opposite direction. Much clove, but no banana. It's a bit thin but still tastes good. Not a textbook German, but better than most American wheats.

Tire Bite Golden Ale: This isn't the type of beer to impress many beer raters. Light color, 5% ABV, only 16 IBUs. It says "it goes down so easy" right on the label. It's light, mostly of grainy malts at first and some herbal hops at the end. Dry, but never bitter. Both ratebeer and Beer Advocate have this listed as a Kolsch, and in fact the brewery won a medal for it at GABF in that category. Whether it's authentic to the style, I don't know. It is moderately tasty and refreshing, at least when well chilled, but it's the sort of beer that should run $6 a sixer.

Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber Lager (COL)

So I decided to take a break from my lager tasting to try this English-style ale called Old Scratch Amber Lager. The brewer confesses that this is fermented at "medium temperatures to develop both ale and lager characteristics." Maybe it's a California Common -- I haven't had Anchor Steam in a while for comparison. My first thought upon sipping was that it's reminiscent of Adnams Broadside.

Not that it's a close match. Old Scratch smells initially of a lager with its German hops. It's clear like a lager, although somewhat ruddier than most. By the standards of an ale, it would be fairly light-bodied and crisp. But really, this isn't a lager. It's more malty than hoppy (only 19 IBUs), which I suppose is okay. The malts are somewhat caramel, but also of butterscotch, which is way out of place for a lager. The finish pulls back somewhat dry, but still not entirely clean.

Fidelity to style notwithstanding, Old Scratch is a good beer. Given the Beer Geeks' suspicion of lagers, maybe it's a good way to sneak one in under the radar. The raters at Beer Advocate and ratebeer are only moderately impressed, however.