Flying Dog Kerberos Tripel

So despite the fact that I’ve had a hard time posting reviews of the beers Flying Dog has sent me lately, they sent me another sample: Kerberos Tripel. This arrived on a good day as I was in need of a good beer but wasn’t planning on buying any until Friday.

Along with the bottle, they also sent a pretty handy chart (printed on both sides) showing their various beers and breaking down the malts and hops used in each, their awards, flavor characteristics, food pairings, etc. It’s available for download here.

Here is what Flying Dog has to say about this beer:

Kerberos is a bottle conditioned Belgian-style Strong Ale that weighs in at 8.5% ABV. It’s brewed with Pilsner and Aromatic malts and Golding and Saaz hops, yielding a deep golden to light copper in color. We recommend pairing Kerberos with poultry, creamy cheeses, fruit pastries or creme brulee.

Here’s what I had to say…

The Pour
Poured into a nice big pilsner glass, this showed an average, somewhat loose head that dissipated quickly, and leaving no real lacing on the glass. This brew was a bright golden copper color and definitely looked unfiltered. It looks like it will be a heavy, very slightly carbonated brew.

The Nose
This has a slightly sweet, slightly hoppy floral aroma. It smells like it will be a solid bodied beer that you’ll want to chew. You can pick up hints of bread or wheat in the nose as well.

The Taste
The body is indeed thick. It’s somewhat cloying and has an oily mouthfeel and does feel like something you could chew. None of this is really a bad thing, as it’s balanced out by the alcohol and hops, which are more noticeable at first. There’s also almost a wheaty flavor noticed after a few sips. After a few drinks the hops and alcohol become less pronounced, but you get the warmth of the alcohol all the way through. The mouthfeel doesn’t really change but it’s a somewhat pleasant presence.

Overall
This is like a thick, heavy pilsner. It seems to maintain a good subtle hoppiness, interspersed with wheat flavor making the occasional cameo. For a beer that is 8.5% ABV, the alcohol is slight noticeable at first, though very mellow, and just gets better as it warms your palate. All in all, this is great for those times you just want a good solid heavy beer to almost chew on. Very warm and tasty.

Recommended: Sure, but don’t buy it expecting beer to chug as you watch the game or hang out on the deck.

Price: Unknown

ABV: 8.5%

Try Flying Dog!

As you know, Flying Dog sends me beers to try every now and then. Lately I’ve been really bad at getting reviews of those posted because I’ve been in school as well as working, and taking thermodynamics and dynamics at that as I study to be an engineer. Well, I was recently sent their Garde Dog: Biere de Garde. It’s a spring French classic with an American twist. Unfortunately, I lost my tasting notes, so I can’t post a review. They did, however, just send me their Kerberos Tripel, which I reviewed tonight and will be posting tomorrow. Come back tomorrow for that. In the meantime, make your next beer purchase Flying Dog. They’ve been doing great things lately. And visit their Web site!

Incidentally, ever since reviewing Land Shark Lager, I’ve had a lot of people disagree with my opinion of the brew, which is fine and understandable. But some folks have wanted to know what I would recommend instead. I hope to put together a list soon and post them here. So stay tuned!

Oh, and one more thing about Land Shark Lager….if you like it, by all means drink it! Drink what you like. I know there are beers I like that others don’t, but as long as I’m enjoying them that’s all that matters

Cheers!

The Beer Snob

Highland Brewing Company’s Black Mocha Stout

With it being fairly cold outside, my tastes naturally turn towards stouts and porters. This time around I decided to go for Highland Brewing Co.‘s Black Mocha Porter. I would have loved to have had this outside, in front of my outdoor fireplace, but that would have made it hard to write my tasting notes, now wouldn’t it?

Instead I tried this as I waited for my coconut crusted tilapia with mango and papaya (courtesy of Kroger) to cook.

Here’s what the packaging says about this brew:

Highland’s most robust beer, having a very malty body with a large, roasted chocolate flavor, all achieved solely through the use of special roasted barley grains. It is black in color with a very clean finish and a moderate hop flavor.

The Pour
This poured very dark, really basically black but with reddish tinges around the edges of my pint glass. A vigorous pour results in a nice pillowy mocha-colored head that leaves just a touch of lacing on the glass.

The Nose
There are very nice chocolate notes on the nose, and hints of the roasted goodness to come. It really smells terrific, like a Riesen’s candy or a high-end tootsie roll.

The Taste
This has a nice full body. The chocolate is not that noticeable really, but the roasted flavor is quite strong and wonderful! There is a good amount of carbonation, not too much, and the mouthfeel is , to me, a little thick and oily, in a very good way.

Overall
Highland Brewing Co. seems to produce good products, but I was still surprised at just how good this beer really was. With every swallow I thought, “This is one good beer!” The roasted flavor is terrific and it really just works for me. Excellent brew!
Recommended: Absolutely. I am enchanted with this beer. Terrific stout flavors.

Price: $9.99/6-pack

ABV: 5.3%