Flying Dog – Wild Dog Collaborator Doppelbock

The third installment in the Flying Dog promo session is the Collaborator Doppelbock. All in all, my least favorite of the three, as it didn’t really distinguish itself as much as the other two I tried. The pour yielded a nice mahogany color and a smallish head. There was not a lot on the nose, but it was nice and sweet, with a hint of fruit and grain. It’s a pleasant and drinkable beer, with a nice nutty malt flavor and sweetness, balanced with a medium carbonation and bitter finish. It improved as it warmed and exposed a few more of it’s subtle qualities, which I wish were a little more pronounced overall. Something just feels young about this beer – I’d like to try it again with a few months age on it. Overall, I’d say that it hints at a really nice and complex brew, but at this point, feels a little unfinished. Based on some of the other offerings from Flying Dog recently, which feel fully mature and refined, I’m confident that a great beer is in there somewhere, just maybe not quite yet. Cheers ~G

score – 3.5

North Coast Brewing – Old Stock Ale (2004)

I don’t know how I found this beer, but I did, and I’m really stoked about it. This was the 2004 vintage from North Coast and it pours a brownish deep red with a pretty insignificant head. The nose is rich and sweet, with nods towards tawny Port, fruit and a hint of vanilla. The flavor is awesome – exactly what I like in a barleywine style. You know, it’s hard to tell what you’re going to get sometimes with a barleywine and it can be a crap shoot to even get something drinkable. Actually, that’s not true, it’s always drinkable, but you get my point. That’s why I was so excited about this find. It’s an outstanding beer and is the perfect ‘closer’ drink at the end of an evening or even something you could enjoy with dessert. I shared this beer with my buddy, Jim, who compared it to the Wynkoop barleywine and felt like some vanilla bean ice cream would be a great paring and I totally agree. My only regret about this beer is that I couldn’t find more. If you ever see the 2004 vintage, buy it, then send me a bottle. Cheers ~G

– 4.75 (cause I don’t have a graphic for a 4.9)