Flying Dog - Garde Dog

Flying Dog surprised me with another round of beer-mail last week, this time with their seasonal brew, Garde Dog. It’s a Bie’re de Garde, a style which lies somewhere between a light Belgian and a Saison and is intended to be a light, semi-complex but highly drinkable beer. Let’s see… The pour was golden with a lightish, predictable head with decent lacing. On the nose there really wasn’t all that much to speak of. Some light spice, but not as much as a typical Belgian style and a pleasant, fruity sweetness. I’d give the nod to pear, but it’s not that specific - more like a general ripe fruit kind of sweet. The flavor was more hearty than the nose would indicate and I think that’s probably what I like most about this beer - it’s slightly surprising. It seems like balance was at the top of the list of priorities with this beer and they have achieved just that. The malt density on the mouth balanced the sweetness of the nose and it’s dry and slightly bitter finish rounded out each sip nicely. It’s a great spring and summer beer, highly drinkable and should be a great entry for Flying Dog as temperatures start to rise here shortly. I could see myself enjoying this beer with everything from burgers to pizza to seafood and it being a nice compliment to all. Overall, although I wouldn’t say that this beer is Flying Dog’s most innovative, I will say it shows a bit of refinement and growth for the brewery. I like where this is going and I think FD should consider adding this to their year-round offerings. Two thumbs…

Cheers, ~G

- score 4

Terrapin - Rye Squared

It was a good day when I strolled into my bottle shop to find the Terrapin Rye Squared, a beer I haven’t seen in this market before. I love the Terrapin Rye Pale Ale and an Imperial version sounds perfectly awesome right about now. I grabbed a 4-pack and hustled home to get it chilled down and ready to drink. The pour was a deep, brownish-orange with a little haze and an off-white 2 finger head - very nice-looking beer. On the nose there was an abundance of orange and deep citrus, a sweet malty breadiness and spicy rye (go figure). From the first sip I was greeted with that spicy pop from the rye and hops, with a punchy, floral citrus burst. The flavor quickly turned toward the malt, however, and the mouthfeel was rich and smooth, with flavors of spiced bread and caramel and a slightly oily quality which made it easy to drink. It’s a big beer, no doubt, but very easy to drink and well balanced all the way through. I really like the complexity of the hops, from the spicy and earthy qualities of the Fuggles and Goldings to the more American-style cirtus, courtesy of the Amarillo and Cascade. That, on top of the unique character of the rye, makes the front end of this beer really interesting and refreshing, while the weight and density of the malt provides the drinkability that isn’t always present in the huge-hop beers out there. I’m really impressed with this beer and will definitely pick up more next time I see it on the shelf.

Cheers, ~G

- score 4.5