Brewery: Flying Dog
Location: Frederick, Maryland, USA
ABV: 5.5%
Version: Bottled
Source: Tesco

[Part two of a Flying Dog Triple, along with Gonzo Imperial Porter]

Flying Dog’s Classic Pale Ale was originally called “Doggie Style” but I’ve heard the name was changed to protect the innocent shoppers in Tesco, when a UK distribution deal was recently done. And that’s where I found this one in the course of a recent stocking-up sweep.

Colour-wise, Classic Pale Ale turned out to be a fair bit darker than the name might suggest, more amber than golden, quite similar to Old Skratch Amber Lager in fact. Classic Pale Ale had a fresher, sharper aroma though and there was a lot more hoppiness in the flavour. There was a grassy note in there as well, and some fruit: notably peach and apricot.

All in all it was a very fresh, refreshing, enjoyable beer. I had another bottle when I was out the other night: I spotted one in the fridge at the Knott Bar in Manchester and ended the night with a re-visit. Chilled, the flavour wasn’t quite as complex a straight out of the cupboard. Still extremely pleasant though and a great one to end the night on.

Two successes out of two for the Flying Dog selection so far. Next up, it’s the finale: Gonzo Imperial Porter.