Brew Review-Flying Dog Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale

I am a big Flying Dog fan.  I’ve rarely been disappointed by their beers, and considering how widely available they are it’s nice to have that kind of consistent option for what I think are genuinely interesting beers.  So when I opened the fridge to find that my roommate left for Christmas without a few of his Doggie Style Classic Pale Ales, I got pretty excited.

Pouring it, I was excited by the rich color and fairly strong smell of hops.  The first sip betrayed my initial impressions a little bit, coming across fairly plain.  There was just enough bitterness to keep it enjoyable, but there was not the same depth to the flavor that I have come to appreciate from Flying Dog.  My roommate (not the one I stole it from) said he tasted citrus, though that wasn’t anything that stuck out to me.  As I kept drinking the flavor became a bit stronger, though the finish lacked anything to make me keep coming back for more.

Overall, this certainly is not a bad beer.  It is probably very accurately named as just a “Classic Pale Ale,” but I had gone in expecting more.  I wouldn’t hesitate to drink it again, but hopefully my roommate will buy something a little more exciting for our fridge the next time he decides to leave town.

-samdinning

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