two cuddly doggies

On the second day of Beermas I went and bought for me

Two dogs in costume

And a lone eagle flying free 

And right away I have to make some twists to labels and lyrics: turtle doves are supposed to be snuggly love-birds, dogs like to snuggle with you, it's a flying dog on the bottle, there!  OK, so it's just one dog, but you can't have everything.  Flying Dog is good bet for a good beer at least.  I'll get something out of Doggy Style for sure.

For a pale ale it's awfully colorful.  Deep gold, off-white head, light and mandarinish aroma, it's a damn appetizing beer.  The flavor isn't as tropical as a lot of craft ales, although there is a little orange to it.  It's more like more traditional IPAs with just a touch of new hops.  There's also a dusty quality to the texture, which is a little strange.  It's pretty clear, not an unfiltered beer that I'm aware of.  It grows in sweetness although maintains a clean feeling, so I would call it a good all-rounder.  Not lacking in flavor on its own, and not so wild that food would ruin it, that's good for the beginning of a long line of beer.

a useful name indeed

It's a weird summer already, and holidays will be weird for the foreseeable future.  Gotta be careful of gatherings and that sort of thing.  It seems like things are pretty subdued today, in spite of the insistence from a loud bit of society that the show must go on, virus or not.  To be appropriate I have an American beer on hand, Flying Dog's Snake Dog IPA.  Newer styles have appeared of course, but the IPA is the foundation of American craft beer, a truly American industry.

It's a rich, dark gold, fluffy and resistant head, tingly and mildly citrusy aroma.  There is a touch of something else in there too, something light and summery.  Cucumber maybe?  Could be a hint of pepper.  The flavor is surprisingly mild, just barely bitter.  Kind of a half-hearted hoppy tang.  It has a good, solid feel, and is not unpleasant by any means.  This is one of the better beers to have at a barbecue, with enough flavor to be worthwhile on its own, but not so strong you get distracted from the food.  It's a bright and clear drink, full of hope.  At just over 7% it's not one you want to gulp down from the cooler in the park, but in your own backyard it's a pretty good pick.

Supplier: Birra Y Paz
Price: €3.50

i've had weirder

I've said it many times, dark beers and dark nights go together like nothing else.  Of course, I also say dark beers go with bright afternoons.  And twinkling early mornings.  My tastes are no secret, or surprise by now.  I'm pretty sure I have actually had Flying Dog's Gonzo Imperial Porter before, but not at home.  Maybe not even from a bottle, since the label isn't that familiar.  It's a good bet for me, though, that it will quench my thirst and make my evening worthwhile.  Porters don't often disappoint, and Flying Dog has a good reputation.  I guess it says something about the local mistrust of black beers that it was one of the few left!

There's a slightly piercing aroma when opening the bottle, but nothing unusual among porters.  It pours very dark and smooth looking, with one of the darker shades of beige in the head.  The scent gains in sweetness in the glass.  While the head kind of folds in on itself, it maintains a certain solidness.  I am reminded of the kind of foam you get with floats, when everything is starting to blend together.  No beer floats around here recently though (sigh).  The flavor is sharp, kicking around a number of elements at once.  First is a good mouthful of coffee, which rounds itself out into licorice.  I could have stayed with coffee myself.  There's more fruitiness in the aftertaste, something plummy.  It's scratchier than I expected from the aroma, but it's a strong porter, good for cold winter evenings. 

Shoulda tried a raspberry peppermint sour maybe

Supplier: Cerevisia
Price: €3.70

put a glow in your cheeks

It's still winter out there, although less today than earlier in the week.  At least it isn't raining, which is probably why it was a bit warmer yesterday.  A nippy evening is a good time for a winter ale, though, and Flying Dog is a trustworthy place to get one from.  It's been quite some time since I've had any of their products, but they are one of the more visible and respected small beer companies of our times.  The label looks practically Christmasy with that warm bright red, and the green K-9.  The riff on Shakespeare with "Now is the winter of our content" gives a chuckle.

Now, there's a nice, dark ale!  It looks very much like some brown or red ales I've tried, although it definitely has a fruitier smell.  The taste is surprisingly bitter; the spices on the front aren't always candy sweet, but it's an awfully heavy and thick effect for vanilla and cocoa.  Cardamom maybe shouldn't be exactly bitter either, but I don't think of that as sweet.  Maybe the flavors settle a little as you sip, because I seem to be getting a more complex, spicy-peppery flavor after a few minutes of sipping.  I wonder if there's a little cardamom on the bottom or something.  There's also a development in the smell, with a little more peppermint than in the beginning.  That's not in the ingredients list, but maybe it's the cardamom again.  Whatever the spice content, I do feel warmer than when I opened the bottle, so I call this beer a success.

Supplier: Cervecissimus
Price: €2.75

it's named just for me

After reading Slate's article in praise of Labor Day drinking,  I went out to hunt down my own drinks from my country of birth.  I found some in the usual place.  The first one I picked up seemed to be calling me from across the aisle: Raging Bitch.

The name's too big for the bottle

The citrusy smell is evident on opening.  When poured, the beer has and interesting color, dark gold I'd say, with a full, very foamy head.  The first sip has a strong citrus flavor, but not too heavy.  It goes slightly bitter within a couple of seconds of swallowing, and as the beer settles it gets a little sweet and even malty.  On the whole, Flying Dog has provided a zesty, stimulating beverage, with an eye catching name.

taste of home

Old Scratch Amber Lager - sitting by the door with those horrible, eye-catching flea-dogs on its label, I couldn't help but pick it up.  Although it's from Maryland, the bottle was obviously for export, what with 10 languages on it.

It's a pretty standard lager, although once warmed up a little it has some caramel to it.  Both flavor and aroma have some sweetness.  I feel like I could use some potato chips now, or pretzels or olives, something salty that would contrast nicely.

Next to my heavy duty bottle opener

How'd you like to come home to that?