Beer Review- Flying Dog Raging Bitch

Every beer reviewed was selected and purchased by me...until now.  The nice folks at Flying Dog Brewery decided to send me bottle of their Raging Bitch Belgian Style IPA. It was a nice surprise because I had not tried that beer. I have to thank fellow beer blogger The Beer Snob for passing my name to Flying Dog's marketing department.

Flying Dog Raging Bitch

Flying Dog Brewery- Frederick, MD

ABV: 8.3%   IBUs: 60


SMITTY'S REVIEW: Sampled at 50 degrees (do not drink this any colder- trust me). Pours orange amber with an ivory head that dissipates to a retentive ring. Medium bodied with a soft and very slight sticky texture, along with a medium-fine carbonation. Complex aroma that is floral and yeasty,  with a hint of funky Belgian Farmhouse Ale esters.This has an extremely pale malt backbone that showcases the tangerine-like hop flavor, along with some mild spice phenols. The attenuation of the Diablo yeast strain provides just enough residual sweetness to provide balance, but also provides some dryness and phenols to give the beer a nice Belgian character. Long, clingy, and dry bitter finish with some distracting astringency.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit, even though I did not care for part of the finish. I am left wondering why I had not tried this sooner. Perhaps I take this brewery for granted because of their wide distribution. A little more aggressive in perceived bitterness when compared to Stone Cali Belgique or New Belgium Belgo, which are Belgian IPA shelf mates in the Nashville market.

Rating*: 8.75 out of 10

Recommended Food Pairing: Pork Chops, Game, Sausage, Fish, salty white cheeses

Value:  Average

Beer Audience: Hopheads and Belgian beer drinkers. May be a little aggressive for the beginner palates

Where To Buy:  Liquor stores with a good high gravity beer selection.

Other Flying Dog Beers To Try: Gonzo Imperial Porter, Double Dog Double Pale Ale





* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)