Review – Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine

From Flying Dog Brewery – By far the biggest dog in the yard… Horn Dog Barley Wine is a dark and malty English-style Barely Wine that is aged for a minimum of three months before being packaged. Like a fine wine, this beer will only get better with age when stored at optimum conditions.

Flying Dog Brewing – Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine Style Ale – 10.2% Canis Major variety pack purchased at Dawsons Liquors in Severna Park, MD. Poured from a 7 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: Deep ruby red. Not much head, but that may be a product of the small bottle.

Aroma: Ripe apricots, figs and over-ripe grapes.

Taste: A surprising amount of hops, but the bitterness is more on the palate and less on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Moderately thick.

Drinkability: Not a session beer, by any stretch of the imagination. Like most barley wine style ales that I’ve had, this is more of a small-quantity beer to be treated like a fine port (although, the least sweet of all I’ve tried) and paired with bittersweet chocolate or full-flavored cheeses.