K-9 Winter Ale
Flying Dog Brewery

K-9 Winter AleK-9 Winter Ale
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From:
Flying Dog Brewery
 
Maryland, United States
Style:
Winter Warmer
ABV:
7.4%
Score:
77
Avg:
3.37 | pDev: 14.54%
Reviews:
388
Ratings:
871
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 20, 2021
Added:
Oct 30, 2001
Wants:
  10
Gots:
  137
Formerly K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by StoutHunter:
Photo of StoutHunter
Reviewed by StoutHunter from Michigan

3.11/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I picked up a bottle of Flying Dog's K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale last week for $1.69 at The Lager Mill. It's been a while since I've had a beer from Flying Dog, but since I've never had this one before I thought i would pick up a bottle to try out, so lets see how it goes. No Visible bottling date. 2013 Vintage. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a snifter.

A- The label looks good, I like the drawing of the crazy looking snowboarding dog and in typical Flying Dog fashion I think it's pretty eye catching. It poured a pretty clear caramel amber color that took on more of a copper and ruby color when held to the light with two fingers worth of light tan head that died down to a thick ring that stayed till the end and it left some patchy lacing behind. This was a pretty nice looking beer, I have no complaints.

S- The aroma starts off with a slightly higher amount of medium sweetness followed by loads of malts which impart some grainy, bready, sweet malt, and toasted malt aromas with a nice caramel malt aroma that seems to stick out the most and there's a slight nutty aroma in the background. Up next comes a pretty light amount of spices with no single spice seeming to stick out the most and it imparts a light generic spice aroma followed by a good amount of fruity yeast with some fruity and light dark fruit aromas showing up. This beer had a decent aroma, but it was pretty light on the spices for a Winter Warmer.

T- The taste seems to be pretty similar to the aroma and it starts off with a slightly higher amount of medium sweetness followed by loads of malts being the first to show up and they impart lots of grainy, bready, sweet malts and toasted malts flavors with the caramel malt aspect still seeming to stick out the most. Up next comes a very light amount of spices that are almost undetectable and there's also a pretty light amount of that fruity yeast that just imparts a pretty light generic fruity flavor. On the finish there's some earthy and slightly herbal hop flavors with a slightly higher amount of medium bitterness with a very malty and grainy aftertaste. This beer tasted ok, it was fairly bland and it wasn't very Winter Warmer like.

M- Fairly smooth, a little rich, a little sticky, fairly crisp, on the thicker side of being medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. The mouthfeel was ok, but I could have gone without the stickyness and richness.

Overall I wasn't a big fan of this beer and I didn't think it was a good example of a Winter Warmer, it wasn't a bad beer, but it was pretty bland and it wasn't very Winter Warmer like with such a low amount of spices, it was more similar to a Amber Ale or a Bock. This beer had ok drinkability, it was fairly smooth, a little rich, a little filling, and the taste didn't do a good job of holding my attention and I quickly got bored with it, so one is enough for me, I have no urge to drink another one in a row. What I liked the most about this beer was the appearance, it was nice and it was the aspect with the least amount of things wrong with it. What I liked the least about this beer was how it isn't true to style, I haven't had a Winter Warmer that tasted this bland. I wouldn't buy this beer again, it's not very hard to find a much better Winter Warmer and I wouldn't recommend this beer to any of my friends. All in all this beer just wasn't for me, it didn't really live up to being called a Winter Warmer. This one is up there as one of me least favorite Flying Dog beers, better luck next time guys, this one needs some major work.
Jan 04, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.03 by Curt3 from Ohio

Nov 20, 2021
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

4.06/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle from Kentucky served in a lager glass.
Appearance. Very dark reddish-brown body with a good beige head.
Aroma. This has a fine lightly sliped aroma with a suggestion of sweet dark bread.
Flavor. Largely follows the aroma but with a richer and darker malt component and a bit more spicing than the aroma suggests.
Mouthfeel. Medium-full body with medium carbonation.
Overall. A fine winter warmer that, unlike to many others, is not over spiced or best limited to small samples.
Jul 25, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.9/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
355 ml bottle, will soon be available at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.4%. Brewed with cardamom, vanilla bean and cocoa. Mahogany colour, small beige head. Malty aroma with notes of caramel, chocolate and vanilla, hints of mild spices. Malty rich flavour, moderately sweet, notes of lightly roasted malts, caramel, chocolate, vanilla and cardamom, decent hops.
May 11, 2021
Photo of ScruffySouthpaw
Reviewed by ScruffySouthpaw from New York

3.85/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Served in a teku glass from the bottle.

Appearance: Dark brown almost transparent with extra bubbles to the body.

Smell: light vanilla and cinnamon aroma which dissipates quickly

Taste: very complex coming off with late notes of nutmeg cinnamon and vanilla. It's a touch sweet but with and after taste of coffee is seriously finishes off the Brew

Mouth: comes off with a full carbonation and a semi-body with a normal stickiness which leaves the pallets fairly quickly.

Overall: honestly I highly recommend the beer but it is to each their own. Always in a glass. Salud.
Jan 15, 2021
 
Rated: 3.73 by CruzinCooler from New Jersey

Jan 13, 2021
Photo of hopsputin
Reviewed by hopsputin from New Jersey

3.72/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
a: dark brown/dark ruby red color. a touch of dark mahogany as well. no real head to speak of, which is a shame. color is great but really lacking in head

s: sweet caramel, milk chocolate, dark berries, chocolate powder, and toffee. clove, cardamom, vanilla, and dark chocolate. a touch of something like coffee or bitter dark chocolate & chocolate milk at the end

t: follows the nose pretty well. caramel, cherry, cardamom, and vanilla upfront. a touch of bitter dark chocolate and a hint of alcohol at the end. dark bready backbone

m: lighter side of medium mouthfeel with low-medium carbonation

o: an ok beer. there's a lot going on in the flavor which could use a touch better harmonization. it's not bad, just could work better together. wish there was a better head on this as well
Dec 22, 2020
Photo of rudiecantfail
Reviewed by rudiecantfail from Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12 ounce bottle poured into a tulip glass.

L---When pouring in light, it was clear and auburn. Minimal, off-white head that went to a thin cap pretty quickly, but left really nice lacing.

S---Chocolate, vanilla, some light caramel and vague spice.

T---Again, chocolate, vanilla and light caramel.

F---Medium bodied, creamy. Really nice feel.

O---I don't know why this one is rated so low by everyone else. I really liked it.
Dec 18, 2020
 
Rated: 3.96 by shreead from Michigan

Dec 10, 2020
 
Rated: 4.04 by Fr33man from Maryland

Dec 05, 2020
 
Rated: 3.92 by Shantzak from Pennsylvania

Nov 22, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by BuxMontBeerLover from Pennsylvania

Nov 21, 2020
Photo of cozmo
Reviewed by cozmo from New York

3.19/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
This beer looks great in the glass. Nice frothy head and nice color. But when it comes to taste it doesn't match the look. Not very balanced as far as taste. Vanilla and cardamom up front and lots of bitter on the end and not much in between. I put put this on the low end as far as Winter Warmers go.
Nov 15, 2020
 
Rated: 3.45 by kraut6363 from Pennsylvania

Nov 15, 2020
Photo of milkshakebeersucks
Reviewed by milkshakebeersucks from Maryland

3.79/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Mahogany appearance with a small beige head and light lacing. Malty, dark fruit aroma loaded up with autumnal spices. . Flavors of toffee, brown sugar, red and dark fruit paired with the recurring spices that linger thru the aftertaste. Sharp, edgy, lasting finish. Full bodied, decently carbonated mouthfeel. One an evening is enough.
Nov 03, 2020
Photo of PathofChaos
Reviewed by PathofChaos from Maryland

2.4/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.5
Appearance:
Deep, walnut brown with a pale, beige head that looks like fluffed perfection and laces every way known to man: First as a solid sheet, then droops and becomes webbed, the webbing sinks, leaving a single spotty ring, and finally that foam asteroid belt is absorbed into the walnut murk.

Bouquet:
Here, your nostrils will nibble on delicate bits of chocolate, vanilla, and cardamom. Aroma is a little weak but at least none of its elements overrides the others. Treasure this enticing equilibrium… it isn’t going to last.

Feel:
Light with a wash of creaminess that barely bulks it to a lithe medium. Carbonation sings softly until the very last lick of baking spice linger.

Taste:
Needs about five minutes before it stops tasting like some idiot knocked 3lb bag of cardamom into a sink full of soiled dishwater. Once that watery, tainted aluminum taste departs, you’re left with gratuitous heaps of dry cardamom that brutishly bludgeon the life out of any minuscule cocoa or vanilla that dares challenge its holiday spice themed dictatorship.
Aug 16, 2020
Photo of good_to_sea
Rated by good_to_sea from Pennsylvania

3.77/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Smooth and spicy with an interesting, cola-like smell.
Feb 21, 2020
 
Rated: 3.06 by PsychedelicQuaker from Pennsylvania

Jan 12, 2020
 
Rated: 4.23 by Trboley from Ohio

Dec 31, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by HoppingMadMonk from New Jersey

Dec 31, 2019
K-9 Winter Ale from Flying Dog Brewery
Beer rating: 77 out of 100 with 871 ratings