Secret Stash Fresh Hop Ale
Flying Dog Brewery

Nice full appearance but with limited head and limited lacing. Aroma is good, grass and grain. I was expecting this beer to be overly bitter and it was not. Very balanced and medium mouthfeel. Not much pop to the flavor but certainly tasty. Mild for a pale ale but certainly not bad.

This is the 2016 fall release. A really well craft classic American Pale Ale. Not the fruity hop bomb type of current but a really high quality standard old school style of Pale ales like a SNPA. Nice malt backing and the hop profile is really nicely balanced here into a American Pale Ale Nice full bodied feel and crisp but no bitterness in finish. Some sweet breadiness to balance the crispness of the hops. A nice robust everyday beer and really well done beer by Flying Dog.

Hmm...I'm having trouble finding the fresh hops on the aroma. I do get some nice notes of caramel, toasted bread, brown sugar, and toffee though. The disappointment lies in the general wimpiness of the hops - only slight touches of grapefruit, orange peel, and grass show up. Luckily, they pop better on the taste buds. There isn't much in the way of tropical fruit or citrus...instead, the hops focus on earth, stone fruit, and grass notes near the back end. The initial flavors are textbook toffee and caramel malt flavors. Despite the mild carbonation bubbles and not insignificant malt backbone, it actually has a fairly clean bite to the feel. Still, it becomes overly sweet after a while. This is an average amber ale with a slightly interesting hop profile - no more, no less.

2.98/5: Not much to keep a secret over

12oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours slightly cloudy amber with minimal head and lacing. Aroma is floral and sugary. Very lightly carbonated/almost flat. Taste is slightlt sweet at the start and a mild, earthy hop finish. Overall, I'm glad that I tried it but would not seek it out. It's different and somewhat enjoyable in a funky kind of way. An ok brew.