Heat Series: Experimental Pepper IPA
Flying Dog Brewery

Flying Dog Heat Series "Experimental Pepper IPA"
12 fl. oz. brown glass bottle, "...ENJOY BY:08/06/17"
$2 @ Weis, Conshohocken, PA

Notes via stream of consciousness: So, let's get it out of the way, right off the bat, I'm kind of afraid of this beer. I've had pepper beers that have been way too hot and have sucked so I'm trepidatious at the least. It pours a slightly hazy golden body beneath a short head of bright white foam that drops readily but leaves some nice spider-web lacing about the glass. The aroma mainly gives off lightly caramelish malt, tropical fruit hops, and yeasty fruitiness (I think), although there is a peppery edge to it. Ahh, perhaps it won't be too bad. Still, I hesitate. The word "experimental" normally wouldn't bother me, but in this case it does. Can't we even know what the peppers are? OK, let's go... malty upfront, but wow, the heat kicks in quick. There's some tropical hops (mango, pineapple) and yeasty fruitiness at the start, end even in the finish, but DAMN, it's hot across the middle and into the finish. I wan't expecting that, it's far hotter than I thought it would be. Is it as hot as an Ed's Cave Creek Chili Beer? It's been so long since I've had one that I don't even know, but it's got to be close. Looking at it now there's still a solid surface covering - thin but solid - and some nice lacing where the head has dropped and I've taken a sip. Whooooo! Hot. Let me give it another shot, sometimes you get used to these things. Ahh, not bad, I got more caramelish malt and tropical fruitiness this time (lots of added orange), but then there was the heat... it seems like a two-sided beer at this point. Dry finish? Ahem, no, HOT finish. But it's not that bad. It's not burning. Or is it? I think my upper lip is kind of on fire. And I wonder, can this be good for your health? I'm probably going to feel this later. But back to the finish, it's lightly sweetish with residual fruit (mainly mango, some orange, and even a bit of pineapple) and just a little bit of golden caramelish malt lingering. Medium-light in body and gently crisp. Interesting, and for fans of heat, not bad, but there's not a lot of actual pepper flavor.

This is coming from someone who has never tried a beer like this before. Perhaps it is just not my thing. But so I bought a variety pack of the heat series for me and a friend because it seemed interesting. We both could not stomach this beer. This is by par the worst beer I have ever had. To both of us, it was absolutely foul. It left both of us with a sick feeling.

 

 

 

 

 

Figured I would try this one since the peppers seem to be balanced but most of these are still not that great. Pours a very bright yellow very weird for an IPA with a ton of frothy head. Smell has mild chili pepper and hops but round to a sweetness I cannot describe. Taste has much heat coating the mouth and palate to a dry hoppy finish with slightly sweet but burning. Perhaps I kept it out too long or I just do not love hot peppers? Either way this is the spiciest version I had and I do not love it.

 

 

I just conducted a small horizontal of Flying Dog's beers back in mid-January & now it becomes incumbent upon me to keep current with their latest offerings as they become available. Note that I am the one responsible for the initial add, the Notes & the approved pic. I am glad that someone else gets credit for the first review.

From the bottle: "India Pale Ale brewed with hot peppers."; "Hops amplify spice. So what do bold varieties that pack a tropical fruit punch do to the new hottest pepper in the world? Blow your mind."

I Pop!ped the cap & began a gentle pour, in keeping with my New Year's Resolution and my Lenten denial. Aggro pours from bottles are now (mostly) a thing of the past. I am really coming to embrace a vigorous in-glass swirl since it is much less likely to bungle things up. This time, I brought forth three fingers of frothy, foamy, bone-white head with decent retention, leaving great lacing in its wake as it slowly fell. Color was Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7) with NE-quality clarity, calling forth The Gelt Gang of Mammon, Midas & Croesus from their Easter dinner to have a taste. Nose was at once tropical fruity and peppery hot, making me think of mango chutney! Aw, man, I could got for some roasted leg of lamb with mango chutney today, I'll tell you! Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was not initially spicy, but instead very fruity with notes of mango, papaya, guava, the usual suspects. Suddenly, out of nowhere, that cherry bomb from the other day seemed to explode! Talk about an iron fist in a velvet glove! Phew. Now, let me not oversell this. Yes, this was the (measured) hottest of the four, but I think that my perceived intense heat was due to that initial sweetness that caused me to drop my guard. It was hot, but not mind-blowingly hot. It was like listening to an orchestra as the music builds to an eventual crescendo. I was getting a tingle in my sinus cavity & the bald spot on the crown of my head began to take on a sheen of sweat. It was spicy & hot, but even an amateur like me could withstand it. The finish was hot and dry thanks to the peppers, but the fruitiness acted as a nice counterbalance. It is definitely worth a try.

 

 

Starts as a typical IPA. The pepper taste comes later but is not overpowering. Solid beer with a nice strong finish.