Brewhouse Rarities: Saltwater Taffy IPA
Flying Dog Brewery

Look: Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow with a one finger white head of foam. Poor lacing. Average retention

Aroma: Chalky and dry on the nose with notes of dried pineapple and cantaloupe. A little bit of vanilla and a touch of white pepper.

Taste is strange; I'm honestly getting a little bit of cheesiness to it but it's very faint - not sure if that's from the "saltwater taffy" aspect of the beer or not. The palate is tepid and follows the nose with muted and stifled notes of cantaloupe and pineapple blanketed by notes of vanilla. Sweet with restrained bitterness. Alcohol is profile is undetectable.

Feel is middle of the road with light carbonation but an overall heavy body. Not sugary or syrupy; just kinda thick.

This is a below average beer. Pretty underwhelming overall. A shame because I really wanted this to be good.

This is disgusting. Tastes like way too much vanilla extract mixed with lemon flavoring, some bubblegum flavor, lots of milk sugar and a weird funk. This is quite likely the worst beer I've ever tried. It smells awful as well. Just all around bad. You get the lemon, you get the vanilla and you get the lactose but the flavors do not work well together whatsoever.

Best By date : 10/27/21. It was refrigerated when I found it, and has been since.

Translucent deep yellow, with about a half-finger of quickly-dissipating white head. Looks like a liquid version of lemon candy.

Smell is both a soft[hops?], and a sharp[lemon oil?], lemon scent. There is a slight underlying vanilla aroma.

Taste is lemon and spice (coriander+black pepper? ) , with the spice being more predominant. It reminds me of the flavors from the yeast in some witbiers, but with flavors in reverse proportions, and predominant, instead of a compliment/sidenote. It also comes across as (poor attempt) artificial flavor. There is a slight vanilla aftertaste, but not enough to save it.

Feel is light-medium, with light, semi-soft carbonation. (& at this point, I don't care what it feels like. ;) )

Nice idea, but it doesn't work. Brewhouse rarity? Thank Dog, or whomever else, that is so. No, just no. Glad I only got a single. Ugh.

Always loved Flying Dog’s creative offerings but this isn’t in my wheel house.
It’s pours cloudy yet see-through and deep yellow with a thin head. There is no visible effervescence but the head does seem to replenish itself.
It’s not heavily scented but the lemon does come forward with a tease of vanilla as advertised.
It taste of IPA with some hop and a soft malt finish but the introduction of lemon and vanilla is front and center. For me it is more reminiscent of the vanilla scent and taste after touching those candles sold in school fundraisers and less of a vanilla found in a bourbon barrel brew. The citrus in many IPA’s is welcomed and makes sense here. For me it doesn’t blend as well as their Raging Bitch, Double Dog, or the Truth IPA’s. Being from Maryland, we’ve all had that box of multi-flavored salt water taffy driving home from Ocean City. There are some flavors that disappear before the trip home is over and some that get thrown out a week and a half later. This would be one of the ones that get eaten somewhere in the interim. Not every Beatles song hit number 1 either but it’s still from the Beatles. Enjoy my friends.

 

(12 oz bottle, enjoy by 10.27.21; purchased single off shelf... poured into a fat tulip)

L: clear, pale amber liquid, with a mild haze; tall, tight foam stand on pour, collapsing to a messy cap... collar keeps, and some lace sticks

S: not overtly salt water taffy, nor lemon, nor vanilla... more of the plastic wrapping of said taffy, scented by the taffy... perfumed polyester... lemon gradually pokes out... dominant note of a spicy-floral, lip balm variety

T: the initial hit on the nose was almost Gose-like, and the first sip is as well; slight pungent, bitter-salty aftertaste... the balance of the flavorings is skewed on a bad angle, while also being a touch too peppery-pungent and also lacking a sweet contrast (lactose buried)

F: light-bodied, mellow foamy wash; tapered finish, with a moderate heat swelling in the aft, lighting up the palate... the hopping does contribute a little sting to the tongue as well

O: not sure why they'd choose to do this in IPA form, when they could have likely more easily translated the taffy flavor within a simple blonde ale, probably keeping it dry enough as well... full-flavored of a sort, but can't be recommended, even to satisfy a curiosity (1788)

Bottom five beer I’ve ever had. Worst after taste I’ve ever experienced.

Appearance:
Popcorn butter yellow with sparkling champagne bubbles that cling to the glass in tiger stripes. No head, no lace.

Bouquet:
Mealy malts, like a layer of stovetop grease, cover an unwashed underbelly with a rash of hop buds protruding from it like warts.

Feel:
A sebaceous medium with a grainy sub-texture like underripe watermelon. Its hyperactive carbonation dies off like a cheap battery, abandoning you to endure that greasy mouthfeel without respite.

Taste:
About as disappointing as cheap socks on Christmas morning. They promised us a salt water taffy IPA and gave us Ajax lemon dish soap with hops. The acidic taint in the aftertaste really hammers in that authentic, dish soap experience; the kind that has you gargling water and scrubbing your tongue in a desperate bid to eliminate that tart, synthetic residue.

Note:
I had this beer six times and in various circumstances: on tap, from the bottle, at home in an IPA glass, etc. It was repulsive each time.

 

Collaboration with Dolle's Saltwater Taffy. Enjoy by 11/3/21. 12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours golden with a little haze to it; small white head that fades leaving okay retention and lacing. The aromas are citric. Lots of lemon leading the way. Some vanilla. Some fresh grass. Malts are there. The flavors follow the nose. More lemon leading the way. Vibrant citric notes. It's slightly tart and sweet. Moderate bitterness. There's a decent amount vanilla coming through in the finish. Malts do their thing. Finishes juicy and dry at the same time. Alcohol goes unnoticed. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with moderate carbonation. It's fluffy, smooth and slightly sharp.

This is a solid IPA. It's extremely unique, which I really appreciate. I've had a ton of IPAs over the years, but I'm honestly not sure that I've had one quite like this. It does have a saltwater taffy vibe going on, although I haven't had saltwater taffy since I was a kid. Either way, I might not personally be in love with this one, but it's still good and gets extra credit for being original and unique. I understand the "hate", but they ultimately deliver on what they're advertising.

Poured from the bottle into a branded goblet glass.

Minimal head creation with a simple white one finger appearance and leaves no lacing, and just a simple collar. The body color is a simple opaque and slightly hazed note of light orange to dark lemon yellow.

Interesting aroma. Does hint salty almost gose like, with touches of lemon and lime like qualities. Slightly juiced and fruity herbacious, but also kind of in an odd way. Funny how this seems to be turning out.

Palate is a bit of an odd duck. Quenching and good mouthwatering body, with a simple malt backbone. Mid palate has a bit of odd briney pineapple and fruit like character. Finishes with bright lemon like hop and flavor, but almost gets into some detergent like qualities with some of the bitterness as well.

It's a neat concept but the beer doesn't seem to come off like an IPA, or any kind of specialty beer either. Sort of lacks an identity, and if you told me this was made with salt water taffy I wouldn't have know that's for sure.

This beer reminded me of a TV commercial for Jim Beam. The confused bar patron is listening to three beer geeks - a Merlin type that wants him to try a dark beer. A German beer wench pushing a wheat beer and a bearded geek that wants him to try an IPA made with goat's milk!!!! This IPA is made with lactose and I feel it completely misses the mark. I admit I have prejudices. Summit hops taste like vegetable waste to me, I don't like peanut butter in my beer, the less vanilla - the better. I am not a big fan of blueberry unless it is in a good lambic or other sour. That being said, an IPA with lactose is not right. A stout or porter???? Why not??? AN IPA should be crisp and bitter without a sour, dairy aftertaste. This beer just misses the mark. Not a drain pour but not an enjoyable session either. Avoid!!!!