What’s up Flying Dog?

They need to revamp their childish looking labels for starters

 

bUt HuNtEr S tHoMpSon !111!!!1

 

They're pretty popular around here and they make solid beers for a reasonable price. I do like that they are always experimenting but for me when they miss they really miss, I have had more than a few of their beers that I couldn't finish.

 

Gonzo is very good. I'm not much of a fan of their other beers though. They just kind of sit on the shelves and look neat.

 

Yeah, horn dog! Never see it any more in upstate NY now.

 

Came here to say this... Gonzo is a damn good beer... they haven't distributed in my area for years but that was a regular purchase for me....

 

With so many options out there I rarely drink FD anymore but I used to try everything. It’s probably one of those breweries that’s doing fine overall (they crank out a ton of beer ) but just don’t get much attention from us BA-ers these days.

 

I used to buy Flying Dog fairly regularly. Hunter S. Thompson is one of my favorite authors, and the artwork is what drew me in initially. In fact, I bought so much Raging Bitch that it earned the nickname, “Frannie Beer” in our house. (Frannie is my mother-in-law. It was a joke, really; she’s not that bad... usually).
I’m not sure why I don’t buy it much anymore, probably because the vast majority of what I buy is local/Ohio (Fat Head’s, Columbus Brewing, Jackie O's and Great Lakes).

 

Same here. Their mixed 12 pack was a staple in my fridge when they were out here. Then they moved on to Maryland and I moved on to other brands.

 

I'm not sure if they discontinued their Single Hop series, but vast majority of those beers I found very well made IPAs and fun to sample the nuances of the various single variety hops out there. Initially they did ABV's too high, but then they dialed it back a little and found them much more drinkable and less boozy.

Their Maibock was one of my favorites for that style in the world. When they do traditional styles, they usually have been very well crafted.

They need to retire the K-9 Winter warmer (just not good) and replace their standard winter beer with another Big Beer style they have done well. St. Eadman Belgian Strong Dark, Dopplebock, Natural Selection Genus 3 (Old Ale), are a few that I thought were quite exceptional and would be good replacement for K-9.

 

Had The Fear on Nitro last night. Not very pumpkin-forward, but still pretty enjoyable and a nice fall beer (on the maltier side).

I still think Gonzo is a great beer as well.

 

I just finished a Kujo Cold Brew Coffee Porter and thought it was excellent. Will definitely buy again. That said . . . I have had a number of their brews and find them just ok.

 

Agree. FD is just not standing out in a crowded market.

 

One of my favorites from them.

 

Ah, that explains why they were prevalent on the shelves when I lived in Tucson in the mid 90s. I was wondering why a Maryland based brewery had such a strong presence there way back then. Thanks.

 

I usually don't trust my memories much but I have a very specific one about Flying Dog in Tucson. There was a liquor store that did weekly blind IPA tastings for customers and then they would feature the winner's beer in a prominent place for the rest of the week. Flying Dog was a brand new kid on the block when they won so it was notable - my best guess is this was 1997?

You could find their pale ale as well as at least one other thing available too I think. Maybe the barleywine but I'm not sure. Just like you said, I bought them a fair bit back then but haven't really thought about them in ages.

 

I thought the flying dog Oktoberfest was good, but maybe that's just because I like most Oktoberfests.