Snake Dog IPA - Flying Dog Brewery

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

We pour a toasted copper colored brew. It holds a two finger tall vanilla colored head. This shows nice retention, leaving thick sheets of patterned lacing along the walls of our glasses. There is a definite haze to it, with no sediment, while carbonation appears moderate. The nose fills with notes of crisp pale malts, with a hearty toast, and a nice mix of floral and citric hops. The latter are dirty, and a bit muddy with minerals, but otherwise bright and fresh. Booze and pine take up the back, and are enhanced in strength by warmth. Our first impression is that the hops begin nicely, but allow too much room for a steely malt to break them down. As we sip, spicy hop bitterness hits first. Pineapple and passion fruit pop in for a bit, especially within the first few sips. Booze is apparent right off the bat, adding puckering and more sour bitterness. Malts and steel come to mix, persisting to the peak, where the malts shine thoroughly through the initial hop bite. The toast to the malts from the nose works in too, adding a bit more bite. Honey nectar sweetness comes to the finish, with more citric rind bitterness to round things out. That same mud and mineral come in from the nose, giving it a near-adjuncty vibe right at the end. The aftertaste breathes heavily of ethanol, citric and floral hops, light plastic phenols, bitter steal, and minerals. The body is lighter to medium, and the carbonation is even. There is hearty slurp and smack, thanks to the head, with a nice finishing pop to the lips. The tongue is cooled from the booze, feeling icy as if with spearmint. The entire mouth is rather cooled and lightly coated, with a final sting from ethanol all the way down. The abv is getting up there for a single, but the beer drinks fine.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the nose and the slurp. All the notes in the aroma were relatively fresh, and the sweeter, fresher hops made for an inviting brew. The taste did little to hide the big booziness, so that became a bit overpowering at times. This is a nice treat for us in the hop-deprived Caribbean, but it doesn’t stand up too well against some of the more robust East Coasters it’s up against.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 04:32:41 | More by TheBrewo

Jparker37

Wisconsin

2.95/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into an Imperial pint glass.

A - Pours an off-white, medium sized head. The beer is a light shade of amber, a slight haze to it. Left a little bit of lacing.

S - A blend of lemon and piney hops. A touch of some spicy/powdery yeast. Some very mild crystal malts.

T - The malt stikes a little bit of balance to the herbal and piney hop flavors. Has quite a bit of bitterness hitting halfway through the taste. Finishes pretty dry with a lingering hop bitterness.

M - Medium-light body, medium-light carbonation. Good dryness.

O - Pros: Has a good deep color to it. Bright lemony hop smell was pleasurable. Light malt smell was nice. Good flavor balance. Dry.

Cons: Slight haziness. Saison-esque yeast smell was out of place to be classified as an American IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 22:53:51 | More by Jparker37

SouljaSaia17

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is my fourth beer of the mix pack and my 3rd review. Due to the ABV, im hoping for the best beer of the bunch!

A: Beautiful, golden-amber color with a big 2-in soapy white head that almost flowed over my glass. Head is slow to fade, but should leave some nice lacing!

S: Grapefruit and citrus hops upfront with a bit of pine bitterness in the middle. Some apricot and grassy notes follow at the end.

T: Hop bite is pretty mild, still get some sweet citrus, not a lot of pine as I originally hoped, but there is a little kick there. The grapefruit follows through the mouth and finishes with a bready, dry finish.

M: Sweet and slightly bitter, medium bodied with fair carbonation. Very drinkable and characters hide the ABV well.

O: A good beginners IPA, but if your experienced in the craft and are looking for something to wow you, this isnt your beer! Overall, I enjoyed it but am starting to view the Flying Dog Project as a bit of a disappointment!

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 02:56:06 | More by SouljaSaia17

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

355ml bottle poured into a 16oz pint glass.

A - Pours a clean, deep copper color with a fluffy off-white head. Some nice head retention and a sticky web of lacing.

S - Sweet aroma upfront. Some mild hop bouquet, with light citric and grassy notes, and a touch of pine. Really bready caramel malt, with cereal and a touch of honey. A decent IPA aroma.

T - Toasty caramel malt, cereal grains, herbal and grassy hops with a faint touch of citrus. Finishes herbal and sweet, with a touch of booze as well. I don't really understand the 7.10% ABV on this brew given the mild flavor. A half decent IPA for sure, but certainly sub-par for the style. Some leafy and earthy flavors form through as it warms.

M - Nice medium body, with a pronounced fizzle of carbonation. Lingering bitterness, slight alcohol warmth, and a little oily from the ABV.

D - All in all, this is just an unimpressive example of the style, with a peculiar ABV given the flavor profile. I'd rather drink the pale ale by the same brewery.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 20:13:06 | More by Converge

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.05/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed from session notes.

Clear amber color with a remarkably stable single finger head and minimal lacing. Nose wasn't as strong as most other IPAs I've had, but the light florals and citrus peels were in balance with the sweetness of the malt aroma that were present. Flavor is a brief mild "pop" of pine resin and than the bitterness falls back to mild swell of herbal and floral elements. This dog's bark is worse than its bite, for sure. Body is somewhat watery, but the carbonation is okay.

I'd call this one a PA, not an IPA, but YMMV. In other words, it is not aggressive enough with the hopping bill, too meek and mild for an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 21:44:26 | More by WastingFreetime

Shrews

3.63/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served - bottle into Pint Glass

Appearance
1inch head with a marvelous copper brown color. Plenty of carbonation bubbles rising to the top. Head held throughout the experience.

Smell
Malty and hoppy scent with some fruity and pine tones.

Taste
Lots of pine taste. Hoppy bitter, and caramel malts. Not much of a range of flavors.

Mouthfeel
Medium body with moderate carbonation.

Overall
A decent IPA, but pretty bland in flavor. Could use some more complex flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 23:18:14 | More by Shrews

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.18/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up a single at a mix-your-own six variety blend at Kroger. This is one of my first Flying Dog reviews. The very confusing expiration code on the label dates the 263rd day of 2012, making this bottle manufactured in Late March and "good" until Mid-September. Snake Dog IPA is brewed in the style of an American IPA.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to my New Belgium snifter. Served at 55º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) An aggressive pour yields a thick golden-cream frothy head that holds steady for an above average retention, thickening to a near-solid cream as it reaches surface cover. Lacing is medium-thick and solid. Body color is a mild hazy orange copper with an abundance of busy carbonation. A nice, robust and appealing IPA based off of appearance. 4.5

(Smell) Aroma consists of spicy, biscuity and bready malts with an equally discernible resiny hop aroma. Aroma comes close to balanced although I was hoping for a more striking and perky hop presence, what is in here is somewhat musty pine and mellows down the beer a bit, perhaps appropriate for the name and direction of the beer, but not as appealing as I would hope the potential of an American IPA to reach. Potency is medium. The aroma, while shallow and underdeveloped in places, is approachable and appealing nonetheless. 3.5

(Taste) The bready sweet caramel malt is the dominant flavor in this beer. Unfortunately, the hops are much less discernible in the flavor with hardly any bitterness to match, albeit the mild bitterness of a faint musty pine hop flavor on the finish. it's almost like a mildly hoppy amber ale with a very accessible mainstream flavor. It is one of the most uninteresting American IPAs that I have had based on the fact that underwhelms the palate. Beyond a high drinkability for a session ale, the flavor isn't particularly exciting and this beer therefore isn't my choice pick for this style. While I consider Snake Dog's flavors somewhat similar to Abita's Jockamo IPA and OB's Deviant Dale's (Most likely due to similar malt or yeast profiles), I'd most likely choose either of the latter options due to their hoppier and better balanced flavor profiles, which just make the beverage more exciting and aggressive overall Snake Dog is just a bit too mellow for me to truly enjoy. 3

(Mouthfeel) Slick texture with just a bit of air on the end, a bit unexciting and could use a little more carbonation to accent the subtle flavors. Body is light, a bit too light for the style. Alcohol presence is mild, but easier to discern than in the average IPA, as the lack of a hop presence and lower body makes it difficult to hide. I'm very indifferent as to whether the thin and slick texture helps the flavor or not but it doesn't bring a lot of excitement nor character to this beer. 3

(Overall) Certainly one of the most accessible IPAs for those who are generally hop-phobic in regards to bitterness and even flavor, this beer has a solid malty caramel base but not a lot else going for it. Perhaps it would be suitable as a step-up to "hoppier" grounds but I'm not particularly interested in returning to this offering based on the simplicity of the recipe in a hugely saturated market style. Perhaps Flying Dog could impress me with a brighter, crisper and hoppier option in the future. 3

Flying Dog Brewery's
Snake Dog India Pale Ale
3.18/5.00

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 18:25:00 | More by Jadjunk

Greenmachine07

3.7/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer was fairly good. not the best not the worst. poured it into a snifter.

A-clear,avg carbonation.

S-piney and clean no real notes but it smelled very fresh

T-i really enjoyed the taste, it was not overpowering and the malt was noticed near the end. it had a nice bite and it kept me sipping.

O-great taste, clean and piney a good brew and not a bad price. not as hoppy as some of my fav IPAs but it was very drinkable.

Try it you wont be disappointed

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 00:24:57 | More by Greenmachine07

hreb

Washington

3/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Cold 12oz bottle served in tumbler style glass. Beer pours a relative dark orange amber with big bubbles and a respectable off-white head. Great citrus-hop aroma appropriate for the style.

Initially the flavor is grapefruity and refreshing, but that's followed by a barrage of bitterness and harshness. There's very little malt backbone to support this number of IBUs (only 60, according to Flying Dog's website). This beer just seems to have dried out too much for its own good during fermentation.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 17:22:31 | More by hreb

jsulko

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle poured into tulip glass

Pours a dark amber with slightly off white head.

Smell is sweet and malty with a hint of a more early hops smell instead of piney or citrus.

Taste is very carmel sweet with a weird hops bitterness on the finish.

While I am a fan of many of their brews this is not one of them. Will stick to some of their other styles.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 03:44:17 | More by jsulko

pschul4

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Weird story on the side and that on top of me already not being a huge Flying Dog fan..

A- Looks really solid. Amber with an off white head that leaves excellent lacing.

S- Very bland scent. I'm practically dipping my nose in it to get a little bit of bitterness and some pale malts

T- Pretty Meh. Like the scent it's only a little bitter and a little malty on the end. Nothing special here.

M- Pretty flat here as well, could use some carbonation to liven things up

O- I could never choose this over torpedo or southern tiers IPA. How is the brewery still in business with all the lame beers they make?

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 02:27:35 | More by pschul4

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.68/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass. Served well chilled.

A) Light amber in color. A finger of head, which settled to a soapy looking dusting. Some decent lacing.

S) Christmas tree sap and some citrus aroma. More piney than sweet, but a little malt comes through.

T) Lots of pine and plenty of citrus rind. Okay balance... This has some tingle, and ends with some bitterness.

M) Medium body, nicely carbonated. This is crisp and a little zesty. Really quite refreshing. Slightly dry on the finish. Enjoyable....

O) Decent beer here, not the most memorable in the sea of great IPA options currently available, but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 01:30:05 | More by RoamingGnome

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

P:  Clear glowing light orange tea appearance with apparent carbonation and a dollop of thin bubbly head that vanishes quick. 

S:  Orchard fruits, cereal grains, lemon oil, limes, timid honey, tart yeast, earthy hop aroma and black pepper. 

T/M:  Light-medium and stingy on the tongue. Burnt caramel malts, oaky booze, lemon oil and timid pine resin.  Ultra dry finish that leaves mouth almost numb. Lingering bitterness of citrus rinds. 

O:  At first I didn't really care for this one, but after it warms it gets much better.   The bitterness is definitely there and alcohol is well hidden.  Good flavors that deliver a solid IPA.  

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 03:10:07 | More by Hopswagger

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: The beer poured a one finger head that has reduced to a thin layer and left some nice lacing. It is a clear orange amber color with lots of carbonation coming up through the glass. Nice lacing on the glass as the beer was drank.

Smell: caramel and bready malts, some pine and citrus notes in the back of the nose.

Taste: very piney and citrus up front. Bready and caramel malts in the rear. Lingering bitterness in the end.

Mouthfeel: smooth, medium bodied, medium carbonation, some bitterness, and easy to drink.

Overall: I have had better IPA's, but this is still a good one too. Will be looking for more in the future from these folks.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 22:16:46 | More by Flounder57

merc7186

New York

3.38/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer poured on tap at Fat Bobs Smokehouse in Buffalo NY, poured into a pint glass.

A: Amber/Golden Straw Hue, Passes Most Light, White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Bitter Malts, Grainy

T: Bitter, Grainy Malts, Mild Resin

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Bitter, Semi Drying

Overall, this beer has lots of bitter taste, with that being said, one of the worst IPAs I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2012 18:11:11 | More by merc7186

TheSixthRing

California

3.3/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours a clear golden orange with a white, 2 finger head. Retention is average, resulting in a decent, semi-sticky lacing.

Smell - Oh no. Piney aromas. Toasted, biscuity malts.

Taste - Starts with pine resin and rings throughout, with a healthy biscuit malt backbone. A subtle hint of lemony citrus kicks in near the aftertaste but for me, it's too little too late.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body. Average carbonation.

Overall - I do not like predominately piney IPA's. Unfortunately, this is one of them. I prefer an IPA with more citrus hop qualities, and while there is a bit on the back end, it's not enough to convince me to like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 05:50:23 | More by TheSixthRing

elNopalero

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This looks like a pale orange/amber colored brew. I get a piney aroma with some caramel malt backbone on the aroma. The piney hops are evident on the flavor, but it’s balanced by the malts and a bit of chewiness rounding it out. Decent but not spectacular. The Ralph Steadman labels look wonderful but I’m still not completely sold on the beers themselves.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 18:42:41 | More by elNopalero

tdm168

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a moderate amber with a hint of orange; big, soft, foamy, dense, off white head; great retention

S - faint biscuity malt; floral; piny; earthy; petey

T - faint, biscuity malt; light malt character; piny, earthy hop character; strong, lingering bitterness; faint floral notes; faint grapefruit, citrusy character in the finish

M - medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This is an easy drinking IPA, but the intense bitterness will quickly lead to palate fatigue. The malt character is rather tame and the hops run all over it. A better sense of balance would be great for this beer, but as it stands it's worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 19:03:52 | More by tdm168

BurpingtonDC

Maryland

3.38/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Beautiful deep, golden amber. Creamy off white head of about 1.5 fingers, not much lacing, head dissipated quickly all but for a bit which stayed until the bitter end.

S - Malt, pine, citrus, a touch of fruit, and a bit more than a bit of alcohol.

T - I'm a hophead so I enjoy the bitter bite this IPA has. Bit sticky and cloying on the tongue though, which I'm not crazy about. Starts out briefly with a touch of sweet malt, but quickly heads for hop highway. Just a hint of apricot and a slight bit of butterscotch. At 7.1 ABV the alcohol taste is well represented, but not overwhelming.

M - Medium bodied, sticky, carbonation fuzzy more than crisp.

O - Overall I think I could drink this most anytime without complaining, but not a session at 7.1%. I've had better IPA's, but not too many complaints about this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 00:09:14 | More by BurpingtonDC

Murrhey

Montana

2.28/5  rDev -36%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Reviewed live.

A- Finger and a half off-white head, with quickly deteriorating retention and some foamy lacing. Dark golden color with nice clarity.

S- light fruits and citrus, sour mash, fruity hops and bitter malt backbone. Smooth and tart sort of smell.

T- Strange flavor that balances metallic bitterness with earthy hoppiness. Not digging this one. Watery in the background, too hop forward in the fore.

M- Slimy wetness, dry finish.

O- Unless you are a fan of the brewery or the style, avoid this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 03:29:13 | More by Murrhey

CFHMagnet

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A strong pour yields a finger of parchment colored head on top of an orangey amber body. A few bubbles are noted rising from bottom to top of this murky brew. Head fades in a couple of minutes and doesn't leave much lacing to speak of.

Smell is pine and citrus hops mixed with a biscuit and caramel malt. These two definitely blend well.

When the sip is taken, a hint of sweetness kisses your tongue. This is gone with the wind quickly, and bitter takes over. Very piney bitter with a bit of grapefruit in for good measure. On the back end, its biscuits and spice.

This brew is firmly in the realm of medium bodied. It is dry to the max, and has a very firm bitterness to it. Carbonation is present enough to wash it through without bogging down.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 02:44:36 | More by CFHMagnet

BierStein711

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On draught

Blood orange with quickly fading head

S: Grapefruit, apricot, hops, booze

T: Apricots, citrus, hop bitter finish

M: Good, but not great!

Overall, this is an average beer for a small meal. I wasn't too impressed, and I don't think I'll have this again. I have not tried too many beers from Flying Dog, but I probably should.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2012 15:58:16 | More by BierStein711

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 Oz poured into a duvel tulip

A- Pours a hazy orange with a two finger foamy/ rocky head.

S- Smells sweet and fruity. A bit of orange and apricots as well as grapefruit. A slightly breaddy maltiness but this is a super well balanced smelling ipa.

T- Tastes like it smells. Theres a little bitterness that compliments the tropical fruit flavors. There is a nice frothy breaddy malt backbone. The aftertaste is bitter and dry.

M- A perfect sized IPA, not too light or chewy. Mouthfeel is all around bitter and prickly.

O- A solid IPA, its probably not going to be anybody favorite beer but its a great offering.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 20:37:38 | More by TwelveOunces

Arborescence

Finland

3.85/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Amber, very slight haze, quite a nice beery colour in fact. Pours an airy head that recedes quickly.

Aroma: Dominating hops, but there is something else in there, some fruit that I can't put my finger on.

Taste: There are claims of 'in your face' flavour on the bottle, and I suppose that the hops do kick you a bit. It's certainly more bitter than your bog standard IPA, but it has more character as well, and I don't think that the hops dominate too much. Extreme bitterness is what differentiates this from (some of) its peers.

Mouthfeel: Some carbonation, but I'd call it light bodied. You can feel the hops creeping on your cheeks!

Overall: It's a better than average IPA, with more robust character and flavour than some, although you do get a lot of beers competing in this category, some with even more of the 'in your face' hoppy flavour than the Snake Dog. Anyway, this is a beer that I'd buy again -- I'm reviewing the third sample from a Flying Dog variety pack.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 21:28:28 | More by Arborescence

C20Percent

Virginia

2.98/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a pale golden-orange with an egg shell color of fluffy head on top. Nothing going on in the body of the beer. Some bubbles here and there, but mostly a bore. I'm looking for bubbles, sediment, complex colors, and they aren't here.

S: An earthy aroma with a strong generic malt background. There's some citrus in there if you look hard enough. The smell isn't kind to the nose -- it isn't offensive, but there just isn't enough of anything. Kind of just there instead of being a bright feature of the brew.

T: The flavor matches the aroma to a "T". An earthy flavor with a heavy malt backbone. Kind of a stinky, somewhat boozy finish. The beer isn't boozy, but it kind of flashes in the aftertaste. But, this beer isn't crisp, refreshing, and doesn't have that fresh hoppy flavor I'm looking for. Really, just about average for me.

M: For me, this is a heavy body that borders on syrupy. It feels dull -- don't know if that makes any sense. But, that what I think of the feel. Very chewy, which can be nice sometimes, but not in this case.

O: Sucks because I so want to like Flying Dog. I think they have so much untaped potential. Raging Bitch isn't bad, but this isn't doing it for me. A dull, generic, lazy offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 22:01:41 | More by C20Percent