K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale - Flying Dog Brewery

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.96/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Bottle from Good Spirits Co, Glasgow (355ml, £2.40):
Rich looking copper colour with a large and foamy looking head that is a light brown colour. Retention isn't too bad with some lacing left on the glass and minimal reduction in size.

Earthy with some light malts and a touch of sweet caramel and toffee. There is some spice and darker fruits but these aromas are kept to a minimum. Not all that exciting and lacking depth to be honest.

Earthy malts and some caramel ones too, I could also detect some darker fruits but like the smell these were at least partially masked throughout. There is some spice and lighter hops but everything just seems to blur together.

Medium with a sweet, warming alcohol taste and some touches of earthy bitterness but not a lot. The carbonation is quite mild and the beer comes across as a basic one with a very smooth mouthfeel.

A basic and unexciting taste that is out of character for Flying Dog as their beers are usually always interesting and worth trying. This one started pretty slow but did have some nice caramel malts and some fruits somewhere around the middle but it wasn't enough to save the drink I'm afraid.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 09:40:27 | More by flyingpig

mpyle

Maryland

3.88/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

App - Rich amber color, brilliantly clear. Pours a fairly large just off-white head with good retention.

Smell - Smell has trouble escaping the lingering head! Sweet caramel malty aroma, a slight metallic smell.

Rich malty flavor up front, some chocolate. Fairly assertively bittered leading to a balanced, slightly bitter finish. A big malty beer that isn't overly sweet.

MF - Medium body and carbonation, some alcohol warming but it is under control.

Overall a very pleasant beer with a strong malt character. Would be an awesome beer to sip by a roaring fire during the winter.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 21:55:01 | More by mpyle

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Brilliantly clear with smallish dark head. Nice red amber.
Malt aroma with slight aqueous quality.
Straight out malt flavor. Quite a bit of malt drying on the finish, which is quite long. Slight dark fruitiness. Soft hop flavors and some bittering too (cutting some sweetness).
Really kinda' light body, but fullness is aided/added by the carbonation.
Not sure why this rates so low of a score. It is better than that.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 00:40:34 | More by garymuchow

CloudStrife

New York

3.55/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a clear ruby with a 1 finger off white head. Average amount of visible carbonation. Leaves some splotches of lacing as the head dissipates.

S: Sweet carmel malts with a hint of spiciness to it. A touch of roasted malt and a decent amount of dark fruits. Raisin, fig and plum come to mind.

T: Carmel and toffee blend together with some of the roasted malt. Mild dark fruit taste with a hint of fermented fruit. Spices like allspice and cinnamon come to mind as well. Slight touch of booze at the end. Lingering sweetness.

M: Medium to thick body with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel. Low carbonation and a bit sticky after swallowing. Works well in the warming department.

Overall not an overwhelming flavor, certainly something smooth and relaxing for a cold winter night. Wouldnt mind just a bit more spice or a more complex malt profile.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 23:49:15 | More by CloudStrife

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.51/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into ommegang tulip. Pours a syrup color brown with moderate head. Good hop and syrupy booze aromas. Sweet syrup and malt flavor with minimal spice. Its slightly hopped but its noticeable. Overall not something id reach for all the time but a good sweet malty nicely spiced warmer.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 06:02:03 | More by DrinkSlurm

schoolboy

Ohio

3.41/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I didn't expect a lot from this brew and it delivered less than I expected. It is a great color, but the head is very thin. The aroma is pretty unusual, and for that reason cool. It is pleasant enough.

The taste is a mixed up mess. It's boozier than it should be. It's malty, bitter and yeasty all at the same time. There is an off fruity taste in there too and it lingers in the aftertaste.

Overall, this does not work for me and I will not seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 01:22:56 | More by schoolboy

tdm168

North Carolina

3.51/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A - dark amber with a thick, off white, brownish head that has good retention

S - a bit grainy, sweet, some faint caramel

T - bread, caramel, a rather bitter finish

M - warm, well carbonated, medium bodied

This is a rather simple beer. It is prominently caramel in flavor with very faint notes otherwise. The bitterness in the finish is more intense than it should be. There isn't much here to separate this beer from any other winter offering. I'm glad to have tried this once, but I won't be seeking it out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 21:40:15 | More by tdm168

CHickman

New York

3.04/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

Pours a clear amber reddish color with bubbles racing up the middle, and huge 2 finger light tan head that had tons of little bubbles in it and faded very slowly, leaving decent excellent foamy lacing coating the sides and a layer on top.

Smells of yeast, medicine, grass, musty notes like a moldy basement, and sweet fruit like pear, apple and plum; it’s sweet and funky with some bready notes, with yeast coming on the strongest.

Tastes like it smells, with yeast, medicine, grass, sweet fruit like pear, apple and plum, funk, cardboard, biscuit, herbs, tea leaf and light spices or floral hops. The aftertaste has some allspice or cinnamon peek through, leaving a funky metal taste that seems mixed with vegetables. The ABV comes through, but not in a bad way.

Mouthfeel is creamy and mild, with light carbonation, a medium body and a funky aftertaste that is on the dry side. This was kind of blah, and overall on the dull side. Not a beer I’d seek out again, nor would I buy it if it weren’t in the mixed 12 pack.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 04:28:37 | More by CHickman

1Nrwyscotch

Wisconsin

3.3/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a pint glass. K-9 Winter Ale, no Cruiser on my bottle.

A. A ncie amber color with a thick off white head that stays around and leaves a little lacing.

S. Some sweet malt aroma which quickly turns to some earthy wet grass.

T. It is not too complex a little caramel and I'm not getting any spicing but it finishes the lingering light bitterness of the hops followed by some warming from the alcohol.

M. It has a pretty light body.

O. It is a decent tasting beer just nothing to go out of your way for. It kinda reminds me of some wet hopped beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 19:15:55 | More by 1Nrwyscotch

hosehead83

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Clear copper hue, with a big, two-inch head of off-white foam.
Aroma-Faint caramel.
Taste-Toasted malt, faint cinnamon. Nothing really jumps out at you in this brew. Tastes o.k. but everything is kind of muted and laid back. A middle-of-the-road offering from a brewery that has a lot of better beers to offer.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 15:05:26 | More by hosehead83

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle. No bottled on date. My bottle has omitted the word "Cruiser" from this beer's title, so perhaps Flying Dog changed it's name this year? I don't know. Mine says only K-9 Winter Ale.

A - Extremely dark copper penny color. No head to speak of.

S - Smells floral and spicy. Some strange musty hops buried in the end somewhere. A slight bubblegum creeps out as the beer warms.

T - Coppery, malty, slightly spicy, slightly floral. Definitely a more bitter, full-bodied beer than the Samuel Adams White Christmas I just drank.

M - Nice, pleasant sticky mouth.

Overall, glad I was able to pick this up, as yesterday was the first time I have seen this beer in my area. A decent seasonal from Flying Dog.

Flying Dog K-9 Winter Ale ---3.5/5.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 16:28:16 | More by mfnmbvp

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

3.05/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a Horny Goat pint glass

Appearance- A clear amber color with a small amount of off white head that sits on the surface and leaves minimal lacing.

Smell- Some ripe fruit with a little citrus and alcohol.

Taste- Follows the nose minus the citrus. A smokey alcohol finish isnt to plesant.

Mouthfeel- The light side of medium and a little lite on the carbonation.

Overall- Just an average winter warmer that uses unhidden ABV instead of a nice warming finish. Lazily made in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 03:09:14 | More by BrownAleMale

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

2.68/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a dark chestnut color with a good amount of clarity. While the offwhite colored head has a nice texture, it quickly fades into a very thin collar - and isn't impressive to start with at less than one finger. The body is pretty beautiful, at least.

S: Has a definite graham cracker and chocolate vibe to the aroma. When given the chance to warm up, it develops a prune-like character to it. There isn't much in the way of spicing other than a touch of cinnamon.

T: I'm surprised how bitter this is. There is almost no sweetness to the caramel and toasted malts - if there is, I sure as shit don't notice it. Normally, this is a good thing for me. But this bitterness works against everything else, ruining both the balance and potential subtleties the spicing could have provided. After a while of warming up, some Centennial hops seem to make an appearance after the midtaste, almost as if it's trying (and failing) to ape SN Celebration in a manner. Not horrible, but everything just seems out of whack, and without any distinctness to any of the flavor notes.

M: The finish is dry and astringent. The problem is, it's not in a balanced manner, increasing the harshness of it. Even worse is the general chalkiness of the feel, which I'm no fan of either. All it does is make the texture feel thicker without really feeling substantial.

O: ST's 2XMAS planted a seed of doubt toward my general dislike of winter warmers. Even if it's not a great example of the style, this makes me remember why I don't really care for the typical winter warmer. It feels off for some reason.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 21:41:24 | More by ThisWangsChung

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.23/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Dark Amber colored body with an off white head that just leaves some bubbles.

S- Mostly caramel malt with some roasted malt.

T- Similar to the smell, just a malty beer without a whole lot going on.

M- Medium bodied, medium carbonation, pretty good.

O- Drinkable, but nothing mind blowing.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2012 19:09:55 | More by stephenjmoore

Morey

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2012 bottle into Tulip.

Appearance: Beautiful reddish-brown color with stunning clarity. Head was a cream color, and initially stood about one finger tall, but settled pretty fast. Some decent lacing being left behind on the sides of my glass.

Aroma: Very mild with suggestions of dark fruits and chocolate malts being the most dominant smells.

Taste: I get the malts right up front, along with a modest dose of hop bitterness. Not far behind, I get the dark fruits and some subtle spices as well. I can't help but be reminded of GL Christmas Ale, but less cinnamon & ginger....and well...it's not as good.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body with moderate carbonation. A thin layer of spicy film is left coating the pallet.

Morey's Bottom Line: It's not as bad as the score suggest, but it's not super memorable either. It's average and lost in a sea of winter warmers and Christmas ales.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 01:07:05 | More by Morey

Brenden

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Just "K-9" on the bottle, apparently this beer isn't a cruiser anymore. The snippet on the label seems to be implying that this beer will numb you.

It's off to a pretty good start in the appearance, as a creamy and somewhat rocky head of a light brown color rises to about a finger in height and, while retention is average at best, the island of foam leaves good patches of lacing behind.
Then it gets weird. It seems to be maybe a brown ale base, but the first smell in my nostrils is metal. Give it a minute and it's at least tamed a bit. There is some chocolate in there. There's also a tea-like note that I'd expect in an English Mild or maybe an English Brown. Actually, it could be the hops, as an earthy layer comes out with a little floral spiciness. To be fair, when this beer has a minute or two out and warming it gets better.
Apparently this beer has gone through some reincarnations of a sort. This isn't bad, per se, but probably not its best. It get the tea and the floral note as well as the earthiness and spiciness, but it's not as flavorful as, say, a good breakfast tea. It's really altogether light. the chocolate note fades out, and the malts barely hold it beyond average. The herbal hoppiness going into the finish turns tinny and the malts go grainy.
I'm also never quite sure from one sip to the next what kind of body this beer has. Ultimately it seems a little too thin, though carbonation and a certain smoothness attempt to hold it up.

Flying Dog really is a crazily hot-or-miss brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 20:23:45 | More by Brenden

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.1/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours a deep reddish amber with a faint ring of foam. Aroma is sweet, a bit boozy, cough syrup, cherry.

First sip has a quick rush of malty sweetness followed by a firm bitter finish, with an unsatisfying lack of aftertaste. It's like this beer falls off a cliff - it is thin, bland, and leaves no lasting impression. It is over-attenuated? It tastes so to me.

So I'm mostly getting an aspirin like bitterness from this beer, without much else to redeem it. Very little mouthfeel, very little flavor, just all around disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 05:00:56 | More by FickleBeast

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.03/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

ST: 12oz poured into a pint.

A: Deep amber with a half-a-finger off-white head. It is very clear and has good light. Leaves thick lacking everywhere.

S: Malty, some caramel notes, sweet cream, a bit watery.

T: Lots of malt with a hint of caramel and a bit of alcohol warmth on the finish. The finish is dry rather than sweet with a bit of bitterness. Overall, it is a bit bland.

M: Medium

O: Nothing impresses me here. It looks nice, but the aroma and flavor are bland or relatively one-dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 22:45:47 | More by ianjsullivan

UCLABrewN84

California

3.15/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Best before 3/6/13.

Pours a clear copper with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, herbal hops, and a nutty aroma. Taste is much the same with a somewhat high herbal hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an average beer with an astringently bitter flavor that is somewhat unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 04:12:46 | More by UCLABrewN84

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.45/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Out of a bottle this beer was a perfectly clear, garnet color with one finger of khaki colored head. The retention was ok at first but it soon was little more than a needle-thin collar that left only a few small spots of lacing. The aroma was of caramel malt, toffee and a hint of floral hops. The flavors were of caramel malt, toffee, diacetyl, nuts, toasted malt, burnt toast and then a finish which was a bit to herbal/medicinal and didn’t quite balance out properly. Distinctly bitter on the finish but it wasn’t a ‘clean’ finish. The mouthfeel was frothy and slick, the body medium and the carbonation a bit high. Rather average overall but by no means unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 18:07:50 | More by thekevlarkid

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. has a deep copper color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, a touch of malts. Taste is also on the mild side, some malts, lightly hopped, kind of weak. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a mediocre beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 14:59:55 | More by tone77

smakawhat

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

It's still winter? Could have fooled me with this warmth! Let's see how this winter seasonal goes, poured into a nonic pint glass.

A nice off tan head, very large on the pour practically three fingers tall, but kind of foamy. However, the body color is a real nice copper red, clear and amber in appearance. Really like this body color.

Light hop, noticeable kind of dark fruit and malts. Brown sugar, coming off more as a strong ale than anything. However, it smells quite nice regardless.

A real nice sort of mushy malt on the palate. Chewy and dense. Dense malts mix with a strong ale feel, giving some rich body. Light hop on the finish with a nice blast on the malt. Some classic dark spices in there, but not the sort wintery warmy feeling. Smooth and almost velvety mouthfeel.

Overall I am thinking English sort of slight hoppy strong ale here, not so much a winter warmer. It's still very tasty though, so no worries there.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 00:40:27 | More by smakawhat

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-dark whiskey colored with a thick cream colored head

S-sweet barley. strong smell but it really smells off

T-comes in with a very adjunct taste of honey and barley. then comes a weird bitter taste. after-taste is matching. this really isn't too good.

M-creamy medium carbonation with a dry finish

O-if i didn't know better, i would say this is a boozey BMC version of a winter warmer...except the only BMC winter warmer i've had (winter's boubon cask ale) was a lot better than this. its just harsh. i tried it because i've been seeing it everywhere i go, but now i can't understand why any bar would want this.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 01:13:07 | More by AdamBear

WMEugene

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a rich, clear amber color with a thick, slightly off-white head and fairly nice lacing.

S - Malts, caramel, spices and some dark fruits. Some sweetness as well from some form of sugar.

T - Sweet malts and dark fruits. Spices are present as well (appropriate for a winter ale). I also pick up a slight butterscotch flavor which may be from some diacetyl (but it's not that strong).

M - Medium bodied, sweet and smooth, ok carbonation and rather drinkable.

O - Flying Dog's K-9 cruiser is an enjoyable winter beer. It's sweet and with nice seasonal spices. A solid seasonal offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 00:01:37 | More by WMEugene

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Trying the Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser this cold Chicago winter's night. The beer pours clear amber with thin almost non-exsistent white head. The smell is mostly caramel type malt with undertones of spice. The taste is good combo of spice and caramel malt. The mouthfeel is a nice medium body with so so carbonation. Overall it is a decent winter ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 00:46:20 | More by WoodBrew