K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale - Flying Dog Brewery

Kendo

New York

3.9/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got it on tap at the Lionheart in Albany.

A: Dark but clear coppery-amber in color with a small sand-colored head that leaves behind solid lace. Looks good.

S: Faint in the nose; perhaps it was served a bit too cold. I get a bit of sweet malt (brown sugar) and a touch of generic hop bitterness.

T: Solid malt backbone tastes of caramel malt, brown sugar and a hint of toffee. At the middle of the sip I get a nice citric hop bitterness that provides a nice counterweight to the sweeter malt. Lingering hob bitterness on the palate.

M: Light-to-medium in heft with an active but fine carbonation.

D: Solid. I had a pint, switched to another beer, then came back to this one.

Notes: The bartender said this was an ESB. I see other reviews here treat it as a Strong Ale. It seemed a bit dark and sweet to me for an ESB, but reviewed as a Winter Warmer makes better sense, even if it is lacking in spices. It was nicely balanced, however, between malt and hops - just like a good ESB should be. So call this a hybrid winter ale and go with it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2011 17:42:32 | More by Kendo

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.96/5  rDev -11.1%
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

dan027

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -9.9%

05-17-2013 02:39:34 | More by dan027

CanisMajor

Indiana

3/5  rDev -9.9%

05-16-2013 21:25:05 | More by CanisMajor

bconsidine

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev +5.1%

05-14-2013 17:18:58 | More by bconsidine

AmandaSchaefer

Wisconsin

2.75/5  rDev -17.4%

05-13-2013 23:01:04 | More by AmandaSchaefer

Bowers-Brew

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -17.4%

04-21-2013 21:49:54 | More by Bowers-Brew

mpyle

Maryland

3.88/5  rDev +16.5%
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

chasmandocharles

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +5.1%

04-17-2013 02:06:07 | More by chasmandocharles

Hophead420

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -2.4%

04-11-2013 05:15:48 | More by Hophead420

randylangford

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -9.9%

04-09-2013 00:35:01 | More by randylangford

lucasj82

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev +5.1%

04-06-2013 13:33:02 | More by lucasj82

Jamison85

Indiana

3/5  rDev -9.9%

03-26-2013 05:53:29 | More by Jamison85

surfrogue1

Maryland

3/5  rDev -9.9%

03-25-2013 03:02:45 | More by surfrogue1

cmonfradi

West Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +12.6%

03-23-2013 22:40:39 | More by cmonfradi

BGsWo22

New York

1.75/5  rDev -47.4%

03-20-2013 23:12:59 | More by BGsWo22

lobos62

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +12.6%

03-16-2013 17:46:12 | More by lobos62

BigTrubble

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +5.1%

03-14-2013 22:49:58 | More by BigTrubble

scottbrew4u

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -2.4%

03-12-2013 19:38:41 | More by scottbrew4u

Chugs13

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +12.6%

03-10-2013 19:28:36 | More by Chugs13

AngusOg

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev +5.1%

03-08-2013 01:00:50 | More by AngusOg

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3/5  rDev -9.9%

03-03-2013 19:10:24 | More by Rhettroactive

JakeDebus

Maryland

3/5  rDev -9.9%

02-28-2013 13:33:39 | More by JakeDebus

sixerofelixir

Ohio

2.5/5  rDev -24.9%

02-28-2013 01:19:22 | More by sixerofelixir

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev +9%
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