Secret Stash Harvest Ale - Flying Dog Brewery

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Crisp golden appearance. Good transparency with a bone white head.

S- Hops come through along with a nice malt note. I also get aromas of fresh grass and corn.

T- Hops come through from beginning to end and are balanced by the malt note. Not really sure how this is categorized as a saison, but there is a slight spice note.

M- Good carbonation, good mouthfeel, very drinkable and crisp.

O- Solid beer overall. Could definitely drink a few.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 17:55:01 | More by stephenjmoore

brentk56

North Carolina

2.63/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Arrives with an amber color capped by a finger or so of foam; some strands of lacing are left behind

Smell: A most unusual, vegetal odor that reminded me of dirty laundry

Taste: The unusual aroma was reflected in the malt character, with a vegetal element joining the biscuity malt; corn was clearly discernable, though I could not detect the rest of the garden; by mid-palate and through the finish, the hops added a citrusy flavor to the profile

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: I didn't particularly care for the vegetal element here, not being a fan of corn flavor in my beer; never in a million years would I thought of this as a saison as it is much more like an IPA with a malt profile that has some subtle differences

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2011 01:27:02 | More by brentk56

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Churchkey. This was interesting. I guess.

Clear light amber color with a quickly dissipating, under carbonated white head. Pleasant sweet and earthy nose; light wheat and spice. Flavor was sweet and hoppy to start and extremely vegatative and wheaty in the dry finish. Medium bodied with average carbonation. This was weird, but not in an unpleasant way. Seemed like more of a confused IPA than a saison, but would probably try again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2011 19:23:41 | More by yourefragile

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Such a weird beer, sweet corn, potatoes, and a bunch of other crap? I try to drink as much stuff from local (Maryland) brewers hoping that something blows me away but Flying Dog consistently lets me down, here I am again. Although this wasn't the worst beer I've had from them.

Beer is light amber / yellow, clear with a nice head of small bubbles, some lacing, low carbonation.

Aroma is sweet, hoppy, pine, earth.

Beer is medium in body and vegetal on the palate, especially the last palate, the midpalate is disrupted by a bunch of piny hops, so much so for a moment i think I'm drinking an IPA. I don't think I'll have it again but it is interesting, getting warmer flying dog, keep making new beers, you'll get there.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 01:34:16 | More by drabmuh

Jason

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz brown bottle with no freshness date

LOOK: Clear straw yellow hue, great frothing, stickage all the way down

SMELL: Spicy, herbal, medicinal, walnut skin, dried grass, slightly musty

TASTE: Medium bodied, a bit chewy, grassy, hoppy, resin, bready, very herbal, faint bandaid, pear juice, long hoppy drying finish

Sort of one of those American Saisons, good use of hops here though not to the point of being unbalanced. Wish it was a little bit more dry and crisp. Scores high for my in originality for a fall release ... sometimes a simple twist can make the difference.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 01:11:32 | More by Jason

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle into a tulip glass. I had this several months ago.

Pours a hazed copper, with 2 fingers of slightly off-white head. This maintains a ½ finger of foamy richness, leaving back a good bit of sudsy richness down the sides. The aroma smells of grass, earth, citrus, spice, and then a flat feeling sweetness across the back. This is a bit unremarkable.

The taste has a grassy and green feeling bitterness to it; with some earthy herbal tones and then a bit of fruit flavors (orange and lemon seem to be sticking out to me). The fruit clings to the sweetness of the malts here, which seems to be harboring a bit of a slightly toasted oat presence as well. The finish is dry and bitter, with lingering pith and a good bit of spice sticking to the tongue. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with quite the lively carbonation that dances around but then gets creamier on the edges and along the back of the feel. It overall helps the thickness of the profile here go down a little easier.

So I guess that this was supposed to be a Fresh Hopped Saison. Unfortunately the hops just had an overall bitter and raw quality to them that clashed with the rest of the flavors and the overall profile just had too much of a beefiness to it for a 5% beer. The carbonation tries to lend this some crispness but I just wasn’t feeling this one at all. Maybe this one can be tweaked.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 19:44:43 | More by Kegatron

JednoPivoProsim

Maryland

2.53/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 64 fl. oz. growler into a pint glass. Purchased 1/6/11 at the brewery tap room.

Appearance: Pours a thick, soapy white head. Body is a clear golden. Decent carbonation.

Smell: Sweet candy smell. Grainy bubblegum.

Taste: Sour, chemical taste. Not pleasant. I wonder if this will grow on me as I have 3/4 of a growler left.

Mouthfeel: Full mouthfeel. Refreshing.

Overall: I liked this better when I tried it in the tap room earlier. Maybe I was just in the moment.

Serving type: growler

01-07-2012 01:59:29 | More by JednoPivoProsim

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Poured with a golden yellow body and a white, bubbly, one finger head...the head showed nice retention from the carbonation, but it left only light lacing

S - When it's cold, bitter hops are very present...there is some honey sweetness lingering...as it warms some light spice comes out

T - Up front this beer is grassy and grainy...the hops are giving off an earthy/herbal flavor while the base of the beer provides some earthy tones as well...the middle and finish sport some spice, but it never gets too overpowering...there is a weird honey flavor that is off putting for me...the hops try to come back at the end

M - Medium bodied...nicely carbonated, earthy, lightly spiced

O - Flying Dog presents an interesting take on a harvest ale here...the flavors are all about the earthy/herbal tones...I like my harvest ales more in the IPA style though, but this one was worth a try

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 14:00:44 | More by thain709

oline73

Maryland

3.1/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber with a golden hue. There are two fingers of bubbly, off white head that fade to a layer and leaves some lacing.

Smell: Very herbal from the yeast. Some citrus and sweet notes, but the yeast dominates.

Taste: As in the smell, the herbal notes dominate. I tend to like my saisons a little bit lighter than this. There is a bitterness in the finish along with the hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with fluffy carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I would have liked this to be a little lighter in flavor. The tastes were good, but a bit heavy handed. Probably won't have another.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 00:32:45 | More by oline73

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Ba Review #78
Served On: 10/14/2011
Glassware: Wheat Glass
Labeled ABV: 5.5%
Date/ Code: 0 26A12

Scored this one when I stopped into my beer store for The Fear Imperial Pumpkin I just reviewed yesterday.

Look: Crazy carbonation bubbles jetting to the top. A fluffy white 1 ½” finger head. The beer is a clear golden color – typical of the style.

Smell: Aroma has a strong funky Belgian yeast smell. Other notes I had were clean hops, light citrus and wet grass.

Taste: First on the palate were floral hops with some clove and that Belgian funk again. Middle was dry with biscuit and some fruity notes. Finish was actually rather clean given the high level of complexity going on with this beer.

Overall – it’s a nice Saison. Aside for the higher complexity, it’s really not too exciting. I know Flying Dog claims they used all local ingredients for this brew, so I guess that warrants a slightly higher grade.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 16:17:57 | More by CraftBeerTastic

dtivp

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy dark gold with a half finger white head that faded slowly into a thin cap with moderate lacing.

Aroma of sweet yeasty malt, spice anf hops.

Taste of yeast, bready malt, with some herbs, spice and a nice hop finish.

Mouth Feel was medium towards light body moderate carbonation, crisp with a slight bitter after taste and dry.

Overall this was a very good Saison, easy drinking an very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 23:13:02 | More by dtivp

smakawhat

Maryland

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. Wild Dog series, lets get WILD!

A huge head off the pour off of white very foamy. Body though is a super crystal clear golden orange body, with some nice rising hard to see carbonation. Head falls pretty slowly with some retention giving to clumpy character, but also leaves some occasional good lacing so I'll raise it's score.

Mild sour vinous green grape, with a little bit of almost wheat sense. Sweet smell of slight honey. Real interesting and of course mild funkiness.

Taste is a quick dissipation of funky brett, with a nice malt take over. Finish has a little bit of pine hop which mixes well with a chewy malt density. Digging that chewy wheat texture which makes the body just bold and big enough. Sweetness doesn't seem to come through from the mild hint on the nose.

Overall this is a tasty example of a saison that is real easy drinking. They did good here I am enjoying this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 02:24:23 | More by smakawhat

mattboyer182

Indiana

3.83/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a some what see through gold. Almost no traces of head.

S - very strong smell of wheat up front. It smells a lot like a hefeweizen.

T - tastes like a saison only way more bitter. Which isn't a bad thing. Just different for me. You can taste the hops well and I feel like some corn.

M - light bodied and heavy carbonation.

O - very different but I like that about it. It is good for fall time for sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 21:42:34 | More by mattboyer182

smokeypeat

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Love trying "harvest" beers and picked this one up for something new. Pours a nice golden color into the glass with a slight bit of haze present. Frothy white head is present and it lingered throughout the glass. Nice bubble action throughout as well. Smell is solid with a bit of green apple tartness and some slight saison spiciness. Hop profile is present with a grassy light hay smell being prevalent. Taste is really unique for one of these fresh harvest beers. The saison style is really working for me here as something different than the normal IPAs that you get with fresh hopped beers. Lots of good spice from the yeast with a good clean hop bite. There is a slight malty sweetness that really balances the crispness of the hops. Mouthfeel is pretty good with a semi-dry finish. Pretty good beer from Flying Dog. I can see myself picking up another sixer while this is fresh.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 23:29:05 | More by smokeypeat

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice take on an Americanized saisonesque harvest ale. Hop profile shines nicely over the earthy underflow.

Presentation: 12 oz brown capped bottle. Compulsory Ralph Steadman illustrated label, with the image of a dog carrying a bag on his back full of harvest-brewing goods, and bags with bottled beer on each side. Notes overall intent, main characteristic, and a bottling code 026A12. Shows 5.5% Alc. by Vol. Served in a tulip glass.

A - Lightly hazy deep gold pour with a finger of frothy foam, moderate retention, fair surface memory and good lacing.

S - Nice nose, lightly citric and yeasty, hint of funk and sweet spice...

T - Palate expands with a complex range, bitter salute, complex and nice that lingers… Saison sense from that yeast actually permeates the brew with an earthy range coated by the fresh C hops, hint of spiced grass, and a sweet, honey memory close to the final flow. There is no evident sense of the red wheat, sweet corn or potatoes used in the recipe, although the overall sense of the backbone of the brew is rather well rounded and pleasing.

M - Medium-light body, generous carbonation early on with a slight fading sense, which is nicely rescued by the hint of smooth honey after the bitterness, and sealed with a semi-dry touch.

O - Nice flow, nicely accented by the hops and with that Saisonesque yeast strain… A lot of the supposed complexity is not so obvious and comes together with a general sense that works pretty well.

Notes: Nice surprise from Flying Dog, nothing for the history books but rather enjoyable… Reminds me a bit of a common angle with their Raging Bitch, which actually has grown on me, and probably would rate higher now. I would not be surprised if I felt the same with this one in the future. With this quality-price ration I´m sure going to try to grab another six-pack... On top of all else it has a nice social potential.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 03:04:33 | More by Daniellobo

chodinheaven

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Big off-white head over a slightly hazy light amber beer. The head sticks around for a while and leaves nice lacing as it slowly dissapates. Soft bubbles slowly make their way to the top. Smells like honey and wheat malts, very pleasantly. Some bready notes make their way up, as well as well as some floral hop notes.

Smooth feel to this one, almost to smooth and not creamy enough. Nice bitter bite from some piney hops and a touch of floral as well make their mark on the palate, with some spicy and sweet notes swirling around them. A little bready, but definitely on the hoppier side of things as they seem to take a hold of this one. Honey adds a slight note in the middle of the taste and aftertaste, but its more effective in the aroma. There is a certain complexity to the spiciness that is appealling, but the mouthfeel seems to throw the balance off. It seems undercarbonated, giving it a watery quality that fortunately doesn't translate to the taste. Not a bad beer, and I'm always glad to try a new one from a local brewery.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 03:20:00 | More by chodinheaven

nimrod979

Maryland

3.23/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle pours a clear golden color. Average white head that lingers and laces the glass a little bit.
Aroma is floral, sweet, herbal. Saison/Belgian type aromas. I can't really find any one smell to pick up on.
The taste has plenty of interesting flavors coming and going. The Cascade and Chinook hops are definitely present, not overwhelming but they are present throughout. The hops also add to a slightly bitter finish. Floral and piney notes from the hops go along with the sweetness of the honey. I would also say it does remind me of Saison du Buff, although with not as much spice. There's plenty flavor to savor but it all blends together a little weird. It's like a hoppy belgian style saison. Not horrible but I don't love it. It's an interesting offering from the local brewery.
Medium light body. Soft on the palate with a slight bitter finish. Cool label though too.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 22:31:01 | More by nimrod979

taylor714914

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Was quite excited to try this after picking up a sixer at the wooden keg.

Great looking brew with a copper color and half finger head.
Sticky hops in to nose with some sweetness and yeast.
Great crisp taste. Almost reminded me of a saison du buff without the herbs. Great crispness with a nice bit of malt j. The middle. Semi dry finish made me come back for more. Perfect mouthfeel with the smooth and slick body and tiny carb bubbles. Overall this is another solid offering from flying dog!

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 04:01:39 | More by taylor714914