Flying Dog’s Wild Dog Weizenbock Ale

ABV – 8%

Price – 15.80 (Pint)

In an increasingly competitive market, the ability for breweries to distinguish themselves is an almost insurmountable challenge. The Flying Dog Brewery has always taken a direct approach to this dilemma. The use of names like “Doggy Style” and the outlandish art on each bottle of beer prevents Flying Dog from fading into the shelves of competition. Mirroring this marketing style, the Flying Dog brewery claims its goal is “the pursuit of making bold, yet highly drinkable craft beers” (http://www.flyingdogales.com). Generally, the brewery meets this goal and produces some high quality beers with a unique taste that makes you want more. However, their special release weizenbock ale was less than satisfying.

As with all Flying Dog beers, the label immediately represents the brew; the self-anointed name “wild dog” from an already extreme brewery is perfectly descriptive. The color of the beer is a cloudy amber. The nose has a dominant apple (almost cider-like) aroma with a fresh bread yeast aroma. While producing a nice head upon pouring, little retention was demonstrated. Upon tasting, the beer felt flat and had few distinct stages of taste. The alcohol was hidden well among flavors of banana, apple, roasted malt, and subtle spices. Unfortunately, the flavors don’t work together well. Most notably, the banana seemed out of place.

At times, the effort to be distinct can be counter-productive. I found this beer too “wild”. Perhaps, this is what Flying Dog was striving for, but the flavors just don’t work well together. There is very little chance that I would ever drink this beer again. Maybe, I should have taken the warning from the rabid dog on the label and prepared myself for the unconventional taste, but even if I had, I still don’t think I would have been pleased. To be fair however, I must admit that my review differs from others I checked online. Those who reviewed the beer on beer advocate for example, generally liked the beer. Maybe they need rabies shots…