Beer of the Week (Vol. LI)

Another edition of Beer of the Week, brought to you as always by the fine folks at Glen Lake Wine & Spirits who can remove the fear and loathing from your liquor buying experiences.

Along with the beer itself, every Beer of the Week review also includes a look at the package that it comes in. The color, shape, and design on the bottle or can is part of the overall experience of enjoying a beer. Often, those brewers that devote the time and care to what's on the outside, also produce a quality product on the inside.

When it comes to the label itself, few can compete with the Maryland's Flying Dog Brewery. Every Flying Dog beer has a unique and attention grabbing label. If you think you've seen that look before, you probably have:

The rebel artist that creates all of Flying Dog's beer labels was introduced to Flying Dog owner George Stranahan by his long-time friend Hunter S. Thompson.


Ralph Steadman is the man who brings that "Gonzo" look and attitude to Flying Dog's labels. While it's difficult to describe, you definitely know it when you see it. And that we get an extra helping of that Gonzo look with Flying Dog's Snake Dog India Pale Ale.

The label has a reddish-orange label and features a bizarre, psychedelic snake-dog figure who looks like it would be right at home in one of Thompson's drug-induced hallucinations.

Beer Style: India Pale Ale

Alcohol by Volume: 7.1%

COLOR (0-2): Golden copper, mostly clear. 2

AROMA (0-2): Hoppy citrus. 2

HEAD (0-2): Off-white color. Good lacing and retention. 2

TASTE (0-5): Strong hops with marked bitterness. Lighter fruit and pine as well. Thinner-bodied which is a little unusual with the strong flavor profile. 3

AFTERTASTE (0-2): Somewhat light and hollow. 1

OVERALL (0-6): A solid if unexceptional IPA. Workmanlike in that it covers the basics for the style, but doesn't really wow you in any way. Like most IPAs, it does make for a good beer to pair with most foods. 3

TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 13