Flying Dog brewery, based in Frederick, is getting into the holiday spirit with two limited-edition beers, appropriately labeled "Naughty" and "Nice."
The "Naughty" beer has some kick to it. The brewery describes it as a Belgian-style dark ale infused with cinnamon, star anise and habanero peppers.
Yikes!
The "Nice" beer is a Belgian-style golden ale with hints of fruity aromas.
Siobhan and I put these two beers to the test, and our assistant news director, Jeff, also gave them a try. We figured this would help us determine which list we really belong on.
Meg's Thoughts:
Nice -- A very clean, crisp taste, not too fruity. Golden ales are more my speed, so I really enjoyed this one.
Naughty -- A little too spicy for me, though I'm a weeny when it comes to hot things, so maybe my palette just couldn't handle it
Siobhan's Thoughts:
Nice -- I'm a fan of Belgian-style ales and this one didn't disappoint. It was smooth and had a crisp flavor. You could throw a few of these back pretty easily and still have a pretty nice evening. You could probably enjoy this one with your holiday meal!
Naughty -- I really wanted this one to be my favorite, but it was just a little too spicy for me. If you like beers with habanero peppers, you'll like this. It had a really nice flavor and smooth finish, but there was a bit too much heat for my liking. The more I drank the more I liked it, but it may have been because of the 9% ABV.
Jeff's Thoughts:
Nice -- The Nice was as the name suggests, smooth and easy. I'm no fan of Belgian-style ales, but this one was far less sweet than what I expected, which was a nice surprise.
Naughty -- Naughty caught me off guard with how strong the pepper flavor was. The burn was nearly overpowering. But as I sampled it more, I began to look forward to the heat and as the beer got closer to room temperature, I enjoyed it more.
So as predicted, we all land on the Nice list. I'm sure some of our friends and family would dispute that, but they can kiss our.. just kidding. Happy Holidays!
To check out Flying Dog's other seasonal beers, click here.
Know of an awesome beer, wine or cocktail we should try? Tweet us @Knightfromabc2 or @TheRealSiobhanB
