Flying Dog Tire Biter Ale: More Bark than Bite
Written: May 31 '01 (Updated Jun 23 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Different style, not widely available. Refreshing.
Cons: Not enough flavor and a little too thin.
The Bottom Line: One of the better American versions of a not too widespread style. Refreshes, it's nice and crisp but just doesn't carry enough weight or flavor.
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| andaryl's Full Review: Tire Biter Ale |
Having been very impressed with Flying Dog’s Old Scratch Lager, I decided to pick up a few more Flying Dog brews to try out. Those of you that spend as much time on epinions as I do would probably have read my previous Flying Dog reviews. For the rest of you let me just say that this is a brewpub based in downtown Denver, best recognized for their label art, amusing names, and desire to do everything “doggie-style”. Their labels have stirred a little controversy with attempts by certain bodies to have them removed being recently dismissed.
Don’t even ask if you can pet this dog
I admit to being a little misled by this ale. I picked it up without reading the label, so I only really got a first impression. Let me ask anyone what they would expect from a picture of a dog looking more devilish than Satan himself, clenched fists, ferociously biting at a bicycle tire, blood spraying from his mouth and fumes snorting from his snout? Well, I was expecting something strong, something tough, maybe a Scottish ale or a barley wine. How wrong I was. This is actually something pretty delicate, a Kölsch, a German style ale that actually looks like a lager.
Was ist Kölsch?
Kölsch is derived from Köln (German for Cologne), and designates the only area in which this ale may be brewed. It’s a top-fermented pale, fruity ale, cold-aged like a lager, and was apparently conceived as a rival to pilsner. Inevitably, much like pilsner or champagne, the style was unable to keep its geographical limitations and as a result, a few craft brewers are now producing Kölsch-style beers.
What the brewers say
This was a Silver Medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival 1998. “Brewed with prized pale malts and German hopes [I’m assuming they mean hops], Tire Biter is a refreshing golden ale that offers a fresh alternative to its stale, imported and flavorless domestic counterparts. Imminently quaffable, Tire Biter is the ideal thirst quenching beer.” This statement does seem a little bold and harsh from the imported point of view. As far as I’m aware there are no Kölsch’s imported into the USA.
Enough barking, time to see if the dog bites
The beer pours to a very light golden color. I’ve heard that Kölsch sometimes contains wheat but there was no sign of haziness in this one. It’s very well carbonated with a white enduring soft foam that laces the glass.
The nose is fairly clean, there’s some malt fruitiness with a slight hint of floral hops. Initially the flavor is very light, briefly sweet and fruity but it doesn’t last long. It’s soft on the palate and I did feel that it washed over a little too quickly. There’s a lively fizziness to it but it’s also very smooth in the middle. There’s a nice dry bitterness in the finish, which is slightly citric, and smoothes out as it lingers.
Catch 22
Ideally you should serve this beer cold, as it’s something of a refreshing thirst quencher. However I found that initially I missed out on some of the flavors, and didn’t get much of the sweet fruitiness until the beer warmed a little. With this in mind there seems to be a little imbalance in the style, sure you want to get all the flavors, but it demands to be chilled.
Should you take this doggie home?
This is a very refreshing and alternative summertime ale, but for me the flavors just weren’t quite there. Try it because it’s different, independent and from an instantly loveable brewery. For me it falls into the category of different and worth a try, but nothing exciting. If you missed my other reviews, Old Scratch Lager is outstanding.
Purchased at:Jensens, who carry several Flying Dog brews, at $1.29 for a 12 oz bottle.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: The Desert, So Cal
Reviews written: 219
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