I know most people aren’t thinking about beer on a Monday night, but I say why not? More importantly, when a great care package arrives from Flying Dog on a Monday…I definitely say why not!? Of course that means it’s time to sample.
Up first, our taste buds get an early peek at Flying Dog Bee Beer. This beer is part of the Flying Dog Brewhouse Rarities series and it is brewed with Buckwheat honey and local bee pollen….yes pollen! This beer is hopped with Perle hops and fermented with French saison yeast before being packaged in 12oz bottles and kegs. 
Bee Beer was brewed to raise awareness and encourage everyone “to take action against bee colony collapse (Maryland honeybee losses are among the highest in the nation).” This beer pours a deep golden color with sweet and spicy aromas. The beer has wonderful and classic yeasty saison flavors with an interesting honey dull sweetness that pokes through near the end. Bee Beer has a slightly peppery finish but the sweetness of the honey remains late on your tongue (in a good way). I also found some herbal and sweet flavors in the middle that I attributed to the bee pollen, but I’m not sure I’ve ever tasted pollen before so I may be off on that one. Beer Beer hits 7%-AbV (a very sneaky 7%) and 35 IBU so I found it to be a really interesting and well balanced saison.
Up next we had to sample Flying Dog Single Hop Azacca. This imperial IPA uses (of course) Azacca hops; coincidentally the very first time Flying Dog has worked with this variety. Single Hop Azacca has loads of tropical notes in the aroma and a bit of citrus, and when you taste it, you’ll find even more. I tasted loads of mango, citrus and pineapple with a pleasant and hoppy resinous finish. The rye and biscuit malts balance out the hop bitterness nicely and at 8%-AbV and 75 IBU this one will sneak up on your tongue (and your sobriety). Single Hop Azacca finishes clean and all-in-all perhaps one of my favorite single hop series beers.
Both of these beers are available now in 12oz bottles and kegs so get out there and try Flying Dog Brewhouse Rarities Beer Beer & Single Hop Azacca for yourself…and when you do, be sure to let us know what YOU think.
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