Review: Flying Dog Wildeman Farmhouse IPA

Brewery:  Flying Dog Brewery

Locale:  Frederick, MD (Originally Aspen, Colorado as a brewpub)

Craft Circa:  1990

Style:  Farmhouse / Saison IPA

ABV:  7.5%

IBUs:  75

Notables:  Year-round IPA

Label:  Typical Flying Dog fashion.  Their artwork is unique and vows to get noticed in a world full of craft brews itching to get noticed.  You can associate these splattered Picaso style etchings with just about every Flying Dog Brew.

Overall:   In craft beer years, Flying Dog has been around the block.  They generally produce standard quality brews that are available year around.  This brew seems to be a little more out of their element of pale ales and lagers.  Farmhouse ales are another term for a Belgian style of ale.  Per wiki, it’s a brew that is distinguished by culture and craftsmanship in the Belgian tradition.  Saison yeast - Saison (French, "season") is the name originally given to low-alcohol pale ales brewed seasonally in farmhouses in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium. Modern-day Saisons, particularly those brewed in the USA, and are generally bottle conditioned with an average range of 5 to 8% abv.

With that said, this beer has also been labeled by some as a Belgian IPA.  I disagree with that, and it cannot be true.  It’s not good enough to be associated with that class of criminals (the BIPA - - Injustice League).  The brew is way too sweet.  I would not consider this a BIPA, but rather a tart variation of it.  The wallop of citrus and sweetness overpowers any of the malt and hops.  The taste buds are ruined after the initial sip and it skews any judgment your taste buds may subsequently have. 

I like all shapes and sizes of IPAs, love to get my hand on any variation of one, but this one just does not do it for me.  This one merely grazes my palate the wrong way. 

Acquisition:  6 pack - $10

Notes:  The BIPA Injustice League established July 26, 2012.  The organization was created for the hardcore criminals with the malicious intent of taking over your palate, knocking you out with hops and flavor, with a reckoning appetite for destruction, and stealing you blind... burning through your wallet as you increasingly want more.

BIPA Injustice League Members:

Pipeworks Glaucus – Founding Member:

~gY