Beer Advent Calendar - Day 5

Flying Dog have always been a great brewery, you don't need me to tell you that, but I have a special sweet spot for tonight's beer. The reason behind this is because it was the first beer I drank from my first visit to UtoBeer in London. Very fun times were had on that trip as Zak Avery can attest!

Tonight's beer: Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine - 10.2%

It has the colour you'd want from a Barley Wine - Dark caramel, and the aroma's not too far from that either. Among the dark caramels and sweet toffees there's quite a bit of red berries mixed in with a mineral quality overlying with strawberry and black current jam.

It's a powerhouse of a beer in the initial body. Super sweet malts and caramelized brown sugars. It's packed with lively forest fruits and some earthy honey tones. This flavour initially dies away surprisingly in the finish, but then the big alcohol bite draws the sweetness back up your throat somehow giving you a second blast of flavour.

Go big or go home as the saying goes...