Featured Beer, week ending 4/24

So, what I am basing my posts here off of is what I have tweeted for the corresponding week. And, lately on Twitter, I have only been tweeting beers that are new to me or of extreme note. Not much of either happened this week, so it will be a fairly random sampling. I like to have rules in place, or else everything will become too free thinking, and that's just scary. *In my best old man voice* And it will happen to you....

Who? Flying Dog Garde Dog, Frederick, MD

What? Bière de Garde, 5.5% ABV

When? 4/19/11

Where? Craft Beer Cellar, Belmont, MA

Original Tweet: Flying Dog Garde Dog. I like it a lot on first sip. Super clean, crispy, with a subtle complexity, but I am afraid it would get boring. B+

Hype 7 / 10: There was one customer at the Cellar who really wanted this, so I thought that eventually it would be worth the taste. But the first case, if I remember correctly, sold out really fast, and I didn't think much of it. Possibly because my employers also didn't think too much of it. Not that it was bad, but Flying Dog just really isn't on anyone's radar up here. But, in one of those swoops through the Cellar, I decided to finally pick up a bottle.

Taste 11 / 15: Granted, I am almost two weeks removed from drinking half the bottle, which I split with Beth. I think that I like Biere de Gardes in general, being that they are cousins with the Farmhouse/Saison family that I love so much. It is warm weather beer, and I am honestly trying to like the "lighter" beers more. But, there is more of a complex spice with the Farmhouse body, and it's something that I really guess you have to get used to. Granted, this is not the roll model for all Beire de Gardes, so I shouldn't judge all of them so harshly.

Memorability 10 / 15: This may even be high because I will remember the artwork more than I will remember the actual beer. It's really all I have to go off of right now within the style, so I will have to keep it in mind next time I go shopping. Though, it then popped up at Beck&Tony's party, in which I thought to myself, "Hey, alright!" Or maybe it was the other way around, and I was like, "Hey, alright! I have this in my fridge!"

Environment 4 / 5: It was an easy drinking dinner beer split with Beth. Nothing fancy, but I certainly don't have any negative memories with it. I wasn't drinking this beer out of shame or anything like that.

X-Factor 5 / 5: It's really about the artwork with Flying Dog. Yes, they do have a connection to Hunter S. Thompson, or more importantly, a connection with Ralph Steadman, who is famous for the Fear and Loathing logo. I think that it is pretty cool to have a recognized artist at your disposal every time you produce a beer. So, kudos for them. But, really, besides Raging Bitch, I have never really been that impressed with the brewery.

Score: 37 / 50, C

Wow, perhaps this grading scale more accurately reflects the beer. This is not a bad beer, but it think this certainly puts it in its place. I might be on to something!