Looking to try several new beers without laying out the cash for a six-pack of each? Been stuck with a six-pack of beer you don’t like in the past, just because you could not buy a single to try it out? Or perhaps you just like to have several different styles of beer on hand? Fear not, True Believer. Today’s craft brewers feel your pain, and they have responded to your desires.

Knowing that craft beer enthusiasts move from brand to brand faster than Vice President Cheney changes secret locations, many American brewers today sell twelve pack assortments of their beers to attract business. This is a win-win situation for both the brewer (who sells more beer), and the consumer (who gets a variety of brew, often at a lower price).

The Flying Dog Brewery of Denver, Colorado offers a sampler pack that is a bit different from most. It should only be offered at Christmas time in my opinion, because much like a Christmas present you are never quite sure what is inside. On the box, the potential buyer is advised he will be purchasing any combination of:

Doggie Style Pale Ale
Old Scratch Lager
Road Dog Ale
Tire Bitter Ale
Snake Dog IPA
K-9 Cruiser Ale

In the box I purchased, I got:
4 Snake Dog IPAs
4 Doggie Style Pale Ales
2 K-9 Cruisers
2 Road Dog Ales

I would have preferred a more equitable distribution, but there is nothing to be done for it save accept what I have received. K-9 Cruiser is the only beer amongst the four I had not previously tried. The box says that K-9 Cruiser is a winter ale, available from October through March. The label calls it an “attitude ale”. Flying Dog styles it as an English Strong Ale. It has an alcohol content of 5.9% by weight, or about 6.5% by volume. This makes it illegal here in Georgia thanks to our archaic beer laws, but I won’t tell if you don’t.

Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser Ale pours to a deep chestnut color with a very light, short-lived head formation and a sweet malty nose. The palate is big and chewy with big notes of rich, burnt caramel flavor and hints of chocolate, molasses, and nutty malt. The finish is balanced to slightly sweet with a pleasant alcohol warmth. K-9 is best if allowed to warm slightly before drinking; do not serve it ice cold. It is a great beer to warm you on a cold winter (or winter-like) evening.

For all its complexity, K-9 is not a particularly heavy beer. I would say it lies somewhere between medium and full body. I enjoyed it as a before dinner aperitif with a garden salad. It had the strength to stand up nicely to a hearty peppercorn-parmesan dressing.

This was my favorite of all the beers in the litter I purchased.