Spanish Peaks Brewing Company- Black Dog Ale: Reliably Loyal
Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 9:31PM | by Jason 
When I head to my local retail beer establishment I try and find new brews that I have not heard of or seen before. Upon one of my more recent trips, I noticed an animal staring me down, tail wagging just waiting to be acknowledged and petted. This animal of which I speak is Spanish Peaks Brewing Company’s Black Dog Ale, he is Black Lab named Chug, so I decided to take him home and see what this dog had to offer.
Spanish Peaks Brewing Company classifies this beer as an English Style Amber Ale and their website describes Black Dog Ale as, “A deep amber ale with a pleasant hop aroma. It has layers of malty flavors that give it a complex and well balanced taste. A substantial and pleasant ale that retains a high level of drinkability.”
Black Dog Ale pours a dark amber color with a ½” tan head and has a balanced hop/malt aroma and comes in at 5.2% ABV.
Is there any more loyal dog than a Labrador Retriever? I think not. This beer is an easy drinking balanced ale that is as reliable as the breed of dog that adorns the label. It starts with the slight sweetness from the malts and has a nice hoppy finish. My only knock on this beer is that is seems very carbonated and could only imagine feeling a little bloated after more than a couple. However, that could be cured by grabbing the dog and go for a walk and do a few laps around the hood. One of the things that stands out to me about this brewery is that they are an advocate and supporter of the Humane Society, which is a fantastic organization to support. Good Brewery, Good Beer & Good Dog.
ABV: 5.2%
Consumed: Imperial Pint
Verdict: Buy A Twelve Pack
