Flying Dog Roasted Peanut Brown Ale with Chocolate Chip Cookies
When I first received the promotional package of Flying Dog beers and Otterbein’s cookies, I figured the combination of the Roasted Peanut Brown Ale and chocolate chip cookies would win the flavor pairings. After the Oak Aged Hazelnut Scotch Ale and Ginger Cookies Pairing, however, I’m not sure that anything will come close. That said, nothing goes together quite like chocolate and peanuts.
The interesting — more like surprising! — thing about Flying Dog’s Roasted Peanut Brown Ale is that there aren’t any peanuts actually in the brewing process. According to the promo sheet that arrived with the beers, “[I]f combined with the right malts and fermented just right, the yeast strain used in this brown ale can create roasty peanut notes…” And, man, does it. I was genuinely surprised at reading that line after I had already consumed half the bottle.
The 5% ABV brew pours a reddish brown in color with a fairly resilient cap of light beige foam. As noted above, it’s a shock that there are no peanuts actually employed in the making of this beer — the aroma is packed with an earthy nuttiness as moderate roast malt, light caramel and bready notes fill in behind. Basically, Roasted Peanute Brown Ale is a really good example of the style. It’s got a solid backbone of malt, a light roast and caramel. It’s not until you notice the lingering nuttiness in the last finish that this beer separates itself from the pack.
The chocolate chip cookies aren’t as beefy as Mrs. Barley makes them, instead keeping with the flat and thin theme of the previous reviews. They do, however, taste pretty darn good with plenty of doughy, buttery goodness and generous amounts of chocolate. On their own, they are my favorite cookies of the bunch so far.
Together, this combination is a no-brainer. I mean, just look at the success of Reese’s Pieces or their Peanut Butter Cups — chocolate and peanuts (or in this case, peanut-like flavors) go together as if they were separated at birth. The same can be said for Flying Dog’s Roasted Peanut Brown Ale and chocolate chip cookies. It just makes sense, though still not as bizarrely successful as that Scotch Ale and ginger cookies.
Rating: 4/5
This is a review of a promotional sample.
