If you’ve been following our site for some time, you’ll notice I’m a big fan of IPAs. All of them. Flying Dog Brewery out of Maryland created their take on a Belgian-style IPA. And they called it, Raging Bitch. If the name isn’t awesome enough, the actual beer itself, is. Almost in the sessionable range, this sits at 8.3% ABV and 60 IBUs.

Poured from the awesome labeled 12 oz bottle (are these labels hand drawn?!), the brew gives a really bright golden-amber color that is super clear. The head was tiny and white and left a moderate amount of lacing on the glass. I also noticed a steady stream of carbonation bubbles coming to the surface, so we’ll see if it’s too much or too little in the mouthful.

The smell was really lively and full of a nice Belgian-flavor complexion. Instantly I was hit with some sweetness that had a bubblegum hint to it. Also, I got orange peel, cloves and spiced hops in the nose.

The mouth is medium-bodied with a good amount of carbonation. The taste was rather flat and muted up front. I couldn’t pick many flavors out at first but the finish definitely has some lasting characteristics. After taking a few more sips, it was more evident that the clove and malt were upfront. This, however, is quickly killed by the bitter and hoppy backbone to the beer. The linger wasn’t bitter but did leave a bubblegum flavor on my tongue.

I’d definitely give this beer another go. The aroma on this is familiar and the taste eventually sets in to be a really nice Belgian-style IPA. I wish there was more of a dominant bite up front but the overall saturation of taste made up for it in the end. From what I’ve tasted, you can’t go wrong with Flying Dog. They’re an amazingly talented craft brewery and the Raging Bitch deserves a taste.

Overall: 8/10