So… before we get into the meat (or juice) of this latest offering from Flying Dog, I must confess that my initial reaction upon pouring this beer went a little something like this:
“Oh. My. God.” Leading to a pregnant pause and finally, “This thing looks ridiculous.”
Perhaps, I’ve become a bit of a curmudgeon as I’ve gotten older. One would think that with all of the beer that I have consumed through the years, I would have run into something that looked like Vicious Hook previously. And, I have, but I guess I just wasn’t expecting that opaque, shade of pink coming out of that brown bottle. It was surprising to say the least.
Despite my initial reaction to the appearance of this 5.3% ABV (5 IBU) brew, the color actually aids in persuading the mind to expect burst of passionfruit, strawberry, cherry and bitter orange that fills the nose and the mouth, briefly. The fruitiness hits quickly and just as rapidly steps aside for the moderate level of sour tartness to arrive and reach its peak with gusto. The tartness isn’t going to peel enamel from your teeth and only sits at a plateau for a little bit, eventually allowing the fruit to come back to the front, fading gently into the lightly drying finish.
A sharp crispness helps push the flavors around with each swallow and makes for a surprisingly easy drinking sour experience. Vicious Hook is, in the end, an interesting and fun beer that I quite enjoyed when all was said and done – once you get past that initial shock of seeing it for the first time.
This is a review of a promotional sample from the brewery.
Appearance
Reddish pink and opaque with a dense, pillowy head of bright pink foam.
Aroma
Strawberry, cherry, lemon, passion fruit, orange, light bitterness and a twinge of sour tingle.
Taste
Fruity up front with a moderate amount of sour tartness. Cherry and orange notes arrive swiftly before stepping to the side for the tartness that peaks almost as swiftly, eventually slowly fading to allow the fruit to come back into play. Lightly drying with a good crispness on the tongue.
