German Shepherd or Poodle?
Written: Apr 28 '04 (Updated Jul 06 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good, complex dark beer flavors
Cons: Not sold in every state
The Bottom Line: This is one of Abita's best beers, with a good, complex flavor profile that reminds one of German Doppelbock.
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Abita Turbo Dog |
Abita Brewery can be found in the warm and friendly city of Abita Springs, Louisiana. This southern- fried brewery produces many different beers for larger- scale consumption, with its products distributed to a large number of states. I have sampled several products from this brewer with most of them rating in the middle of the pack or higher. One of the better products produced by Abita is Turbo Dog, a dark brown ale
Basic Characteristics of This Beer:
Like its label says, Turbo Dog is a dark brown beer. Poured into a glass, you can see the brownness, but there is also a hint of maroon color as well and you can see (barely) through the body. Foam level is very good, with a sturdy, rocky head that lasts for a good long time. The aroma is interesting and enticing, with a nose that is primarily one of roasted malt and caramel.
This product tastes the way an American Brown Ale should taste, with a flavor profile that includes roasted malt, chocolate malt, caramel, and dry, bitter hops in the finish. It reminds me of the flavors of dark, bittersweet chocolate with added mocha flavor and burnt malt. The body of this beer is medium and it produces an aftertaste that lingers on for a while, with the roasted malt taste refusing to go away.
This beer is brewed using pale malt, chocolate malt, and crystal malt. It is then dry- hopped with Willamette Hops and fermented using German Alt yeast. The final product contains 6.13 percent alcohol by volume.
Food Compatibility:
This type of beer matches up best with foods like barbecued ribs, barbecued pork chops, sloppy joes, blackened chicken, and a hearty beef stew. Because it has a taste that emphasizes the roasted malt, I think it matches up best with anything barbecue flavored and most anything cooked over an open flame.
Final Thoughts:
Abita Turbo Dog is one of the more enjoyable products I have tasted from this southern brewery. Yesterday, I sampled Abita Golden for the first time and was a little disappointed in the lack of taste and character. I was hopeful that Abita Turbo Dog would change my mind about the Abita Brewery and bring back an element of respect. I can honestly say that after sampling a few bottles of Turbo Dog, my trust in Abita has returned.
This beer emphasizes the roasted malt taste, but there are other interesting, complex flavors present as well. I very much enjoy the bittersweet chocolate flavor and the somewhat burnt taste that comes from the roasted malt. The combination of flavors is similar to gourmet roasted coffee with added flavorings.
Turbo Dog uses Willamette Hops and German yeast to finish off this good- tasting brew. With this combination of ingredients (added to the chocolate malt, crystal malt, and pale malt), it tastes very similar to a German Doppelbock. I can’t think of any names offhand, but I know I have tasted some German bock products in the past that were very similar in flavor to this one.
When I first tasted this beer, it seemed a little more on the bitter side. But the further along I got, the more and more balanced the beer became. I’m used to American Brown Ale having a sweeter profile, so when Turbo Dog failed to taste as sweet as the others, I was quick to label it as a bitter beer. It actually isn’t that bitter and I realized this as I drank a little more. The Willamette Hops succeed in balancing out the taste, making it sweet in the beginning and bitter at the end.
With this type of taste, Abita Turbo Dog may not appeal very much to newbies and others who don’t really appreciate dark brew. But for those of us who like darker beer (like me), Abita Turbo Dog is a very good representative of this style. It offers a good amount of complexity and a roasty malt flavor that grabs your taste buds and won’t let go. It makes a good sipping beer or a good companion to any food that is smoked, roasted, or barbecued.
With Abita Turbo Dog, you get a taste that is pretty assertive and complex, without going overboard with any single ingredient. If you're looking for a toy breed, Turbo Dog is not for you. But if a strong, hearty working breed is what suits your fancy, then you will really enjoy Abita Turbo Dog. It’s a very pleasant glass of dark brew, indeed!
Recommended:
Yes
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