So just what is a Flying Mouflan? Apparently Siri has the answer:
Of course, when I ask Siri what it is, I get: “Would you like to search the web for ‘Siri, what is Feynman fun’?” or “Would you like to search the web for ‘Siri, what is flying mood flond'”. At this point, Siri must’ve gotten pissed that I kept asking the same question, so she just went ahead and initiated the search for “What is flying the fun” (incidentally, apparently aviation circles are worried that flying for fun is on the decline – oh noes!) So basically, Siri has no idea what a Flying Mouflan is! I’m shocked, scandalized really, that the web would lie to me like this.
Fortunately, it’s the beer that counts. In this case, the beer started out as part of Tröegs experimental Scratch Series, and it’s the first of those beers to have been incorporated into their regular roster (though I think it’s still a seasonal beer).
Tröegs Flying Mouflan – Pours a dark reddish brown color with a finger of head. Smells very sweet, with plenty of citrus and pine hop character, along with some big caramel malt aromas. Taste is sweet, lots of caramel malt, plenty of that citrus and pine hop flavor, but not a ton of bitterness. That blending of flavors really works; it’s almost like caramelized hops. A little bit of pleasant booze, but again, all of these flavors are very well balanced, which is impressive for a 100 IBU beer. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, smoothly carbonated, and just a bit of stickiness in the finish. Overall, I actually got a Nugget Nectar sorta vibe, but it’s heavier and more powerful than that (in a good way!) A-
Beer Nerd Details: 9.3% ABV bottled (22 oz. bomber). Drank out of a tulip glass on 5/4/12.
By complete coincidence, Beerbecue is also reviewing Flying Mouflan today, and his take channels Lewis Carroll. Inspired. I don’t have any more Tröegs lying around, but I’m always on the lookout for those scratch beers. Who knows, maybe I’ll stumble on the next one that transitions to their regular lineup!
Thanks! Nice review. I love the sublime integration of flavors in this beer (I feel similarly about Nugget Nectar).
I recently drank a bottle of this that I had cellared for almost a year. (The bottle claims that cellaring for at least four months will mellow the hops and wash away the heat). Well, the hops were certainly mellowed, emphasizing that candied malt flavor. The heat, on the other hand, was quite prevalent. It was a touch boozy for my taste, to be honest. Interesting stuff tho.
It’s funny, but 9.3% ABV is actually a little on the low side for a barleywine, but at the same time, I’ve certainly had some overly boozy beers in that range. I’d be curious to try an older bottle though…