Flying Fish Exit 8- Chestnut Brown Ale

My buddy Jeff picked me up a bottle of Flying Fish Exit 8- Chestnut Brown Ale in New Jersey. The beer pours a dark brown, almost black, color with a lofty and frothy tan colored head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of toasted malts, coffee, honey, chestnuts, caramel, and hints of chocolate. The taste is smooth at first with a chestnut bite and plenty of toasted malts that make their way onto the tongue. A coffee dryness settles in with honey and caramel sweetness. The alcohol content is 8.3% ABV. This was a wonderful brown ale with great honey and caramel sweetness balanced with chestnuts, toasted malts, and even coffee hints.

Flying Fish Exit 9 Hoppy Scarlet Ale

I stopped in to Discount Wines and Liquors in Boonton, NJ to pick up a bottle of Flying Fish Exit 9 Hoppy Scarlet Ale (disclaimer: I am not a fan of Rutgers). The beer pours a red-amber color with a lofty frothy head that laces heavily on the glass. The aroma consists of fresh pine and lemon hops, caramel, and spruce. The taste is smooth and sweet with lots of caramel and toffee with a wonderful bitter hop bite that adds lemon, pine, orange, and tangerine flavors to the beer. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. The balance struck in this beer with citrus bitterness and the smooth sweet caramel and toffee flavors is remarkable, and combines for an easy drinking, yet overly flavorful brew.

Flying Fish Exit 13- Chocolate Stout

I ordered a bottle of Flying Fish Exit 13 Chocolate Stout from Queen Ann Wines & Spirits. The beer pours a deep black color with a frothy tan head that dissipates rather rapidly. The aroma consists of dark chocolate and espresso and a hint of vanilla. The taste is smooth and perfectly sweet with chocolate and toasted malts, perfectly smoked for this beer. The finish has a bit of vanilla sweetness and a coffee after taste lingers on the tongue. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. I’m not sure that I’ve had a smoother chocolate stout that had a wonderfully balanced smoked flavor. This beer is a must try if you can still find it.

Flying Fish Exit 6 Wallonian Rye

I picked up a bottle of Flying Fish Exit 6- Wallonian Rye (Belgian Style Ale with New Jersey Rye) from Al's on Hampden. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty and foamy white head that sticks to the edge of the glass. The aroma consists of banana, candisugar, rye, and a slight hint of pepper. The taste consists of banana, candisugar, and pepper and has a good bit of carbonation on the tongue. The beer finishes with a pepper and rye bite, but isn't all that dry. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. I really enjoyed the complexity and dynamic nature of this beer. It started out sweet with banana and candisugar, but was completely balanced out with pepper and rye, giving the beer a nice bite.

Flying Fish Exit 16 Wild Rice Double IPA

On my last visit to Philadelphia, I search for, and found, a bottle of Flying Fish Exit 16 Wild Rice Double IPA. The beer has a straw color with a lofty and bubbly white head. The aroma is full of hops and lemony. The taste is crisp and fresh (probably due to the fact it was just released) and has a lot of citrus, including lemon and grapefruit, with a good pepper bite on the finish. The alcohol content is 8.2% ABV. I thought that the Exit 16 was an excellent IPA, as it was very tasty. These hops are not overwhelming, but very complimentary to the rest of the beer.

Flying Fish Exit 1 Bayshore Oyster Stout

When in New Jersey, I picked up a bottle of Flying Fish Exit 1 Bayshore Oyster Stout. I was very impressed with the Exit 4 and Exit 11 to date, so I had high expectations for the Exit 1. The beer pours black with a tan head. The aroma is full of dark chocolate. The taste consists of chocolate at first but has accents of raisin and fig before it finishes dry in the mouth. According to Flying Fish, using oysters in the process gives the beer the dry finish. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I thought that the beer was very smooth drinking and enjoyable. I will attempt to purchase some more bottles of the Exit 1 before they are sold out for good.

Flying Fish Exit 1

In what is most likely a direct response from my tweet and several others, I enquired about Flying Fish's next release in the Exit Series: Exit 1 Oyster Stout. I will admit I am totally virgin to the oyster stouts, and it did not really sound too appetizing. I basically questioned if the beer would taste like oysters and if that would be drinkable. Flying Fish's response on twitter is as follows:

Exit Series 1--in case you're not familiar, oyster stouts don't taste like oysters, the calcium and minerals give the beer a tasty dryness.

This should clear the air for any of you who are reluctant to try the next release in the Exit Series. I admit that I was reluctant at first, but I will definitely give this beer a try. It sounds intriguing. Look for it on shelves in November.

Flying Fish Exit 11 Hoppy American Wheat

My boy Matt picked me up a bottle of Flying Fish's latest in the Exit Series, Exit 11 Hoppy American Wheat. I have been anticipating this beer since it's release, so I was very excited to try it. The pour is a little thick and well carbonated, golden in color. It is also very opaque, hinting that the wheat is unfiltered. The aroma is very hoppy and floral. The taste is very light and crisp, with a decent amount of hops. The after taste reveals an apricot undertone and a slight hop bite. I'm not usually a fan of beers that are labeled "hoppy", but the Hoppy American Wheat is a very satisfying and balanced beer. The alcohol content is 6.2% ABV.

Flying Fish Exit 4 American Trippel

I picked up a bottle of Flying Fish Exit 4 American Trippel and popped it open today. The trippel is part of Flying Fish's Exit Series, where they are brewing different beers for each exit on the Jersey Turnpike. I was very surprised to pick up the complementary flavor of banana in this beer, although it is only a faint flavor. Overall, this beer is an excellent combination of flavors and smell. Although the label focuses on the hop content of the beer, it is not very hoppy at all. The overall drink is smooth with a minor bite, and a great after taste. It will leave you wanting more bottles.