The Philadelphia region possesses a wealth of riches when it comes to craft beer. Troegs, out of Harrisburg, PA, is one of the great breweries in our region producing favorites such as Sunshine Pils, Mad Elf and Nugget Nectar. Another seasonal brew from the company, Flying Mouflan, is described as Nugget Nectar pushed over the cliff of excess with bumped up levels of sugars and malt. With the intense level of sweetness and higher alcohol content, this brew pushes the hoppy amber Nugget Nectar into the realm of a barleywine, a sweet, dark and boozy nightcap type of beverage.

Poured from a 22oz bomber a rich, mahogany colored brew emerges creating a thin, tan head in the glass. Considering that the base of this beer is a super hoppy amber ale, the first thing that hits your nose is a citrusy burst of hops. Roasted coffee and malt notes follow the hoppy front in the nose. This beer gives quite a bit of foreshadowing in its scent and appearance, as the first sip is rich with sweet, candied dark fruit flavors and a subtle roastiness. All the candy flavors are balanced by a strong, hoppy backbone that leaves a pleasant sweetness lingering on the palate. Considering that this is a pretty strong brew with strong flavors, the hoppy bitterness really helps balance out and hides the potential booziness of the beer.

As far as barleywines go, Troegs has offered an incredibly balanced brew. If you are a fan of hops but haven’t delved into the boozy, dark world of barleywines and other strong ales, this beer would be a great (and local!) introduction to the style. I found my bottle at a pretty standard late night to-go shop so I imagine bottles of Flying Mouflan are available anywhere in the city where great, local craft beer is sold.

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