Flying Mouflan - Tröegs Brewing Company, Harrisburg

"Tastes like hops dipped in candied sugar and rolled in dark chocolate nibs." That is what you'll find printed on the neck label of the Flying Mouflan. It certainly sounds delicious. Flying Mouflan is Tröegs' Barleywine style beer, an extreme version of their highly regarded Nugget Nectar. This bomber has a yellow and red label with a winged bottlecap in the center. A Mouflan is a breed of sheep, which I why I thought this would be a Bock or a variation on the Troegenator Doppelbock. I'm guessing the reference is lost on me, oh well...

The Flying Mouflan pours a very dark brown color with a red and purple tint. The head on this beer is thick at first, a light tan hue, they fade fairly quickly. As you drink through your glass of Flying Mouflan there will be just a thin layer of bubbles sitting on top of the beer, allowing for all of the aroma to come through. The Flying Mouflan smells like a rich, malty, pine cone liqueur. I don't get the chocolate nibs Tröegs mentioned on the neck label, but there is a caramel sweetness and an oily, resinous hop quality to this beer.

The Flying Mouflan tastes like a big intense Barleywine, which seems to be exactly what Tröegs was going for. Your first sip will be spicy, burning with alcohol and bitter with hops. That sounds a bit more abrasive than this beer actually is, but it's first impression can be a bit jolting. This is definitely a beer that benefits from being server warmer, the flavors of the malt, sweetness of caramel and sticky hops really blend together nicely to create a beer that is much more of a pleasure to drink than you'd expect by reading anyone's account. This beer is big. This beer is full of flavor, and those flavors are intense. This beer isn't for the weak of heart.

I'd suggest Flying Mouflan to anyone looking for a big Barleywine that pulls no punches. If you're looking for something that is very sweet, insanely hoppy and more bitter than most Double IPAs, this is just the beer for you.