Well, it’s been an interesting day with several good things happening. Today, I found out I got a promotion, and then got a phone call from Mayo Clinic. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it, but I need heart surgery for a mitral valve repair. My surgery date was supposed to be May 16, but today I got a call asking if I could come in next Friday (yes, in one week). To celebrate both of these, my family and I went out for what seems to be our Friday Lenten tradition (we’re Catholic and can’t have meat on Fridays during Lent) – a Flinger’s Pizza Pub tomato basil cheese bomb.

My good luck continued at dinner, as the beer I ordered blew the keg. Fortunately for me, at Flinger’s Pizza Pub, if you order the beer that blows the keg, you win a gift certificate for a free pizza.

Location: On tap and served in a regular pint glass at Flinger’s Pizza Pub in Bloomington, IL.

Numbers: 8% ABV, 72 IBUs, 14 SRM, 18.2 OG, 2.9 FG, 245 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: It’s mahogany in color with dark reddish hues when held up to the light. There appears to be quite a bit of carbonation in it with lots of bubbles sticking to the glass (I hope it’s clean) and a thick, one-inch, fluffly, cream-colored head. There’s a bit of piney and citrusy hop aroma to it.

Taste & Feel: The body is medium, and the mouthfeel is a bit crisp from all the carbonation, but a little creamy from the big head. There’s a sweet caramel maltiness up front with some rye spiciness. The maltiness grows during the middle, and is joined by some brown suger and toffee flavors. During the finish, the hoppiness comes through with some mostly earthy and slightly citrusy bitterness and flavors. The hoppiness and maltiness last for a bit in the aftertaste.

Food Pairing: This beer went nicely with our tomato basil cheese bomb, as the breadiness of the meal helped cut through some of the sweetness of the beer. I think a better pairing for a beer like this would be BBQ, especially a pulled pork sandwich. The malty sweetness of the beer would mix nicely with the BBQ sauce, and go together perfectly.

Overall Impression: This beer had a nice look, with a thick head and obvious maltiness. The hops came through in the nose, but weren’t overwhelming in the beer. In fact, it was mostly malty, with some good sweet flavors, including caramel, brown sugar, and toffee. That was balanced out by a nice earthy bitterness, and both flavors lasted in the aftertaste. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good, flavorful beer.

My Rating:

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