Brewer: Abita Brewing Company
Location: Abita Springs, Louisiana
Type: English Brown Ale
ABV: 5.6%

From Mountain to Central, and back once more to Louisiana. I strongly debated whether or not to review this beer since I have had it several times before and I am trying to get in as many new beer experiences as possible this month. However, I simply couldn’t resist sharing my joy, not only over this particular beer but also over this particular brewery. Besides, the beer is definitely dark and was part of one of my recent single-beer shopping sprees. It qualifies, dammit!

So it is that I present to you Abita’s TURBODOG. You all know me well enough by this point that I’m not even going to lie on this one: I originally chose this beer for the name. Sucker for a dog-themed beer, indeed. Truthfully, though, one does not not choose an Abita beer at some point when one is in New Orleans. Talk about universal presence! In this instance, however, Abita is deserving of a healthy dose of Big Easy Love. Their beers have always been fresh, flavorful, full-bodied, and more than able to hold their own when paired with the boldness of Nawlins cuisine.

My first exposure to TURBODOG in the Crescent City, in fact, came about when I ordered it along with a half-dozen chargrilled oysters and a some chicken and andouille gumbo at ACME Oyster House. TURBODOG’s chocolate, chicory sensuality paired beautifully with the buttery smoked herbal notes of the oysters as well as the spiced elegance of the gumbo.

On its own, however, is a slightly different experience. A coffee-colored pour with ruby highlights and butterscotch foam, take your first whiff and? Willamette hops, my friends. Yes, that’s right. Willamette hops. I think I might have been even more inclined to notice their presence because of yesterday’s full-on exposure to them. However, I have always noted a hoppy hint to TURBODOG. Thankfully, though, it is indeed only a hint. Strong enough to detect it if you’re sensitive to the taste or smell, but mild enough that it doesn’t impede the malted sweetness or dark bread, roasted cacao, or nutty sibilance of other flavors.

It’s really not until Abita’s 25th Anniversary Vanilla Double Dog that the hops take a more central appearance in the flavor profile, which was definitely a disappointment for me. However, other Abita beers I have tried, including their raspberry and strawberry beers, have been surprising winners. I’ve mentioned before that fruit-flavored beers are a sticky wicket for me. However, I must say that Abita’s strawberry seasonal brew in particular was jaw-droppingly delicious (and on a sultry afternoon pairs beautifully with a fresh shrimp Po Boy). Right now is the season for Abita’s pecan harvest ale, which I wouldn’t mind tracking down at all.

Back to TURBODOG. With a mellow mouth feel and pleasing palate, this is quite an easy brew to drink. For me, though, this is definitely another beer that begs to be paired with food, rather than drunk alone. Then again, maybe this is just me speaking from my pleasant Abita and food pairing experiences in New Orleans. I do know, however, that I was surprised by how subdued my response was to TURBODOG when finally drinking it on its own. Guess this means another reason to return to New Orleans. Gotta feed my TURBODOG love…