Flying Fish Brewing Company – The Sporting Brews

Flying Fish Brewing Farmhouse Golden Ale Review

Flying Fish Brewing Company was founded in 1995 by Gene Muller who sold his beer on the internet, making him one of the first internet entrepreneurs. In 1996 he moved operations to Cherry Hill, N.J. Today, Flying Fish is located in Somerdale, N.J. and is one of the largest, if not the largest, microbrewery in the state. You can check out the reviews of some of their other offerings by clicking here. Up for review today is their Farmhouse Golden Ale.

Farmhouse Golden Ale pours a pale, yellow gold with a white, foamy head that stood just over a finger tall. The aroma hints at a Belgian ale but with a distinct American flavor. There are notes of cracker and malt, some bread notes also prevail. The overall aroma is faint, however.

The first sip teases Belgian ale but drifts back to more of a standard brew. By standard I mean something you would expect from a macro brewery like Miller or Budweiser. That isn’t a bad thing. Some people prefer those beers. There is an exotic tease at first with a little spice noted before finishing with a slightly bready finish. The beer had a moderate amount of carbonation and is light in the mouth. The finish is kind of smooth and crisp at the same time. It also teases a hint of fruit from the hops at the end. The glass laced fairly well which was surprising since the head disappeared rather quickly.

Overall, this is a decent beer. It isn’t one of their best as far as complexity goes but it is highly drinkable. Let’s be honest, it takes a lot for a beer to not be drinkable. Seriously, this is a good beer but it might not be for everyone. Choosing a microbrew is tough and expectations are high. The flavor profile on Farmhouse Golden Ale lacks a lot of complexity and that might turn some people off. However, it is still a decent beer that you could easily make a session beer, especially since it clocks in at only 4.6% ABV.

Flying Fish Hopfish IPA Review

We have featured Flying Fish Brewing Company a few times here on The Sporting Brews. You can check out previous reviews on their other offerings by clicking here. Up for review today is their Hopfish IPA.

Hopfish pours a slightly hazy amber with a thick, foamy, slightly off-white head that rose to just over one finger at its peak. There was some carbonation visible but not a lot. The aroma was subtle but clean and slightly malty. I expected more hops on the nose honestly but malt, some sweet caramel, and biscuit predominated.

The first sip followed the nose. Notes of malt, some slight sweet caramel, and bread/biscuit dominated. There was some slight hop bitterness on the backend. The beer felt light in the mouth, though close to medium-bodied. The finish was slightly dry but very smooth with just a perfect touch of hop bitterness.

As the session progressed there was some nice lacing on the glass, enough to make any bride jealous. The flavor profile held true throughout as well. In fact, I might even say it got better. The malt forward flavor and hop finish definitely had me going back for more sips.

Overall, this is an interesting beer. You read IPA and Hopfish and you almost expect to be overwhelmed by hops. That is not the case. This leans more toward the Brown Ale side with its malt and biscuit/bread flavors forward. The hop finish is subtle but welcomed. At 6.2% ABV this beer with some meat to it but not overwhelming by any means. This is a good solid beer that fans of Brown Ales might love and fans of IPAs might find a little on the weak side. Still worth a try.

Flying Fish Brewing Company XPA Citra Pale Ale Review

Flying Fish Brewing Company produces 18 seasonal and year-round beers from their South New Jersey brewery. Among them is one of their originals, the XPA Citra Pale Ale.

As you might have guessed, XPA Citra Pale Ale, or Extra Pale Ale, is a pale ale. The beer pours a hazy but bright yellow with a thick, white head that rose to one finger at its height. The aroma is heavy on the citrus, there is no mistaking what awaits the drinker when they sip this. There are also slight floral hop notes under the citrus and lemon. There is also a hint of yeast and bread that come through.

The first taste confirms what the bottle shows and the nose has teased, this is citrus forward. Interestingly, the citrus isn’t overwhelming but rather refreshing. There are some malt and bread notes that come through before a slightly hoppy finish. The brew feels medium-bodied in the mouth with a smooth, slightly dry finish. It really leaves you desiring another sip.

As the beer drank the glass had some nice lacing, tracking your every sip. The taste stayed consistent throughout the session but there were times where different notes played a little more than others but the flavor profile was fairly consistent. Citrus, malt, bread, hops on every sip.

Overall, this is a refreshing beer. You don’t have to be a big fan of IPAs in order to enjoy this but you certainly can’t hate IPAs either. There is a noted hop finish as one would expect. I found this beer to be tasty and refreshing with a friendly 5.2% ABV that would make this a nice companion for any summer day or activity.

Flying Fish Brewing Company Red Fish IPA Review

Flying Fish Brewing Company’s Red Fish Red IPA bills itself as a “hoppy red ale.” It clocks in at a healthy 7% ABV.

Red Fish pours a deep copper color with a thick, foamy head that stood just over two fingers at its height. The aroma features notes of pine, hops, and some slight citrus. This beer looks very good in its glass.

The first sip compliments the nose. The notes of pine and hops predominate but are followed by some slight citrus flavor. There is also a little sweet note at times that teases burnt caramel. The whole flavor profile actually comes together quite nicely. The beer feels light in the mouth, almost a little velvety or creamy. The finish is slightly bitter yet smooth.

The glass laced nicely as it drank. The beer also got smoother with each sip and the notes of pine and hops became a little mellower but still allowed their presence to be known. The carbonation was moderate at its height but for most of the session it was light. It allowed the beer to cut back on the bitter finish and become a little creamier at the back.

Overall Flying Fish Red Fish IPA is a pretty good beer. It is an IPA so if you aren’t a fan of IPAs I don’t think you will suddenly fall in love with them. However, if you like IPAs then this is a solid choice. It has an interesting profile. The one knock might be how the flavor profile changed. It started as a really solid IPA and seemed to morph into a hoppy red ale. The taste was still enjoyable and I would definitely drink this again.

To check out other reviews of Flying Fish Brewing Company brews click HERE.

Flying Fish Brewing Company’s Onshore Lager Review

Flying Fish has been around since 1995 and has grown into a major player in the craft beer market in New Jersey and the Mid-Atlantic states over the years. It has continued to grow and is now offering its brews in most states. Up for review today is their Onshore Lager. You can read past Flying Fish reviews by clicking here.

Before we get into the beer itself, let me just say that this can is what summer is all about. The art is a path to the beach, dunes dotted with beach grass on both sides, and a welcoming ocean in the distance. I’d buy this beer just for the can.

Okay, now for the beer. Onshore Lager pours a clear gold. Thousands of tiny bubbles can be seen rushing to the white, foamy head. The head stood two fingers tall at its height. The aroma featured grain, malt, and a little hops. There is a note of sweetness as well in the nose.

The taste follows the nose. You get the malts, grains and cereals, a tiny hint of sweetness and then a little hops with a crisp, clean finish that is also a little dry. The lager is on the lighter side of medium in body with adequate carbonation. The beer laced the glass beautifully and a slight foam sat on top of the beer throughout the process.

Overall, this is a good beer. It has a good balance to it. Nothing really sticks out as being great or bad. This is a beer you can drink all day at any time and be comfortable and at 4.9% ABV it is a great summer beer. Though I wouldn’t mind drinking this any time of year. This is just a solid, enjoyable beer. Plus, a portion of the proceeds from this beer will be donated to clean water efforts so that’s a nice bonus. I would definitely drink this beer again.

A Review of Flying Fish’s Jersey Juice IPA

Flying Fish Brewing Company opened its doors in 1995, well technically in 1996 since it actually started selling online only, in Cherry Hill, N.J. Yes, they sold beer online in 1995 when it took minutes to dial into a modem. So, I guess you can say that founder Gene Muller was way ahead of his time. The company has gone on to win ten medals at the Great American Beer Festival, the best of any New Jersey brewery. One of Flying Fish’s more popular offerings is their Jersey Juice India Pale Ale, a limited release.

Jersey Juice India Pale Ale pours a honey-gold with a thick, white head that stood just over a finger. The aroma of hops is evident as you pour. However, as you get closer to the beer you notice a nice floral note with hints of citrus and just a note of biscuit or oats. There are quite a few bubbles rushing forward to reinforce the head.

The first sip showcases a creamy head, slightly heavier than medium mouth feel. You do notice the hops but the fruit in this beer are nicely balanced and allowed to shine. There is a little lemon zest and sweetness followed by a little bitter and sweet grapefruit and finished with the hops. One thing about this that I found interesting was the hops were notable but they didn’t linger. Some IPAs have that hop shock but this was smooth. Mixed with the creamy body it was very delightful. The carbonation isn’t even close to overwhelming and as the beer sits the beer actually gets better and smoother.

The beer laces the glass like it was part of Cinderella’s gown. The flavors stay consistent throughout and the longer the beer sits the better it gets as the carbonation fades just enough to make this almost silky. At 6% ABV, you would expect a little more of the alcohol to come through but you don’t even notice it with this beer.

Overall, this is a very good beer. It has enough hops to please IPA fans but isn’t overwhelming so fans of other beers can enjoy this one as well. The fruit plays well with the hops and oats and every aspect compliments each other. This is a very good summertime beer, just refreshing enough with the fruit. If you want to try a fun take on an IPA without straying too far from the IPA roots then Jersey Juice IPA is worth keeping an eye out for.