Turbodog
Brewed By: Abita Brewery
Brewed In: Abita Springs, LA
Type: Dark Brown Ale
ABV: 5.6%
What They Say: Turbodog is a dark brown ale brewed with Willamette hops and a combination of pale, crystal and chocolate malts. This combination gives Turbodog its rich body and color and a sweet chocolate toffee-like flavor. Turbodog began as a specialty ale but has gained a huge loyal following and has become one of our flagship brews. This ale pairs well with most meats and is great served with hamburgers or sausages. It is a good match with smoked fish and can even stand up to wild game dishes. Turbodog is also great for marinating and braising meats and cooking such things as cabbage and greens. Colby, Gloucester, Cheddar and Blue cheeses go nicely with Turbodog. It’s perfect with spicy Louisiana jambalaya or Spanish paella. Some even like it paired with chocolate!
Website: For me, this is what I think a business website should look like (save for the completely useless “put in your birthdate” splash page. Completely top down design, everything is arranged where your eyes naturally look for it. The contact info info is in the upper right, prominent logo in the upper center, and the top with descriptive sections names that lead to useful information. Their design people and I have apparently read the same books on web design.
Why I Picked It: I was at a bar called Jake’s Dilemma in New York City. One of my friends said “you have to try this — it’s the best beer I’ve ever head.” A love affair was born.
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Presentation (5): I’m not a huge fan of their six-pack container. I get that the fully enclosed sixpack is their thing and it makes for a unique presentation but unique presentation doesn’t necessarily mean good presentation. Moderate points for effort even if the overall design of the Turbodog bottle is a little more boring than some of their others. 2
Originality (5): I can’t remember having any beer that not only claims a toffee flavor as their primary selling point, but actually delivers on it while making it awesome. I’m sure there is a beer somewhere that tries to duplicate this flavor, but I can’t imagine anyone doing it better. 5
Taste (10): It’s like drinking a Heath bar… and I mean it in the best way one can mean that. Beers that use chocolate forget (voluntarily or otherwise) chocolate’s finish is bitter. They rarely use anything to offset it. Abita uses whatever they use to create a toffee flavor that amazingly breaks up the bitter chocolate malt flavor. It prevents the chocolate from being too heavy or cloying and lightens the flavor. It’s right on the border of being too much toffee flavor, but it doesn’t quite get there. 8
Body (10): An extremely dark body pours in to a nice, thin head. The lack of foam and the lack of anything on the side of the glass belays a pleasant, thick beer. The beer coats the entire inside of your mouth in toffee goodness and sticks around. While I normally don’t like this, Turbodog’s flavor is such that it isn’t bothersome. Besides that point, it manages to be hearty without being filling. If I have a minor knock, the same thing that makes it great to pair with food makes it a problem to drink alone. It hangs out on the tastebud just a bit too long. 9
Efficiency (10): It’s a flagship brew so it’s cheap. It’s a heavy brown ale so its ABV matches its weight. Its ABV is over 5.5%. And it’s completely delicious. It’s the definition of quiet efficiency. 10
Versatility (10): You may have noticed I don’t talk much about pairing beers with foods and other such things in this space. That kind of reaches a level of beer snobbery that I’m not comfortable with quite yet. However, Turbodog is the only beer I’ve tried cooking with. It’s awesome in chili and is a ridiculously good base for a steak or burger marinade. The bittery toffee/chocolate flavor pairs amazingly well with almost any red meat. Besides that — it drinks really well. 10
Final Grade: 45 (of 50) – Great beer.
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