Head of the Pack

Brewer: Marley’s Brewery & Grille

Beer: Pack Dog Peanut Butter Ale

Style: Specialty Ale

ABV: 6.30%

Description: Pack Dog pours hazy russet amber with a thin off-white head that doesn’t stick around too long and leaves little in the way of lacing on the glass. The aroma is very pleasing and is dominated by peanut butter and sweet malts. The taste follows the nose and is controlled by peanut butter up front, followed by sweet malts rushing across the palate with very subtle hints of hops to provide a wonderful balance to what could be an overly sweet beer. The body of Pack Dog is in the medium range with moderate carbonation to provide a very smooth beer that cascades over the tongue and leaves a lingering malt taste on the palate. This is absolutely a distinctive beer that manages to create its own unique taste in a very crowded craft beer market.

Food Pairing: Pack Dog is a great beer for desserts, but it also has enough body and complexity to lend itself to a wider array of pairings as well. Try this beer with your favorite burger and do not be afraid to pile on the toppings. However, if you are looking for something to perfectly pair with this beer, I highly recommend an Elvis burger, a hamburger topped with bacon, bananas, and peanut butter. Rich and hearty meats go well with Pack Dog, such as ribs, roasted chicken, and flank steak. This is also an absolutely perfect beer to have with desserts, especially any that can be enhanced with peanut butter. The natural thought for dessert pairings would be with chocolate; whether it be chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, or whipped chocolate mousse, all are perfect with Pack Dog. Also try this brew with Tandy Cake, peanut butter brownies, or peanut butter pie.

The Final Word: There is certainly a reason that this beer won a bronze medal at this year’s Great American Beer Festival. While combining peanut butter and beer is not a totally new concept, many breweries tend towards darker beers as the base for the combination. Typically, peanut butter stouts and porters are what many of us see; however, Marley’s wanted to attempt something different and have a lighter colored and maltier base for the beer. This combination gives the beer its smooth body, moderate carbonation, and heavy peanut butter aroma and taste. Pack Dog is certainly a unique beer, but it did not win a medal simply by being only that – it won for being delicious.

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Where can I get it? Currently available on draft exclusively at Marley’s Brewery & Grille in Bloomsburg, PA.