Carolina Reaper Peach IPA

The first thing I thought when I saw this beer's label was "Well, this could be interesting." The Carolina Reaper pepper is ranked as the world's hottest pepper, and the use of peach is interesting in itself; most "pepper beers" I've tried involve mango or pineapple as the "cooling" fruit.

Flying Dog Carolina Reaper Peach IPA pours a bright amber-yellow color with a thin head. The aroma of sweet peach is quite evident, with barely a hint of pepper. My immediate impression upon sipping is the sweetness of peach but the pepper heat comes quickly in to play. The Carolina Reaper peppers provide a strong flavor, but don't overwhelm despite their natural intensity. As the initial heat kick fades, though it never vanishes, the lingering sweetness and heat levels remain in a flavorful balance. 

As I continued drinking the beer, I was able to detect the subtlety of the fruit notes, from both the peach and the citrusy hop base. Even as the warmth lingered, with each sip the sweet peach flavor would pop up, then give way to the peppery burst. The heat kick would fade, once more leaving the lingering sweet and heat in balance. 

Flying Dog Carolina Reaper Peach IPA is the third beer in the brewery's Heat Series, and it's definitely my favorite so far.

This bottle of tasty brew was an unsolicited review sample from the brewery. The drinking was done of my own free will.