Pretty cool idea from the folks at Flying Dog (who have been busy on the press release front this week). Reminds me of Northern Brewer's Pro Series kits where they team up with brewers to put out five gallon-scaled kits of professional recipes. From a press release announcing the launch of the Stove Topper kits:

Giving homebrewers a chance to brew Flying Dog beers at home, Maryland’s largest brewery is launching Stove Toppers – a line of clone homebrew kits. Stove Toppers are all-grain kits designed for advanced homebrewers that include the brewery’s exact ingredients and brewmaster’s recipe, all scaled down to a 5-gallon home brewery.

“Like many brewmasters, I started out homebrewing,” Flying Dog Brewmaster Matt Brophy said. “Homebrewers spread the gospel of craft beer through their craft and ours, so I think breweries have a responsibility to foster and inspire the homebrewing community.”

Flying Dog will launch one kit per month in 2013 and each kit will be on sale for that month only. Beginning Friday, Single Hop Imperial IPA with El Dorado will be on sale at the brewery’s gift shop and the Flying Barrel Homebrew Supply Shop, both in Frederick, Maryland.

“The El Dorado hop variety is extremely limited in availability, especially for homebrewers,” Brophy said. “It’s an ideal hop for our series of Single Hop Imperial IPAs because it imparts tropical and stone fruit notes and great bittering without any harshness.”

The Single Hop Imperial IPA with El Dorado Stove Topper is $55 and will be on sale through February 28. The remaining schedule of kits is as follows:  

  • March: Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA

  • April: Woody Creek Belgian White

  • May: Single Hop Imperial IPA with Citra

  • June: Snake Dog IPA

  • July: Dogtoberfest Marzen

  • August: The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale

  • September: Single Hop Imperial IPA with Sorachi Ace

  • October: Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout

  • November: Single Hop Imperial IPA with Simcoe

  • December: Barrel-Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter

Also news on some beers returning to the market. 2013 versions of Horn Dog Barleywine and Barrel-aged Gonzo Imperial Porter will hit drafts next Monday in DC. Be on the lookout. Here's the word on this year's BAG: "Barrel Aged Gonzo- 47 Heaven Hill barrels overall.  23 rye whiskey, 12 – 12 year bourbon, and 12 – 8 year bourbon.  The rye barrels held Rittenhouse Rye. The 8 years are Evan Williams and the 12’s are Elijah Craig.  They were blended and then packaged into draft and bottle conditioned 750's.  Only available in the Mid Atlantic." Tasty.