Flying Dog Brewery (Frederick, Maryland) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of 2020 Field Notes Pale Ale, a special collaboration project with the University of Maryland (UMD) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, in mid-October 2020.

The latest experimental offering to be “brewed using hops grown at UMD’s Western Maryland Research and Education Center in Keedysville, Maryland,” 2020 Field Notes is an American Pale Ale featuring Lyon, Glacier and Southern Cross hops that were “chosen after three rounds of blind sensory analysis on the hop varieties harvested by UMD this year.” Coming in at 5.6% ABV, 2020 Field Notes is a “crisp and delicious . . . pale ale with fruity and citrus hop notes dominating both the aroma and flavor profile.”

“There’s no better way to evaluate hops than putting them in a beer, which is exactly why experimental projects like Field Notes are vital to our work with the University of Maryland,” said James Maravetz, VP of Marketing, Flying Dog. “There are no pilot or test brews for this beer, it is a one-time shot to see what notes shine through.”

“Over the past five years we have battled various obstacles, both environmental and manmade, and it is evident that we can produce hops in Maryland,” said Bryan Butler, Extension Agent, UMD College of AGNR. “The question that remains however is, can a consistent, high quality, profitable crop be produced? We look forward to continuing our work to determine the ultimate answer to that question.”

2020 Field Notes is rolling out now and will be hanging around only as long as supplies last. You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Maryland only. Prost!

Vital Information for 2020 Field Notes from Flying Dog Brewery & University of Maryland

Release – Limited; mid-October 2020
Style – American Pale Ale
ABV – 5.6%
Featured Hops – Lyon, Glacier & Southern Cross hops grown at University of Maryland’s Western Maryland Research and Education Center
Fun Fact – “UMD and Maryland’s largest independent craft brewery have been growing hops in Maryland since the organizations’ partnership began in 2015. At that time, UMD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources partnered with Flying Dog to study hop production in the State of Maryland. The goal of the study was to gather research and lay the groundwork for a commercially viable hop producing industry in Maryland that mirrors the success of hop growing ventures in the Pacific Northwest.”
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans
Distribution – Maryland only
Beer Finder – https://www.flyingdog.com/beer-finder/