Laughing Dog Cold Nose Winter Ale

Brewed by Laughing Dog Brewing
Style: English Strong Ale
Ponderay, Idaho USA

Received a 12-oz bottle via trade with 5000. Pours a clear dark copper/brown brew with a thin beige head that has some nice retention and some spotty lacing. Aroma of malted chocolate milk balls, caramel, figs and a touch of butterscotch. Taste is medium to full bodied, a touch of carbonation with flavors of mild bitter caramel, toffee, roasted dark figs and a touch of butterscotch. Finish is semi sweet at first and then a nice citrus bitterness kicks in with a mild fig aftertaste. Allow this to warm up a little before drinking.

Sample tray. They also mix this with the CSB (Crotch Sniffing Bastard) to make a Nose in Crotch. Mahogany with a yellowish foam glove. Peat and toffee nose. Mix of sweetness and bitterness. A nice sipper with a coffee finish.

Bottle. Pours a dark brown with a powerful cream colored head. The aroma is mostly piny hops and roasted malts. The taste is mostly a dry roasted caramel malt, with chocolate and hops. A well done winter ale, a lot of complex flavors, and really smooth.

Courtesy of Degarth. Pours clear deep copper with tan head and spotty lacing. I love the bold aroma of roasty malts mixed with buttered wheat toast and a hint of hops. The taste is very nice with highly roasted malts, a hint of burnt malts and a sprinkle of pine hop bitterness before another big pulse of roasty malted goodness blankets the experience. There is also a brief dark fruitiness, more pin hop bitterness and a thin layer of butteryness into the finish.

Bottle. Pours warm translucent brown, with a tall and lacy tan head, thick as puddin’. Aroma of brown sugar and butterscotch. Figs, spice, chocolate, and woody taste. Dry butterscotch and spice finish. Laughing Dog has always been promising, but each of their beers seem to have one significant flaw. And by the way, I’m officially annoyed at the city of "Ponderay" because it uses Anglicized phonetic substitute for a word rather than the real French words "Pend Oreille."

Bottle. Pours a beautiful deep rich red. Brilliant when held up to the light. The head is tan and well formed with good retention. Aroma of chocolate, spice, figs and some mild citrus. The flavor is rich and lasting with highlights of chocolate and spice. A mild alcohol warmth settles in afterward. A very nice winter beer from North Idaho.

Solid winter ale. Pours dark brown with a soft off-white/khaki head. Toasty malt nose, doughy and caramel notes. Spicy and fruity in the finish. Hops were piney and crisp, but still the malts took the show.

12oz Bottle - 99 Bottles - Federal Way, WA
Aroma – Nice winter ale aroma with some lingering spices.
Appearance – Dark brown in color, nice thin head and clear.
Flavor – Lots of malt flavor. Had some molasses and spices also in the flavor. I could taste a huge nut flavor also.
Palate – Nice Mouthfeel, good winter ale texture with a nice dry finish.
Overall – A very nice winter ale this needed more time to mature but this finished quite well it was the easiest winter ale I have ever drank.