Laughing Dog Dogzilla Black IPA

Brewed by Laughing Dog Brewing
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Ponderay, Idaho USA

Interesting. I think I expected an IPA in which malts dominated but they don’t here. Dark and caramel, but not porter-ish in taste. Hops. Some bitterness. Odd type of IPA.

22 oz. bottle served in shaker (looking forward to this one, bottle from Liquid Solutions)- poured a solid near black with very dark maroon highlights when held to a light source, heavily frothy off tan head one finger head formed, laced very heavily. and growled at me (HUH?!!?). Aroma of a dark roasted malt, caramel, and hops. Hits the mouth with a hard and wide body (imagine me kicking your face-forever), malt is damn near burnt but still enjoyable (RIGHT on the cuspt, they got it right), everything holds up fine in the middle, hops come soaring in the middle, finish is acidic like a DIPA, but mild enough for a regular IPA. Great stuff- I always loved Idaho for a reason besides the great baking spuds!!! My second surprise for today, the 3rd- it’s a coming down the line... Again, get this stuff to Texas, NOW!!!

Bomber->tulip: Pours a huge, brown head atop a brown body. Average malt aroma with some perfume hopiness and a cheese yeast aroma. The body is light, texture thin, average carbonation, and an astringent finish. The flavor’s duration is average, being heavily bitter.

Interesting take on an IPA. Poured a deep brown with a thick off-white head. Aroma had a huge hop nose, citrus and pine, with an additionally large kind of roasted malt/coffee-ish kick. Flavor was simlar. Some nice citrus bite followed by a big malt presence. This wasn’t bad, but it did seem to be kind of suffering from an identity crisis as a beer. Maybe a little too conflicting.

Poured dark brown almost black with a huge fluffy tan head. Aroma of caramel and oranges. Different. IPA characteristics upfront with a sweet caramel finish. Very good and different.

I loved this one. Nice dark mahogany with a pillowy head. Malty piney aroma. Makes sense right? Flavor is malt with a bread backbone followed by an intense hop hit. Finish is very dry. Very good stuff from Idaho?

22 oz bottle thanks to Eric. Hazy brown with a huge, long lasting, thick, rocky, beige head. Citrus pine aroma with caramel and roasty aroma. Roasty burnt flavor, big maltly sweetness with some hop and burnt bitterness. Med body, a foamy mouth feel, actively carbonated and a chalky finish. Not bad, the taste is completely different from the aroma and the malt and burnt flavors over power the hops.

Pour is a black with a big bone white head. Aroma is pretty good with roasted malts, a little smoke and finally some hops. Flavor is very coffee with some smoke and peat moss. Hops are there but kind of an after thought. The malts in this beer deffinatly take over anything hoppy wise you are looking for in a IPA.