Laughing Dog The Dogfather Imperial Stout

Brewed by Laughing Dog Brewing
Style: Imperial Stout
Ponderay, Idaho USA

Bottle from SL. Pour was pitch black. Aroma was citrus, strong chocolate, faint roast. The flavor was chocolate, strong roasty, ashy notes, citrus hops in the finish, faint vinous notes, chalky, dark fruits, tobacco. The mouthfeel was full bodied, a bit syrupey, but not sticky sweet. Decent. Period.

22oz bottle. Pours black in color with full foamy brown head. Aroma roasted malt, coffee and dark chocolate. Taste roasted malt, strong coffee and dark chocolate with bitter finish.

Oily reddish black with an inch of cocoa colored head. Aroma is chocolate and piney hops. Taste is the same, with hops forward, and chocolate less pronounced and slight lactic edge. Lasting bitterness with tootsie roll flavors into the finish. Carbonation is relatively high. $9/22oz

22 oz bomber from Canal’s Hainesport. Pours a good looking solid black body sitting underneath a large thick bridge head that is so dense it should have been served with a spoon. The aroma is all over the place and not in a good way, notes of earth, dark fruit, yeast, tar, tobacco and rubbing alcohol. Sadly the flavor doesn’t get any better with lots of charcoal, earth, dark fruit, tobacco,and rubbing alcocohol. Full bodied with very lively carbonation. Wow what a let down from such an awesomely designed bottle.

The palate on this one was awesome. Light and not filling but has a fair note of alcohol to it though not hot. Sort of like, effervescent. I like that. Lots of sharp dark fruits, cherries and plum skin and a huge roast complex. Delicate stout that’s refined. Nice.

22oz bottle. Pours a black body with a finger-width, creamy, brown head that dissipates quickly and leaves a good amount of lacing. Aroma is fairly hoppy with some dark fruits and cherries, sweet roasts, dark chocolate, and tobacco smoke. Some dusty cocoa, wood, vanilla, and a light acidity as well. Flavor is similar. Greeted with some piney hops, slightly acidic dark fruits, and a thicker, sweet maltiness. A good amount of sweet, hard roasted malts come in with some rich chocolate, wood, and vanilla before this finishes with a slightly acidic roast, alcohol, cherry, a moderate pine, and a lightly smoked wood hop bitterness that lingers for a long duration. Medium to full body and a light carbonation. Overall, a pretty complex impy. Dark fruits, sweeter roasts, a light smokey wood, and nicely hopped along with some rich flavors made this very enjoyable. Coats the palate nicely and stays fairly organized for such a big beer. Very nice.

bottle thanks to Buckdich, pours black with a medium dark brown head, spotted lacing. Aroma is nice with wood, coffee, and chocolate dominating. There are also light notes of black cherry and red wine. Roasted malt and toffee sweetness are cut with strong alcohol and bitter expresso bean flavors enhanced by a moderate carbonation. This is nice stuff, still a little hot though.

22oz bomber from grape & gourmet. pours a oily, black with a half-inch, dark brown head and solid lacing. aroma is great with big notes of dark chocolate, roasted malts, and coffee with dark fruit notes of prune and blackberry and hints of chocolate covered banana, vanilla, and earthy wood. flavor is wonderful as well big, dark, roasted coffee and dark malt notes up front with bittersweet chocolate, caramel, dark fruits, and molasses adding complexity and finishing with earthy hops and smoked wood. palate is full bodied, smooth, and lightly carbonated with just a touch of alcohol making this an easy sipper. overall, a top notch brew.