Laughing Dog AlphaDog Imperial IPA

Brewed by Laughing Dog Brewing
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Ponderay, Idaho USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

Who knew Idaho had anything other than potatoes? Seriously though, it’s nice to see brews from the more obscure northern mountain/plains states making it to Kansas City! I hadn’t read the label, had no clue of the IBUs, and generally knew nothing about Alpha Dog before I tasted my first sip. Bomber pours an incredibly clear golden amber with a perfect cap of bubbly white head with great lacing. Smells great, with a powerful blast of evergreen boughs and a bit of citrus and malt. The flavor is where the strength of the bitterness shows up. With one sip, I knew this was stronger than Hop Stoopid, but geez...127IBUs? I like a nice hoppy brew, but this one was a little over the top, like drinking a whole grapefruit while chomping on a pine tree. There’s a huge amount of malt in this beer, but the hop bomb is just too overpowering to pair with it. Alcohol at 8% is surprisingly perfect. Strong aftertaste lingers forever, so the flavor and palate are the only pieces holding this back in my opinion.

Copper with a decent collar, dissipates into light foam and no lacing. Pine, grapefruit and caramel. Pretty tasty, a little bitey on the tongue, it has a big nutty and caramel finish mostly malt on it.

Copper pour, medium head. Caramel and pine hop. Flavour is caramel, minerally? Piney hop. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Orange, cloudy, not much head. Hops aroma mixed with grapefruit. Taste has good bitterness with pine in the front, fading to grapefruit rind in the finish. Not overly sweet.

Tap. Pours hazy amber with thick, creamy white head; good retention and spare lacing. Aroma is caramel and cookie malt, grassy and floral hops, dates, light figs, and faint pine. Flavor is balanced malt and hops (light bitterness) with faint fruit esters; dry finish. Medium body, carbonation, and warmth.

Bottle: Poured a clear amber with a creamy off white head. Aroma is hops and tobacco. Taste is light citrus, hops, and dry burnt malt finish.

Beautiful copper color. Frothy off-white head. Strong malty and resionous hop aroma. Flavor is the same. Thick bitter finish. Pretty good tasting but the body is a bit heavy for full enjoyment. Quality brew nonetheless with tons of hop bitternesss and a very smooth taste.

22 oz bottle, pours a deep copper color, moderate head, very little lacing. Strong fresh floral aroma with heavy citrus and some background roastiness. Well balanced taste as well with equal bitter and sweet. Full obdy, medium bitter finish with a crisp aftertaste. Well done imperial IPA.

22 oz bottle poured into schooner glass. Rich copper in color with a white head that dissipated quickly. Floral, a little fruity, maybe a little pine in aroma. A very nice dry finish with a bit of astringency, a touch of malt sweetness and a medium body. The sweetness is covered by the hops for a very nice bitter beer. Grapefruit flavor is there and very pleasant.

Poured from 22 oz bottle. Mostly clear, golden amber with 1-finger head that settled quickly and very good lacing. Aroma of grapefruit, pineapple, and pine. Taste of pine resin and bitter herbs followed by a strong grapefruit flavor. Malt flavors are present but they are overwhelmed by the bitter hops. Medium+ body with medium carbonation. Starts with a smooth mouthfeel and finishes with tingling carbonation. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Poured into a pint glass. A pretty clear copper colored ale with a slim layer of head. A bright smelling beer. Lemon, grapefruit and prickly pear. Smooth tasting, malty beginning gives way to a dull bitterness that hits the back of the mouth. The malt is in the body of the taste, not sweet but balanced nicely with the hops.. Smooth texture, almost creamy, medium body, low carbonation. A great beer.