Laughing Dog India Pale Ale - Laughing Dog Brewing

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this in a recent trade with younger35. Thanks Dan!
Very clear, deep orange colour with a sticky, off-white cap of fine bubbles. The aroma was fairly mellow with orange citrus hops and a bit of toasty malt. Strong bitterness, a little rough, that really lingered. Citrusy all the way through, plus a little resinous towards the end. Malt was toasty and sweet. Medium bodied, average carbonation, good texture overall. Quite drinkable with a decent balance.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2008 23:05:34 | More by DrJay

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle that I picked up at Bottleworks in Seattle. Pours a dark, slightly hazy orange with an okay head and spotty lacing. A little dark for the style, but still looks pretty good. Heavy apricot aromas from the hops as well as a lingering bitterness and a good deal of malt. Some pine at the end. The taste is similar. Quite heavy with lots of malt, and a somewhat unusual hop profile of heavy apricot and pine. Some candied citrus peel manifests as the beer opens up. There is some residual sweetness, but fairly controlled. It gives the beer a bit of a marmalade taste as well. Lingering bitterness that is pretty pronounced. Somewhat thick in the mouth. Not a huge beer, but a pretty decent IPA if a bit different. Interesting, I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2008 22:54:59 | More by Georgiabeer

PlaywrightSam

New York

4.08/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bomber picked up at Rosauers in Moscow, ID. A: Cloudy orange with a touch of amber, moderate amount of head with some lacing. S: Pretty clean citrus hops, some floral, caramel malt sweetness. T: Some lighter maltiness up front, mildly sweet, some really nice floral hops in a nicely dry, long finish. Really opens up as I continue through the bottle. M: Medium to thick body, very nicely carbonated, crisp. D: I'm an Idaho native, so I'm biased toward an Idaho brewery, but this is a very nice beer. Really wonderful balance, very drinkable. I wish I could get it in NYC.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2008 08:39:07 | More by PlaywrightSam

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz picked up at the Coop for about $1.40... poured into my New Belgium goblet.

1" head died down quickly leaving behind alot of splotchy lacing. Clear orange/lite amber brews.

Nose is fairly bright citrus hops and a little pine.. maybe a touch heavy on the malt aroma, but I like my IPA's to have a little maltiness.

Palate is much more hoppy than the aroma... citrus and pine with a touch of earthiness... good pale and toasted malt mid palate with a pronounced but still low sweetness balanced by a good bitterness.... a good dose of yeasty fruitiness that lets you know this is an ale... body is pretty full for the style, but the carbonation just pushes everything aside and slams all the flavors together ending on a piney hop finish... the drinkablity does get a little rough after two or three... pretty aggressive flavor profile.

This beer tastes very fresh to me... I like it and Laughing Dog IPA is pretty much a fridge staple in my house.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2008 07:52:10 | More by JohnGalt1

Lothore

California

2.93/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A- Pours a deep orange with a 1 finger eggshell head which leaves quite a bit of lacing as it dissapates.

S- Smell is supersweet and floral. Already I am starting to get a little apprehensive about this one.

T- Taste is definitely hoppy but also has what I can only describe as a soapy sweetness. This one definitely did not hit me the right way.

M- Semi viscous, a good amount of carbonation.

D- I found this one very hard to drink. The soapiness in the taste really threw me off.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 20:23:33 | More by Lothore

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beautifully bronzed orange peel with sunshine bright edges of tangerine-amber. The thickly creamy crown is equal parts alabaster and ecru, bathed in a soft orange light. Keeping the goodness rolling right along, the glass is beginning to be coated with tattered sheets of lace.

I like my IPAs noses to be more pungently hoppy than this. Still, it's a pleasing combination of caramel malt and ripe citrus fruit that most should enjoy. Once the foam melts and the beer warms, things open up a little more.

I'm reminded of a mini DIPA or an English IPA due to the amount of well-toasted, buttered caramel maltiness. Maybe even an American take on an ESB. Don't expect the usual bright, explosively citric American hoppiness and all will be well. Although the jury is still out, I don't love it. Let's see what several more big gulps brings.

This is one of the more balanced IPAs that you're likely to run across. That's the main reason why it reminds me so much of those malty DIPAs that are more barleywine-like than I believe DIPAs should be. The hop flavor is there in this beer, it just isn't THERE. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the IBUs are on the high side (beneath all those malt sugars).

The mouthfeel comes through with flying colors. It's on the large side for the style, is nicely plush and has a carbonation load that keeps things moving without going overboard. One of the highlights for sure. Another highlight is a glass that is impressively coated as the beer falls with drinking.

CSB is probably the best Laughing Dog beer that I've had so far. IPA isn't too far behind, but since it doesn't fit my preferred profile, I don't like it as much. I'm still enjoying the hell out the bottle, which is why the drinkability score is what it is. Close, but no cigar.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2007 14:51:18 | More by BuckeyeNation

genog

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

pours a beautiful amber orange color with a thick and generous 4" creamy thick off white head. Lacing is left splattered all along the side of the glass. Smell is of delicious hops. Pine and earthy hops mesh together to remind me of a holiday aroma. Taste is bitter all the way through, not harsh but just a smooth bittering followed by a very creamy texture.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2007 01:42:28 | More by genog

ElGordo

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a golden-orange color topped by a small, creamy white head. Nice, crisp aroma as soon as the bottle opens and builds as the beer is poured. Spicy, piney floral hops dominate, with a hint of sweet malt in the background. Palate is sharply hoppy up front, with notes of pine and grapefruit. A bit of sweet malt balances the hops mid-palate before receding again at the lingering bitter finish. Body is just thick and sticky enough to be a near-perfect conveyer of all the lupulin in this excellent IPA. Wish I had purchased more than a single bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2007 04:33:26 | More by ElGordo

rm0312

Idaho

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From the bottle into a shaker glass - Good color and decent head with good lacing. Light golden copper color; somewhat cloudy; good carbonation Great hoppy smell and taste. Interesting bitter finish. Will buy this again next time through Sandpoint, Idaho

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2007 23:02:15 | More by rm0312

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A 12 oz bottle from JohnnyM2002.

A: The IPA has a pretty amber color, coming closer to orange than red. The head came in close to 1 finger and quickly dissapated to a few white patches floating in the beer.

S: The smell is a grainy, biscuity malt with a liberal (but not overpowering) helping of citrusy hops.

T: The ale has a solid IPA flavor, a nice biscuity malt base, somewhat sweet but strong enough to support the hops. Those hops are very bitter, slightly harsh on the palate with some pine thickness and grapefruity sweetness. The finish is bitter and lasts long.

M: The bitterness in the finish is a nice way to end a sip. The hops leading up to it are enjoyable and, surprisingly, don't foreshadow the end.

D: This is a good ale, a nice firm hop body and a strong finish. Plus, it helps me cross Idaho off my quest to sample all fifty states.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2007 01:14:44 | More by akorsak

RJLarse

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I reviewed this one in a bottle several months ago, but I recently encountred it cask conditioned, so I wanted to add my thoughts on that.

Original review:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/12985/27978/?ba=RJLarse

From the cask pours a rich copper color and is slightly hazy. The head has big bubbles.

The smell is typical of an IPA.

The taste is also typical, a little closer to average in this case.

Mouthfeel is very smooth, lightly carbonated and very buttery feeling.

From a cask this is a very drinkable beer. A significantly different experience from the bottled beer.

Serving type: cask

01-02-2007 01:05:27 | More by RJLarse

ALESwhatCURESya

Wisconsin

3.23/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours bright, burnt orange color with late rising white lace.

Aroma was pretty weak for an American IPA. There was very little fruitiness or resinous coming from the aroma hops.

The taste is sweet with a spicy, peppery bite to the hops. The body is very nice with a little fruitiness in the finish.

Seems more like a big ESB than an AIPA. Anyways, decent brew regardless of style.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2006 23:47:02 | More by ALESwhatCURESya

DogFood11

California

2.85/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a shiney copper, frothy, loose head that leaves plenty of lacing. Medium carbonation.

Fairly raw in the nose, malt backer settles it a bit.

Lemon zest comes through bigtime. Hops are verry bitter and unforgiving. Leafy and green. Maybe this is the trend. Alcohol is not very well disguised and was desired in this offering.

Notes: Boring.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2006 03:30:13 | More by DogFood11

TheBungyo

Washington

4.05/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nicely done Laughing Dog. Poured from the bottle with a tiny head. Nose is massive pine that brings a smile to my face. Taste is in my opinion just a tad more east coast IPA than West. Pine, lemon, orange and a weird veggie taste that I associate with East coast IPA's. Mouth has a weird insubstantial feeling to it. Drinkability is pretty high, nothing too intimidating going on, but more along the lines of pleasing. A good effort.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2006 06:12:23 | More by TheBungyo

RoyalT

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance – This body is orange with a dark tint but very clear. The head came up big time on an easy poor. It didn’t explode like a HOTD or anything, but just came up in a bold way. It showed terrific retention too and left shaving cream lumps all in my glass.

Smell – The hop aroma here is herbal and very bitter. There is a stiff malt backbone as well and that aspect of the nose is dark and bitter.

Taste – Oh, man, the hops in here could kill a horse. I love it, but man o man that is probably one of the biggest swallows of hops I’ve ever gotten. All of the hops and barley come from Yakima supposedly. Shit, I just took another sip. This is very intense.

These are not PacNWy hops. I’m having difficulty pinning them down. They are sweet and a bit yeast-like. They just really packed them in here. It’s not a piney or Chinooky bitter flavor at all, but whatever they used they used a lot of it.

Mouthfeel – This is almost medium-bodied with some flavors that will set your salivary glands into a panic.

Drinkability – This is a good drinker and, like I said, very intense. I could easily drain a six-pack of these.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2006 02:08:10 | More by RoyalT

woemad

Washington

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle purchased at Huckleberry's in Spokane. The bottle features the smiling face of Ben (the owners' golden lab), surrounded by a ring of Mallard heads (?) on a green background. On the side of the label is a description of the beer. There one can find the usual claimes that the beer is "a hophead's dream come true," and that "generous amounts of Pacific Northwest malted barley" and "some of the best hops from the fields of Yakima" were used in the making of this beer. I don't mind descriptions of beers, but I prefer them to be more specific and say what kind of hops and barley were used, etc. On the other hand, they do instruct the consumer to drink it "cool, not ice cold." Nevertheless, eye rolling ensues at the conclusion of the description with the declaration, "This is the beer that says don't mess with me, I'm a BAD DOG." Down, boy. Quit humping my leg.

This poured a slightly hazy, light copper, almost orange, color, with a modest off-white head. While the head dropped quickly, a slight foaminess remained upon the top of the beer throughout. Modest, spotty lace.

The smell of this featured sharp, citrusy, almost piney hops and a subordinate sweet maltiness. The maltiness was slightly too sweet in the nose. It could use being toned down a little.

Oddly enough the slightly too sweet maltiness detected in the nose does not exert itself in the taste. It is simply the typical mild malty backbone that comes standard with most decent IPAs. The hops are the dominant flavor here, but they aren't huge. Contrary to the label's claim, this is not a hophead's "dream", but it's a nice average IPA. As this is probably the most local IPA I can currently get my hands on, it will probably become my standard everyday-IPA. There's no trace of the nasty diacetyl flavor that came from this brewery's bottles that I picked up at Gourmet Way. I'm beginning to think that was due to where I bought them rather than what I bought.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, and with a slightly creamy feel. About standard for an IPA.

While this won't join Boundary Bay and Snoqualmie Falls as
my favorite PNW IPAs, it's not bad at all, and unlike those two, I can get a 6-pk of it just six blocks away. I think I'll be having more of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2006 22:30:05 | More by woemad