Devil Dog Imperial IPA - Laughing Dog Brewing

CHickman

New York

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Rattle-N-Hum in NYC: pours hazy amber orange with a creamy thick 1 finger white head that faded very slowly and left amazing lacing coating the sides and rings as it went down; just about perfect looking.

Smells of rich caramel, floral hops, candied sugar, hops, sweet malt, hops and light booze; not a hoppy nose per se, but still decent. It does not mask the ABV and let's it almost act as a warning.

Tastes of caramel, floral hops, dark fruit like cherry or plum, both brown and candied sugar, citrus hops, orange peel, sweet malt, grains, light yeast, grass and light booze; finish is not very bitter and trails off with a sweet cardboard flavor, and somehow manages to keep that 10% in check. More malt balance than expected for relatively easy drinkability considering the high ABV.

Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, with average zesty carbonation, a chewy heavy body and a sweet finish that lingers like you just chewed part of an orange peel with a chuck of cardboard; it was oddly enjoyable to me.

Overall a nice slow sipper that was sweet and complex, with a strange ability to feel like it was a hop assault with a syrup like sweetness. Worth a shot, this was a unique brew.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2012 02:09:45 | More by CHickman

57md

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is slightly cloudy light copper with one finger of head that had hardly any retention but left some lacing behind. This offering has a sweet, floral nose to it. The flavor is a pleasant flip-flop from bitter to sweet & malty then back to a bitter tingly finish.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2012 04:41:20 | More by 57md

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Brewforia, Meridian ID. Served in a snifter.

A: Nice golden orange color, very bright with a slight haze, possibly chill haze. Lacing tended towards 'unimpressive' with this beer but I liked the look of everything else.

S: DIPA for sure. Malt sweetness, juiciness, tropical fruit, hop resin. Not sure but I think I can smell the alcohol.

T: Nice. I dig the yeast on this one, there is a unique blending of sweetness/fruitiness with the taste. Nice malt backbone, good bitterness, a little bit of heat.

MF: Unimpressive for a DIPA, not drying or cloying or hugely bitter or refreshing. Ok, just...forgettable.

O: I like it a lot as a whole, almost like the beer is greater than the sum of its parts. As a hophead and IPA/DIPA lover I would buy again. I'd like to try it in the bottle next.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2011 03:02:06 | More by Scotchboy

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark yellow, aroma is hoppy, a little spice kick to it.

Taste, more hops, a little bit of heat (or is it the red tap handle?). Grapefruit, light tobacco feel to it. Different yeast vibe to it, like they did an 80/20 West Coast/Belgian IPA blend. Usual caramel and pale malt. Finished dry. Ample bitterness. Found it to have some neat nuances, a worthy beer from Laughing Dog.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2011 18:23:44 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Union on 7/29
Served in a Chalice

A: This beer pours a hazy copper color with a 1/4 inch of foamy white head to it. Head retains nicely, leaving ample lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is a strong caramel malt presence, big piney hops and hints of grapefruit citrus hops.

T: Taste starts with a light piney hop presence that is mellowed out by the caramel malts. Just a touch of biscuit filters in here. Finish is bitter, bitter grapefruit hops that really linger on the tongue.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation, creamy feel with an oily finish that coats the tongue.

D: Goes down rather easily, somewhat filling, nice kick, nice representation of style. If I didn't have to drive, I would have loved another glass or two of this one.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2010 20:56:42 | More by Jayli

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: minimal head, clear, amber in color

Smell: citrus hops, pine hops, and caramel malt

Taste: citrus hops, pine hops, and caramel malt

Mouthfeel: medium/light bodied, low carbonation, sweetish start with a strong bitter middle and a less bitter end

Drinkability: This one is a sipper if not for the super bitter middle. I could have a couple of these, but the high abv hits hard. I like the pine flavor. An above average dipa.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2010 17:13:02 | More by tigg924

BeerZack

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap @ Bailey's Taproom (Portland)
I've been wanting to try a fresher example of this brew since I was informed the bottle I previously rated was old, and I'm glad I found one.

Clear light amber or orange-copper color with minimal head that does a good job of lacing.

Smells teriffic. Very fruity and sweet smelling with light hints of caramalt and some alcohol. Red grapefruit and tropical fruits dominate, mango, pineapple, peach, hint of menthol - reminds me of strawberry mentos.

Sweet malt backbone and juicy hop flavors combine to do a pretty good job at hiding the 10%abv, but its not entirely successful. Not overly bitter for a DIPA.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Great DIPA; glad I gave this one another try.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2008 06:36:43 | More by BeerZack

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the Green Dragon the other day.

The beer pours a rich amber color with good head retention and lacing. The beer has the expected citrusy bitterness on the nose, though I don't really get any pine aroma. Given the nose on this beer, I was happily surprised by the amount of flavor this beer has. The beer starts off somewhat sweet, with some cherry and apple, but then dovetails into some nice refreshing, citrusy bitterness. The beer is not at all heavy or tiring to drink, and the abv. is pretty well disguised. You can tell it's up there a bit, so one or two of these is probably all you'd want to do.

A very nice DIPA from Laughing Dog. Impressive.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2008 16:15:59 | More by johnmichaelsen

johnbonham1980

Idaho

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Drank this at The Front Door in Boise, ID. The guys over there are always hospitable. Great northwestern brew house and pizza place.

Probably the best IIPA I've had. This is a triple hopped Imperial India Pale Ale rated 98 IBU, with 5.2 lbs of hops/barrel. While its website states that it "is an all out assault on the senses", leading one to think that this brewery has drunk the Stone Brewing Kool Aid, it's really quite balanced and pleasant.

Poured from half nitro/half CO2 tap into snifter style glass, very dark amber, with a 2 finger white (if I remember correctly) head...

As the beer warms, hop character changes from piney, herbal, and floral to a pleasant mellow hop character, strongly reminiscient of marijuana. The malt has enough backbone to stand up to the hops, very biscuity and soothing.

Drinkability is great for a 10% beer, but this is one that's meant to be savored. Had this on St. Patty's Day with some corned beef and cabbage. The salty and sweet character of this dish went really well with the spicy, palate cleansing nature of this beer.

If you can find it in your area, try it. It's awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2007 18:35:34 | More by johnbonham1980

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.65/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.25

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

I haven't tried too many of Laughing Dog's offerings since they've started coming through this area, but I'm fixing to rectify that. This case-in-point pours a clear orange-brass topped by a finger of bone foam. The nose comprises buttery biscuit, pine resin, pine needles, a hint of tobacco, and a sprig or two of mint. It's a mess of butter and clashing greenery. The taste follows suit, with a nice bit of alcohol on the back end to provide warmth and to exacerbate the battle already underway. The body is a lithe medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda drying finish. Overall, this was just a mess of a beer, one that is riddled with butter and unwilling and seemingly unable to form any semblance of balance or peaceable interaction between this buttery juggernaut and the hops that seek to unseat him from power. Can't we all just get along?

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 01:04:01 | More by TMoney2591

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.31/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Devil Dog opens with a heavily sugary and citrusy nose, but with a surprisingly strong grain base that immediately speaks to a balanced and carefully crafted brew. Hops and sugars are still the most present aromas, however, mingling together in a lovely bittersweet blend of, from the former, pink grapefruit, grapefruit rind, dandelion stem, mint, anise, eucalyptus, rosewater, and lemon, and from the latter, huge rushes of orange, apricot, peach, nectarine, berry, cherry, and grape fruit esters, as well as brown sugars and thick, sticky caramel. The sheer volume and nuance of the hops and sugars is impressive, as is, despite the potency, the balance between the two, neither really overpowering the other. The rosewater, grapefruit, and sweet sugars particularly combine to create a candi sugar-like overtone, almost confectioner’s sugar-sweet in potency, but mixed with fruit esters to create a hard candy, Jolly Rancher aroma that, if it were actually made by Jolly Rancher, would probably revolutionize the industry. The grains also add Grape Nuts cereal, toast crust, and biscuit undertones, providing a sense of earthiness. As a whole, the nose is excellent, providing almost everything one could want in an Imperial IPA, and doing so in a classy manner that bespeaks a carefully vetted recipe and hours of careful labor.

On the tongue, the beer is far more hoppy and bitter than the nose let on, with dandelion stem, pine resin, grapefruit rind, mint, eucalyptus, pepper, and anise taking the lead to sear the tongue and soft palate, with bits of pink grapefruit and lemon oil adding touches of citrus. The sugars still bring loads of fruit esters, including orange oil, berry, cherry, and apricot, which combine with the citrusy notes to create a strange bubble gum-like overtone, which somewhat clashes with the heavy pine resins. Brown sugars and caramel add further sugary tones, balanced somewhat by toast crust, biscuit, and cereal grains. But it’s the hops that easily take the lead, the 98 IBUs biting in shark-like frenzy at the mouth, and flooding the tastebuds with bitter, citrusy, oily, piney resins. These also dominate the aftertaste, which lingers for a long time, utterly wrecking the palate for anything other than another sip of an equally hoppy brew. Mouthfeel is an oily medium to medium-strong, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is good beer, though fairly obviously not for the faint of heart. Anyone who’s not already a hophead will likely find this so bitter, resinous, and citrusy as to be somewhat unpalatable. Unfortunately, the sheer strength of the hops does largely overpower the other flavors, and the amount of strength the sugars lose from the nose to the tongue because of this is fairly large. Still, this is very much worth trying, as it’s difficult to imagine more hop flavor, and more varied and nuanced hop flavor at that, being shoved into a bottle. Just be aware that you’re not going to be able to taste pretty much anything else for a very long time after you’re finished.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 18:13:50 | More by jondeelee

superspak

Michigan

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled 5/29/2012. Pours lightly hazy golden orange color with a nice 1-2 finger dense off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some good soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big caramel, biscuit, grapefruit, pine, honey, orange peel, floral, mango, and herbal. Pretty nice aromas with good strength and balance; a touch boozy but not too bad. Taste of caramel, grapefruit, pine, biscuit, honey, floral, orange peel, mango, nuttiness, and herbal. Fair amount of spicy pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, caramel, honey, pine, orange peel, and herbal on the finish for a good bit. Very nice flavor balance with a very good bitterness/malt sweetness balance. No cloying flavors at all; very balanced despite a fairly long finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a pretty creamy, slick, and sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice Imperial IPA. Great flavor balance with no cloying hop bitterness or sweetness; and very smooth to sip on. Really enjoyed this one, very well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 04:21:34 | More by superspak

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Laughing Dog Devil Dog Imperial India Pale Ale. Diabolus Canis Imperiiosus IPA. Tell us more, won't you? "the Devil Dog will chew you up and leave you whimpering for more. At 98 IBUs and with 7 pounds of hops to the barrel it is an all out assault on the senses. Devil Dog started as a labor of love, but quickly took on a life of it's own--leaving us drooling like Pavlov's dog at the mere mention of it's name. Triple dry hopped for that over the top hop flavor, more than one of these bad boys will cause you to howl at passing strangers, chew up you r toys and anything else you can get your sharp little teeth on." And that is all for dog jokes. Please?
Thing is, though, I'm looking at that dog, he ain't so bad, …pretty adorable, actually.
More: Hops: Columbus, Northern Brewer, Ahtanum, Cascade and simcoe.

Malt: Pale, Carmel (sic), and Munich.

Bottled and Brewed by Laughing Dog Brewing, Ponderay, Idaho.

Let's just drink it, okay?

Clouded, opaque, dark amber coloring, large, full flowering, snowy white head, lace leaving, I'd guess, if it would ever quit.

Aroma: boom boom boom! Thick, rich, resiny, phony, and wonderful. Just my stuff. Deep dark fruitiness, cognac and leather, and a hell of a lot more going on.

Taste: along comes chocolate. Plentiful hop bitterness overwhelmed by dark malt deliciousness. Very chocolatey. Fairly swallows over any fear of being overly bitter. In fact, I've never had an "Imperial IPA" as malty or sweet or chocolatey as this. Plenty malty, utterly overtaking what you expect to get from a hoppy ale. Is that what I like in an Imperial IPA? Ehhh, not so much.
After all those damned idiotic dog jokes, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's not delivering. The devil dog did not chew me up and I am not whimpering at all. Sigh…there's little integration, not much balance, no harmony, just a mess, and unlikable, too.

It's kind of a murky mess, and it's not hitting the right buttons with me. Alas. Not loving this. not even liking it.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 04:06:03 | More by feloniousmonk

avalon07

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had an amber color and a clear consistency. There was an inch of foamy, fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A sweet-smelling aroma, with lots of citrus and hops in evidence.

T: Tasted of hops (a surprisingly balanced amount), a lot of citrus (grapefruit), malt, and possibly a hint of pine in the finish. A well done, balanced flavor.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A solidly made, drinkable DIPA. Not an overwhelming beer, but well worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 12:09:20 | More by avalon07

smakawhat

Maryland

4.4/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A great clear classic amber body, brown with a great red ruby edge hued shine to it. Head formation is very uniform and three fingers deep, coloring and off tan appearance an lots of sticky retention, clumping is just everywhere. Beer looks really inviting, it's looking really sexy.

Nose brings a real dry biscuit malt, with a soild hop presence. Incredilble amount of toasty aromas, I can feel the burnt crust bouncing around, taking a forward approach to the hop action which matches a dry crustiness as well. Sort of burnt dried out wood pine.

It's a bitter malt rush. Hop character is not defined, this is not citrusy, not even so much piney, floral or anything distinct. However it has an incredible toast malt body that puts most IPAs to shame it seems. Dense toast and snapping cracker finish with a nice tolerable hop indistinct bitterness. Texture is just hitting the right notes of thickness without being boozy or syrupy sweet. Lingering finish that goes on and on.

I am very impressed with this one but it's not a hop heads beer blast. I don't care it's so nicely balanced and wonderful without any indication of 10 ABV heat booze. Great job!

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 00:23:32 | More by smakawhat

ghostwalker

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thick off white head, orange-red body. Looks pretty good.

Nose is thick, impenetrable hops and a heavy sweetness. Some sort of cardboard quality as well.

Thick and creamy, the flavor is syrupy malt with a huge hop bite on the finish. I prefer my DIPAs more unbalanced to the hop side. It's good, but just too heavy and sweet.

Mouthfeel is syrupy, heavy and somewhat stripping.

Overall, I'm glad I tried this brew. It's somewhat reminiscent of Dreadnaught. Drinkability is limited by the heavy sweetness, not the ABV.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 23:15:17 | More by ghostwalker

cvm4

Mississippi

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours a hazy amber with a white one finger head.

S - Sweet and malty... I detect some citrus on the nose.

T - The hops are not the star, although there is some bitterness. It's more of a sweet, honey flavor along with some pine notes. The boozy notes aren't well hidden either.

M - Slightly over-carbonated but still has good mouthfeel.

O - This was a gifted bottle, it could be old but there's no way to tell. If a sweet malty beer is to your liking then this is your beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 01:29:41 | More by cvm4

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Wow, what a great surprise. I let the bottle warm a bit out of the fridge and popped the cap without much "pop". But, it poured with a full, decent sized, foamy, frothy, thick, sudsy, off white head that lasts a long time and lots of lace. Color is an almost clear amber with several tiny bubble trails. Aroma is hops, yeast, malt, fruit, game. Flavor is similar to nose with much more bitter than sweet and just right carbonic tang. All in perfect balance for American Imperial IPA. Body and carbonation: perfect too. Finish is like flavor, of average lenght and has alcohol warming. Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 23:06:42 | More by drpimento

nandemo1

Virginia

2.7/5  rDev -28.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured a light amber with perfect clarity and a finger of head that receded quickly. There was a good amount of lacing stuck to the glass.

Smell is malty sweet with a bit of both flowery and citrus aromas. Taste is syrupy sweet with a solid hop bitterness. Not picking up a lot of flavor of the hops in the taste. Slight alcohol taste and burn.

Mouthfeel seemed pretty heavy and sticky, but you'd expect that with this much sweetness.

I don't know, maybe I just got an old bottle. Hey Laughing Dog, start dating your 22s! Based on this tasting, I'd say this is a malt bomb that needs more balance and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 22:59:15 | More by nandemo1

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This IIPA poured out as a nice looking golden amber color with a thick yellowish white head on top. The smell of the beer was probably the best part in my opinion. There was a lot of hoppy citrus and pine on the nose of this beer. The taste kinda ruined this beer for me. I'm not sure what it was but it just didn't taste right. It was kind of good but just didn't seem to come full circle... almost like something was missing. The mouthfeel of this beer was nice, had a good body to it and overall aside of the flavor this beer was really nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 17:19:08 | More by Knapp85

Bonis

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from notes: 8/6/2011

A - A rich cloudy deep orange off the pour. Sticky white lacing adorns my tulip.

S - WOW! Citrus hops dominate with a nice accompaniment of syrupy malty goodness. The balance makes way for some interesting aromas in this one... citrus gummies (the ones you buy in Florida as a tourist), cotton candy, and DOTS are among the sweet treats I smell in this one. Sweet candied hops, very nice.

T - Not as nice as the smell, but the hops are the star of the flavor. Sweet tropical fruits and bitter grapefruit rind replace the sweet goodies notable from the aroma. A heavy but nice malt backbone balances things out well, and little of the 10% abv peaks through. Good overall.

M - Full bodied, medium carb. Prickly hops, bitter aftertaste. No alcohol burn.

O - This is a very good example of a DIPA in my book. A nice blend of hops and extraordinary balance of malty sweetness. A definite to drink again if I see it. This one is recommended to fans of big hoppy beers.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 03:51:26 | More by Bonis

LuthersMug

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Muted orange, on the darker side, cloudy. Head is thick and creamy. Lacing stuck to the sides of the glass.

S - Strong, powerful scent of flowers, fruit, and pine.

T - This beer assaults the senses, a bit too overpowering. Caramel and ripe fruit flavors finished off with a crisp and piney hops.

M - A little too powerful.

O - A very good strong and flavorful IPA

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 00:13:13 | More by LuthersMug

Durge

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A musty copper colored brew with a big fluffy off-white head that deflates pretty quickly with tons of chunky lacing. The aroma brings sweet toffee and pine hops, thick and chewy with a hint of peat. Realy nice. The first taste has lots more piny hops but alcohol plays a pretty prominent role. There’s a hefty juniper green bite so it's a pretty substantial brew with medium full body and a smooth, moderately carbonated feel. Drinkability is a bit on the low side but you can easily enjoy a few based on the nice flavors here. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 17:06:37 | More by Durge

capeannbass36

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Opened beer. Had immediate mess all over the counter. Foam running out of bottle at a rapid pace. Poured a nice clear, honey copper with a two finger off white head. Decent lacing throughout.

S- Sweet malt and caramel. A little pine.

T- Some sweet citrus fruit and hops, along with some caramel.

M- Medium carbonation. Slightly sticky and "oily". Warm.

O- I am liking it as the sweetness offsets the hops. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 23:27:44 | More by capeannbass36

zeff80

Missouri

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, copper color with a two-finger head of khaki head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of pine, grapefruit and other tropical fruits.

T - It tasted of pine, grapefruit and burnt toast maltiness. It had a boozy heat.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium to full bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This is a big, powerful double IPA. Lots of alcohol heat and sharp, bitter hops.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 01:49:56 | More by zeff80