DogZilla Black IPA - Laughing Dog Brewing

Kendo

New York

3.43/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from the bomber into a pint glass. Body is more brown than black - with a slight reddish color to it. HUGE head on the first pour - more than 50% of the glass was khaki-colored foam, which took awhile to recede to a meringue-like foam. . . which left thick rings of lace. Particulate in suspension in last pour.

S: Piney hops, roasted barley malt. Quite roasty. Something slightly off, like burnt grain.

T: First impression: roasty. Reminds me more of a porter than a Black IPA in many ways. Piney, grassy hops at the finish fight with the bitter roast.

M: Carbonation was too much.

O: OK. Becomes more bitter on the last pour. Grassy, pine needle-like bitterness over roast. Not juicy or containing the chocolate malt sweetness that I like for this style.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 03:06:52 | More by Kendo

hreb

Washington

3.83/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not so much black, but deep reddish brown, like a brown ale. Pleasant cascadey aroma. Heavy carbonation and bright citrus flavors give this beer an immediate presence. Kind of like a black lager, the dark color is just for show, there's no roastiness or deep malt backbone.

I think this is pretty good. I don't detect any of the defects other reviewers have cited.

22oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 03:22:12 | More by hreb

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

2.95/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Picked up this bottle at Casanova's, mostly for the cool name: DogZilla. Laughing Dog from Idaho is new to me as well, so an easy one to take home.

Head is the color of a malted milk ball center that bubbles up unevenly. Per the label, there's a clear northwest hop aroma that's not complex and over a light roast malt that's hard to discern. In spite of the 6.9% size, the body is extremely light and watery. Roasted malt is stronger than the nose. Hop bite is assertive, grassy flavor. Overall flavor is off centered and weak.

A disappointing but perfectly adequate bottle--expecting more from a Godzilla reference beer. Not big enough to fill those shoes.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 02:38:35 | More by FightingEntropy

nitro0292

New York

2.18/5  rDev -35.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

I will admit that I am a fan of the style and was hoping this was good.

Appearance - Best part of the brew. Just about black color with plenty of head that receded fairly quickly given its size. Left picturesque lacing down the glass.

Aroma - Weak...faint smell of roasty malts and hops. Yeasty funkyness I would expect from a Belgian. Not quite Brettanomyces levels, but an aroma I am very sensitive to, as I find it very off putting.

Taste - No real flavor...some bitterness, pepper and earthy notes from the hops. No malt presence. Luckily only a little of that funky character...maybe that is just the smell getting closer to my nose.

Mouthfeel - Quite thin. This is not a light beer or a particularly light style. Thin feel is a bit puzzling.

Overall - Not very good. I drain poured this one, its not worth the calories.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 03:52:20 | More by nitro0292

chickenflea

Florida

3.43/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Chestnut colored ale with tall rocky and persistent head. Aroma is moderately malty, toasted - caramel, moderate citrusy hops, moderate to heavy bready notes and strangely enough some yeast. Flavor is moderately sweet and moderately hoppy, long bitter finish. Body is thin, texture is watery, soft carbonation. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 00:11:29 | More by chickenflea

nickfl

Florida

2.78/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Pours with two fingers of off white head on an opaque, dark brown body. The foam settles fairly quickly and leaves average lace.

S - Some dark malt, pine, and a medicinal sour cherry thing.

T - Pepper, cherry, and caramel malt up front. Some smoky cherry in the middle. Finishes with a hint if herbal hops, char, and strong bitterness.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - Not very good, it is lacking in hop character and there is a medicinal character that us really off putting. I an almost inclined to think it is infected, but based on other reviews it seems that this beer just tastes kind of off.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 06:23:46 | More by nickfl

mattfungus

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

sour in the mouth with a woody taste, not oak, not piney, reminds me more of acorns. Very tannicky, though not oakey,

Has a nice fat head that goes down slow.

Like the dyslexic parody of god zilla..

Got mine in ashland wi at a liquor store.

My first dark ipa.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 04:38:26 | More by mattfungus

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber bottle. No bottle dating information, which is a problem with this brewery from memory (Sneaky Pete). Poured into a Victory snifter.

A: Pours a dark brown with a crazy high four finger tight bubbled light tan head. Very fluffy head. Lots of sticking lacing.

S: Pine and almost sour smells to it. I don't get much chocolate malt or coffee. I also don't get the BIG hops that I was told this one has.

T: Really nice sip actually. I get that pine note that I smelled. And then the chocolate and a touch of coffee. The close is nice and not too bitter.

M: Medium bodied.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 14:12:57 | More by inlimbo77

Stinkepete2021

North Carolina

2.58/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Dark swamp-water appearance with a gushing thick head. It almost overflowed immediately upon pouring. The head seemed to never dissipate.

The smell was strong and lingering, almost sour. Not exactly pleasant. You could practically taste the beer by smelling it.

The taste was something like smashing your tongue with a hop hammer. Fairly bitter, with a citrus tinge.

It was unlike any of the other american black ales that I have tried, and it just wasn't for me. If you are looking for a beer that nearly defies category, this is it.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 04:54:27 | More by Stinkepete2021

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

1.48/5  rDev -56.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

Appearance - back to back gushers, what gives? Started to uncap and saw a rush of foam up the neck. Finished uncapping over the sink. A minor mess, but another overly active bottle tonight. Pours a nice mahogany with two to three fingers of light mocha head. very stiff and slow to fall.

Aroma - a nice start of citrus and some pine, but then an unmistakeable odor of Orval-like funk. If I were a fan of Orval, this would be an exciting development. As it is, I'm a little bummed.

Taste - no malt presence that I can pick up. A brief hint of citrus, then the overwhelming flood of bitter, sour, acrid, pungent infection. Full on, actually it's maybe the worst infection I've ever tasted. Wow it's really bad. Last night's brew I ended up drinking about half of that one, but here I'm cringing at the second sip.

Mouthfeel - medium-plus on the body. Very gassy of course. This is the only time I can recall taking a mouthfull to get the feel, then spitting it back, wine style. No real problems other than some runaway carbonation.

Drinkability - I just want to be done with this one, a rare statement for me and a beer, even an infected one. I can try it again, but I don't recall ths being that old sample. I'll track it down once more for posterity and see if I can get a good sample in order to fix up these scores.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 03:36:16 | More by brewdlyhooked13

hopfacebrew

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

My man Rob hooked this up on our trade as it was on my Want List. Thanks man!

Poured from brown bomber without any dates to pint glass.

A - the beer pours a very dark amber brown. It appears black on the pour though when held to the light it is a translucent dark reddish brown with amber edges. Huge 2 finger white head. Solid retention and gobs of lacing.

S - pretty weak nose. Its smells not like any Black IPA I've ever had. Almost dairy in essence which is odd. Some malt character: roast and sweetness. Not much hops, though I think the dairy funk is the hops. Perhaps this bottle is old but I can't verify.

T - similar to the nose. Starts with a nice blend of roasted and pale malts. Soon thereafter the dairy funk arrives. Its not terrible but certainly not great. Medium bitterness and not much else. The funk reminds me of cottage cheese. Finishes semi dry with a lingering bitterness.

M - medium bodied with good carbonation.

O - pretty underwhelming. Thanks to Rob for sending the bottle

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-18-2011 23:08:32

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 13:53:48 | More by hopfacebrew

coldriver

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bomber poured into Sam Adams glass. Big fluffy white head, pours a rootbeer amber. Aroma is dark roasted malts with some spicy hops and a little skunk. Taste has some toffee and citrus, but a lot of sourness (in a bad way). Mouthfeel is very thin and wet. I'm a big fan of the American Black Ale style, but this is not one of the better examples.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 19:58:34 | More by coldriver

mikechance

California

3.45/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A --- Dark with a nice amount of foam

S --- some hops, some dark fruit, figs, plums, yeast

T --- malt, dark fruit, fig, little acid aftertaste

M --- light body, decent carbonation

O --- it's a nice beer, but weak compared to the other Black IPAs available in the market

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 04:16:14 | More by mikechance

oberon

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into an imperial nonic a deep chocolate brown with some real ruby tinint,a 1/2 finger tannish colored head atop that was gone pretty quickly.Sharp piney hop notes along with dark roast at the onset,dark molasses sweetness is light,pretty average for the style.Sharp and thinner in the mouth takes away from the flavors in my opinion,piney hops dominate with mild sweetness,a little raw earthiness in the finish.Not a very good example of the style in my opinion,it lacks body and flavor complxity,still I do like most of Laughind Dog's wares.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 16:56:16 | More by oberon

steelerguy

New York

4.03/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Very dark walnut wood brown, moderate carbonation, nice high tan head.

S - Roasted malts, mostly coffee, followed by a nice earthy hop presence.

T - Some sweet kilned malts with a bit of toastiness. The roasted coffee comes on with some hop bitterness in the middle, and finishes off with some light bitterness.

M - Light body, what I would expect for an AIPA. A little alcohol warmth at the end.

O - Nice example of a black AIPA. Surprised about the negative to blah reviews here. I enjoyed this beer and wouldn't mind having it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 00:59:25 | More by steelerguy

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.55/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Not my fav of the Black IPAs but pretty good. I let it warm some out of the fridge and then with a fairly agressive pour got a nice, fluffy, foamy, billowy thick, cream to light tan colored head that slowly subsided and some lace. Color is a lovely, clear shad of red brown with some nicely flowing bubble trails. Aroma is an interesting blend of roast, malt, dark ripe fruit, licorice, toffee, citrus, lumber. Flavor is very similar to nose, almost brut dry, with hops against the dark malts and a little carbonic tang. Body is odd as there is plenty of carbonation, it still feels soft in the mouth and has lots of hop high points that don't work so well for me. Almost chewy but not quite. Finish is like flavor and the high points in the bitterness linger for quite a while. Wouldn't cook with this. Worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 23:52:05 | More by drpimento

ManCaveBeverage

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A black IPA that you can drink in NC summers.

Bomber into a chilled pint.

Poured with excellent head, although a little much, creamy khaki color that stays around for a while. Laces the glass very well.

Dark amber color, not as "black" as I have had, but dark enough.

Nose was a little bit non-existent, a small amount of citrus and floral hoppiness

Great flavor that starts as a roasty maltiness and ends with a gentle hop kick that is somewhat citrusy, maybe some simcoe used.

Body is very light and refreshing probably due to the high carbonation.

Not what I expected for a black IPA but a very well made beer that I will drink again.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 23:41:57 | More by ManCaveBeverage

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber, procured this past summer in lovely Boise, Idaho.

This beer pours a slightly hazy dark ruby red colour, with a teeming amount of tight, thinly foamy pale beige head, which settles quite slowly, eventually rendering some decent webbed lace around the glass in its wake. It smells of sweet chocolate caramel, generally giving way to bitter earthy, floral, somewhat medicinal hops. The taste is fruity, boozy roasted malt up front, acrid herbal hops, and muddled bitter earthy hops deigning to show their face after a wee spell. The carbonation is average, the body medium-light in weight, and a bit too prickly to consider outright smooth. It finishes malty, boozy, but uber alles - warmly herbal.

A strange bird, this one - many of its traits resemble a decent PAC NW Black IPA. However, the weird herbal character just doesn't do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 02:32:53 | More by biboergosum

shanblur

Indiana

2.58/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from bomber into a tulip. No freshness dating.

A - Pours a mahogany color with a thick head. Can't pour much without it overflowing.

S - Mostly sweet malt aromas and little else. Certainly can't detect any hops.

T - Sweet malts take over again on the taste, though some hops bitterness is detected. Not very complex.

M - Medium body with a good amount of carbonation.

Got this one expecting a "black IPA." I guess not everyone's definition of this is the same. I thought roasted malts with plentiful hops. This was neither black nor IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 19:59:45 | More by shanblur

cokes

Wisconsin

3.38/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very dark, clear mahogany brown topped with a proud mesa of bleached khaki suds.
The nose is a bit muted. Notes of smoke, cocoa, raspberries, pine, earth, and coffee can be teased out, but only at the risk of snorting the actual liquid. It opens up a bit over time, but not very much.
It's more assertive through the mouth. An initial burst of smoke and espresso tempers quickly toward cocoa powder and mocha latte. Some fruitiness dots the middle, via berries and grilled pineapples. Hopping is substancial, bringing pine, earth, and a congruent pineapple bitterness, along with a smidgen of grapefruit. Still, like the nose, it seems a timid. It's certainly enjoyable, just don't expect a mouth abuser.
Creamy medium-light bodied with a lasting, kneading CO2.
The overall persona here is just a tad dialed-down, but it's strong suit is drinkability, as it's balanced and quietly nuanced enough to consider tackling multiple bombers in one sitting, though one's attention may begin to wander.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 04:59:46 | More by cokes

Sky2625

Washington

3.43/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bomber to a standard pint glass (this review from notes taken 8/5/11).

A - Poured medium thick dark cola brown. 3 fingers of head. I thought I messed up the pour, but then I read similar uber-head experiences of other reviewers. The BA buddy that bought this for me had to return the first one since it blew it's lid during transport. Head is tan and foamy at the top, with a medium bubbles below. Strong retention and moderate sticky lacing. Shines rich brown when held up to the light.

S - Strong citrusy pineapple scent to start, faded into a mild pine hop, punctuated with a bit of malt, toffee, and barley/grainy scent.

T - Started with a mild alcohol and citrus/melon flavor. Swiftly moved to a rosy/astringent bite. Followed by a bit of smokiness and a hint of dark malt. Finished with mild back of the tongue bitterness. Mild piney-coffee aftertaste.

M - Creamy texture, with a medium body. Mild foamy carbonation, bitter back of mouth bite. Slight heat.

D - The pineapple scent and astringent flavor was unexpected, and disagreeable at first, as was the massive head. As I drank through the 22 oz. the flavor grew on me, and the creamy texture was solid. I'm glad I tried it, but I wouldn't have it all that often, however.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 05:16:13 | More by Sky2625

PDXHops

South Carolina

2.08/5  rDev -38.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bomber poured into a tulip. Dark reddish brown with a decently resilient tan head and scattered lacing.

Kind of an odd nose here. The roasted malt is subdued, and the dominant aromas are rather sweet grape and berry fruitiness. Some pine may or may not be lingering in the background.

Flavor is similarly puzzling. It's sweet and boozy, and the leafy/herbal hop profile just doesn't seem to fit. Not nearly roasty enough for the CDA style. Some major tweaks are needed here. I've had some nice brews from Laughing Dog, but I can't recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 14:51:22 | More by PDXHops

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very foamy - even with a gentle pour, most of the glass ends up as foam. Browny-black appearance. Slightly astringent malty smell, grassy hops. Lemon, bread and coffee in the taste. Almost an IPA-porter cross. Mild, light taste - very subtle.

Good, if somewhat light carbonation. Mildly high ABV, but not alcohol burn. I can't see this as a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 05:51:10 | More by BDTyre

Bung

North Carolina

3.2/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz. The bottle is not a gusher, but a careful pour fills the glass with about 60% foam. Very dark brown, giant rocky light cream colored head. I am a bit concerned, but mostly annoyed at having to wait for this thing to settle.

Does not really smell infected. Mostly pine and citrus. Very light herbal and toasted tones. A little vegetal?

Taste has no sign of infection either. Herbal piney hop up front. A harsher ashy roast takes over. A light coffee here also.

Body is lighter side. Carbonation is way overdone. This really holds the beer back, enhances the negatives and hides the positives. Seems as though many others have the same problem.

Just not quite as well put together as some others I've encountered, but I remember seeing this before most of those as well. Perhaps it's time to tweak this recipe. I think the potential is there.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 02:38:29 | More by Bung

chocosushi

Oklahoma

1.8/5  rDev -46.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Remember having this around Christmas as my first CDA/ABA
Let's Revisit...

A ~ Looks like Dr. Pepper/RC Cola. Soft lacing with quite the cap of head. Uh-oh...

S ~ Juiced lemons and old grapefruit. Doesn't smell horrid but where is the "dark malt twist?"

T ~ Lots of dirty citrus, canned pineapple juice, and a weird flavor that reminds me of a yellow dandelion flower. The only malt flavors I'm getting is on the back of the throat/palette that makes me think of Marble-Rye. Yuck/What the fuck???

M ~ No balance of flavors whatsoever, and STILL no dark malt, other than on the breath. Thin as a 3.2 MGD 64.

D ~ This does not taste right! It's just bad really. It's slick, gritty, acidic, and really horrible. Maybe it's "infected" with all the talk of LD sucking lately. AVOID.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 22:21:00 | More by chocosushi