Anubis Imperial Coffee Porter - Laughing Dog Brewing

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Date of 5/24/12

Pours ebony with 3 fingers of mocha head. Stellar lacing & good head retention

S: Coffee & cocoa

T: Coffee & dryness up front, a touch of roastyness, minty hops & dark chococlate up front. Roastyness & a touch chicory as this warms, a touch of boozey warmth. Finishes roasty, with woody dryness, plus some nice chocolate notes

MF: Medium bodied, slight carbonation, becomes somewhat creamy as it warms

A super solid coffee porter, glad I got to try this

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 04:31:46 | More by russpowell

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- pours a dark black with a light tan finger of head. Good retention.

S- semi-sweet chocolate and dark caramel blend with rich aromatic coffee bean. This a balanced mocha smelling mothah!

T- great balance between malt sweetness and coffee like roast. Semi-sweet chocolate and stick burnt caramel again blend with rich smooth coffee with cream and malt roast. Like drinking a mocha latte. Sugary finish with a lingering chocolate in the aftertaste.

MF- smooth creamy mouthfeel with a medium dense body. Soft well placed carbonation

D- great drinkability

Overall a very well made coffee porter!

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 02:05:35 | More by Viciousknishs

mntlover

Tennessee

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours black some red around edges when held to the light. Nice fluffy darker tan head

Aroma is lots of chocolate with good coffee notes some roast underneath it all, nice smelling.

Taste is just like the nose nice sweet malts roasted, big chocolate with coffee lingering into the finish. Sweet almost more of a chocolate porter but does not push into cloying is pretty balanced. 9% really plays no factor as its well hidden.

Mouthfeel seems a little light for a big porter but carbonation is on light side and makes it smooth.

Overall an enjoyable brew tasty sweet chocolate followed by bitter coffee whats not to like.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 02:08:14 | More by mntlover

dpianka

Connecticut

4.46/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

date of tasting: 4/16/2013
place of tasting: Barley Vine - Bristol, CT
beer: Anubis Imperial Coffee Porter
brewery: Laughing Dog
brewery location: Ponderay, ID
type: Ale
style: American Porter
abv: 8%
ibu: 33.6
glass: mug w/appearance test in tasting glass
temperature of beer: 55F

Appearance: medium roast espresso in color with a frothy freshly stained and varnished american oak head. carbonation? who knows, can’t see that shit through the darkness.

Smell: like the schoom on espresso, huge caramel and fresh coffee grounds

Taste: hello caramel popcorn, nice to meet you. Oooops, dropped you in my french press dark roasted slightly red berry fruity coffee. Oh yes you are yummy.

Mouthfeel: creamy, sensual, slight hop/carbonation tinge but I like it that way

Overall Impression: a great coffee porter. Sweet malty, caramel, coffee, all the good stuff you would expect from a coffee porter with a perfect hop balance.

Food Pairings: charred steak, strawberry shortcake, sweetpea ravioli with a deep lamb sausage tomato sauce

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2013 13:26:24 | More by dpianka

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a blackish brown color with good head retention and nice lacing. The nose is about what you'd expect in an imperial coffee porter... I get considerable coffee, coffee grounds, dark chocolate and vanilla. This beer smells pretty darn good. The flavor profile replicates the nose, with the coffee ground flavor dominating. Mouthfeel is medium bodied to full, though I thought the beer a bit thin in the mid palate. Alcohol is otherwise pretty well integrated into the flavor profile, with at most a touch of heat on the finish.

A nice enough beer, but sampling it side by side with the GIBCBS... well, the qualitative difference is pretty remarkable.

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2012 19:31:44 | More by johnmichaelsen

RobAtSGH

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on draft from a nitro-tap into a half-pint glass.

Appearance: very dark brown, black-coffee appearance with a creamy tan head. Adequate lacing and head retention throughout. The nitrogen pour really helps the head on this.

Smell: Fantastic smell, very inviting. Coffee, malt, chocolate. Lots of roasty aromas. Not terribly complex, though. Smelling it, you would expect a big, sweet beer with mocha flavors. Fortunately, what you get is even better than the aroma. The smell invites you to take the first sip.

Taste: Well balanced. This does not taste like a 9.2% beer. The alcohol sweetness is very well contained by the big doses of chocolate malt. Very easy to drink, with big amounts of roasted grain, malt, coffee, and cocoa flavors.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, slightly silky mouthfeel with a fine carbonation. The slight roasted malt bitterness and cocoa flavors coat the palate. Good body, and again well-balanced.

Overall: A really solid imperial-style porter. A touch more complexity in the nose and flavor, and this would be an unstoppable beer.

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-30-2012 00:58:46 | More by RobAtSGH

champ103

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours nearly opaque black with a bit of brown around the edges. A minimal beige head forms, and recedes to nothing in a second. A dense and viscous liquid.
S: Big roasted malt up front. Acidic and acrid coffee. Bread and biscuit, light chocolate.
T: Roasted malts are up front with a nice balance with the coffee and chocolate flavors. Bread and biscuit. Pretty standard, but enjoyable.
M/D: A full body with good carbonation. Crisp, but smooth at the same time. Easy enough to drink. The alcohol is not noticeable, and a nice sipper.

The best I have had from Laughing Dog so far. I do enjoy it, but nothing that really sets it apart from others in the style. Locally at that. Still something that I would say is worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2012 23:48:07 | More by champ103

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours extremely dark amber with a small tan head that dissipates quickly. The beer exhibits very little head retention and almost no lacing.

S: Aromas of dark chocolate and coffee dominate.

T: Flavors of chocolate malts with a bitter coffee finish. The flavors of the coffee are more subtle than one might expect but that makes it more pleasant.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and very smooth.

O: Could easily be substituted for the normal espresso that is often served with dessert and would pair very nicely with rich and chocolaty desserts. Very drinkable and hides the alcohol very well.

Serving type: growler

01-30-2012 16:14:20 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a thin mocha-colored head that quickly dissipated, leaving a thin film of bubbles covering the surface and a thin ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: The nose has moderately strong aromas of dark chocolate and becomes stronger as the beer warms up.
T: The taste has a rich mixture of chocolate and coffee flavors along with balanced hints of bitterness and sweetness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is well balanced because the underlying hops help to keep this beer from becoming overly sweet or malty. Considering its strength, the alcohol is well hidden from the taste of this beer. It starts to resemble a stout when the beer warms up.

Serving type: growler

01-30-2012 03:47:02 | More by metter98

legalpete19340

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Came to the bar a very dark brown with a solid one finger of head that stuck around and fell half way through.

S: Lots of fresh baked whole wheat bread. Coffee and a sharp dark chocolate note push through briefly.

T: Very malty smooth brew. Coffee pushes through and then falls giving way to a very oaty, chocolatey note. This swells and falls to a nutty and toasty bread sensation. The finish is mild.

M: Damn its good. Thicker than medium and extremely creamy with just the right amount of fizz. Its a velvety creamy smooth sensation. Amazing.

O: Very interesting and solid brew. The coffee and oat flavors push through a modest malt backbone. Highly drinkable and enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2012 04:06:20 | More by legalpete19340

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Prime 16 into a DFH goblet.

A: Black body with ruby highlights; on top is an inch of creamy tan head that recedes at an average pace and leaves nice lace.

S: Coffee dominates, with a bit of chocolate filling in behind. Pretty simple, very enjoyable.

T: Coffee again shows up right away, with some chocolate and lovely graham cracker sweetness following close behind. I love it, but unfortunately it dies out in a rather weak finish. I would expect more intensity and continuity from a 9% beer, but weakness ≠ badness.

M: Rich, luscious full body with equally decadent carbonation. Velvety and delectable.

O: Great beer. I wish its finish weren't quite so light, but otherwise it's terrific.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2012 01:57:59 | More by woosterbill

TechTriumph

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler obtained from Whole Foods; Poured in a pint glass.

A - Nice one inch creamy mocha colored head with good retention; Essentially pitch black in color; Pretty good web of lacing around the glass

S - Aroma of roasted coffee beans, some cocoa nibs, and just a hint of vanilla beans with milky-like sweetness; Rich chocolate comes forward more as the beer warms

T - Good showing of roasted coffee beans, but that's not all I detect in the taste for sure; Presence of chocolate, nutty, and toasty characteristics with a faint hint of vanilla as well; Noticeable hops of sweet and floral flavors blend well into the overall mix; Some sweetness up front that turns a little bitter into the finish

M - Moderate carbonation; A notch above medium bodied; Semi-dry finish; Nice and smooth mouthfeel after the intial zest of carbonation

O - As my first brew from Laughing Dog, I thought this was very pleasant and quite smooth. The nose had a good amount of coffee aroma, but the taste had more of a balance between the coffee, chocolate, toasty, and roasty flavors. I thought the hops worked well in the flavor formula too. I'm glad I was able to enjoy a few glasses of this beer, which couldn't have come at a better time with the weather turning very dreary and bitter cold.

Serving type: growler

01-06-2012 02:15:21 | More by TechTriumph

argock

Virginia

3.7/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap in a 10 oz mini-imperial clear glass tumbler at Beer Run (Charlottesville, VA).

A: Opaque black with dark brown edges and short cap of beige tightly bubbled head with icicled lacing.

S: Light coffee aroma with caramel and dark malt with a short touch of sweetness

T: I like that the flavor is not overwhelmed by the coffee flavor but rather accentuated by it. The maltiness is barely sweet, which is on-target for this style. There is little to no roast character which is also good for a porter. The porter component could use a touch more malty personality, but all in all, this is a nice brew with well-hidden alcohol.

M: Too thin but not watery for the style.

O: A pretty nice brew, but the body needs more work to give the malt flavors a little more of a boost.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2011 14:21:45 | More by argock

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

an offering from Laughing Dog at the 2011 Capitol City Oktoberfest in Shirlington, VA.

A: very dark brown. darker than most porters. a dense head that looks inviting and chestnut in color. great lacing.

S: vanilla. coffee. roasted and chocolate malts.

T: a very sweet sugar comes across the palate initially. the coffee flavor is well intertwined with roasted malts that it is not terribly discernible. more of it into the finish, but like i said earlier not crazy coffee flavor as i expected.

M: very silken mouthfeel. medium bodied.

D: a good porter. however a lot of the flavor and mouthfeel drinks like a stout. a milky sweetness backed with a silky mouthfeel. like i said, i was expecting more of a coffee blast, but otherwise a tasty brew.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2011 02:01:24 | More by Jimmys