Hyper Dog - Pipeworks Brewing Company

Bowers-Brew

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - Nice dark appearance, not a lot of carbonation even with aggressive pouring.

S - Chocolate and coffee is apparent, not any vanilla bean scent that I noticed.

T - Good first few sips, but starts to get lost in the coffee after a bit. Coffee taste isn't actually that strong, but somehow tends to overpower the chocolate, milk, and vanilla flavor. Alcohol taste is strong relative to ABV.

M - Nice profile with smooth finish.

O - Good stout and definitely worth a try, but I've come to expect better from Pipeworks. Better coffee or milk stouts are out there.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 22:01:09 | More by Bowers-Brew

KFBR392

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: dark appearance that has a dark brown hue on the pour. Pours with a light to medium body for a stout. Extremely low carbonation, about a fourth of a finger on an aggressive pour and no presence throughout.

Smell: Coffee and milk chocolate on the front. The cacao nibs are very present. Some accents of vanilla round out the aroma. There is a lot of good things going on here but I feel like they are pulled back, not unleashing at their full force.

Taste: Very solid here. Light milk chocolate from the cacao nibs on the front. Body is a light to medium bodied silky texture. Some coffee starts to kick in during the middle of the brew and crescendos toward the end. Strong roasted coffee flavor finishes it. Some vanilla accents play around but are not as prominent as I would have hoped.

Mouthfeel: Light, easily drinkable but seems to be too light for a stout.

Overall: I have loved most of the things I've had from Pipeworks, but I think their stouts still have some growing up to do. They have a very solid base laid and I can imagine them becoming great very soon. This beer seems to be just off from being a truly great brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 04:18:03 | More by KFBR392

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours a thinner dark brown, little to no head.

S - Very sweet smelling. Sweet chocolate, vanilla, a hint of bitter coffee, and more cocoa.

T - Very excellent blend of sweet and bitter. Good amounts of sweet cocoa, burnt sugar, vanilla and coffee.

M - The mouthfeel is thin, but does provide some fullness. Very, very smooth

Overall - Very good stout here, a superb milk stout, in my opinion. Another great offering from Pipeworks.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 00:19:07 | More by BeerBuckeye

Stevedore

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz bomber, batch 80, poured into a Bell's tulip and quaffed today 4/12/2013.

Aroma: Milk chocolate, cocoa, vanilla and sweet +roasty malt. Mostly a light sweetness that makes me think of milk chocolate. Nose isn't super pungent but it's definitely there without having to work too hard to suss out the scents. (4)

Colour: Pretty typical looking stout. Pours dark brown, cola coloured even, with a 1cm white head that dissipates pretty quickly leaving nothing, not even a film or collar. There isn't much lacing that comes up as I drink this beer down. Nothing special, nothing bad, pretty average. (3)

Flavour: Nice! The milk chocolate sweetness and the vanilla flavour really comes out in the beginning. It's very pleasurable and gives way to a little bit of roast malt which IMO every stout needs to have some presence of. And at the end there's some dark chocolate, maybe coffee bitterness for a clean smooth finish. The vanilla in particular tastes great along with the milk chocolate and I just keep drinking it to get more of it- its like chasing the chocolate vanilla dragon. (5)

Mouthfeel: Pretty smooth, as I would expect from a milk stout. On the thinner side of medium bodied, a little bit watery with decent carbonation. The aftertaste is mostly coffee bitterness with a little bit of vanilla thrown in there, and goes away pretty quickly. Very smooth and easy to drink, almost refreshing. I was able to down an entire bomber by myself while eating dinner with my fiancée who also enjoyed a few sips of it. And I don't feel any ill effects nor did I really taste any heat. It's a smooth drinking beer for sure, but nothing super amazing in the mouthfeel department- what you get is pretty typical of milk stouts. (3)

Overall: I really enjoyed this one. Lots of chocolate, vanilla and roast malt in a lighter bodied beer. It's not thick like a port (or BCBS) but its one of these weekday, workman-like dessert beers that go perfectly after dinner. The sweetness from the milk makes for a nice balance to the bitter chocolate and coffee which comes together in a smooth, easy drinking milk stout. Another excellent offering from Pipeworks- I don't see too many breweries coming out with stuff like this on a regular basis. And that's why I'm always willing to take a plunge on a new bomber on the shelf whenever I'm in Chicago. (4)

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 05:36:16 | More by Stevedore

sbxx

Illinois

2.39/5  rDev -40.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25

Batch #80
Poured into snifter

Appearance - Dark brown, kinda like black coffee. Minimal caramel-colored head fizzed up and faded. No lacing.

Smell - Cocoa, coffee, roasted malt.

Taste - Strong coffee mixed with boozy cocoa water. Expected something different. Expected more.

Mouthfeel - Very light carbonation. Light watery body. Leaves a slight film as it goes down and fades quickly.

Overall - This is why I hate spending almost $10 on an unknown product. It's not horrible; it's just pretty blah. This is my 2nd Pipeworks offering and I continue to be underwhelmed. 2 strikes. 3 and you're out. I won't be buying any more of their bombers. I'll wait for a tasting to try my third. Definitely not a drain pour, it's just gonna take me a while to finish it. I capped the 90% full bottle, put it in the fridge and cracked a different beer. Sad.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 04:17:53 | More by sbxx

sleuthdog

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Batch #49
Poured into GI pint

Pour: Black appearance with a slight finger (maybe) light tan colored head. This receded quickly to a small collar.

Smell: Lots of roast like a mild coffee, vanilla and an overall sweetness. Bitter chocolate and cocoa.

Taste: Coffee notes with a touch of vanilla noted at the front. Unsweetened bakers cocoa and bitter chocolate come through but it is also quite sweet. The coffee follows through to the end with a mild bitterness on the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium with moderate carbonation. This is a smooth feeling beer but a bit thin. It is an easy drinking stout and one that is not too heavy.

Overall: Admittedly milk stouts are not my favorite style but this one is appealing to me. I love Pipeworks IPA offerings and will try their other styles before I pass too much judgement. I would not seek this out again but one I am glad I did try.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 00:50:17 | More by sleuthdog

mecummins

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch #80

A- it poured a dark brown cola color with very little head

S- smelled wonderful with heavy milk chocolate notes. Lots of mocha scents as well.I could also pick up some sweet roasted malts & vanilla

T- tasted very much like it smelled. Heavy on the chocolate with the sweet & bitterness of the mocha. A bit of vanilla balanced out the sweetness. On the end was a very mild hop note.

M- the mouthfeel was medium. Not too creamy but very drinkable

O- really a nicely done milk stout. Well balanced and easy to drink

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 22:53:24 | More by mecummins

Vonerichs

Illinois

4.01/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Extremely dark brown color. It has a flat appearance with no head to speak of.

Heavy scents of coffee and cocoa. I also pick up the occasional whiff of dank, which is odd for the style yet still enjoyable.

The coffee is huge in the flavor, too. The cocoa is muted. The bottle indicates vanilla, but it don't pick up much.

Good body to the mouthfeel but I was hoping for it to be a little more creamy and rich.

Another solid Pipeworks offering. It's not as good as coffee break abdication but still a recommended milk stout with a healthy dose of coffee.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 01:22:55 | More by Vonerichs

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz, Batch #80
Unmarked Riedel tulip

A: Pours pretty much pitch black initially, but it's really more of a nice dark brown. Didn't get much head. Thin collar of dark tan. Some lacing bits. I did get some alcohol feet as drink went on.

S: Really sweet smells. Lots if vanilla laced coffee heard. You smell that sweet lactose in there. Underneath it is that chocolate but primarily it's the sweetness I am pulling.

T: Up front, getting that sweet chocolate coffee vanilla character as clique as that sounds. Light roast coffee bitterness. Then that lactose sweetness. It really helps cut the coffee and chocolate bitterness. It's a really pleasant flavor.

M: Creamy. Silky smooth. Full bodied.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 18:04:29 | More by inlimbo77

C20Percent

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 1.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a deep dark brown with a nice big tan colored head of foam. Color is nice. Body is clean. Head is holding steady. I think lacing will tell the story here. Lacing is pretty nonexistent. Okay, got near the bottom of the bottle, and something very strange looking dropped in my glass. Not cool. Gonna drain pour. Can't see what it is -- so definitely not going to drink it. I only hope it was sediment.

S: Coffee aromas front-and-center. Smell is similar to Founders RIS -- only here I can't really tell if it's the coffee or roasted malts I'm smelling. Vanilla is holding steady over the dark chocolate. Not smelling any hops or anything like that, though. Not bad here.

T: Taste a little flat to be honest. Not tasting any quality malts. The coffee flavor comes and goes very quickly. I don't have a problem with that, but nothing really remains after that. It more or less taste like your average milk stout -- this vanilla is coming through now. We'll see how it continues to change and evolves as the brew warms. *Sweetness starting to comes through as beer warms. Tasting vanilla more, but that's not really pushing the score.

M: Felt a little flat at first. Maybe that's because it's not as creamy as I would have though. Medium body. Medium carbonation -- decently done. Not much chewiness. Honestly, pretty average feel for me.

O: Not exactly sure what I was expecting. When you're selling beer for $9 a bombers then you think it's going to be something special. And, this just isn't that. There is a little age of this -- not even a year, though. So, I expected the coffee flavor to be mild. What's left is pretty average for the most part.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 18:49:21 | More by C20Percent

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.38/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours jet black with a decent sized coffee colored head. No retention and just slight lacing down the glass.

Smells like milk chocolate with some light roast coffee. Can tell there is lactose in this.

More milk chocolate on the palate. Finishes grainy with some coffee notes. While sweet up front, the finish is a bit drier and bitter.

Fairly smooth mouthfeel although it feels a bit thin at times. Finish is slightly astringent.

Not the best beer I've had from Pipeworks. Would have liked to see a more complex flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 20:57:59 | More by jmarsh123

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a deep pitch-black color stout with a large brown foamy head with medium retention and some light lacing. Aroma of dry coffee notes with light roasted malt is pretty intense. Taste is dominated by dry coffee notes without being too astringent and some nice creamy black chocolate notes. Body is quite full with light creamy texture with medium carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Well brewed and quite enjoyable though I would have enjoyed this one even more if the vanilla had been more predominant.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 20:44:09 | More by Phyl21ca

Arbitrator

California

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Chilled bottle into a glass, courtesy of lurchingbeast. Thanks, Frank!

From notes. Batch 9.

A: Pours a pitch black body with a finger of mocha-colored, fine-bubbled head. Retains poorly, leaving milky swirls and a moderate ring around the edges. Curtains during a sip, but no lace.

S: Sweet milk chocolate, coffee (not the darker notes of espresso, but something medium-roast and berry-heavy), and mild anise (could be lactose).

T: This tastes very similar to the nose, with a grainy aftertaste that reminds me of oatmeal. But the body doesn't feel like it was brewed with oats; it lacks that rich back-end fullness. Milk chocolate leaves a mild aftertaste and dominates over the lactose content; I would have liked to see the milk part of the stout played up more. It becomes even less pronounced in flavor as the beer warms.

M: The finish becomes a bit astringent as the beer warms. Otherwise, it's medium-bodied and appropriately carbonated.

O: Pretty enjoyable beer. Like I said, I'd love to see the milk aspect enhanced in future batches, but I was pleasantly surprised by what this turned out to be.

EDIT: In looking at the beer description, I'm surprised I never picked up on any vanilla characteristics, unless I was taking the combination of cacao and vanilla to be milk chocolate-like. Who knows....

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 18:07:23 | More by Arbitrator

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thanks to kawilliams81 for trading this beer to me! Thanks kent!

poured into tulip glass.

batch 9.

Appearance: black bodied beer with a thin layer of tan colored head that drops down to a ring around the glass.

Smell: Nice smelling stout. vanilla sweetness, a touch of cocoa, and roast coffee. A hint of lactose sugar noted as well for good measure.

Taste: The beer has notes of vanilla sweetness and a touch of baker cocoa upfront. The roasty coffee shows up mid palate and continues on through to the aftertaste of the beer. The coffee is mildly bitter. You can also taste the lactose sugar in this beer as well. Really well balanced when considering all the ingredients thrown into this beer.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Really smooth beer. Not much of the alcohol is detected. Its got a fairely creamy body to the beer.

Overall: Its a really nice beer from Pipe works. I would have like to try this beer when it was much fresher, but honestly I am just happy that I got the chance to try this beer. This beer holds it own in the world of the milk stout beer style.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 05:59:01 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

FosterJM

California

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1502nd Review on BA
Bottle to snifter
22oz bottle

Batch17
Thanks to dvelcich for this one

App- A solid stout to say the least. It poured out with almost a black color to it with a brown center and some ruby edges. A solid and very ncie looking two finger mocha head. However, no cling or lace. Was a little let down by that.

Smell- A lot of aromatics in the glass that all played well with eachother. Nothing was overly dominate but each was there if you smelled hard enough. It was a solid malt base with a lot of the chocolate coming through. The vanilla & coffee roast provided a nice balance to it as well.

Taste- When someone asks for a cremy stout I will know what to say. This was just well flavored all over. When you first take a sip you get a really big malty chocolate flavors with subtle coffee. As you continue to sip away the Vanilla comes out as this warms. This again was just very layered and flavorful.

Mouth- A very full and creamy medium body. Lots of richness on each sip. I would say even a bit chewy with a good depth of flavor. The carbonation is rich and creamy and a bit of a low/medium. Quite lovely.

Drink- I was on a kick of trading beers for the wife to try and this was the last one that I traded for. Of course, she didnt like it. Oh well. All I have to say is that was a pretty damn good beer. Lots of depth, lots of richness to it.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 14:34:10 | More by FosterJM

Jaycase

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: black, tan slightly frothy 1 1/2 finger head.

s: chocolate, roasted malts. slight coffee

t: sweet chocolate tinged with a slight vanilla. coffee taste comes in midway through the finish

m: smooth, creamy. Light carbonation. medium body

o: very nice offering from Pipeworks. This has a strong coffee accent but not overly so. Easily drinkable and tasty, Can't ask for much more than that.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 03:56:00 | More by Jaycase

cnbrown313

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours very dark brown, almost black. Very minimal head. Slightly viscous, but not crazy thick.

S - You can immediately pick up the cocoa nibs and a little bit of coffee as well.

T - Wow! This is good stuff... you can definitely tell right away it's a milk stout. Lots of sweet lactose sugar, mixed with coffee and cocoa. Nothing is too overpowering and the tastes melt together well. The coffee became more pronounced as it warmed up a little bit too. Overall, it was very easy to drink too. Almost no alcohol presence at all.

M - Smooth and creamy. Medium bodied for a stout.

O - Although Pipeworks' IPA's are generally my favorite beers that they put out - this was really good! I bought a "Jones Dog" after this (which is basically Hyper Dog without the coffee and cocoa) and I was kind of disappointed. For some reason the flavors in Hyper Dog all come together nicely to make a really enjoyable beer!

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 14:36:03 | More by cnbrown313

Etan

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a tulip. Batch #9.

A: Pours a rich brownish black with a small tan head.

S: Smells of coffee, chocolate, mild lactose, and thin vanilla.

T: Taste follows the nose, with coffee, slight chocolate and vanilla, and a bit of milkiness from the lactose. Everything is pretty mild and in balance.

M: Medium-bodied with light carbonation.

O: This tastes good.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 03:37:40 | More by Etan

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Dangolfs79 for sending this beer to me!

Overall, this is very good, it tastes to me like a poor mans victory at sea: same amazing flavors of the cocoa nibs, coffee, and vanilla all come out great, but it's lower abv and the base beer is sweeter and thinner than victory at sea.

Beer pours a dark brown with a tan head, pretty look. The smell has lots of coffee and vanilla, like a very nice sweet latte. Some roast in the nose but it's small. The taste is a really nice onslaught of the added flavors with some sweet malt in the back. The feel is very smooth and lucious.

A really good beer, awesome.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 02:05:01 | More by Dreadnaught33

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

650ml bomber poured into tulip 16/7/12, thanks Masterski and Sean9689 for sending me the bottle

A very dark brown with dark cola edges, a very short lived finger of light brown fizzes out like pop and leaves zero lace

S it is what it claims, vanilla, coco, cold coffee but some hazelnut I don't read on the bottle

T some sponge toffee on top of what I smell, chocolaty with just a little char, the coffee's a little burnt but it works. has a little creme brulee thing going for it that helps its cause, not overly rich but a solid stout

M silky entry, slightly bitter, sticky, with a char aftertaste, could use a few more bubbles but still far from flat

O looks pretty basic but looks aren't everything, no mention of booze anywhere above says something for a 7.5% brew.

enough coffee to open one eye and enough booze too close the other, quite easy to drink considering the strength. a nice coffee infused sweet stout that I'd drink again if given the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 05:47:12 | More by wordemupg

codsmith

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Batch 17

A: Pours jet black with a VERY thin caramel head that quickly dissipates.

S: Not sure if it's the coffee, but something has a dominate aroma that is just now quite right. There is a slighter chocolate and roasted grain aroma.

T: Very unique taste from the coffee and vanilla. The taste is better than the smell. Finishes clean, but with a slight kick.

M: Very smooth/velvety and medium-heavy body.

O: Head retention needs to be better. Maybe try a different coffee. Mouthfeel is spot on.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 02:50:24 | More by codsmith

macrosmatic

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes. Poured from bomber into pint glass.

A: Pours dark brown to black in color. Forms a thin tan head with no visible carbonation.

S: This smells like cold coffee. And that's really about all I get.

T: Cold coffee is 90% of the flavor here, but it is rounded out a bit by some nice vanilla notes.

M: Thick mouthfeel. Mild bitter coffee hang but it lasts for longer than I'd like.

O: This is an OK beer, but it strikes me as a one trick pony...coffee, coffee & more coffee. The flavors that are present are good; what this beer does it does well. I would have preferred a more complex flavor profile, but if you're looking for a pure coffee-flavored brew, this might be the one for you.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 18:09:12 | More by macrosmatic

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wake up and smell the coffee. Big bold flavours, strong fresh coffee, lots of sweet cream,chocolate stout, all well integrated. Dark with enormous lasting head. Full mouthfeel, satisfying, and a meal in itself. Good drinkability. From Lakeview Liquors.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 03:33:30 | More by northyorksammy

mcallister

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Love milk stouts and been eyeing this in my fridge for past month.

Pours a deep chestnut/brown with a creamy mocha colored head holding good retention. Some chunks floating aimlessly.

The milk sugars show through nicely on the nose with chocolate and vanilla bean mingled in nicely. Black cherry fruit underlies everything and leaves an almost sour cherry aroma.

Very nice. Velvety smooth on the mouth yet only slightly thin. Bitter cocoa tannins in the middle and long into the finish. Milk sugars flow through nicely on the finish as well with a hint of coffee leaving thoughts of latte. Vanilla riddled throughout with more milk chocolate on the palate as well. Nice milk stout, can't wait to try some of the other versions.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 20:10:29 | More by mcallister

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a nonic pint glass.

What goes better with a turkey burger covered in Havarti than a nice milk stout, amiright? This one pours a dark black-brown topped by a miniscule bit of dark khaki foam. The nose comprises cocoa powder, mild roasted malts, light molasses, vanilla bean, light brown sugar, and a small smattering of coffee. This thing just plain smells delicious, mon ami! The taste follows the nose very closely, with the cocoa coming across a bit more like dark chocolate powder than before and the coffee comes through a bit more assertively (though still not attaining any real star power). Without missing a step, the taste is just as enjoyable as the smell. Good times here. The body is a straight medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a slick, silky feel. Overall, though a touch thin for my particular tastes, this was a damn tasty brew, the highlight of the evening (and, trust me, that was saying a bit of something this time...).

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 17:51:17 | More by TMoney2591