Laughing Dog Brewing Alpha Dog Imperial IPA Imperial/Double IPA at 8.5% ABV ($7.99 at Sobeys Liquor Silverado, 650ml, bottle date 22-Apr-2014)
Pours clear pale amber with two fingers of tight off-white head, great retention, excellent lacing. (5/5) Nose is piney and citrus hops, mango, caramel malt. (7/10) Taste is moderate sweet and strong bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
Decent IIPA that tends a bit to the harsh. It’s hop forward, though, and even though there’s lots of malt, it plays the appropriate supporting role instead of coming to the forefront. (As I’ve said many times, I’m always disappointed by malt-forward IPAs or IIPAs, but this isn’t one.) Fairly sessionable despite the high ABV and IBU’s. (127 IBU? Yeah, I believe that.) OK, fine, it is a bit of a palate wrecker, but if you follow it with another one of the same, that’s not a problem, right? (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
