Our first reader requested beer review is one big beer. The Dogfather Imperial Stout by Laughing Dog was requested after the 13 Bombers of Beer post.
Aroma:
Good bourbon smell. Very malty. They use 6 different malts in this, obviously mostly very dark malts. Much different than an Irish stout, very solid.
20/24
Appearance:
Very dark, just like it should be. The almost caramel colored head is very attractive
6/6
Flavor:
A little too malty, even for a stout. Luckily a great bourbon flavor comes in to add some balance, however there is still a bitterness, that comes more from the malts than the hops. This is a stout, and hop flavor should not be the star, but this still could use a bit more early addition hops. The alcohol content certainly contributes to the bitterness, but I still think it is the malt bill that gives the slight off bitterness. The bourbon is really what makes this flavor. It is not over the top bourbon flavor, but it adds just enough depth to make this a very interesting beer
32/40
Mouth Feel
Great body. Possibly a tad too much carbonation. The creaminess makes this a real nice smooth drink.
9/10
Overall Impression:
A fun beer! Doesn’t have quite the complexity or balance as a Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, but very nice to drink. The 10.85% ABV is actually surprising, usually you know when you are drinking a double digit beer. The malty bitterness is a little discouraging, but there are so many good things about this beer, if you like stouts or bourbon, you should try this beer.
16/20
Total Score:
83/100
2 Comments
I have a bottle of Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS) that perhaps I should have reviewed instead of this on Derby Day….but that is too easy. If you haven’t had KBS; its a fantastic representation of this style.
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