Name – The Dogfather
Country – United States
Type – American Imperial Stout

Gimmicks work in pro wrestling.  But when it comes to beer they can sometimes be a let down and bit over board.  Well now that I think of it some pro wrestling gimmicks are quite overboard (e.g. Papa Shango).  And while I try not to get roped into gimmicks in the beer world I just simply can’t help it sometime.  Like when a brewery out of Idaho names a beer after one of your favorite movies of all time.  I give up peacefully and will not resist.

I’ve wanted the Dogfather from Laughing Dog for awhile.  And when Total Wine started carrying Laughing Dog as a brewery direct offering I knew it would soon be mine.  And with the release of the seasonal Dogfather that day has finally come.

I cracked open the bomber and poured it into my Cigar City snifter.  It pours out a pitch black color with a nice brown head.  Surprisingly for an imperial stout it leaves a good amount of lacing on the glass too.

The aroma is packed full of cocoa that reminds me of the powdered cocoa used as a kid for chocolate milk.  And speaking of milk there is a very distinct lactose smell in there as well.  A slight alcohol aroma is picked up on the back and even a little more when the beer warms up.

I am greeted in the taste with more cocoa but along with some bitter chocolate and bitter coffee tastes.  There are some roasted malts but they are subdued and the lactose smell is present in the taste and give a nice feel in the body of the beer.  A little boozy bit at the end.

I will admit I was a little surprised by how present the cocoa flavors and smells were in this.  Yes you come to expect some chocolate in imperial stouts but this was more than I expected.  And that is a good thing as I love chocolate flavors in beers.

I think this is a very fine seasonal offering from Laughing Dog and am thinking I will get another to lay down for some time to see how it ages.  The bitterness of the coffee and chocolate will die down and probably give a nice sipping stout.

So do you like imperial stouts?  Have you yet to have the Dogfather?  Well let me just say they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Grade – A-