Idaho IPAs: No Laughing (Dog) Matter

Finally, one of the Mountain West's quieter beer stronghold crosses the Mississippi. Laughing Dog is the first Idaho brewery to land on Nashville shelves. Cliche as it might seem, most Laughing Dog ales revolve around strong doses of hops.. At times the dog motif gets overdone in beer and wine, but Laughing Dog’s theme follows its own nose.

I like the idea of multiple strong IPAs; many brewers relegate them to special releases, but Laughing Dog has several imperial and standard IPAs in its everyday lineup. I only sampled a three, but at least one deserves a second pass. At some point, I hope to taste the black IPA.

Crafted from five hops (Northern Brewer, Ahtanum, Cascade, Columbus and Simcoe), Devil Dog Imperial IPA has a beastly side, with a hop resin quirk that threatens to overwhelm all else. Its perfumed nose and golden body belie the dry hop character that at times seeks to scorch the palate. Hop oil and deep pepperiness sometimes intrude. There are some good citrus notes of grapefruit to go with the biscuity malt, pine resin and hints of juniper and lemon. Surprisingly medium-bodies, Devil Dog has a deceptive side. The bitter finish compliments a beer that tastes the senses on an unleashed journey.

This dog has trouble in mind.

Next up I tackled another imperial IPA, Sneaky Pete, named for the Boston terrier who adorns its label. With a ruby-amber body and almost no head, Sneaky Pete represents a different breed of imperial IPA. Sneaky Pete is more elusive and balanced than Devil Dog, this IPA features hop resin on the nose. Redder fruits emerge, including some delightful splashes of blood orange. A 10 percent imperial IPA lies within Sneaky Pete’s bottle. If not careful, it will creep up on you. Overall, Sneaky Pete was the most interesting of the bunch.

I closed with the mainline Laughing Dog IPA, a gold-orange ale good for a solid summer quaff. The gold-orange body has traces of lemon pepper to level the spikes of Pacific Northwest hops that arrive mid-palate. Pale malts produce a mild biscuity smells. Among the Laughing Dog beers, it's the only one I've tasted that would suit everyday drinking. But Sneaky Pete would remains the pick of their litter.