The Dogfather
Laughing Dog Brewing

The DogfatherThe Dogfather
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Laughing Dog Brewing
 
Idaho, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
11%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 14.55%
Reviews:
254
Ratings:
595
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 08, 2021
Added:
Nov 07, 2008
Wants:
  44
Gots:
  98
The Dogfather is one of the biggest brews we have made. Weighing in at a hefty 11% percent, the Dogfather has 7 malts and 4 different hops giving it a complex flavor profile.

71 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by keeganfrank:
Photo of keeganfrank
Reviewed by keeganfrank from Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours with a thick, brown head that sticks around for quite some time. Reminds me of the head you get on a root beer float. Very nice lacing as well. Smells of spices, caramel and sweet fruit. Tastes is reminiscent of black coffee and bittersweet chocolate with a hint of raisin. Feels a bit watery for an imperial stout, but still provides a pleasant drinking experience. The thinner body certainly makes consuming a whole 22oz bottle of IS not so laborious and prevents the drinker from feeling overly full.
Nov 13, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.13 by ronniebruner from Arizona

Feb 08, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by generallee from Virginia

Jul 01, 2020
Photo of TooManyGlasses
Reviewed by TooManyGlasses from Canada (AB)

3.94/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Cellar clearing - bottled 11/02/2015. Pours a deep black with half finger short lived mocha head.
Aroma of dark chocolate, burnt brown sugar, coffee grounds, and vanilla.
Taste follows - boozy dark chocolate with licorice notes, molasses, roasty chicory,and bitter espresso.
Moderately full mouthfeel, boozy - slight fusel note, bitter coffee lingers.
Aug 11, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by Husky-Topper from New Jersey

Jun 14, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

May 01, 2019
 
Rated: 3.97 by snowmageddon from Massachusetts

Mar 15, 2019
 
Rated: 4.04 by Jcarriglio from Florida

Jan 26, 2019
Photo of Impetuous
Reviewed by Impetuous from Montana

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.75
Opaque, very dark brown body with a proper khako head. No lacing, but no one is perfect.

Flavors are indistinct, but the overall flavor is nice. Vanilla, caramel and sweet malts dominate after warming. Very light carbonation.

It's weirdly perfect.
Jan 23, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Jul 22, 2018
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Grunt fill from Growler Guys - Meridian. Near black pour, small fluffy beige head fades to ring. Roast grains and chocolate on the aroma, taste leans more towards the roast grains. Mild bitterness for the grains, hints of coffee and burnt toast. Silky smooth, chewy mouthfeel.
Feb 26, 2018
Photo of dbl_delta
Reviewed by dbl_delta from Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Picked this up at a Total Wine in Fort Myers. I knew nothing about Laughing Dog Brewing, but I like BBA Stouts and I like dogs, so what the hell.
Bottle dated 10/18/17. Initial impression is coffee, brown sugar, molasses, dark chocolate, and faint bourbon overtones. Medium mouthfeel, light-ish carbonation. I'd add body and leave the carbonation as-is. Finish is a little bitter, with dark chocolate and coffee. Nice but not exceptional.
Jan 27, 2018
 
Rated: 3.82 by Erikshegda1994 from Pennsylvania

Jan 05, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Jan 02, 2018
Photo of Gdobber
Reviewed by Gdobber from Washington

4.79/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Look: Very dark brown, not quite black. About 2 fingers of a medium brown foamy head. Light lace lingered the whole beer. Smell:The smell was brown sugar, bourbon, chocolate, oats, vanilla, little debbie cake? very interesting, cherry?
Taste: Dark malt front with a vanilla bourbon, caramel. Back end is coffee. You can taste the bourbon, but the not an overpowering alcohol, doesn't taste as heavy as it says. Lingers a coffee, dark chocolate. A bit bitter on the finish. Lingers well. Very good.
Feel: smooth mouth feel, not too syrupy, right in the sweet spot. Surprising amount of crispness.
This might be near the best imperial stout.
Jan 01, 2018
Photo of Lucular
Reviewed by Lucular from Maryland

3.62/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours dark, near-black with a tan head. The taste is reminiscent of a strong black ale. Very hoppy and bitter and surprisingly not all that boozy or sweet.
Oct 10, 2017
Photo of daliandragon
Reviewed by daliandragon from Maryland

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Lowes Food Beer Den pint glass. Thick, wet tan head sits atop a jet black body. Nose is heavy on the smoked wood, dark fruit, molasses, and of course, whiskey.

Thick, smooth texture but still a huge, almost overwhelming flavors. Some medium pine notes provide a moderate of balance to even out the huge notes of smoke, figs, honey, and booze.

A little too high octane for me to drink rea;l often, but well done and tasty
Jul 22, 2017
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Imperial stout pours a significant black and thick with 3/4" tan head on the top. Aroma is almost exclusively heavily roasted malt.

Taste is the same as the smell, you're just getting blasted in the face and nose with nothing but roasted malt and in the mouthfeel, you're picking up a decent amount of alcohol, but what do you expect from an 11% abv non barrel aged stout? There are no flaws, its just one of those giant ass imperial stouts without adjuncts. Plenty bitter, seems like they jacked up the hopping with some Cascades or similar natured C hop (Centennial or Chinook).

It isn't a repeat purchase for me though. Too ordinary and a bomber format equals no.
Jun 28, 2017
Photo of beerguy04
Reviewed by beerguy04 from Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a motor oil black with a tan head. Good lacing. Not much of a smell. Taste is molasses, but not overwhelming. Mouthfeel is what you would expect from an imperial stout. Overall not bad.
Jun 27, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This was poured into a snifter. The appearance was a dark brown close to black color. Thin off white foamy head quickly dissipated leaving no lacing. The aroma starts with some rich sweet milk chocolate, sly coffee bean, a fair amount of vanilla, dried woody character almost like cherry wood. The flavor brings it all together - sweet with an underscore of dry bitter (coffee bean). Sly mainly sweet vanilla to cherry wood aftertaste. Quick smooth sweet finish. On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a nice sipping quality about it. There was a bit of ruggedness to the feel. That grip tells me I probably could have aged this longer. Carbonation, still, feels appropriate. Overall, though I say I could have aged this longer, it probably would have helped smooth out the feel, still I would have this again.
Jun 27, 2017
The Dogfather from Laughing Dog Brewing
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 595 ratings