Double Drooling Dog
Magnotta Brewery

 

 

 

Looks great, pretty average stuff after that. Malt, ash, a bit of dark chocolate on the nose. Sweet malt up front, then mostly bitter dark chocolate to taste. Thin-bodied. Not a lot of things happening here.

 

 

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Apr 4 2019 and served at cellar temperature. Now here's a style you don't see too much of these days. You might call it the literal black sheep of the IPA family, nyuk nyuk.

Pours a deep chestnut brown, crowned with two fingers of lumpy, soapy beige-coloured head that sticks around for at least ten minutes. The glass becomes caked with a marvelous coat of lace as it gradually recedes down to a creamy cap; now that's a good looking glass of beer. On the nose I'm getting an herbal, root beer-like note, as well as some roasted, borderline burnt malt notes, with suggestions of toffee, coffee and date fruit. The lack of hop-derived aromas is not particularly promising...

..though it is prophetic, as the brew's hop flavours are somewhat lacking in intensity (and variety, for that matter). It tastes of caramelized malts and toasted bread, with a touch of molasses coming through prior to an earthy, herbal, weakly bitter back end that also includes understated hints of cocoa and coffee. Its malt sweetness persists through to the finish, with a roasty note lingering briefly into the aftertaste. Medium in body, with carbonation levels that start off spritzy, but soften considerably over the course of the glass, resulting in a much smoother, creamier texture as the glass breathes. It's probably my favourite aspect of the beer, and it certainly aids its overall drinkability.

Final Grade: 3.59, a B grade. Magnotta's Double Drooling Dog ain't half bad, but black IPAs are, in essence, a hybrid of an IPA and a stout, and this one has a bit too much stout and not quite enough IPA - the hops are kind of a one note show, though I did enjoy the variety within the malt bill. This is my second can in as many days, and I enjoyed it well enough... I may even be back for more at some point, but that's mostly because there is not much viable competition in this style. Give 'er a go if you're curious, but it's not something I'd deliberately seek out.

473 ml can served cool into a tall pint glass. LCBo purchase for around $3.25 CDN.

Appearance - Dark cola brown with honey hues. Many fingers of off light tan head are poured with an aggressive pour. Good retention and loads of lacing at the edges of the glass.

Smell - Leafy hops, with earthiness, roasted malt and something medicinal akin to Nyquil or some sort of cough syrup.

Taste - Some well roasted malt, a hint of tropical fruit, herbal qualities shine through again. It's not bad, but not my favorite in the style. Coffee at the end. Gets more interesting as you get farther in.

Mouthfeel - Medium-heavy bodied, a little sticky and the carbonation is soft and fairly quiet.

Overall - A decent Black IPA, but not one that stands out either. Slightly too herbal and lacking big time hop intensity that I often find with this style.

 

 

This comes across as a stout or porter. Not very familiar with dark ipa but this is nothing like ipa flavour that most would recognize.