Fresh Hop Pale
Laughing Dog Brewing

this is the best time of year to be a beer drinker, and this is a quality pint, citra driven it seems, nice and clear, hardly any bitterness at all but a lot of off the vine fresh hop linger to it, almost palate coating with oils and resins, yet the beer isnt over hopped or too intense there, its balanced by a simple pale malt base, and while it does drink just a little heavy, its extremely well refined and well made, a joy to drink on site at the laughing dog brewery! bright golden in the glass, frothy white headed with great retention, web lacing as it drinks, and an aroma of pure wet hop goodness. there has to be citra in here, but that might not be all, behind its familiar profile, i get ripe melon, tangerine, and an herbal layer of verbena and lime leaf, subtle but there, maybe el dorado or amarillo or something too, really pleasant, and its all there in the flavor too. a touch of honey sweetness from the pale malt extends the beer nicely, wraps up well with the hop oils i can feel in this, and never gets in the way in terms of flavor. lots of body for its light color, and a bit of a sticky, long finish, but thats what these beers are about, and i really did like this about as any wet hop beer i have had from idaho so far this year. among the best ive ever had from laughing dog as well. nice that its a pale and not an ipa, this doesnt need any more bitterness or dry hopping than it has. real good!

 

Extermely thin mouthfeel; flavors of oat, malt, and earthy

 

 

 

 

 

16oz glass at the Edmonton Oliver location of Beer Revolution, during their Laughing Dog tap takeover.

This beer appears a hazy, medium golden yellow colour, with one finger of weakly foamy, yet somewhat creamy eggshell white head, which leaves some decent limestone cliff lace around the glass as things quickly subside.

It smells of generic citrus cream, semi-sweet bready caramel malt, mixed drupe and stone pit orchard fruit, a minor hard water flintiness, and further leafy, floral hops. The taste is bready, grainy caramel malt, a chalky Rockets candy sort of sweetness, soft earthy yeast, and well blended piney, leafy, and grassy hops.

The carbonation is pretty light and generally ineffective, the body an adequate medium weight, and mostly smooth, the hops proving more or less polite in the matter. It finishes on the hoppy side, natch, but well balanced, all the same.

Not entirely entrancing, but drinkable enough, for its Pacific NW hop goodness, which still seems to be fresh, even when it was delivered to we up here in the dead of an Alberta winter.