Pale Ale
Laughing Dog Brewing

Pale AlePale Ale
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From:
Laughing Dog Brewing
 
Idaho, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
80
Avg:
3.47 | pDev: 14.41%
Reviews:
29
Ratings:
46
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 05, 2017
Added:
Jan 14, 2006
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
From out of the Pacific Northwest the Micro-breweries were born and with them came an ale that was unlike any other, the American Pale Ale.

We brewed our pale ale "Big, Bold and Hoppy" using five of the finest hops from the fields in Yakima WA. To balance the intense hop flavors, five different American grown malted barleys add a malt flavor and smooth finish.

This beer is best served cool. A spicy, hoppy aroma balanced with a malt body that is crisp make this beer perfect for relaxing after a hard days work.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Gavage:
Photo of Gavage
Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada

3.05/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: clear amber in color with short head that broke apart quickly. No lace develops.

Smell: very soft caramel sweetness is all you can detect.

Taste: bready caramel profile with some light fruit sweetness, grapefruit, and a mild hop presence.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Crisp from start to finish. Aftertaste is brief lived.

Drinkability: this beer is pretty bland overall so one glass was more than enough for me. It went down slowly and was not as refreshing as I would like.
Oct 18, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by poisoneddwarf from Idaho

Jun 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.48 by Biggiekrock627 from Maryland

May 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3.42 by GlendonTT from Canada (AB)

Jan 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by LouZ from Washington

Nov 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by GRG1313 from California

Apr 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by LukeRfour from West Virginia

Apr 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by RevCraig from Canada (ON)

Feb 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by johnmac from Idaho

Jan 27, 2014
Photo of CalgaryFMC
Reviewed by CalgaryFMC from Canada (AB)

3.44/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This weekend's Beer Revolution in Calgary venture continued with this offering from Idaho, ordered the moment the keg appeared as tapped on the beer board, so presumably this was as fresh as possible. Part of the fun of Beer Revolution is watching things change in real time and mapping out your evening as you go. Wasn't planning on this one and I slotted it in between a few lighter brews and a few hop-heavy selections. Pint arrived a light reddish copper, classic pale ale look, with ample white foam that retained its shape quite well. I was immediately struck by the odd aroma ... Grapefruit and pine hop elements but also some really fruity esters that recalled banana and a strange grainy or malty (?) component that recalled tacky glue or wallpaper paste (truly, not sure how else to describe it). Maybe I should have a neurological exam. In any event, flavor also had some odd unique elements to it for an APA, raisin and watermelon fruit notes, vanilla yogurt, and notable caramel corn (probably from American crystal malt) along with a dry cedar woodiness, a little tannic character to be sure, and a blast of pepper spice that persisted through to the end. Almost reminded me of some rye beers that feature this sort of spicy sour tang. Finish started sweetish but became a bit coarse as I made my way through the pint: Pine resin and wood, more pepper. Another rather unique flavor experience that I should perhaps chock up to my brain's association engine being on hyperdrive, but there you have it. Perhaps the five hops and five malts used here are adding all sorts of atypical elements. Might wind up tasting more typical in the bottle.
Dec 01, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by EBeckett3 from New Jersey

Aug 10, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by grubefresh from Arizona

Aug 09, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Daffron24 from Colorado

Aug 04, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Kmat10 from Canada (AB)

Jul 05, 2013
Photo of leaddog
Reviewed by leaddog from Canada (AB)

3.77/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance - Pours an amber gold with two fingers of bubbly white head.

Smell - Peppery/piney hops, citrus (orange or lemon), caramalts.

Taste - Peppery/piney hops with a moderate bitterness, along with caramalts and orange zest. Soapy quality to it.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall - A hoppy enough APA, but seems like the malts are not present enough to help balance the flavours out.
Jun 29, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Boone757 from Virginia

Mar 08, 2013
Photo of JamesMN
Reviewed by JamesMN from Minnesota

3.42/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Date on bottle: 10/1/12

Appearance: Slightly hazy golden orange color with a big frothy off-white head.

Aroma: Light amber and crystal malts with some lemon. Just a dash of white pepper spice.

Taste: Quite an intense flavor which took me by surprise. A ton of peppery spice (think rye) up front that turns into a harsh bitterness midway through. The actual hop flavor is a mix of earth and with a bit of lemon juice. It's actually a pretty simple flavor overall but what's there is explosive on the palate.

Mouthfeel: Rough on the palate because of the harsh bitterness. I'm a hop head that regularly drinks beers with over 100 IBUs but there is something in this one that really numbs the tongue. Average drinkability.

Final Thoughts: I'm shocked with how much of a palate wrecker this little pale ale turned out to be. The problem here is a lack of any flavor besides just straight up bitterness and peppery spice. Would I drink it again? Maybe, I'd rather try their other offerings.
Feb 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by IPAchris from Pennsylvania

Nov 13, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by DarthGuitarHero from Minnesota

Oct 18, 2012
Photo of Jsteez
Reviewed by Jsteez from Utah

2.83/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Served from a bottle and poured into an American pint glass.

The color was a golden-orange-brassy-yellow. I particularly like the white bubbly head, and the lacy rings around the sides of the glass. The smell consisted of flowers, wood, hops, and spice.

The taste was mediocre: flowers, pine,spice, hops, and hints of citrus, grapefruit, and caramel. I liked the sweet and spicy aftertaste. However, some microbrews (no matter what style:amber ale, kolsch, pils, or golden lager, etc.) have a tendency to taste the same, and this was one of them, IMO. The taste didn't catch my attention as other pale ales can.
The mouthfeel was dry with spicy grapefruit that lingered.

Overall, it is an average pale ale that has room for improvement. I am sure it would taste great alongside some spicy nachos or a quesadilla. Cheers!
May 06, 2012
Pale Ale from Laughing Dog Brewing
Beer rating: 80 out of 100 with 46 ratings