Twelve-Dog
Black Husky Brewing

Twelve-DogTwelve-Dog
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From:
Black Husky Brewing
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
8.7%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.08 | pDev: 11.76%
Reviews:
21
Ratings:
89
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 29, 2021
Added:
Jun 25, 2012
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  11
In the lower 48, 12-dog racing is king. To honor that tradition, our Imperial Stout uses 12 malts. In harness each dog brings unique personality, providing an unpredictable & exciting ride! A Lead dog guides the adventure and while Rosie is smallest in stature, she has the largest personality and is the natural representative for this intensely flavored, full-bodied beer - a bit over the top as is Rosie.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by mjpolzin:
Photo of mjpolzin
Reviewed by mjpolzin from Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
I was a little leery of all of the hype surrounding Twelve-Dog. The other beers I have had from Black Husky were just so-so to me and with only a rating of 91 on Beer Advocate, how good can this stout really be? It sure seemed like a beer people went out of their way to get.

I had this beer as part of an imperial stout blind tasting and it impressed me very much, placing 2nd for me out of a line-up of 5 pretty renowned stouts.

The best thing about this beer is that the taste is incredibly flavorful and complex. The abv is quite a bit lower than most imperial stouts so this brew is missing some punch but as far as having an "easy drinking" imperial stout, this beer is great!
Mar 02, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

1/5  rDev -75.5%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
Bottle. Tan head. Black color.

Pretty sure this is infected. Sour cherry twang. Band aid and plastic notes. Chocolate if you can get past the sour. This is gross and a complete drain pour. Couldn’t drink more than an ounce.
Dec 29, 2021
Photo of Piercan
Reviewed by Piercan from Wisconsin

4.94/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Recent BeerAdvocate screen showed 95-Point score*. Well deserved, I thought.
This is WorldClass. A class of it's own. Can't compare it to anything I ever tasted.
• Comes in 22 oz. bottles (65 cl.); two servings. Alcohol% is high; but that comes with the style -- I just can't drink as much as I would've liked.

The rest of my review disappeared after I included a smiley.
All I wanted to say is that this beer is in a class of its own. It's smooth, not sweet, not bitter. To me it's just delight.
The commercial description will tell you the kind of person the Master Brewer is. This beer is an artist's creation. All of Tim's beers are a reflexion of his personality.
Indeed, you can tell a Black Husky beer like you can tell a Van Gogh. And of all of Tim's creations, I think this one is his masterpiece. So far. March 2021.
_ _ _

(*) Looks like that was for the review of a barrel aged imperial stout of the same name that I never heard about. I'm sorry about that.
Mar 03, 2021
Photo of Hopheadjeffery
Reviewed by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Tasted in a Rastal Teku from a bottle on October 5, 2018. Look is nearly black with a thick tan head and sticky lacing. Smell and taste is dark roasted malts. Feel is full in body.
Oct 07, 2018
 
Rated: 3.94 by Rimbimhoot from Illinois

Sep 06, 2018
 
Rated: 3.98 by dannycohen62 from Illinois

Sep 06, 2018
 
Rated: 3.73 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Dec 11, 2017
 
Rated: 3.3 by rderedin from Maine

Aug 10, 2017
 
Rated: 3.96 by wisegreensoul from Idaho

Apr 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4.33 by slavall from Wisconsin

Jan 21, 2017
Photo of TX-Badger
Reviewed by TX-Badger from Texas

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours an opaque dark brown almost black color with khaki colored head. Tons of roasted malt character and chocolate malt on the nose, some oats in there too with cocoa on the nose; follows onto the palate. Full bodied. Finishes with a ton of roast and some raw cocoa.
Apr 29, 2016
Photo of AlarmClock314
Reviewed by AlarmClock314 from Wisconsin

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
22oz bottle, no date. Pours mostly black with a smaller sized khaki head; some lacing. Smells of roasted malt, berries, cocoa, and some caramel. The taste follows closely with mostly a complex roasted malt bill with some added berries, cocoa, and dark fruit. moderate and lingering bitterness. Above average body with some pleasant smoothness and below average carbonation. Overall, this was a pretty well done is IS; it has a complex malty taste with a great look/feel.
Apr 05, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by BarrytheBear from Wisconsin

Mar 14, 2016
 
Rated: 3.98 by Eman17 from Illinois

Jan 30, 2016
Photo of Angerhaus
Reviewed by Angerhaus from Rhode Island

4.67/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Editing a review as I have just had the December 2016 batch. This is the first batch brewed at the new facility.

This batch is much thicker than previous 12 dog batches I've had. The balance throughout each sip is excellent. Roasty but not dry, chocolaty but not that sweet, and primed to age well.
Jan 29, 2016
 
Rated: 4.58 by doubtfuldog from Illinois

Jan 03, 2016
Photo of Elumbeer
Reviewed by Elumbeer from Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
22oz bomber poured into two Spiegelau stout glasses. Initially served at 49 degF. No date, but likely less than a month from bottling.

Poured a smooth solid black (not quite a black hole as with thicker stouts), with an inviting head. Head color was lighter than what I usually want out of an imperial stout- more tan than mocha.

Honestly, I don't remember much of the aroma. My brain is telling me sweet fudge, but whatever it was must not have been anywhere near overpowering.

Taste is very sweet milk chocolate with a good dose of cherry (maybe some blueberry). Slight roasted notes in the background. Reminds me a lot of Saugatuck's Neapolitan stout, but not quite as sickeningly sweet or artificial (this is much better- halfway between the Neapolitan and Deschute's 26th anni). I wish more cherry stouts tasted like this.

I feel like the rating here is too low for what this beer is, most likely due to the infection issues I see noted below.
Dec 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.22 by mklisz from New Hampshire

Nov 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4.09 by WiscoTerr from Colorado

Oct 25, 2015
Photo of joe1510
Reviewed by joe1510 from Illinois

4.21/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
22oz Bomber
$9.99
Discount Liquors - Milwaukee

Twelve Dog seems to glug from the bottle and takes a high pour to create a swirling, menacing head. When it does form an incredibly creamy, mocha foam sits atop a black body with faint chestnut highlights. The foam eventually softens to a skim coat and chunky ring with a couple streams of carbonation keeping the head sustained.

Oh, boy! This beer screams old school, delicious, rich imperial stout. It packs in deep roast with bittersweet chocolate and cocoa, A touch of peppery booze keeps you honest. Macerated dark berries bring up the rear with some added depth; think blackberries and blueberries. A drizzle of blackstrap and a whisper of coffee with cream rounds out the beer nicely, very nicely. Smells delicious, fudgy at times!

The flavor is as well rounded as the nose. It's rich in its roast, never becoming acrid, the dark berries rounding it out. Freshly roasted coffee beans run in and out making each drink slightly different. The roast is rich and lingering but it's cut on the finish by that drying, peppery booze I mentioned previously. I would love if more stouts took this direction, bold flavors with a balance between them all. Very nice!

The body has some density but it floats between moderate and heavy making for a highly drinkable beverine, which is dangerous in this case. The alcohol and roast tend to slowly dry out the finish which is much preferred, in my opinion.The carbonation, lively enough to keep any cloying out of mind while remaining soft enough to create a luxurious feel.

The husband & wife team at Black Husky can brew some beer. I mean, they can really brew some beer. Twelve Dog (Rosie) is a champ in my book. It's roasty, chocolaty, bold yet balanced. Dry and delicious. This is a really great beer and while I already knew their skills, this one still surprises me with the quality. Good job, guys. Good job!
Sep 13, 2015
Twelve-Dog from Black Husky Brewing
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 89 ratings