Peace, Love, & Hoppy-ness
Big Dog's Draft House

the were spelling this one hoppiness when i was in, no y, no hyphen, but its the same beer as is listed here, although now 6% abv, one of their classics from what i understand, and i can see why, a clean and bold pale ale in the west coast style that walks the line right up to ipa, easy and flavorful, very nicely hopped, tidy overall, one of the best beers we had in here. straw to honey colored brew with pretty good clarity and a standard fare white head on tap, plenty of rising carbonation, and it smells very fresh to me. the hop profile is familiar in the aroma and flavor, a grapefruity from half with some zesty brightness and pithy bitterness together, supporting notes of tangerine and cut pine, pretty northwestern to me, relatively high intensity for a pale ale, and a bit lighter on the malt than is truely classic, which i think makes the hops pop a little bit more, less of the crystal malt and caramelized character, just simple pale two row type base and maybe a pinch of something slightly richer, but this is light and easy on that side of things. the hops warm to some pineapple, lemon, and grass, all very fresh and clean, aided in that regard by the dry and brisk finish, perfect amount of bitterness for this to be refreshing but not abrasive, and without any real yeast character or anything, all hops in that spot. some oils on the palate, nice hop forward balance for the style, super drinkable. this is an everyday kind of beer, one to stock the fridge with, and one with wide appeal but also fairly distinctive, which is a tough line to walk. very good pale, hoping for a pale resurgence as the next craft trend, this will be well positioned if that happens!

NO beer is perfect and that is reflected in my rating BUT this is one of the best Pale Ales I have had in a long time!

This beer is probably my favorite right now. I bought it for the label and fact it was a local Las Vegas Brewer, and I live in Vegas. I had no idea what I was getting into. ABV of 6% is just about perfect. Drank this out of the can. So I have no real comments on lacing or head or color. What I can say is this is just about the perfect blend of bitter hops and malty goodness. Most IPA's are bitter on the back end to the degree they are not as smooth drinking as I would like. This beer is hoppy like an IPA but is balanced with a nice sweet or not bitter back end and it is super smooth.

After half a beer I had a slight buzz. Drank 3 of these over the course of a night and found the next morning I felt good and after I had my beers within an hour or two I felt close to baseline again with no sleepiness. I feel like the ingredients and brewing process are all top notch here and you can feel the difference. I am a person who enjoys a fine beer or a Budweiser so I enjoy a wide range of beers and am no snob. That being said, it is hard to improve on anything with this beer and it is worth the extra cost.

At the end of the day a beer is a beer. I am not going into a bunch of expert details on the taste and brewing process because I am ignorant in that area. I have drank a lot of craft, import and domestic macro beers over the years and this beer was a surprise. The market is flooded with IPA or IPA style ales and lagers now and most of them taste very similar. This is not a huge departure from those except it has a more refined flavor profile and better balance of bitter and sweet. It isn't 9% ABV or 4% being too much or too low but a decent 6% which is just right.

Honestly this is one of the few new local craft beers I have had that was really good in a long time. Who would of thought Las Vegas as a brewery location as the desert adds a lot of cost I.e. water, basic materials have to be shipped in, etc. However Big Dog hit a home run with this beer and you got to love Dogs and any label with a cool looking pupper which is a big plus to a dog lover like me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good. From first Hop in vegas.

 

Pours a hearty golden color with a solid 1" of white head and above average retention. Really stuck this appearance. Aroma was hoppy, simcoe and amarillo I believe.

Good brisk hop bitterness and a light toasted pale malt body. Carbonation is dialed in and provides extra levity to the 65ibuish beer. This might be my favorite Big Dog beer. Starting to get some good evolution recipe and execution wise from these guys. Had this at that Nevada Beer festival on the Truckee River. Usual flavor descriptors of grapefruit, green needles. One of the more enjoyable hoppy hot weather beers made in Las Vegas.

 

 

On tap at Pub 365 in Las Vegas. Pours a light effervescent hue with minimal frothing. Mellow aroma replete with hints of citrus and grapefruit. Similar overall flavor profile.