Technically, Idaho isn't considered a state in this forum, but in reality we annexed northern Idaho from the regional forum that is ostensibly more appropriate (which rarely touches on things outside Colorado) long ago: https://goidaho.com/expanding-the-brewery-of-a-real-laughing-dog/
I like Fred, and have from the beginning when he first opened his tasting room. Aside from his Dogfather and especially bourbon barrel aged Dogfather, his beers are just good to OK.
I like the peach sour and the alpha dog imperial IPA. I know dog father is popular I'm just not a bourbon guy.
I don't care for bourbon either but it sure makes an imp stout taste good if aged in a bourbon barrel.
The standard Dogfather isn't bourbon barrel aged. It's just an imperial stout. The packaging is virtually the same, however.
I have tried quite a few different bourbon barrel stouts and all I get is bourbon. I keep trying one every few months to see if my palate has changed but so far it hasn't. Might just be a style I'll have to live without.
Idaho is freaking long, is why, I suppose. Southern Idaho is very much in the orbit of Utah, and that's where much of the state's population resides. It's funny. People talk about the political divide between eastern and western Washington. In Idaho, north and south are both conservative, but two completely different kinds of conservative, so that they hate each other almost as much as if there was a liberal vs conservative split.
Do you like imperial stouts without bourbon barrel aging? Maybe the whole style and not just the barrel aging disagrees with your palate. Personally, I like barrel aging when the barrel doesn't crowd out the beer itself. I've probably had way more bourbon barrel aged beers than I have had actual bourbon, though I have to admit in the last couple of years, I've been slowly getting into bourbon. Next time you see a bottle of Dogfather, look at the bottom border of the label, below the dog face. If bourbon barrel aged, it will say so there. I just picked up a bottle myself the other day unaware it was the BBA version!
I'm a big fan of stouts and imperial stouts, even wine barrel aged stouts. I drink zero liquor so that's probably why I disagree with the bourbon, whiskey, and gin aged stuff.
When done right, I think it gives the beer added depth and pushes it to another dimension, but, yeah, if you're not a fan I can see where it throws you for a loop. Hope you find the standard DF, it was the first decent attempt at the style I ever found in this region!
