Commercial Descriptions:
"Sneaky Pete is a blend of five hop types: Simcoe, Glacier, Centennial, Vanguard and Hallertuaer, with Simcoe playing the dominate role at 30%. In addition, three separate malts were used: Honey Malt, Rye Malt, and Munich Malt. The brew has a copious aroma of white grapefruit, citrus overtones, a complex rich middle and long flavors in the finish; a real beauty. Finished with wild clover honey."
Alpha Dog: "A True Hop Bomb Brewed plenty of Columbus and Mt Hood Hops for a Piney hop character. Premium Pale, Honey and Munich Malt make this beer a little less malty but packing plenty of hop punch."
Laughing Dog Sneaky Pete Imperial IPA
Presentation: 12 oz bottle poured into a tulip.
Appearance: It has a very dark amber color with a small off white head. There was only a minimal amount of lacing.
Aroma: Very fragrant pine, peach, and citrus notes. The citrus comprised mostly of
grapefruit and orange aromas. There was also a noticeable amount of
caramel malt in the background too.
Taste: Orange and hop bitterness up front that slowly segues into pine and
caramel malt. This is fairly bitter, but there is a pretty significant
malt backbone to it too. It provides quite a bit of residual sweetness
and bread-like character. This is definitely a sipper too. The spiciness
of the alcohol is pretty apparent and it's incredibly warming. You can
feel the alcohol burn slowly trickle down your chest after each sip.
Mouthfeel: Boy this is much heavier than expected. It sure is thick for an IPA.
There's a low amount of carbonation too, which doesn't help the texture
much.
Overall: This would be a spectacular IIPA if it wasn't for the extreme warming
of the alcohol and the heavy body. It's as if Laughing Dog wants you to
take a challenge with this beer. However, all things considered, this
is a pretty enjoyable brew. The aroma is great and the taste is pretty
solid.
4/5
-Too much alcohol presence
-Heavy body
Laughing Dog Alpha Dog Imperial IPA
Presentation: 22 oz bomber poured into a tulip.
Appearance: Light orange/yellow color with a big fluffy white head. The lacing on
this is ridiculous. There's a beautiful film that sticks to the glass
after each sip.
Aroma: Plenty of pine and grassy notes upfront with a nice amount of
grapefruit, orange, and sweet malt. This isn't incredibly complex, but it's good nonetheless.
Taste: Hops, pine, and bitterness up front. The hops and pine certainly hit
you hard, but not quite as much as one would think from a beer at 127
IBUs. As it sits on your tongue you begin to notice the citrus
(grapefruit and orange) and sweet malt. I looked at previous reviews of
this beer and the biggest criticism that many had was that the malt
backbone was too big on this. Honestly, it's not that big. It's really
only noticeable with the sweetness and it compliments a faint honey note
too. At 8.5% ABV the alcohol isn't that present. There's only a
slightly warming character and it brings a minor spice character. This could
have been a bit more complex, but it's pretty good as is.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a good amount of carbonation. This also finishes pretty dry.
Overall: Not as sloppy as other reviews have hinted at. Yes, this is a pretty
sweet IIPA, but it helps counteract the bitterness. Actually, this is a
really enjoyable beer because of the sweetness. Personally, the biggest
issue with huge IPAs is that they focus far too much on residual
bitterness. It makes a beer one long droning note. This beer is not
that. It has both bitterness and sweetness. Additionally, the appearance
and lacing is great and the alcohol is well hidden. Other than more hop
character, what else is there to be wanted in an imperial IPA?
4.5/5
-Could benefit from more hop presence and complexity
-Jeff
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