I had a dog named Dino once. No, I didn’t name hime. He got hit by a car. Didn’t kill him, though, just broke his shoulder. He ended up living to be 10 or something like that. That was one damn tough mutt.

All of which has absolutely nothing (except for the name) to do with tonight’s review, Dino’s Dark from Lake Louie Brewing, although Dino (the dog) was dark, which is a mild but still somehow weird coincidence.

Even though dogs are outstanding, this is actually a beer review, so we’ll talk about the beer. Dino’s Dark is a lighter, hoppier, spring-only version of Lake Louie’s highly rated Tommy’s Porter, a beer that normally doesn’t come first to mind when a light, summery beer is in order.

Dino’s pours a dark, sediment-y amber with about a half-finger’s worth of mottled, dirty-white head. To be honest, it’s not a very pretty beer in the glass. But looks aren’t everything. The brew’s aroma is coffee-tinged malt, with some smoky notes in the background.

The beer opens with a soft, rich mouthfeel, with a body on the bigger side of medium. Smoky, earthy malt is right up front, followed immediately by richer, sweeter coffee notes that mellow the sip out. A shot of hops follows, bringing everything to a close a little earlier than expected … even though the finish is plenty long for a “spring” beer.

Despite the fact that I’m too lazy to review it, I’ve had Tommy’s Porter, and Dino’s Dark is, indeed, a bowdlerized version of it. It doesn’t mean that this is a subpar beer, or even subpar porter. On the contrary, this is a decent porter that can hold its own with a majority of the dark, malty ales you’ll come across in the Midwest, and beyond. Recommended.

Reviewed by Eddie Glick on June 10, 2008.

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