Hair of the Dog Adam

Brewed by Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Style: Traditional Ale
Portland, Oregon USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard

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Batch 78 thanks to AlFrantzell. Wow. Pours with a surprisingly firm, if small, amount of head and some lasting wispy top and lacing. There’s so much going on in the nose that I can’t even put it all into words. Tobacco, leather, smoke, chocolate, rich rum raisins, my goodness. The taste follows through on the promise of the nose and adds a beautiful little wrinkle that makes this beer taste absolutely unbelievable: citrus hops in the finish. So nuanced, so flavorful, so, so, so good. Before I’d ever tried any of their products, I didn’t really understand what HotD was about. The bottles were fairly expensive, and the reviews on BA were good but not unbelievable. Then I tried Ruth, and that beer was a very solid pale ale. Then I tried Cherry Adam. That beer is tasty but a bit on the sweet side and harder to finish. Then I got a hold of two bottles of Adam. My life is forever changed; I have a new brewery to buy up whenever I see their beers, and possibly an all-time favorite for the colder months.

Bottle. Aroma is of chocolate, smoke. Pours a huge creamy head. Very dense. Flavor is alcohol, smoke, chocolate, roasted malt, and a lingering bitterness. This is incredible. Really makes me want a cigar. Booze is slightly detectable in the finish. Very robust and well rounded beer. Complex. Seriously might be the best beer I’ve ever tasted.

As perfect as beer can get. Simply exquisite. It has deep lush flavors of hops, malts, barley, chocolate. Great balance

An intense, extremely creamy dark ale. Complexity is the hallmark of this beer, with notes of plum and dates, chocolate, smoke, peat, and coffee. For me, it’s an absolute necessity to lay this beer down for a few months before I have a bottle. Some will argue that oxidation detracts from Adam, but I don’t think there are many beers more suited to its effects. (It’s also quite tasty with vanilla ice cream.)

UPDATED: DEC 27, 2010 {another re-rate, many years later - love it! - so smoky, with a pronounce earthy, leathery character - creamy, balanced, delicious!] This is like no other beer I’ve ever had. The appearance is deep, dark red, without any head to speak of, which gives nothing away about what it will taste like. There is an intense, alcohol and oak aroma to this brew. The flavor seems like a mix of barley wine and apple cider, with some roasted malts thrown in for good measure. The finish reminds me very much of red wine. Highly unusual. Most certainly an experience. - original 3.8 - re-rate, batch 57 - this beer must change a great deal from batch to batch, because this batch is devoid of the vinous qualities, and instead has an intense, smokey, scotch ale flavor, combined with the flavor of an excellent, well-aged barleywine - I like this batch better.

Dark, complex, creamy, perfect brew for sipping in the winter in front of the fireplace. One of the best brews ever.

Bottled; Batch #59. Brownaler described this at our tasting as "an Imperial brown ale" and I tend to agree. A very hoppy flavor with very spicy notes throughout. Finish was smooth and warming. A new all-time favorite for me.

Batch 56. I have just poured the glass and am waitng for the head to settle. The smell is overwhelming the room and it's driving me salivatingly mad. I wonder if I can get close enough to the glass to taste this without passing out from hyperventilation. Oh crap, moving closer, the smells are getting all mixed up. Let's take this slowly. A wierd whiff of rare meat. Figs, cherries, plums? Yeast, of course. Some mocha. Earth, acidity, licorice? From far away, chocolate. I swear to God, I'm actually getting all this. Everyone MUST sit in the same room for this beer and smell it for twenty minutes. This can't possibly taste as complex as it smells, but here goes. Did I mention it's a deep dark brown like a traditional porter? Not much light getting through. Wow. This beer is like the magic gum at Willy Wonka's factory. Or like Manwich. Either way, it's a meal. Bursts with fruit, leather, earth, and caramel up front. Fades to warming but bitter chocolate over the middle and ends with ashy, smoky, burnt wood flavor...dry as dust. Afterburp of mild alcohol. My God, this is amazing. Go get one. NOW. THANK YOU DREW!

Bought 5 cases of this from a distributor about 6 months ago (it wasnt available anywhere in my area for quantities of more than 4 -5 bottles at a time). Each month it has gotten better. All my friends & their relatives have been trying to take mine. I am almost This beer is very rich, with loads of roasted flavors. Smokey, spicy, mild sweet are a few ways to characterize this beer. It has so many levels. So different from the fred, yet any true beerian will enjoy this brew.

This is my favorite beer of all time. A perfectly balanced ale. The alcohol is not overpowering and the wonderful undertones of stonefruit and caramel pair deliciously with the malt. The texture is smooth like liquid bread with just the right amount of carbonation. The hops is noticable and in perfect balance with the sweet malt. GIVE ME MORE!