Hair of the Dog Dave

Formerly brewed at Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Portland, Oregon USA

I was floored with the drinkability of the 29 abv found here. Aroma is off the charts and shows every bit of malt, powdered chocolate, and sugars used. Smooth and thick body of, with some hot sensibilities, full flavor in it’s sweet sugar and caramel dominance.

Appearance: Pours a clear, dark brown body with no head, but check out the ooey, gooey legs. Smell: Pure, top-dollar chocolate extract with a simmering pot of candied dark fruits, Grade-A maple syrup, brown sugar, and tawny port. Taste: Luxurious blend of chocolate, caramel, brown sugar, and maple -- all very sweet. Tons of dark fruitiness crammed into every savored sip. A pinch of black Cavendish pipe ash. Some spice cake crumbs. Quite warming throughout, though never ever hot. Mouthfeel: Thick-bodied. No carbonation. Drinkability: Drinks rather well considering the purported ABV. It’s definitely the feel-good hit of my summer! A very delicious creation, it was hard not to include the "f" word in my review.

Ok, thanks to CaptainCougar for obtaining a bottle. The body was deep murky brown with no head, of course. The aroma was amazing, with rich toffee and cellar notes. There was also some sweet pancakes, pears and cinnamon. All of this was overlaid with pleasant oxidation and some alcohol sting. The taste was dry chocolate with some tobacco and wood. Only bare hints of any type of sweetness as this was mostly dry and woody. Too much on that woody character.

Date: 06/03/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

Appearance: clear dark brown, headless, thick viscous legs,
Aroma: rich rum soaked dark fruit aroma, alcohol shows as it breaths a while and then starts to disapate again, brown sugar sweetness,
Body: body appears big at first but the alcohol thins it out,
Flavor: hot caramel and brown sugar flavor, plenty of residual woody earthyness adds the balancing bitterness, lingering alcohol finish, touch of chocolate backed by a dark caramel character that offers a hint of sweetness, touch of licorice adds to the sweet backend,

Aroma: 9/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.2/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***+/4

Holy ’mokes. This beer was amazing. And the age. I am floored. First for the fact that I got a chance to try this. Second by the beer overall. Amazing aromas. Wanted to sniff it all day, but then what? Dark Fruit, Molasses, cane sugar, wood, wood, and wood. Flavor didn’t disappoint either like some beers with an amazing nose. More sweet malts. Raisin, prune, chocolate. Alcohol was evident in the warming of the palate and throat, but not in the flavor. Purely awesome. Not to mentions pretty darn tasty. Thanks for making this happen.

Tried at Fordest’s tasting. Huge thanks to everyone involved in the process of getting a small bottle of this for tasting. Pours flat. Dark amber. I can’t believe I’m going to tast it. Wow, what an aroma. I smelled and smelled this for 10 minutes before tasting. I just can’t get over it. Tons and tons of woody notes and lots of oak. I’m afraid to taste it, because it may not live up to the aroma....Taste is awesome. Lots of malty caramel notes. Very mild oxidation of the very best kind...no cardboard. Figs, caramel, and brown sugars. Whew, taste completely lives up to the aroma. Lots of throat burn in a pleasant warming way. Sweet, brown sugar, figs. I sip away at it for 10-15 minutes. I don’t want the taste to end. Now, I can die happy.

Sampled at the Fordest Tasting. Pours a tan brownish with no head and no carbonation. aroma of toffee, coffee, malt,.dark fruit and honey???? lacing like a brandy, somewhat boozy in that is was very warming, no way is this 29%. This is definately a high point in my craft beer experience.

Freaking fantastic brew shared by toncatcher at the fordest tasting. Awesome barley wine.