Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

Sampled in a single blind tasting side by side. I had 2 properly stored vintages, 04 and 05. The total score is an average of the two scores. Beer #1 (2005) - Aroma is sweet, fruity, vinous, and very aromatic. There is a lightly ethanolic note to this. This is wonderfully aromatic and very pleasant. There are some chocolate-milk like notes in this. Smells soooo good. Very muddy, murkey sludge-like brown-amber body with a nice off-yellow head. Wow...this is like cigar tobacco. A bit smoky, too. This is actually very similar to the cigar I had last night, as a matter of fact. Some dry, roasty, lightly astringent notes are present in the middle with plenty of roastiness in the finish. This is like a liquid cigar. 9/3/7/4/15/3.8 ..... Beer #2 (2004) - Sweet, caramel, vinous, fruity aroma with a little chocolate, too. Pretty quaffable, but not as good as the first beer. Mildly hazy garnet body with a nice, frothy light tan head and nice lacing. A very attractive brew. This brew also has a bit of cigar tobacco flavor with some peaty malts and chewy, caramel flavors in the middle. Ethanol is not detectable. Very mellow brew with some lightly bitter hops in the finish. I also get some chocolate flavors late. Really good brew. 7/5/9/5/17/4.3

2007 bottle. Watching southpark and waiting for a pretty girl to come over to my apt. Tasted Dales Pale ale before this and it was Very good. Im really excited about this brew. Hazy golden pour, dissipating fizzy white head. Dark sticky malt aromas, sweet and hoppy. a little bit of burnt sugar and or caramel. Intense Malt and tobacco. Almost like a sweet bourbon, the mouthfeel is relatively creamy. Alcohol is present in the mouht but mostly comes out in the finish as a woody alcohol finish. Very enjoyable, a great sipper.

Bottle. Huh....this is one unique brew from start to finish. Garnet colored with just a hint of a soapy head, nearly flat. Massive nose of oiled leather, scotch, rich fruits, and a few notes of red wine. Really sweet flavors of syrup, honey, tobacco, and a lovely warming sweet bourbon filling the mouth at the end. It’s really impressive how there is zero alcohol burn or heat left in the mouth with a beer this strong and this flat. Typically it takes carbonation to hide this burn, but not here. Weird, unique, almost more like a super sweet bourbon than a beer, but really enjoyable.

2006 bottle acquired via trade with kegbear...thanks Craig!!! This brew poured a rich ruby red/garnet with absolutely no head and only minimal carbonation bubbling up from the bottom of the glass. Aroma is dark candied fruit, toffee, caramel, and brown sugar. Nice natural sweetness, the hops have all but melted away with aging as has the alcohol burn. A very nice beer...would love a fresher bottle for comparison.

12oz bottle from new beer distributors in manhattan. pours a dark red-brown color with a medium head that stick around. aroma of citrus hops and fruity dark candy caramel malts. aroma still somehow comes off as more of a dIPA than barley wine. taste is sweat caramel, apricot and light alcohol. syrupy medium texture. nice light bitter finish. a really well balance brew. could be my favorite barley wine so far. K-8

Appearance is a murky ruby red/amber hue with a modest layer of creamy white head, fair lacing on the glass. Smell is a range of hops, mostly floral/grassy/citrus, sweet toffee and caramel malts, dark fruits, brown sugar, oak, and booze. Taste is initially dark fruits, booze, brown sugar, vanilla, oak, and caramel malts, transitions to sour and piney hops, finishes with sweet honey and raisins with alcohol warming. Mouthfeel is full-bodied, thick and oily texture with a prickly feel from the carbonation and alcohol presence. Drinkability is moderate, this is a lighter yet more flavorful barleywine than what I’m used to, a great mix of taste sensations in the overall profile and a not-overwhelming alcohol presence, another solid offering from HoTD.

Tasted @ Higgins in Portland.
I’ve had the Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws 2007. Very nice barleywine. Orange colored. Aroma is sweet, hoppy and fruity. Herbal, hoppy, creamy, sweet caramel flavors. Flavor shifts during tasting, very nice smooth brew.

Bottle from PC Market of Choice in Ashland, OR. I bought another bottle of this because I was excellently trashed (on our 13th serious brew of the night) at the time. All I remember is this one had a beautiful, sweet tinge to it that was awesome. I wrote that it smelled almost lambic and fruity, and it had a sweet and malty backbone. I’m aging my other bottle.