Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

Brewed by Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Portland, Oregon USA

355ml bottle, vintage 2006, shared with Finn Arvid. Murky, orange body. No head. Some laceworks on the glass. Dark hoppy smell with moderate sweetness. Initial taste of mandarin and orange shells follwed by dark honey supported by herbs and spices. Rich finish of malt, bitter hops and alcohol. Twisted mouthfeel and a joy to drink (02.06.2008).

12oz bottle 2007. Floral hop aroma and like most hotd alcohol. Amber body with off white head and moderate lacing. Citrus flavor along with a heavy malt presence and alcohol deteted in aroma wasn’t in the flavor. Smooth on the palate.

12oz bottle thanks to amc3000. 2006 vintage. Pours a cloudy brown-copper color with no head at all. Unfortunately, I let quite a bit of sediment out of the bottom of the bottle. Nose is of pitted fruit such as apricot and a bit of syrupy medicine. Taste is of very ripe peach and apricot fruit. Mouthfeel is medium and creamy with some alcohol warmth. It is quite sweet and has some bitterness in the finish.

a dark red color with aromas of pine, hops, cherries, and alcohol. tastes of childrens cough syrup but it works for some reason. alcoholy taste to wash it down. complex and nice for dessert.

A cloudy brown-amber beer with tons of yeast sediment chunks (I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and blame my clumsy pour) and a decent fluffy off-white head that lasts and leaves lace. The aroma is very sweet, mostly floral hops and some caramel maltiness. The flavor is also quite sweet, with malt notes (toffee, molasses) and finishes long with caramel sweetness. This is a great beer, but a tad sweet for my taste. Alcohol well hidden.

12oz bottle. 2003 Vintage. Poured a medium ruby reddish color with a small sized off white head. Initial pour was clear but clouded up with floaters towards the bottom. Aromas of caramel, dark fruits, nutty, and a trace of citrus. Tastes of caramel, dark fruits (lots of plums and raisins), and brown sugary sweet. Light alcohol in the finish but overall well hidden. I thought this one is aging nicely.

Pours a dirty oramge color with lots of cloudiness. Huge aroma of sharp bitter peach, citrus, and classic English-ale mustiness. There’s an amazing alcohol burn that hits early and lasts long, sharp and stimulating. Some toasty caramel in the background, but the bitter citrus-and-peach hoppiness ultimately dominates the flavors. This is great, a truly great beer.

January 17th poured from 2007 vintage bottle into Dogfish snifter glass. Served cold from the fridge; allowed to naturally warm to room temperature while sipping. Aroma: Strong hops. (Will it taste that bitter!?) Taste: Malty sweet complemented with hops. Sweet, sugary. Fruity esters. Brown sugar, molasses, homemade sugary caramel. Bittering citrus hops. Hint of hot alcohol. A little rough as a young beer, but shows good potential to meld and mellow with age; can’t wait to try an aged Doggie Claws! Next time I will try this starting at room temperature as I’ve had recommendations to drink this beer without chilling.