Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

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

Vintage 2005, 2 years old
Muddy amber color; the head disappears quickly. Sweet caramel aroma, light cereals, sweet nuts, very nice hops. Sweet flavor, thick body, malt and caramel flavor, a bit spicy, light fruitness of bitter oranges. The palate is almost oily, amidst the malt a strong bitterness appear, almost too much (probably due to excess of yeast).

12oz bottle, courtesy of travisd13. Pours a brown color with golden highlights. Somewhat thin white head that fades but hangs around through most of the glass. Oh man... smells of spicy hops with a touch of sweetness in there. Tastes awesome! Hops, hops and more hops. Spicy, somewhat grassy hops flavors. A bit of caramelly sweetness on the finish. Somewhat thick and syrupy. Good carbonation. This is a big tasting brew. Another one of those BW’s that’s more like an Imperial IPA to me, but what do I know.

2006 bottle. Pours a ruddy brown into my glass with a mostly dead appearance. Rousing and time shows that there’s a little bit of life below. There’s a half cm thick yeast cake left on the bottom of the bottle. Very sweet aroma, overripe apricots and peaches, sugarcane. Taste is fanstastic and perfect for a sweeter barleywine. Fructose-like sweetness to start, becomes mildly citric in the middle, and a nice hop appearance comes out of nowhere in the finish. The zip in the finish is contrasted well by the overall sweetness that stays in check. Alcohol is practically non-detectable.

Nice intoxicating smell. Cool brandy appearance. I find it to be very complex, malty flavor to it. What a nice barley wine.

’06 vintage. Pours a beautiful amber color with no head. Nose is sweet and complex. Caramel and candied sugar stand out. Flavor is wonderfully complex with sweet malt, dried fruit and citrus. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel and clean finish round out this great ale.

This barley wine pours a deep reddish amber color from a 12oz bottle. Small sized white foamy head. The aroma is caramel, raisins, peaches, some smoke and toffee. A medium to full bodied barley wine. The malts are caramel and toffee with some fruit. The hops are citrusy and herbal. Lots of fruit flavors, plums , mangos and raisins and lots of caramel and toffee. The flavors are right out there, they have mellowed a little, but this one is still a big bold barley wine. Which makes it perfect for sipping and enjoying on a cold winter evening. This one will age very well. The alcohol is very present in both the flavor and mouthfeel, but its not bad in any way. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet with a pronounced alcohol bite.

Bottle, 2007. Deep amber pour, sudsy head. Aroma of citrusy hops, plum, caramel malt. I got a lot of mango in the flavor in addition to more citrus, some raisin, toffee upon warming. Mouthfeel full yet silky. Excellent.

Poured from a 2007 version bottle from a friend who brought it down from portland. Copper and murky in color with a thin tan head. Very silky syrupy smooth on the palate. The aromas are subtle fruit and malt. Flavors are oustanding and complex of prune, fig and raisin. Mild hop undertones with sweet caramel maltiness. Nice lasting finish. Wish I had more for sure.