Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

bottle (recent batch, forgot the number)...cap looked suspicious but thankfully tasted great.....appearance: dark rosey reddish-brown accompanied by a medium off-white head. didn’t gush out like the two spoiled Adams that i’ve had...aroma: lots of sweet malt, fig/raisin, and caramel.....taste: consistent taste to the nose. medium body with light carbonation with a nice spicy peppery kick in the end....very nice indeed. my first non-infected HOTD brew and a mighty fine one at that.

Year made 2005, purchased in Spokane, WA. Pours a very hazy amber, with a very thick two finger head, that even after 15 minutes only fades to about a fingers worth of foam. The lacing is just one solid sheet of foam on the inside of my glass. Smell; (once the foam settle enough) even after a year and a half hops are still very evident in the aroma, with some pine and citrus. Rich caramel and chocolate, with a mils touch of cherries. There’s also a little vanilla and honey in the nose as well. Taste; the piney and citric hops are present in the flavor, but they’re a little more mellow than they were in the nose. Vanilla, honey and some hints of cinnamon wrap around caramel and chocolate covered apples. The finish has a bit of spiciness that I really like, and where the hell is that 10.5% abv? Oh wait, there it is, i can’t read the clock across the room anymore. Mouthfeel is full bodied and very creamy, with a dangerously high drinkability. As a matter os fact, the only thing that really hurts this one for me is the ABV. If I had more than one of these, I don’t think I’d be able to walk straight, if at all.

The capped looked like this might not be a good bottle. Turned out to be fine. Thats 3/3 so far with HOTD bottles. Taste was caramel, honey, brown sugar, dark fruits. Very smooth and almost fruity throughout. But not too sweet or sticky. Really enjoyed it.

bottle from the now defunct happy deli nyc. murky leather taste with akre of burnt woodbark. then medium rush of piney hop and settled citrus wash. good carbonation and nice foamy head. good tobacco lightly mellow with quality brandy favors straight from a cask. this is how it was made in "2004" jst the right beer for a dirty old... with some scratch.

Bottle, made 2005. Aroma of caramel malt, yeast and hop. Probably resiny hop. Brilliant, translucent, ruby amber color with a light beige head that attempts to lace. Starts with sweet malt, hints of belgian candy, and then pine hop jumps right up. Then the hop recedes, the sweetness mellows out, and the finish is fairly well balanced. A very pleasant sipper, and the alcohol never interferes (with the savor anyway).

Fairly hoppy aroma for being about a year old. I also get lots of caramel, some nutty notes, toffee, bread pudding and brown sugar. The body is an orange tinted brown and holds no head at all. Quite still looking. Sweet malty fore quickly yields to piney hops before going sweet with toffee, caramel, brown sugar and candied fruit through the middle. Dry bitter finish, but that sweetness comes back strong in the aftertaste. Decent enough but the hops seem way too bright and fresh to me.

Pours a hazy brown with a nice tan head. Aroma of caramel, toffee, molasses, sweet malts, and brown sugar. Flavor is very complex with rich caramel malts, dark fruits, honey, molasses and alcohol Finishes with a nice rounded bitterness. An excellent barley wine

12oz bottle from Larry Pitonka (thanks to MrBendo for the additional bottle). Aroma: Piney hops, toffee and caramel, slight oxidation, bready malt, brown sugar, and dark fruits. Some fairly strong floral and alcohol notes as it warms. Appearance: Dark orange in color and hazy. Almost no head to speak of, just some small froth that kicked up as I poured. Despite the small head, there was some nice lacing. Flavor: Intensely sweet bready maltiness with big notes of carame, brown sugar, and toffee. Some anise and light cardboard oxidation. Dark fruits come out more as it warms. Hops work there way subtley throughout with notes of pine and citrus, and a faint bitterness that can’t hope to budge the intense malt sweetness. Palate: Full bodied and a bit syrupy. Low carbonation. Strong alcohol warming over entire mouth. Overall: A nice beer for the end of my night, but not as good as I was hoping for. Low carbonation definitely hurts it in mouthfeel and allows the malt sweetness to build. Still, pretty nice overall and worth atry.