Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

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

2005 batch. This could almost be classifed as a double IPA if it weren’t so sweet. In fact, several of its characteristics, especially its strong, thick citrusy flavor and aftertaste, reminded me of Dreadnaught. It pours a murky, almost opaque, copper. Lots of yeast and sludge. Huge light tan head with big bubbles and staying power. The aroma was full of orange, grapefruit, floral hops, pine and a slight bit of leather and band-aid. The flavor is sweet — caramel malt and sugared orange juice. That rides atop pine, grapefruit and a bitterness that creeps in at the end and sticks around. There are notes of earthiness as well and a slight rubbery taste. Thick body and long, peppery, bitter finish. Sticky, but not cloying. Nicely carbonated. A delicious beer.

2004. Grape color with no head. Aroma is sweet dried plums and chocolate. Taste is somewhat bitter but what I find strangest, is the large amount of chocolate in the flavor and the absolute lack of head. Still some grape in there which tells me this could have used another year or two stashed away. Why is HOtD so fuckin hit or miss though?

On cask at at KClinger’s in Hanover, PA. Pours murky brown with a one-finger off-white head. Excellent hop aroma against a background of caramel malt. Subsequent sniffs reveal a chocolatey sweetness. The flavor begins sweet, but pine needles soon prick at the tongue, spearheading a wave of Douglas Fir. Citrus sneaks its way into the mix, complementing the other flavors perfectly before the wood and pine finish. There is a lingering roasted chocolate flavor. Velvety-smooth in the mouth. I love it.

From a 12 oz. long neck brown bottle with the year made, 2005, in the lower center of label, sampled at cellar temperature in a snifter. Made a good appearance, poured a murky orange hued amber brown with a small foamy head that settled into a thin lacing, minimal amount of sticking, pretty good carbonation overall, I kind of surprise because of the murkiness, with sediment, of the pour. Had a nice hop nose of pine resin and citric herbal, a bit floral with whiffs of honey, yeast and alcohol at the edges. A crisp, sprightly hop textured with a little coarseness, smooth medium bodied mouth feel, good sipping drinkability. Big hoppy taste, pine needles and spruce, mild citric that compliments the herbal flavors, bitter with a soft numbing of the tongue, a subtle dry yeastiness, a submerged honey and sweet malts that rests beneath the hops during the entire taste, and a hop resinous finish. An excellent barley wine from Hair of the Dog, exactly what you expect from this brewer. I have two bottles to taste now and four to age, I imagine it will get smoother as it ages and lose some of it’s roughness.

12-oz. bottle, 2005 vintage. Pours slightly hazy mahagony with an off-white foamy and sticky head, sticks around mostly and provides for some lined, spotty lacing. Aroma is fragrant, sweet, floral hops, citrus curiosity develops afterwards, caramel malt, lightly toasted, hints of maple. Medium bitterness quickly gets pushed aside by the sweet caramel malt that is being swiftly chased by those fragrant and sweet hops, just enough citrus to say "high" and leave with some orange notes, a creamy nuttiness ensues at the end with notes of alcohol that are far from overpowering. Indeed, this is a very well balanced brew. Full bodied and warm, fizzy to spicy palate that still lets some creaminess through.

Bottle – 2004 vintage drank in 2006 (Courtesy of Xproudfoot): Poured a deep burgundy color ale with a medium off-white foamy head with good retention. Aroma of powerful sweet malt with some figs and prunes characteristics. Taste is really sweet probably to the presence of honey with some figs and dry prunes also thrown in there. Hops are also present though not overly which suite me just fine (aged bottle may have affected presence of hops). Body is above average and alcohol is very well hidden. Very good stuff and I would love to get my hand on some more of it.

Big buttery carmely sharp malt aroma(must be the honey), seconds later a big hit of amarillo hop comes through and eventually begins to dominate. Huge bellowing ,almost out of control head. Wow, huge carmel honey sweetness up front quickly overwhelmed by bittering and flavoring hops. This is an incredible hop concoction,with only that ever present sweetness justifying the barleywine label instead of an Imperial IPA. That wonderful hop aroma is experienced every time you go for a sip. In fact ,after I finished,that same fantastic hop aroma was still emanating from the bottle. i got to get more for my friends to try

2005 bottle. Lovely example of the barleywine style, with classic HotD idiosyncrasy. The blend between simcoe and wild honey is intense, but it’s balanced by some notes of bitter herbs. Fine, fine stuff.