Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

Brown, with a white head. Nice whiskey/cognac aroma, with notes of an earthy hop bite. Flavor is hops up front - woodsy, mostly, with a background of sweet caramel malts. It’s tough to make all the little flavors in the background - I definately get some brown liquor, and molassess, maybe. Very tasty. Sampled at Noogfest2.

12-ounce ’05 bottle. Pours a muddy brown slurry with a big head that’s medium-white. The bottle geysered idly, the glass geysered relentlessly. Took easily 3 or 4 minutes of tipping, scraping, and rinsing to get the snifter full and out of the kitchen. Pale sediment and streams of tiny bubbles for ten minutes at least. Massive hopstream on the nose, very floral and earthy. Sweet malt, brown sugar, some crystal ginger, and a big blossoming hop finish that’s by turns sharp, tingling, and dry. Effortlessly complex, domineering maelstrom of sludge in the glass.
12-oz bottle of ’03. Thanks, Kim! Wow, the 03 is drinking amazingly well here at the end of 07. Wood, leather, prune, great balance and complexity with commendable boldness at the same time. Lovely stuff.

2004 bottle. Flavor is a raging mix of malt and hops, citrusy-grapefruit flavors, brown sugar, grass, and a healthy dose of cough syrup (but not in a bad way, if that can be believed). This is a big beer with a big ABV, and it doesn’t apologize for that fact. Now that the whole thing is almost gone it’s hard to tell the flavors apart, I just get a sense of syrupy sweetness and hop bite fading into an alcoholic haze. Tasty, but nothing outrageous for the style (think Bigfoot with more edge). All in all, a great drink.

2003 Bottle. 11.5% Orange amber, hazy, medium white head that lasts a bit. Aroma is big malts, fruity, maybe some banana, caramel, I really like this aroma. Flavor is big, some alcohol, fruity, malty, pretty much exactly what you’d expect based on the aroma. It tastes a lot like many other BWs, to be honest. I think BW is a style that is difficult to make a stand out example of. But this is still a good beer. It’s pretty smooth for it’s strength. Enjoyed.

This is one big ASS beer. Pours a nice deep dark golden brown color. Aromas of hay, hop flowers, carmel malts, candy sugar, honey. Flavor: oak, caramel malts, grapefruit, light hops, brown sugar, and alcohol. This beer is to big and bad for my palate.

Murky deep amber colour with a tan head. Malty aroma with a plum fruityness and hints of the hops. Malty sweet flavor with notes of dried fruit. Hoppy dry finish with a nice warming alcohol note.

Blue Max Liquors, Burnsville, Mn. - 12 oz bottle - 2005 edition. Murky, dark orange appearance, fluffy, thick off-white head. Very fragrant, wee bit of alcohol, some caramel, spruce and citrus in the aroma. Very well balaced. Some hoppy citrusy notes, maple syrup, spearmint, with a nectarine back end. Mouthfeel is thick and silky. One of the smoothest barley wines of this weight I have had.

2004 vintage via trade with notalush - Thanks Brandon! - Pours ruby with a big tan head that stayed pretty well. Nice aroma of caramel malts and c-hops. Some dark cherries there as well.. Flavor is very sweet at first. Notes of caramel and even a touch of brown sugar before the citrus grapefruit, pineapple, and a touch of orange take over on this. Still you seem to be left with a sweet lingering cherry and caramel aftertaste that keeps you coming back for more. Palate is full bodied and almost sticky sweet but very smooth and mouthcoating. Not a trace of the 10.5% alcohol found. Good stuff!