Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

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

4/17/05: Bottle, 2004.
Hop and alcohol nose. Dark red body with an almond colored head. Strong hop flavor with other flavors of fruit and alcohol. Good amount of malt and sugar. Surpassingly drinkable for a 2004 vintage- nicely balanced.

Trade from Ross. Thanks man. Pours a cloudy caramel color with no head. Seriously, it looked like a Werther’s candy had diarrhea in my glass. Anyway, the aroma is intensely hoppy. Man, lots of grapefruit and citrus intermingle with alcohol, some lemon, caramel, and light spice. Taste is citrus hops, alcohol, caramel, and some fruitiness. Very small trace of carbonation but the alcohol is not boozy, just warming. Lot of grainy sediment in this one as well, like I was drinking sand. Not what I was expecting from HOTD, but still a decent beer. Thanks Ross!

Pours a fading ring of beige head with a copper body. Aromas of caramel, resin, slightly floral. Flavor is sweet, little spicy, herbal, some resin. Good, oily body. Floral, bready, sweet finish.

Getting notebook online. Bottle, 2006. A hoppy port! The good raisin/date oak flavors usually in a barley wine with some great hop flavors. Very nice!

Copper colour with no head. No carbonation. Aroma of fruit, hops, honey and alcohol. Strong malty flavour with much bitterness and alcohol. Finish like a good wine. Sip this. Good with chocolate.

2004 Vintage. Holy crap... I’ve never seen such a nice pour into my Belgian tulip glass. It pours a slightly hazed deep red amber with a monster head that sits tall and proud and leaves behind lace, lots of lace. I am half way down my tulip, and there are stalactites of foam that hang from the top of the glass... The aroma is of very fresh hops and some deep caramel. The flavor seems to hit like a tsunami, but at the same time has progressions that are as gentle as ripples on a smooth-as-glass pond that has been awaken with a pebble (very continuous and analog, not disjoint at all; blended, well suited). Malt sweetness, fruits of all sorts, chocolate, roast, fresh hops that dance on the tongue, there is so much going on in the flavor department... The palate is rich and Belgian like in the cleansing nature. Did I mention warming? No, I did not. It is warming. Wow, this is one fine Barley Wine. This is world class. Thanks Becky for hauling this from OR. Thanks Alan for making such good beer.

Magnum sample (bottom end). Pours murky brown with lots of sediment. Thin tan head. Piney nose with brown sugar, burnt butter, booze and wood. Sweet and laced thoughout with chocolate, berry tart, butter, raisins, cake and wood. Sour milk. Big and bold. Unfortunately I had the bottom of the bottle which had some rather large tobacco sized sediment. None the less the flavours of whiskey and toasted barley prevailed. Quite delicious and I wait for a sample, somewhere near the middle.

Well, I had made this review after having enjoyed the 2008 "Fred from the Wood." This, now, is incredibly smooth and altogether especially as it is fresh--this is the 2008 bottle. It is overall sweet and spicy. But what works is how all the ingredients are blended together subtlety--hops, honey, and malts are very good. I think I note butterscotch, chocolate, honey, brown sugar, some tea quality, and some citrus. There is more to this. It is festive. And there is no overbearing alcohol note. This is a very good brew.