Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

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

courtesy of fiulijn; 2005 vintage - cloudy copper colour; the foam quickly disappears; very hoppy and malty nose: herbal, yeasty with notes of nougat and caramel; very thick and oily; robust malt body, lot of carbonation and a very strong astringent bitterness; notes of burning alcohol in a long bitter finish; very flowery and yeasty - a hugely complex hop bomb

Ruby amber brew, rocky crown on top. From the start you are welcomed with this lovely refreshing hop character. Light citric/malty danced wrapped by alcohol. With time nose uncovers more of peach flowery aromas. At first sip you will realize how complex this ale is. Complex set of aromatic, high alpha hops, juicy malts pale and dark. All this very well done, in good balance. Highly recommended.

(2003): Nice reddish appearance and excellent head formation. Nose shows sweet vanilla, shortbread , caramel and a touch of wood and spice. Punchy, fruity citrus on the palate. Malt pulls through as it warms, mostly biscuity with some dark fruits and caramel. It's pretty hoppy, citric and bitter throughout, definitely swaying mucgh further in that direction than I'm used to for a barley wine. It finishes pretty bitter too.

2003 12oz-Pours a deep mahogany like a good belian ale. Aromas of pineapple, pineapple and more pineapple. Head is a slight off-white with beautiful micro bubbles. The smell is amazing.... let's see if the taste is there... Flavors of melon, pineapple and spice with lots of little bubbles tingling the tongue. Tastes of belgian yeast are also their.

#400. Muddy reddish brown. Head is a smooth creamy lasty froth. Quite attractive. The aroma is spicy hops. Delicious combination of sweet malt and cleansing hop finish. Equisite barley wine.

bottle-one of the highlights from the tasting in the NM mountains just east of Albuquerque. pours a cinnamon hue with a beige head-rocky and nice looking. Aroma rings out simcoe hops, which is very unique for a barleywine! I love it! Big hoppy flavors that were pretty sweet, citric, tropical fruits and caramel notes from a good malt base. some alcohol heat in there as well (as it should for that high of abv). long hoppy finish with a malt base. I want a bottle to consume for myself!

2003 bottle drunk in 2007. Murky brown with a whispy beige slick for a head. Deep, chewy nose of dried fruit, melted toffee, wood and leather. This is the kind of aged Barley Wine that you can just get lost in. The ABV is well hidden. Tons of raisen and dried plum, both soaked in rum. Some berry fruitiness too. Toffee sweetness, wood, leather, some vanilla, and the grapefruit rind bitterness is still in the finish. Such a nice beer. I wish I had more.

I just had a bottle while cooking and opening some presents on Christmas Day 2005--I didn’t even realize until opening it that this is intended as a Holiday beer. They put joy into this barleywine with enough honey sweetness to make it compulsively sippable, and they put in plenty of hop spirit as well. Warming of orange, pine, caramel, a touch of spice (only a touch, and a little dried fruit. Warming alcohol. It helped me fall asleep during the present opening. Though initially it seemed too much for me, it was a great sipper and by the end it seemed to capture just the right notes without ever sinking into bitter negatives when it warmed. Sticky, syrupy, sweet, beautiful palate. Happy Holidays!