Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

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

12 ounce bottle, 2005 vintage, from Blue Max in Burnsville, MN (June 2007, consumed a bit below cellar temperature from a Maudite glass. The head on this sucker is quite astonishing, filling 2/3 of the glass immediately with soft creamy off-whiteness and decaying every-so-slowyly; hey, I might be sober before I get to taste this!.....the body is a very nearly opaque rust; the head finally dissipates leaving thick gobbets of lacing after several minutes....aroma-wise this is mostly sweet, with resinous, lightly orangy hops mostly serving to keep it from being gaggingly sugary; there’s also a fair bit of musty, earthy character to it, some old very dry prunes.....overripe apricots.....upon tasting, no real surprises, as the musty earthy qualities and huge sweetness blend fairly harmoniously with rough woody hops, alcohol is present mostly in a warming, comforting capacity with just a bit of harshness towards the finish....rather too dry and minerallic right at the end for me, but I really like the sparkling carbonation and soft, pillowy mouthfeel. A very solid effort if not for me a masterpiece.

Vintage 2005, 2 years old
Muddy amber color; the head disappears quickly. Sweet caramel aroma, light cereals, sweet nuts, very nice hops. Sweet flavor, thick body, malt and caramel flavor, a bit spicy, light fruitness of bitter oranges. The palate is almost oily, amidst the malt a strong bitterness appear, almost too much (probably due to excess of yeast).

Bottle. 2004. Mahogony color with a beige head. Big citrus and pine hop aroma with sweet malt underneath. Thick rich body. Niticable alcohol presence. Toffee, pine resin, citrus, stone fruit flavors. Nice bitterness. Carbonation a little too high.

Bottles 2004 and 2005. both were similar. Pours a hazy light amber/orangey copper with a dimishing head. Aroma is moslty new american hops like simcoe and amarillo- lots of grapefruit, citrus, orange peel, some mango, but gets to be a little catty, and solvent-like when fresh, when aged though it loses some of the harsh hop character and smooths out nicely. Tons of hops in the flavor with more simcoe to dominate but also has a ton of malt backbone, toffee, and moslty caramel malts. Fruity flavors in the middle, apple, dark dried figs, and finishes with a nice rouded bitterness. The 04 destroys the 05 though.

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.

Bottle. Thanks to jeffc666 for this! 2004 vintage. Deep hazed ruby. Enormous frothy tan head. Aroma is lovely! Big spicy hops, big citrusy notes, light pine, maybe some herbal notes or mint, and light sugary notes. Taste has big hops has well, more minty/herbal notes, strong pine, earthy notes, and a healthy dose of citrus. Light alcohol and sugary notes throughout. Body is full with mild carbonation and light alcohol warmth. Finish is more citrus, pine, alcohol, mint, spicy hops and brown sugar. Nice beer! Would be a great one to age.

2004 Vintage. Cloudy orange-brown w/ rocky light brown head. Good lace & some sediment evident. Sweet, malty, yeasty, hoppy aroma of caramel, toffee, caramel, dark fruit, grapefruit & herbs. Chewy, full-bodied feel. Malty, yeasty flavour w/ some fruity notes & a mild, sour acidity. Moderately hoppy & bitter w/ a warm, rounded finish.

This is a good Barley Wine. Hoppy, malty, citric flavors. Finishes crisp, clean, and dry.