Hair of the Dog Fred

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

Bottle at FFF. I rarely look at the bottle list at Floyds because the tap options always take precedent, but what a great surprise. I went in essentially blind after being denied the sold-out Adam. I assumed it was a Belgian Golden given the bottle and massive white head, but the color was much deeper gold and murky.Aroma was dominated by sweet malt and PNW hops. Unbelievably full body with surprisingly velvety carbonation. Flavor was malt heavy with tons of citrusy hops and a warm apricot finish. Alcohol is present but not dominant. Fantastic beer.

Pours amber with a big fluffy off-white head. Notes of sticky hop resins, tropical fruit esters, white grape, and tangy citrus. Full to heavy bodied with moderate alcohol and lively carbonation. This was extremely intense, a bit more than I was expecting, and a bit rough around the edges.

Bottle at FFF brewpub. Poured hazy copper color with a huge fizzy white head that lasted with excellent lacing. Moderate to heavy sour citrus and earthy rye aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth texture and soft carbonation and thin particles. Moderate to heavy bittersweet flavor with a medium to heavy earthy sweet finish of moderate to long duration. This is a complex standout beer.

Has an aroma of hops, apricot, prune, cherry, peach and olives. Tastes of prune, apricot and citrus. A little different than most barley wines, I can really notice a certain element of quality in this. Not to say barley wines are bad, but it really seems they went the extra mile making this one.

Thanks to savvy1982 for the share! Batch #74. Pours a transparent burnt orange colour. The head is quite small and quickly forms a ring around my snifter. Aroma is very bright and fresh. Flowers, marmalade, soft fruits, ginger and a hint of alcohol. The taste is quite complex and subtle (for the style). Oranges, ginger, soft fruit, spices, and alcohol. Nice mouth feel. Not bad at all.

12oz bottle (Batch 76) served in a snifter. Cap came off with a loud pop, and the beer was quite carbonated. Poured a hazy golden orange with a huge head of rocky beige foam that hung around for an eternity. Excellent rings of lacing. The aroma was a beautiful mix of apricots, oranges, honey, golden apples, and a touch of perfumey alcohol. The flavor started with clean malt and some rye spice, followed by tropical fruits, pears, apricot, golden raisins, and then some piney bite. Layered and complex, but not overly complicated. No trace of alcohol other than a little warmth. Big, full-bodied mouthfeel but very smooth. A nice amount of cleansing carbonation. Dangerously drinkable. You could sit and ponder the aroma and flavor all day, but this beer begs to be drunk. Extremely enjoyable!

Fantastic Beer. Fruity start, hoppy finish, superb mouthfeel, and a wicked heed. Glass is empty and the head is still clinging to the rim. Me likey! Bottle @ 58F.

Thank you Alan Henderson for the tip on where to aquire this tasty brew. Batch 76 Bottle. Pours golden/amber with a huge foamy white head. Bottle is over carbonated and I had to let it rest for awhile. Hard to get past the strong alcohol presence in the aroma. Let the beer warm and the nice aromas show-up. Toffee, pine, and dark fruits on the nose. Very nicely balanced. Pine resin, sweet caramel, honey, and orange peel come to mind in the flavor. Complex but all the flavors work nicely together. Full mouthfeel with a lingering sweet finish, slight alcohol burn as well. Needs to age a bit, but very enjoyable as is.