Hair of the Dog Fred

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

Fairly new bottle. Fruit hops and alcohol intertwine in harmony. There is some pale raisiny fruit but also dry apricot on the aromas, and a toffeeish scotch-like harmony in the malt flavors. Hops seem austerely steely yet silky. The feel is rich, dry and texturally stimulating - good fine carbonation. This brewer amazes me.

[Bottle, batch 62] shared by STLWill. Pours a clear amber with a large beige head. Aroma is sweet honey, a touch of citric hops, and some alcohol. Flavor is honey, sweet malts, and alcohol. Medium mouthfeel. This tastes like it would be a lot better fresh. Rerate from a fresh bottle. Gushing bottle, hugely carbonated. Golden color, aroma has lots of hops, but is dominated by sweet malt and candi sugar, and quite a bit of alcohol. Flavor matches well, but is just a little too sweet and carbonated for my tastes.

12 oz bottle, thanks hanniku and Timo A! Murky yellow brown color with vanishing head. Sweet, warming, toffeish, nutty, raisiny and perfumed aroma with notes of tropical fruits. Bittersweet, nutty, toffeish and warming flavor with apricot and orange marmelade. Thick viscous body with low carbonation. Excellent, but the wood version is even better.

Bottle with much love to BMan1113VR! This beer smells so damn wonderful...Caramel, pineapple/mango and sweet nectar/honey smells dominate. Pours a cloudy dirty orangey color with a lovely cream colored finger high head.. Very sweet, yet not cloying flavors of said aromas. Big tropical fruit type hops presence. The fact that this beer is so different makes this rate so high for me. Sweet creamy texture, lightly dry finish with a touch of spice..Well hidden alcohol. Damn.

Bottle Batch#75: Pours a slightly thick, cloudy,deep golden brown with virtually no head. Malty aroma and flavor is sweet with hints of honey, fruits and a mild alcohol presence. Has a creamy texture that has a a mild dry finish with a warming alcohol presence. A tasty sipping beer.

Hair of the Dog Fred is a slightly hazy and incredibly sparkling amber ale with a thick, resilient off-white head. It has a strong, sweet, malty aroma with notes of tropical fruit-- maybe passion fruit. It’s medium-full bodied and fluffy. It leaves the tongue sticky. It’s very full flavored! It’s slightly sweet, quite phenolic and very complex with notes of chocolate, caramel, leather and whiskey. It’s pretty shocking, actually. This is good stuff, but finishing a twelve-ounce bottle is kind of a challenge.

Bottle, from Lone Hill Liquors in CA. Sits dark orange with a huge head of fine pearly carbonation. Aroma has a bunch of candi sugar and bubble gum upfront, along with some pear, nutmeg and lemon. Really interesting . . . is the yeast contributing to the complexity of the aroma? Flavor has strong grass and dried fruit, followed by herbs, and sugar sweetness. Palate is quite light for the ABV, with a notably prickly mouthfeel from the aggressive carbonation. Finishes spicy, with a long warming quality. Leaves a syrupy residue in your mouth. Overall, Fred is definitely worth a try. It is a Belgian ale with all-American ingredients, and demands to be contemplated as such. I enjoyed this as a drink, appreciated the complexity of flavor, but was underwhelmed mostly due to Fred’s unruly carbonation.

Batch 62 sample from STLWill (Thanks!) Light gold pour, medium carbonation with some floaties in the glass. Aroma was pleasant malt, honey and booze. Flavor was very good, a little herbal, honey, and warming on the finish. Another solid HOTD brew.