Hair of the Dog Fred

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

Fred is labeled as a "Golden Special Ale". At 10% abv and using 10 different hop varieties I would agree that it is indeed something special. It was also a nice golden color as promised by the name. My bottle possibly suffered some shaking at some point in its life as the head was out of control. It took me 5 minutes plus to pour the thing. Even then it took a wee while before it abated enough to even think about drinking it. Aroma was nice, I could smell those hops as well as a generous helping of malts. Taste plenty of hops, a good round malt nose. The bottle had a nice layer of yeast sediment in it proving that this is a bottle conditioned ale. At 10% abv I was worried that it might be a little bit harsh, but it was not at all. The bottle copy says that the beer is made with 10 different hop varieties from 5 different countries. I believe it, the hop complexity is amazing. There are very floral hops in there (cascades?) as well as some traditional European hops (Saaz?). Regardless of the exact ingredient list this is a beer well worth seeking out.

A lazy rerate. I added a point to the overall. This bottle is from the same batch as the original rating. Only thing I can add is that the alcohol is present in the aroma and flavor, but doesn’t seem any stronger than the 10%. BItterness peaked at a 3 in the finish. It didn’t seem like I enjoyed this last time I had it, but a year and a half later, I do like it--though it’s still pretty sweet. Old rating follows. 12oz Batch 62 from Hi-Time Wine. Pours a cloudy orange caramel with a huge 3 1/2 finger beige head with good retention. Aroma of yeast, raisins, herbal and floral hops, honey, spices, caramel and toffee. Flavor is a bit more earthy (dirt) and a lot more bitter with some off sourness. Very sweet with a dry lingering bitter finish. Highly carbonated with a medium to full body. Didn’t really see why this was so highly rated. Maybe got a bad batch of bottles since all of the HOTD bottles I picked up don’t have the cap on straight, though I’ve heard this isn’t unusual for HOTD.

Pours a subsistent copper yellow. The head is less than a finger thick, creamy, light yellow. The aroma is sweet, fruity, smells like sherry, alcohol, caramel, spicy rye. The flavor is big and spicy, rye, hoppy, citrusy, waxy, warm alcohol, rich. Very nice warm spicy mouthfeel, goes down a little hot. Very nice barley wine.

Bottle at issac Newton’s with Stegosaurus. Pours reddish amber with a white head. Aroma is excellent, fruit, sweet malts, citrus, sugar, floral hops. Flavor is sweet, alcohol, fruit, citrus, and a bitter finish

Bottle at issac Newton’s. Pours reddish amber with a small white head. Aroma is excellent, fruit, sweet malts, citrus, sugar, pine hops, and floral. Flavor is sweet upfront, alcohol is present, fruit, citrus, and a very hoppy bitter finish. Good body, good brew.

Batch #22 so I’m guessing it’s aged a bit. Barely any head or bubbles of any kind over a hazy dark orange ale. Notes of pear rind, pine & cherrywood. First sip is amazing! Thick and rich with smooth hop bitterness that doesn’t go overboard! Wait a minute...this has absolutely no alcohol in the finish...I finally understand what happens to a big beer after it ages a bit! Even after the piney hops fades from my tongue, a sweet doughy aftertaste lingers. I have enjoyed this beer and highly suggest you get some from this or prior batches.

I see it’s classed as a barley wine here, but in my tatsing notes I wrote ’Duvel meets Bigfoot’ (I just loved the concept of all those Godzilla movies). This is no moster but an extremely relaxing yet quaffable golden ale. Strong hop bitterness in the finish pairs well against an initially brief biscuity malt that just returns into the aftertaste. A little grapey sourness in the finish is by no means unpleasant in this very well crafted multi-layered brew. I almost forgot to mention the deeply aromatic, spicy, perfumy aroma. Another world class brew that can sit in the Hair of the Dog trophy cabinet alongside Adam.

12 oz. Bottle purchased at The Warehouse - Duluth, MN Pour of clouded amber and brown, with golden fringes and an array of varying tones. Topped with a super foamy off-white head. Aroma of warm bready figs and pears, backed with gentles fusels, like spice and a touch of celery. Flavor continues on a similar note with warm rich brandy, more pears and a hint of cinnamoned apples. Spicy yeasts. A very mature and complex flavor, with alcohol that is a touch too hot. Figgy for a paler beer. Complex, with brandywin figginess. Lemon and coriander bright ness. Finishes with a light dryness of grass and euro hops, again sophisticated. Well balanced. But, I don’t agree with this as a Barleywine.

Tasted Blind. Batch #10. 12oz Bottle. Oxidized cheese. Light vomit, cardboard, and dust. Faint, faint caramel. Pours a lightly hazed copper-amber, with a rim of off-white. Flavor is ragingly sweet, raisined and old. Dust, dust, dust. This is freakin’ old an full of fur. Really old cheddar cheese rages through the finish. Celery seed finishes it. Ragingly sweet. A bit of oak and then nothing of the former self. Not going to let this really old bottle affect my rating.