Hair of the Dog Michael

Brewed by Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Portland, Oregon USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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Pours a light carbed murky deep copper amber. Aroma is light cherry skin, mineral and pitty, greenish hops, funk, acetic, light flemish funk with some salty sherry oxidation, light toast and sweetness. Flavor is caramel, fruity cherry, crackers, prickly aged old rotting wood and leather, apple juice vinegar, apple cider, old oak, vinous in the end. Ok.

On tap at Hair of the Dog in Portland, OR (2012 and I believe it may have been Michael From The Wood but there is no listing for that beer). Dark reddish pour with a slight bubbly head. The aroma is of tart cherry. The flavor is also of cherry but is more comlex with notes of wood and Earth. An exceptional beer.

Sneak peak of the 2012 batch on-tap at HotD. A 12oz tulip full will run you $8.50 but it’s worth it. I’ve previously tried the previous batch of Michael and did not care for it. When approaching Flanders Red’s I ask myself if I enjoy it significantly more than a $10 750ml of Rodenbach Grand Cru. The answer was no for the ’09 batch. This go around is a different story though. Michael pours rusty/murky brown and was placed on the bar in front of me with a full half finger of butterscotch head, good lacing was left. Great intense nose reveals vinegar high on the acidity with cherry notes that are well developed and distinct. Tasting leads with the acidic vinegar but plays very closely with heavy bleu cheese funk. Very little residual sweetness left after the barrel aging. Appropriately carbonated which is no surprise on-tap; I’m really hoping this translates to the bottled batch. Probably the driest finish I’ve ever had on a Flanders Red. The ’09 batch was a little muddled, but this one is both heavier on the funk and sour with brighter more intense cherry and vinegar to boot. A candidate for most improved beer of the year. I’ll be buying a full allotment for sure.

2009 Vintage / 33 cl. bottle @ home: In a karmic act of retribution the bottle completely exploded upon opening, unfortunately damaging a mint condition rare omnibus of Chinese poetry (one of the few books that I actually own – everything else is library with the occasional print-out) , an unfortunate event but not an upsetting one given the nature of the event, most of the bottle was spilled but given the fact that experience has thought me that when a sour beer explodes like that, it is really no good anymore, carbonation seems to be extremely over the place with HotD with a zero carbonation Cherry Adam from the Wood, now this & everything in between, I cannot say that I was worried, murky brown, apricot, mashed strawberries, colour, whatever head, there is looks like mould, nasty, smells, mouldy, rug, mouldy bathroom carpet, rotting apricot, fruity, taste, fermenting, booze, plenty of rotting strawberry, rotting peach, lactic, pear, mould, rotting, cotton candy cobwebs, dust, rotting wood, nail polish, sweet (no sourness in here, just soft, rotting old carpet fruits, drenched in nail polish), half-carbonated, this has gone bad alright, too damn sweet

12oz bottle at HotD, 2009 vintage. Pours a reddish amber color with an off white head. Aroma is funky, sour, cherry. Medium on the palate wkith lively carbonation. Flavor is sour, cherry, oak, with a tart, oaky finish. Very good, but I think there are better Flanders Reds.

tasting on 3/24/12. copper / orange pour with a small white head. tart cherry / lactic nose with light barnyard. med body, tart throughout with oak, lactic acid and light fruit. tart, somewhat astringent finish with oak and light band-aid.

Pours a hazy, opaque honey-golden. Strong, fruity aroma has a woody undertone. Rich flavor has an overtone of sour apple plus notes of pear, honey and malt. Texture is quite smooth and delightful.

2009 vintage bottle from the brewpub. Hazy red pour with a thick creamy tan head. Tons of tasty yeast sediment floating in the foam and swirling in the bottom of the bottle. A bit of a gusher, but I think that was just time. Aroma is sour cherries, leather, malty funk. Some faint dark fruit notes, but lots of sour leather goodness. Flavor was slightly tart but not overwhelming, rich full and smooth with a perfect little bite in the back. Some slight yeast spiciness and a good balance. This was a great beer.

Sampled 2009 bottle with some buddies. Poured a light copper color. Aroma was funky cherry notes, toasted malts, sweetness. Flavor was tart, cherry with notes of caramel, wood, cider.

Sampled the 2009 at the Hair of the Dog tap room. Pours a reddish brown. Slight vinegar tang. Nice amount of fruit balanced by the sour. An excellent birthday beer.

36cl, Vintage 2009, exclusive American brew, from Beershop Alvinne Moen, complex sour brew, vinous/woody and slightly spicy/sweet, balanced, cloudy, good head, good brew, yet very expensive!