UPDATED: DEC 24, 2023 Bottle, 2020 vintage. Pours dark brown. Toffee, raisins, port, dark cherry, Christmas pudding, clotted cream, prune. Medium body. Outstanding.

UPDATED: JUL 7, 2023 This verion i had at BeerTenple Amsterdam is trash. But I’m sure it’s old and it just tastes like stale oxidative junk. Can’t rate it well but can’t destroy it

UPDATED: AUG 3, 2023 Sample from 2005 bottle at Kurtkeller 031: Christmas-tastic 02 on 12/17/2022.

UPDATED: MAY 31, 2022 Dark brown body from the front with a quite tall off-white-to-tan thick head with excellent retention, creating a domed top as it recedes. A back-light reveals a hazy but bright red body with ample carbonation. (The final ⅓ of the bottle poured into the glass brought the sediment to make the beer darker and cloudier.) The aroma is earthy and fruity. I teased out molasses with deep whiffs. The taste continues the flavors from the aroma, but in a more complex and varied way. The earthy flavors add a leathery component. The fruits are more apparent than in the aroma, and more distinct and varied as raisins, figs and plums are detectable. And what I perceived as molasses in the aroma also is more complex in the flavor: caramel, perhaps dark sugar, along with molasses. I also get some piney resin bitterness right away that intensifies though the middle and into the finish. The aftertaste is piney bitter mitigated with the earthy/leathery hops, caramel/molasses and dark fruits. Quite an interesting beer. Apart from the quickly developing buzz, the alcohol is not apparent initially, but it does develop a definite alcohol warming as the beer itself warms. The body is moderate, just a touch on the thicker side, sticky and smooth but with carbonation and sharp resin. Overall, this 2021 bottling of Doggie Claws is excellent, indeed.

UPDATED: JAN 15, 2022 Pours clearish caramel with a fair head. Aroma offers toasty malt, fruity and boozy notes. Flavor presents toasty malt, caramel, fruit and booze notes. Texture yields decent body and peppy fizz. Bark bark.

UPDATED: DEC 30, 2021 Cask (Berlin by 5 Drunkmen, Athens). Can't believe my eyes! Real ale in Athens in the middle of the winter. Bartender doesn't even know what real ale is or means! Sweetish, citrusy, caramel, toffee, alcohol, mellow in aroma/taste. In prime condition. Lovely stuff.

UPDATED: OCT 8, 2021 Aus der Flasche im 2021-10 getrunken. Schon in der Nase dieses dunkelbraunen Ales wird der kräftige Hopfeneinfluss deutlich. Am Gaumen wirkt es wie ein TIPA. Nein - hier schlägt die Hopfenbitterkeit nur so um sich. Das American Barley Wine ist für mich ungenießbar. Weg damit in den Ausguß - Schade!

UPDATED: JUL 31, 2021 Bottle (2013) vintage shared by WillRunForBeer--thanks, Brian! It's a clear, amber brown with thin ring of off-white head and no lacing. Aroma is strong caramel and mild dishrag. Taste is strong, sweet caramel and a grainy, hay-like character. Mouthfeel is light-to-medium bodied with thin texture, soft carbonation and finish as taste. Overall, this is just beyond its prime so hard to know what it should be in its heyday.

UPDATED: JUL 29, 2021 Cloudy brown with a tan head. Aroma is nutty, brown sugar, molasses, earthy and pine. Taste is medium/heavy sweet and medium bitter. Heavy body, silky feel with average carbonation.

UPDATED: JUL 8, 2020 Red brown body with no head. Aroma is grapefruit peel, herbal, caramel, and earthy. Taste is borderline medicinal with herbs and earth. Dry texture.