Hair of the Dog Blue Dot Double IPA

Brewed by Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Portland, Oregon USA

22 oz bottle - Spring 2008 bottling straight from the brewery. Very hoppy. Looks good, smells good, tastes good. Very nice.

Aroma is pine, citrus, floral hops (although there is a balanced back-ground of malt). The Rye malt seems to add a sweet/sugary aroma in the nose (subtle, but nice) Pours cloudy orange with a tint of red. Thin white head. (Color seems a little light for a Double IPA) Flavor is clean pine, citrus and spice. The dominate flavor is hops, all over the palate and the throat. Although, there is definitely malt in balance. The rye malt adds something unique to the taste, but I can’t pin-point it. Little to no head retention. Very drinkable beer!!

Bottle thanks to my uncle who was visiting Portland. This is my first Hair of the Dog and it goes beyond the hype in my opinion. Extremely hazy, copperish pale yellow with a small head and a tiny bit of sediment. Surprised that very little light only comes through on the edge of the glass. Wonderful citrus, pine, and earthy hops aroma. The malt is subtle but cuts into the bitterness just enough to make this extremely smooth. Aftertaste is intense, lasting, and enjoyable. For my experience of Imperial IPA’s this is second only to Dreadnaught.

Pours a dusty dull copper-orange with a thin layer of foam, and spider-webs of lacing. Aroma is very, very enticing - fresh from the cask kind of enticing. Fresh strong grapefruit & spruce, almost medicinal, but pleasantly sweet as well. Yum! Tastes fantastic - really tastes like it is fresh off gravity, light carbonation seems to reinforce this impression. Yum yum yum! Rye malt really shines here with sweet pine sap flavours when combined with the hops. This is dangerously drinkable! Lightly creamy at the sip (or gulp!) and crisp on the finish. It is a crying shame this is not available yet in Canada.

Ah...yet another Hair of the Dog today. I must have set a record. I tried this on tap at the brewery, but I also had the impetus to purchase two of these bottles, one of which I am trying the other of which I might save. 22 oz. bottles. Haze orange/brown hue/caramel color; not very much of a head, but still a very good looking beer. Such a wonderful citurs/pine hop aroma that is insane. I heard this was more hoppy than malty, but that is B.S. There are plenty of hops in this; especially in the aroma. This has a great smell. Nice hop flavor. Very nice citrus hop aroma. The bittering hop lingers. This beer is a big bitter beer that starts to turn into a sweet citrus flavor. Such a fresh hop profile that one can’t ignore the use of these amazing hops. Fairly smooth beer, but not overly so. Overall, damn good beer!

bottle (spring 2007) - dark orange and very hazy upon pouring; lots of suspended carbonation; piny and citrus aromas, lots of malts and very little hops in the flavors; hops faded as missed the boat on this one early this year, but will be ready to pick up in a few months...........................5/23/08 update: well, fresh this is just one kick ass beer as it was on draft at brouwer’s and a good way to close out the sour fest by blasting back with hops and malts; so much sweeter when fresh and maltiness to die for; damn!!

22 oz bottle from HOTD Earth Day open house, 2008. Thin almost non-existent pale head. Rye hop flower notes. Body is dark wild mountain honey with slight brown yeast swirl at bottom. Nice and fresh hop bite doesn’t overwhelm other flavors of carmel, almond, and honeydew melon. This batch has ruined me on any other NW IPA.

Pours clear golden-orange, light foam with little retention to speak of. A huge floral hit of hops on the nose along with a slight woodiness. Flavor has noticeable bittering hops well balanced with aromatic and some woodiness as on the nose. Mouthfeel has a touch of warm alcohol and light carbo. A very fine IIPA, and dangerously drinkable.