Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2001-2002)

Formerly brewed at Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Portland, Oregon USA

2002 bottle. Big full bodied head. Sweet aroma with hints of nectar, cloves and figs. A little thin on the palate. Bitter hops show through. Alcohol is hidden just the smooth favor stands out. Has a short dry finish. A very enjoyable beer but definitely different from other barley wines.

Huge head that takes forever to fade. Aroma of pine hops and malty syrupy sweetness. Flavor is very hop (mostly pine with a bit of citrus) and a sweet caramel maltyness playing second fiddle. There is also an english yeasty fruityness to it. The palate is a bit thin for a barleywine. Very tasty but seems more like an imperial IPA then a barleywine.

2002 bottle. Absolutely immense frothy lasting head, topping a deep golden cloudy body. Nose predominantly yeasty, with hints of orange and clove; so far this is a tripel, folks. Lots of chewy caramel in there too. In the mouth, the true nature comes through: pungent, bitter hoppiness pervades the front, with a smoky smooth maltiness underlying. Very full-bodied, very woody/smoky throughout, little sweetness and quite dry. Lots of dried herbs towards the finish, like rosemary and tarragon. Very nice, very different barley wine.

Dark chestnut, slightly cloudy--even after leaving a ton of yeast behind in the bottle--and a small white head. Aroma is semi-sweet, dominated by citric and grassy hops, with some banana and plum. Very grapefruity hops dominate the flavor, which is otherwise medium sweet with touches of banana.

Rating is for 2001 bottling

(2001 bottling, 12 oz bottle) Aged for 3 years, this barleywine is pretty special; Sweet, malty, with loads of lightly tart orange citrus for excellent balance; The palate is moderately sweet and sticky, but with enough tartness on the back of the tongue to prevent a cloying nature and balance the palate out wonderfully; Very malty, sweet and lightly roasted nose is reminiscent of wort; Orange/amber color is fully cloudy; Tan head has excellent retention, especially for a high octane barleywine

(2003 bottling, 12 oz bottle) Okay, first off, the very Belgian, yet tropical nose is amazing and combines orange, grapefruit and fresh-off-the-tree passion fruit; Likewise, the sweet flavor is dominated by an impressively strong and delicious fruitiness, and again, is Belgian and tropical, especially in the hoppy, bitter finish; While the fruitiness parties like it's Mardi Gras, the underlying maltiness does yeoman's work in providing a solid base; The beer is able to somewhat mask the very high alcohol content; Reddish orange in color and quite cloudy; Absolutely massive, large-bubbled, off-white head during the pour is maintained by an insane amount of carbonation bubbles resembling a large group of deep sea divers whose air lines have been cut -- too much head; Head lives forever, long after the carbonation stops; Scattered clumps of head are left on the glass, rather than fine lacing

A reddish, husky/hazy brown. Strongly belgian-themed, with a well-sculpted presence of esters and coriander in aroma, also some mild cinnamon and grapefruit. Flavor is tart and fruity with a lightly oily character. Bitter orange peel and currants figure prominently. Black olives make a surprise, but repeat, showing in the flavor, adding to the languid oiliness. Finishes nicely with a warming, moderately bitter close. One of the best of the fest.

light whispy maple, carmel, fruity, soft aroma. very dull light brown thick color. lots of bubblegum, alc, sweet, very present alcohol. belgian and strong

Signature HOTD mammoth foamy white head and hazy apricot-colored body. Strong hoppy aroma but also very wort-like. Smells like old grass that is just starting to decompose. Significant hop punch here. Could pass as an Imperial IPA. Reminds me of Bigfoot to some degree. Would benefit from extended cellaring.