Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2001-2002)

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

Light glowing copper color, some chill haze, tons of bubbly action within and one skyscraper of a head that nearly burst out of the bottle into the glass growing up past three inches of puffy loose ivory colored spongeness, crumbles super slowly and leaves sticky stringy lace all over. Took ten minutes to pour the entire 12 oz. bottle! I want to drink it already, I mean come on! Smell is nice fresh hops of earthy herbal spices and citrus with a slight pine presence. Taste is a very nice clean hop thats mellowing pine and orange citrus, flowery fresh, a touch of sweetness from malts balanced in. Great herbal spice quality located in the front into the middle and the finish is earthy hop, mellowing bitterness and lingering easy dryness. Feel is full and lightly textured upon swallowing but has good soothing smoothness and creamy acceptable warmth into the finish. This is one terrific barleywine! A great sipper, mellowing upon each sip so much I believe I just sank into oblivion....sweet, sweet, oblivion, aahhhh....

Awesome creamy head that keeps replenishing itself. Beautiful fruity aroma with fruity and caramel flavors. Nice medium red color. Smooth palate, overall definitey one of my favorite beers. I will drink this often.

I’m not a huge fan of barleywine. This beer is more than well received. It is incredible. My second of this vintage in as many weeks, I am in awe. Hair of the Dog come back to VA.

12th Beer of the Beer Spot Tasting Sunday March 30th, 2008. 2001 Magnum I brought, purchased at the brewery 12/31/07. One of the major highlights of the day. Pours orange with an off white 1 finger head, on other glasses (I was using a snifter). Nose is heavenly, sweet dark fruit, honey. Taste is sweet and mellow and strong. All over amazing, honey, barley wine. Alc is hidden, and no oxidation detectable. Also tons of fruit notes, pear pineapple and of course honeysuckle

Vintage 2002. poured a deep clear, copper color. more syrupy texture. Resembles more of an English Style Barley Wine.

2001 bottle. Pours a hazy deep orange color with lots of head - easily 2/3 of the glass is foam when first poured. Lace clings to the sides of the glass as it recedes. I expected more of a hoppy/alcohol smell, but it really wasn’t there. Traces of maltiness and maybe some spiciness in the aroma. Shoved my nose in the glass and sniffed again as it warmed a bit and the foam disappeared, the alcohol scent is there faintly now. Tastes wonderful. Pungent hops hit me first, followed by a malty sweetness. Hmmm... what kind of hop flavor? Floral, citrus, and piney all at the same time. A sharp and sparkly (tingley?) mouthfeel. Now, a couple of minutes after finishing the glass, a piney and citrusy hoppiness flavor still coats my tongue, which still feels somewhat tingley. A bit of sweet maltiness is there on the roof of my mouth too.

Doggie Claws is indeed a barley wine, but it is not your traditional British barley wine, but a classic example of "West Coast" barley wine, which not only has big malt and alcohol, but also big hop character. Doggie Claws is brewed with lots of pale malts, some caramel malt, and comes in at a warming 10% abv. But unlike traditional barley wine, it is hopped with Simcoe and Amarillo hops( American hops), that give this high octane, malty brew, a very vibrant punch of hop aroma, flavor, and bitterness, making it a very dangerously drinkable brew. Doggie Claws pours to a beautiful deep golden to copper color with a thick, dense, rich white head that stays and follows this beer all the way to the end of the glass. The carbonation is quite lively for a barley wine, and this gives this beer a nice cutting edge to it. The nose is very impressive, with lots of big citric, and zesty hop aromas of fresh lemon peel, paired with some peppery alcohol, and touches of estery fruit aroma. The palate is very firm, with lots of good pale malt flavor, on a brawny malt body, with some estery fruit flavor, and hints of toffee. Doggie Claws finishes with lots of great sweet malt and fruit on the tongue, and then ends with a big, citric, zesty, hop bitterness, which ends with some warming alcohol. This is an outstanding example of West Coast barley wine, a sub style of barley wine, which showcases not only great malt character, but wonderful hop character. This is the perfect beer to sit and relax with on a cold and frosty night, next to a roaring fire, and works equally as well on a balmy, and breezy summer night. It would also work well with sharp and buttery cheeses, or a rich desert, but I suggest you just enjoy this one in a snifter.

Amazing barleywine. Huge head that lasts through the whole pint. Sticky and sweet with a hoppy finish.