Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

Brewed by Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Portland, Oregon USA

Tasted @ Higgins in Portland.
I’ve had the Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws 2007. Very nice barleywine. Orange colored. Aroma is sweet, hoppy and fruity. Herbal, hoppy, creamy, sweet caramel flavors. Flavor shifts during tasting, very nice smooth brew.

Bottle from PC Market of Choice in Ashland, OR. I bought another bottle of this because I was excellently trashed (on our 13th serious brew of the night) at the time. All I remember is this one had a beautiful, sweet tinge to it that was awesome. I wrote that it smelled almost lambic and fruity, and it had a sweet and malty backbone. I’m aging my other bottle.

This was 2007 12 on bottle. This was special evening as I also reached my 1000th rating with Brew Dog Paradox Macallan. Interesting....two "dogs" in one night. As good as the Brewdog was I think I liked this even better.Got this from Market of Choice in Ashland. Poured a cloudy orange color with moderate off-white head with good lacing. Very powerful nose of citrus and floral hops. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Very flavorful, with grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and everything citrus. Finish is both bitter and sweet. I love it when that happens. A simply remarkable brew.

2007 bottle. Pours a hazy golden amber with a one-finger off-white head that lingered for quite a while leaving decent lacing. Smell starts with a big citrus hop aroma with grapefruit up front giving way to the caramel malt and toffee background. There is also a big sugar sweetness throughout the nose. Taste is a bigger version of the nose with the hops up front in the form of grapefruit and lemons. The sweetness takes over right after that burst with molasses and caramel. There is a hint of the booze as well on top of a ton of raisins and dates before the citrus hops come back for a slightly bitter finish. Mouthfeel is unbelievably creamy with strong carbonation that prickles the tongue. Alcohol is present but not overpowering in the least. This is a fantastic and original take on the style and one that I enjoyed immensely. Another great brew from HotD. Highly recommended!

Bottle from PC Market of Choice in Ashland, OR. 2007 Vintage. Poured a orange color with a hint of red. Almost no head and very little carbonation. Smelled like summer fuits and flowers. Thick a creamy, but smooth and went down easy. Probably the best barley wine I’ve had to date.

Bottle. Heavy malt aromas of nutty and caramel, moderate orange for the hops, moderate dough and soap for the yeast and date and brown sugar (or maybe it was the honey). Head was average sized, creamy, off-white with fair lacing and was mostly diminishing. Color is murky orange. Flavor starts heavily sweet and lightly acidic and the long finish is moderately sweet and lightly acidic and bitter. Palate is medium to full, syrupy (but not bad) and the carbonation is between soft and lively. It finishes moderately alcoholic. A well rounded Barley Wine with some of the deepest aromas I’ve experienced in a beer

Bottle from 2006, two years cellared. No head at all even though I tried to pour one. Low carbonation. Aroma of sweet fruits, honey and toffee. Tastes of sweet fruit and toffee with no hop bitterness. Smooth with a thick mouth feel and creamy taste. Tastes like cream sherry. I knew a girl named Sherry once, but she was no dog.

Really outstanding. Bottle from Hi-Time in Costa Mesa aged 6 mo. Very dark. Later sips had me reminding myself that it wasn;t a stout. Roastiness galore, currant, the faintest hint of pralines, chocolate and hops. A very impressive beer.