Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

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

2003 bottle from the cellar enjoyed on Feb 18/2005. Beautiful clear garnet hue with a light brown head. Strong smell of caramel, raisons ; think cinnabon roll. Medium bodied with a full mouthfeel. Taste is a strong raison, roasted pecans, figs, dates with a pleasing alcohol finish. The intense flowery hop essence of a fresh sampling is gone, but the classic old ale flavors have emerged in good form. Exceptionally drinkable

12 oz bottle - Pours a failry clear deep orange/amber color with small off white head. Aroma is full of toasted caramel, chewy malts, notes of apircot, mint, cream. Flavor has lots of light caramel, touch of vanilla, oak, burbon, hint of cinnamon. Finish is mildly sweet. A pretty decent barleywine overall.

What a fantastic barleywine! Poured a nice brownish copper color with an off white head that stuck around for a while. Lots and lots of simcoe and amarillo in the aroma as well as some sweet and sticky malt presence. Lots of piney stickiness in the flavor profile with a little hop bitterness bite in the finish. A nice smooth caramel malt presence in the flavor as well. The alcohol was just barely noticeable in this brew. Overall a fantastic brew and another great beer brewed by the guys at HOTD.

++++ RE-RATE 4 March 2009 ++++
2007 Vintage
12 oz bottle courtesy of bvc. Pour is dense cloudy orange brown with a perfectly formed thick one inch off white. Thick lacing. Visible floaties, pure unfiltered, just beautiful. Aroma of resin caramel sweetness. Bright citrus, bready toast earthiness. Everything soft and balanced, gorgeous and refined. Taste is caramel and honey sweet maltiness, grassy citrus hoppines, sharper than the nose in the bitterness. Flavor is tremendous, just not nearly as balanced as the nose. Still, this is really well done. Palate is medium, mouth coating with a long resin grassy finish. Thanks B. (9,5,8,4,18 - 4.4)

++++ RE-RATE 5 June 2008 ++++
2007 Vintage
12 oz bottle purchased by after4ever for me at Bottleworks in Seattle, Washington. Pour is brownish orange with a big 2 inch off white head that left behind some amazing lace. Aroma is resin pine, sweet orange hop goodness. There is also a bit of herbal honey in the background. The maltiness is present as well. The taste is orange sweet citrus hop and caremel malt sweetness. The honey is present in the taste as well. Even in the 5 months since I last had this beer it has rounded out a bunch and improved. (8,5,9,5,18 - 4.5)

++++ ORIGINAL RATING 7 January 2008 ++++
Sampled the 2004 and 2007 side by side with tjthresh.
2007 vintage
12 oz. bottle, purchased at Bottleworks in Seattle, WA. Pour is mostly clear brown orange with only a thin off-white head clinging to the edges of the glass. Aroma of a lot of citrus and pine hops, with a bit of sweet malt in the background. Almost an IPA / DIPA nose. Taste is great, orange citrus hop, rounded caramel sweetness and a pronounced bitter hop finish. Additionally, some honey sweetness is present in the finish. (8,4,9,5,17 - 4.3)
2004 vintage
12 oz. bottle, from MrBendo. Pour is a murky brownish with only a very small tan head. Aroma of huge, soft, wonderful (perfect) caramel malt. Some dried fruit is present as well. Truly the perfect nose. Taste is layers upon layers of complexity caramel malt, dried fig fruitiness, earthy spiciness, even some char character all meld and swirl in the taste. There was a touch of oxidization, though it detracted only slightly from an incredible beer. Perfect body. Almost a scotch finish. Todd, a million thanks for this one - you are an incredibly kind RBian. (10,4,9,5,19 - 4.7) I will use this rating.

Side by side notes. Wow, not even like the same beer. The 2004 was big, serious, complex. The 2007, was clearish, hoppy and bright. Both are wonderful, just in very different ways.

2007
12 ounce bottle shared by Tim. Pours red/orange with a tan head. Light grapefruit hops and bubble gum aromas. Pine and grapefruit hops with honey sweetness. Full body. Medium carbonation. Sweet finish.
8/4/8/4/17

2004
12 ounce bottle shared by Tim. Pours deep red/brown with a slim light brown head. Huge oxidized toffe and caramel nose. A bit of cardboard. A bit of spice. So rich with Reisen and Werthers candies. Light cherry. A touch of smoke. Med/full body. Medium carbonation. Dry finish. Fantastic beer. Easily one of the best barley wines I’ve ever tried.
10/5/9/4/19

From a 12oz. bottle poured a gritty, thick brown-amber with a thin soapy off-white head. Fruity, malty, chewy brown sugar nose with that HoTD thing going on. Big and bold. Sweet and complex. Vanilla, citrus, sugar, molasses, and raisin to name a few. Great big beer. Glad I live in Portland!

2003 bottle drunk in 2007. Murky brown with a whispy beige slick for a head. Deep, chewy nose of dried fruit, melted toffee, wood and leather. This is the kind of aged Barley Wine that you can just get lost in. The ABV is well hidden. Tons of raisen and dried plum, both soaked in rum. Some berry fruitiness too. Toffee sweetness, wood, leather, some vanilla, and the grapefruit rind bitterness is still in the finish. Such a nice beer. I wish I had more.

2004 bottle consumed 12/29/07: Pours brown with some sparse carbonation. Smells of raisins, lots of sweet citrus, elements of resiny pine and sweet malt. Taste is refined with some nice chewy toffee like character. Very enjoyable and not much in the way of booziness.