Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

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

11-11-07 (2007 bottle)
Muddy sand color with no head - very unique appearance. Smells of heavy alcohol. Tastes very similar to a B-52 shot. Heavy alcohol and quite creamy at the same time. Difficult to swallow because the heavy alcohol. Unique overall - just not big on Barley Wines.

Tasted 11/26/07. 2006. 12oz bottle. Hazy with a ruby hue. Large bubbled head. Musty alcohol nose. Aromas of cocoa and toast. Woody dank and musty. Full bodied with a big palate and big alcohol. Dried fruit flavors and a tingling bitter acidic hop profile. Ebbed yet sweet. Touch woody. Good Juice! Nice melded hop flavor. Fruity notes mixed with sweet cinnamon and caramel. Viscous and rich. Tasty!

2007 bottle. Currently enjoying this one in a brandy snifter. I can definitely pick up on the honey that was used in this brew. This is the first beer I have ever sampled from Hair of the Dog. This one is awesome, and I hope I can age my last bottle for at least a year. /But I doubt I have the patience.

Updated Rating 12/13/09: 12 oz. bottle - 2009 vintage; gold cap, so very well carbonated; hazy caramel brown with eggy tan head; fruity hops, caramel, sugar, dank fruit, musky oak and banana cream; creamy, slightly hot, hoppy sweet and dank sugary dryness; very, very sugary sweet with a creamy milk texture; some pine and spruce leaves; toasty, honey sweeetness, creamy goodness; new batch doesn’t disappoint and one of the greats

Updated Rating 12/30/08: 12 oz. bottle - 2008 vintage; same old doggie claws pours flat with thick aromas of hops, yams, candy, brown sugar and grapes; very strong and aggressive; dank, banana, caramel, sugar; wow, i just love this stuff and can’t wait for the pending 01-08 vertical tasting

Original Rating 12/27/07 (4.4 overall): 12 oz. bottle (2007) - pours a very hazy amber with off white head bringing out the fruity aromas; also mixed in are hops, sugar and caramel; slight hint of alcohol in the flavors, but it doesn’t interrupt the smooth flavors and buttery texture and malty finish; head remains faint throughout and overall becomes even better as it warms up; this is one tasty brew and it will be hard to keep the other bottles i picked up in the closet

2007 bottle. Beautifully balanced barley wine. Perfect level of hops. Perfect level of sweetness.

2007 bottle. Poured a murky burnt orange with a lasting cream colored head. Aromas of tropical, peach, tangerine and floral hops with a bit of piney, woody note as well. Sweet toffee malt flavor, but nicely cut with a bright hop profile. Love the Simcoe-Amarillo combo. Warming woody and dried fruit finish. Full bodied and smooth mouthfeel. While naturally sweet on the malt side, it doesn’t come across as having that cloying syrupyness which I’ve come to hate in some other barleywines. Nicely balanced and kick-ass all at once.

One of the best beers I’ve had of this type. Strong, sweet, hoppy aroma, and hoppy taste.

Great color, nice reddish caramel. Absolutely no head, zip, zero, nada – the beer is completely flat. Nice aroma! Vanilla, cherries, some oak, sweet caramel, and alcohol. Palate is sticky with zero carbonation. Flavor is much the same as the nose, sweet & tart cherries, vanilla, and alcohol. Maybe just a touch too sweet for my taste in barleywines, but a pretty good barlywine none the less, too bad it’s flat.