Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

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

2005 vintage. Pours a cloudy burnt honey like orange. Aromas of honey, toffee, and a rose liek floral hoppiness. Great powerful creamy mouthfeel that is still quite hot. Nice flavors of honey and toffee malt sweetness, with a hint of smoke. The finish is outstanding, and although it is two years old the hops still dry out the sweet very well and make the finish last. A spectacular brew I can;t wait to try again in a few years.

2004 bottle. Pours a deep brown with amber highlights and an average size creamy light tan head and left lacing. Aroma of caramel, dried dark fruits, toffee, leathery, tobacco, molasses, sweet malts, honey. Flavor of toasted sweet malts, caramel, molasses, some chocolate, pie crust, chewing tobacco, leathery, some oxidation, toffee and dried fruit (lots of fig). Actually reminded me of Fig Newtons in both the aroma and flavor.

Bottle thanks to after4ever. Poured with absolutely no head at all. It also didnt have any yeast in the glass. Maybe they forgot it? Aroma was of rich caramel malts, some tobacco, and a light smokiness. Flavor was really sweet, had some bitterness, and straight malt, a little dark fruit, and some tobacco. This was very good but I would like to try one that actuall had carbonation.

2005 bottle courtesy of OhioDad...THANKS SCOTT!!! Poured a hazy shade of copper, very small head, some lacing. Like fellow reviewers, lots of sediment in this bottle...Smelled a bit like sour fruit. Taste was sweet, caramel, honey, fruity malts up front with a giant hoppy kicker. Alcohol was nicely hidden, but boy, does it sneak up on you! Excellent!!!

Badly capped bottle, which reduced carbonation to near nothing (ironically, Adam was not affected by it’s off-kilter cap). I didn’t pour in the last ounce or so, cause that sludge looked nasty to drink. Aroma is superb, very sweet, but also incredibly earthy to match. Molasses, butter, wood, brown sugar, caramel, and a little tingly pine. Some pancakes too. Tastes quite rummy, with some molasses, raisins and prunes, almonds. Brown sugar, but not TOO sweet. Finishes with a dry wood flavor and med. bitterness, and some butterscotch. Good hop flavor, but not over the top. The beer’s body is quite thick and although it tastes quite sweet, it’s not cloying. Anyway, this is great blend of high non-cloying sweet flavors and profoundly earthy spin on your expected dried/dark fruit flavors. Hops are tasty, but not overstated. This beer COULD be extremely wonderful, with that carbonation.

Pours a nice hazy copper with a foamy off-white head. Aroma is very pleasant of malts, caramel and fruit. Flavor was very complex with notes of: malts, caramel, hops, pine, honey and a citrus finish. Very Delightful !

[213-20070224] 12floz (2006). Slight but attractive body odour aroma with chocolate, grainy bread and an unfortunate underlying semen element. Cloudy, brown red body with very little white head. Fruity semen remains in flavour, alcohol hits but stays hidden. Full body is smooth. An interesting mix and generally OK but for the... immodest qualities.

12 oz. bottle from asteele8 , dated 2006. Unfortunately, it seems that htis was among the bottles with "caping difficulties." Pour was a clear deep amber with absolutely no head or carbonation. There is a wonderfully fruity aroma, cherries, raisins, and other dark fruits, followed by spruce and citrus. Medium body with a mildy resinous character, but the lack of carbonation detracts. Rich malty sweetness is blancec by a tangy bitrus peel bitterness. The flavor and aroma certainly does not seem to have beenadversely affected by the capping problem and lack of carbonation. Were it not for that, I weould have rated this higher. I’ll need ot get another example to re-rate, either a 2007, or a pre 2006.