Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-)

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

This is courtesy Weefisheads, a good man and a good trader. Pours a murky dark, rather intimidating burnt sienna haze. Kind of off from the barley wines I’m used too. The smell is huge. Buttered rum, brandy, toffee, hops, hops, more hops, and a side of hops. The taste is beautiful, it hits you with sweetness, then it moves to hops, glorious hops mixed with a malted toffee,and a rye finish. Very creamy mouthfeel, smooth and easy, not a tongue destroyer. Pair with a bread pudding, sweeter scones, and sweet breads.

2004 bottle: Dark brown color - very thick head. Deep rich aroma of hops, caramel, and sweet malts. Flavor is wonderfully smooth and balanced, notes of citrus, dark fruits, a little honey and a hint of spicyness. Seems the 2004 is at it’s peak now, can’t imaging it getting much better.

bottle. hazy deep brown pour with thick tan head. big citrus hop, rich malt, slightly sour aroma. Apricot, sticky malts, floral hops, mild sugar. tart aftertaste. If I was blindfolded I would have thought this to be an Apricot flavored IIPA, not a barley wine. Very enjoyable.

2004 Bottle - Very excited about this one. Beautiful reddish-brown-yeasty-complex look. Pleasant, complex aroma of sweet fruits, candy (especially caramel), slight bits of pine and citrus hops. Flavor was simply amazing. Switches from super sweet candies to thick sweet bread to nice simcoe-IPA hoppyness. Feels great on the tongue, especially at 50-55 degrees. Like a mix of Adam and Victory Old Horizontal. Great - can’t wait to try some other vintages and the other 2004s when they age a bit more.

2005 bottle - Hazy orange red body, light beige yellowish head; Good but not amazing nose, it lacks in both fill, power and clarity. The aromas are very hoppy, soapy and earthy, soft spicy honey aromas are quite present as well; The body is pleasantly bitter and balanced, it has a very nice soft carbonation but the texture isn’t soft enough and the body isn’t full enough; It finishes quite sharp with an evolving bitterness, lots of sharp hop aromas, but again to thin in body and definitely not soft enough. Very disappointing!

Bottled (vintage 2005)
Hazy muddy brown, good brown head. Bready and hoppy flavor - very intense nose: brich leaves, brandy, pine needles. Full-bodied. Very chewy malty liquerish mouthfeel, Toffee, hops, pine needles in the flavor Burning alcohol and hops in the aftertaste. Lots of yeast particals flow into mouth ... to chew. Extreme beer, hard to rate. Very yeasty, impossible to finish the class.

Bottled (2005, thanks kenb!). Nut brown colour with particles floating around, mediumsized creamy beige head. Aroma is about the same as Fred but has some very sweet (s sweet it’s hard to tell if it’s sour) stuff included. Flavour is alcohol, sweet caramel, yeast, lots of hops and honey. Somehow, pouring the yeast into this one seems to be a mistake, as the yeast gives very strong flavour. Alcohol does it’s "warming" in this one. Somehow, though "only" 10% Fred seemed much smoother to the flavours. And no, it is not bad even though I write some "negative" things in the rating.

2004 12oz bottle bought recently at the Foodery. Pours a cloudy brown, with a large head. Smells kind of like fred but with fruit. Aroma of caramel and sweet, dark fruit, with perfumy hops. Medium to full body and sticky texture. Taste nearly bowls you over with the sweet fruits. Also has caramel and a little hops. Long, sweet finish, with a little alcohol.