Hair of the Dog Fred from the Wood

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

2007 Vintage, 12oz bottle courtesy of msubulldog over on BA. Holy fucking shit. Really, that’s about all I can say about this. I want this beer to whisper gentle thoughts in my ear while it violently rapes me... wait, it already is.

Pours a cloudy golden amber; thick frothy white head. Smells of sweet malt, with a little oak, fruit, hops and some floral undertones. Initial taste is sweet with some caramel and herbs, ending with crisp bitter hops, vanilla, and pepper. Mdeium mouthfeel with good carbonation. This is a complex delicious brew!

Sampled at Sean and Ryan’s tasting party, 08 version. Poured a clear amber with white lacing. Spicy herbal oak aroma, with a hint of citrus. Taste was sweet and quite floral and herbal, reminded me almost of fresh dill. Bright lingering herbal taste. Interesting and different barley wine.

Now this was a beer with my name on it.. no.. seriously.. whoever sent this to me wrote "Ugh" on the cap.

Bottled, Batch 64. Poured crystal-clear coppery amber with a short cap of beige head and lots of rising carbonation. The nose opened with warm toasted oak and medium-skinned fruits backed closely by spicy floral notes riding over toffee sweetness.. peppery alcohol and more oak on the back. The flavor found more sour oak and fruity notes than I’d like, masking the underlying goodness.. vanilla, caramel, and toffee join white pepper and clovey spicage deep down.. mild floral notes and warm peppery alcohol pair with sour oak through the finish.. this was tasty and intriguing, but I have to say I prefer the regular Fred. Heavily carbonated and creamy on the palate with building warmth and sour oak impression as it moved through the mouth.. a bit too much oak going on, but all in all a very fine brew.

Amber with a thin off white head. Aroma is oak, bourbon, cherries, malt, alcohol. Taste is very oaky, light alcohol, toffee, caramel, and malt. Good stuff.

Bottle shared by Crosling, thanks a lot man. Poured a thick, golden-copper color with a moderate off-white head that left nice lacing. Aroma of smooth caramel, light tobacco and vanilla, and some moderate flowery hops. Flavor consists of a nice woody caramel malts leading into a spicy tobacco flavor mixed with some moderate hop bitterness with some flowery, earthy quality, and a nice vanilla-oak finish. Smooth and full on the palate with a nice drying oak finish. Big thanks to Nick for sharing this bad boy.

Looking for a suibtable ale for my 400th rating, I come accross this one in my cellar and see that I will be #300 rater, so fate has spoken! Generously provided by mreusch (thanks Matt!) foggy copper / mahogany pour with a slightly full, tan head. Nose is sweet and malty, dried summer fruits, and just the slightest touch of oak. Flavor is equally rich and complex, with a bit more fruit in it, and a bit of an alcohol burn. Very nice, with an apricot finish to go with the burn. Nice, smooth and coating on the palate.

2009 bottle from HOTD dock sale. If you get a chance to have this from the tap, it is extrordinary. Enticing robust aroma reminds me of dark cherries, well seasoned oak barrels, maple sugar candy, horehound, and apples. This vintage pours a thin beige head over burnt orange. Thick and chewy with a tangy sweetness and some bourbony alcohol heat. Taste reminds me of a decades old armagnac or or apple brandy. One of the most pleasant and flavorful HOTD brews this year. -------- the HOTD Earth Day open house, tap sample and this review of 12 oz bottle made in 2008. Pour is amber with thin head. Aroma of oak and rye. Hop flavor is thick on the tongue with no alcohol bite. The cask aging creates a mellow blended flavor where individual notes drift slowly to the surface like alphabet soup. A bit strong for an every day beer, but very flavorful.