Hair of the Dog Fred from the Wood

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

355 ml bottle brewed in 2008. Reddish to dark orange colour with a whitish head. The oak is present in the aroma along with some vanilla and caramel. The taste is dominated with toffee-like sweetness with hints of fruitiness and oak. Notes of warming alcohol also present. Aftertaste includes elements of oak, malts and a bit of hops. The bottle was served way too chilled, which obviously affected the taste.

2008 vintage. Appearance – Pours a glowing golden color with a tiny quarter finger head that disappears quickly and leaves a tiny ring clinging on for dear life around the edge of the glass. When held up to the glass this is a slightly hazy golden orange hue. Smell – Hints of Belgian yeast, oak, and pale malts. There is a fruitiness to it that I can’t put my finger on. Taste – Slight tinge of hops surrounded by a blast of oaky, fruity malts. Some grapes and cherries dance together and meld well. Some raisins are also doing their thing in there. This is too damn complex for me to get everything. Mouthfeel – There is a slight tingle from the low carbonation, perfect for this beer. This feels very syrupy without being too thick. Coats the mouth well and sticks around to let you indulge in the complex flavor profiles. Drinkability – Awesome beer, a definite sipper though. This is one of those beers you really only want to drink one of because it is so damn complex and rich in flavor.

12oz. batch 64. Pour is dark amber with a sticky off white head. Aromas of oak, warming alcohol, vanilla, and caramel. Flavor is downright smooth! Oak, vanilla, sweet fruits, and finishing with a small amount of alcohol. Just sipping on this guy is great. It also got much better as it warmed.

Pours a dark golden colour with a big white sturdy head, lacing is superb .. . smell is of sweet maple, light alcoholic wood, sherry, vanilla, oak .. . 1-1 at the half, usa vs hon ... .. super smooth, medium to full sweetness but the barrel aging does a nice job of dancing with the sweetness .. . touch of bitterness that just works, good dog! .. . HotD, pelo del perro .. lacing really is fantastic, The deaf man would weep for the blind man. .. USA USA USA!!! .. . no alcohol burn detected, quite amazing it that aspect! .. . fruity and light oak, maple and magic tastes.. a true classic barrel aged beer!

Bottled@Olutkellari Helsinki. Deep reddish brown colour, mediumsized beige creamy head. Aroma is fruity, sugary, alcoholic and some hints of some nectary and vanilllaish notes. Flavour is quite sweet nectary and wooden notes along with vanilla, alcohol and some nice fruity notes.

Found a 2007 bottle of this at Woodstock Deli in Portland. Colour... dark orange. Nose... fresh marmalade and Valencia skins with a hint a treacle. Palate... funk up front and then the barrel with lots o’ oak and burnt sugar and a nicely loooooooong cloying finish.

2008 bottle acquired via trade. Hazy medium-brown color with a small off-white head. Aroma of sweet caramel malt, oak/barrel notes, fruit, and a Bretty tartness/funk. Flavor is complex and great with funky tartness balancing the sweet caramel malt, citrus, apricot, tobacco, whiskey, and vanilla. Hops mostly faded after one year in the bottle. Really smooth and creamy on the palate. Like regular Fred overall with barrel flavors, tartness, and subtle fruit notes more pronounced. Looking forward to the 2009 which I also received in the trade.

(Bottle, 0.355 l, at Olutkellari Helsinki on 2009-06-01) Hazy and brown. Small white head. Hops, oak and whisky in aroma. Full bodied and dry palate with little carbonation. Wood, raisin, whisky, vanilla, apricots, fruitiness, sweetness, hops and bitterness in taste. Wood, malts and bitterness in aftertaste. The inital almost too strong wood aroma softens after a while.