Hair of the Dog Fred from the Wood

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

Consumed at Pete’s spring gathering. Purs lighter in color than I excpected it would. Great aroma of candy apple, brown sugar.. flavor is similar, with the addition of a little bit of sourness and funk.

Pours out a dark golden color with little to no head. Smells as great as it tastes.. Taste is fruity and woody and funky. Sticky sweet and complex. A very original brew.

Source: 12 oz bottle, batch 64, in a trade with Suttree. Thanks!
Glass: Snifter.
Appearance:Ruddy brown pour with a one finger tan head.
Aroma: Cherries, oak, vanilla and some tobacco, with sweet malt.
Flavor: Lots of oak, vanilla and sour cherries. Hints of tobacco. Mild bitter finish.
Palate: Full bodied with soft carbonation and a chewy, mouthfeel.
Overall: This was all I had expected. Excellent beer that aged nicely. Wish I had more!

Big thanks to BrewDad for this one. 2007 done in side-by-side with original Fred 73. This one pours a bit deeper cloudy orange with a very thin persistent head. Lots of persistent bubbling. Aroma is apricots, rock candy, distant citrus hops, and a nice woody background. Smells sweeter than the Original Fred. Flavor is malty and rock candy up front. Then the wood kicks in. The wood lingers as the hop flavors come and go. First pine hops, then citrus. Nice sticky mouthfeel. After a while of savoring the finish, all of the flavors of the Original Fred come flooding in: black pepper, citurs hops, a slight alcohol burn and grapefruit. The finish really is delightful, it just lasts and lasts. it’s like having the original Fred in your mouth for 2 minutes. I do not think I could pick a favorite. The original is more a daytime/summer beer that drink very smoothly. This one is more of a night/autumn sipper but still not heavy.

Much like regular Fred, this beer is hard to describe. Very fruity and malty sweet yet tangy. Really sweet, but also dries nicely. Lots going on but I can’t quite describe it all. Odd fruits.

Pours a golden caramel with a thin head. Aroma is a fruity sour-ish smell. Flavor is really sweet with some oak. It’s an odd beer. Some wine notes as well. I just like this beer.

Golden pour with a thin white head. Nice lacing. Aroma of mildly sour star fruit, perhaps a hint of cumquat, caramel, mild bourbon. Flavor is caramel, maple candy, wood, star fruit. Gets better as it warms. Solid mouthfeel. Very good beer.

Big thanks to vwcraig for sending this 2007 my way as part of a recent trade. I have had Fred and liked it a lot so I am anticipating fftw. This beer was a tad darker than Fred but still sorta golden until the last dregs went in which turned it a ruby, cloudy color. The smell is like whiskey or bourbon, strong alcohol, wow! I don’t drink whiskey or bourbon but I love the smell of this beer. Surely this was not aged in plain oak barrels, if it was, huzzah. Wow, the taste is woody! Woody and also slightly bitter hoppiness at the end. This does not taste like the Fred I had last year at all. This is very good but is a slow sipper due to the strength of the flavor. I’m sure this stuff is also pretty potent as far as ABV goes. Very nice beer but I should have shared it with a friend :( . Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 02-08-2008 03:06:08