Hair of the Dog Fred

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

Bottle, Batch 59. Saccharine aroma with undertones of floral hops and heavy Duvelish yeast. A hard stone, though: clear but non-boozy alcohol, heavy, gritty caramel, and a massively, massively complex hop mix - a little hard to figure out what’s gone into this, but I relish the attempt. Pine and citrus with a lot of must, wood, raisins, etc. Light pepper and spice. Deep dark amber pour with a firm, frothy, rocky tan head. Taste balances bitter and sweet, hard to tell which is winning at any given time, they tumble and roll as a surging tide. Full, viscous, sticky body, obese with layers of malt. Loads of hops with prominent - but not quite burning - alcohol, woody yeast leading furtively to a dry, bitterish end. Dark toffee and a muddled background of fruit (orange rind and hidden lemon). Earthy, herbal currents blend with yeast and remind of an overly-hopped saison. Honey-golden sunshine. Thick and heavy and much worthier of the name Kong than FFF’s offering - a true, top-shelf sipper.

Batch Number 63

4/02/2008: Fred Golden Specialty Ale (Bottles Conditioned) has a really nice deep honey color and is alive with carbonation. The foamy beige head stays around for quite some time as the bubbles keep chruning their way to the surface. The aroma is sweet and fruity with a good amount of rich maltiness as well as a touch of rye-like spiciness. I am encouraged by the lack of blatent hoppiness in the aroma. This beer really smells wonderful and has aged and developed nicely based on what my nose is picking up! Wow, the flavor is great as well. The aroma did not let me down. The flavor begins sweet and sticky with the caramel maltiness coming through. Then it gets more fruity (nuances of caramleized pineapple, some apricot, candied and aged orangy citrus, and similar) and spicy with a bit of an edge to it like a Belgian Triple might have. A dry and spicy rye character is quite pronounced in the finish and it blends so well with the citrus rind and resiny hop flavors and bitterness that emerge. The alcohol is not present in the flavor but presents somewhat of a welcoming burn through the nose. The flavors are incredibly well-balanced. The mouthfeel is prickly yet smooth, easy to drink yet thick and slightly sticky, wonderful to sip yet hard not to just drink it all at once! This is an expertly crafted beer that does not disappoint! I bet this beer would also pair nicely with any number of tasty cheeses, dried fruits, and nuts. This is a great English-style barleywine with a tasty Belgian Golden Ale twist.

12 fluid ounce bottle (Alcohol Content 10% by Volume) from bitbucket via trade in November 2006. Thank you very much Bob! Rating #698 for this beer...

(3/4/08) Bottle at Kulminator in Antwerp. Deep amber with a big consistent beige head. Aroma of floral, a bit piny hops, with some citrus, some malt and caramel. A lot more malt as the beer warms up a bit. Sweet flavor at first with malt and caramel and later a lot of juicy bitter hops, some citrus and notes of alcohol. The variety of hops used is actually quite apparent in the taste. Medium to full body. Not what I would refer to as Barley Wine but very good anyway, gets even better when warm.

Bottle. Pours a hazy orange coloured beer. Aroma of oranges, red berries. Sweet citrusfruity taste, even slightly citric. Very thick mouthfeel. Alcoholic and a bit grainy towards the end.

Thanks to Ramenen. Bottle: Excellent hop content, not an IPA but heavily loaded.

Bottle. Bought in New Beer Wholesaler in NYC. Wow. Pours into a golden/orange color. Very fruity and very hoppy (up my alley), however it is drier than a IIPA. Excellent well balanced, the alcohol is pretty well hidden (be careful) and enjoy.

Updated Rating 3/22/09 - 12 oz. bottle, batch 71; pours flat and clear gold; strong, fruity, syrupy, velvet texture; raw, grainy, lemon, sugars are heavy; long, dry, sticky finish; lots of candy malt; i love this stuff, but fresh FFTW has it by a nose

Original Rating 3/25/08 (Overall 4.4) - 12 oz. bottle - a long overdue rating of a beer that would probably be on my short list for a desert island; monster white head spills with fruit aromas that are sweet, malty and slightly sour; appearance is cloudy and light orange; drinks with a mouth full and just pure cream; one of the greats

Timfoolery scored this bottle on a trip to Oregon. Poured a golden color. Full flavored barleywine with a close to perfect balance of malt and hops. Had a mild aftertaste that I just couldn’t quite place. I guess I’ll have to try it again.