Hair of the Dog Greg

Brewed by Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Portland, Oregon USA

Draft. Golden, white head. I would not have known this was made with squash if I hadn’t read the product description. here This certainly has a unique flavor, nonetheless, but then it seems most Hair of the Dog products I have tried are unique. Flavor leans toward the sweet side with a dry finish. Light spice notes. Very light bitterness. Mild and nicely carbonated.

Tap at brewery. LIght golden in color, very clear. Nice white head composed of very fine bubbles. Good lacing. Aroma is lightly fruity/floral. A bit of roasted nuts? Light bodied and crisp, somewhat drying. Flavor is lightly nutty/toasted. Very well balanced and delicate flavors. Floral, nutty, lightly bitter. Nicely done, amazing concept beer!

(Draft: Hair Of The Dog Brewery in Portland, OR) So after several minutes of driving through rail yards and alleyways, and getting stuck on dead-end streets, I finally found the brewery. Alan has come down to greet me, and this is the first beer he has given me to sample. No hops, huh? Made with winter squash, huh? I hate winter squash!! Well, I’ll obviously give this a chance because if anyone can make a beer out of winter squash and make it taste good, it has to be Alan. I don’t want to be rude while Alan is talking, so I’ll just take a few basic notes. It smells like sweet grapes with a slight spiciness. The flavor is initially sweet and spicy, but soon becomes very dry. I can’t really taste the winter squash, which I guess is the point. Clean and crisp despite there being no hops in this beer. The color is "Champagne yellow", like white grape juice with a whitish head that fades to a wide rim. I liked this much better than I thought I would, given my intense dislike of winter squash. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

Draught, Rose & Raindrop, Portland (and again at HotD brewery). Body is hazy medium yellow. Aroma is moderately malty (bread, cookie), lightly hoppy (flowers), with notes of lemon, passion fruit, pumpkin/squash/vegetable. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation. I don’t think I’m the only one to think that squash just isn’t the right adjunct for beer.

RBSG 2004, on tap at the brewery: Clear yellow with a large white small-bubbled head. Sweet aroma that is unique, starts and ends lightly sweet, warning sensation although it is very low in alcohol. Medium bodied, an interesting squash based beer.

On tap at the brewery during the RBSG ’04. Interesting brew, using squash. Golden color with a nice white head. Smooth mouthfeel that I can only assume is the squash. Sweet malt flavors with a slightly spicey taste. Nice variation.

Sampled @ brewery, RBSG 2004. Clear light yellow. Spicy nose, some definite squash there, with some yeast and alcohol... spicy peach, very light and fresh tasting. Nice, even carbonation.

Tap @ Rose & Raindrop for RBSG 04
Hazy gold color, creamy head, light lacing. Aroma is lightly hoppy with potato notes & almost rusty spices present. The flavor is well balanced, a full body not derived from malt or alcohol with spicy hops, very tasty & drinkable.