Hair of the Dog Rose

Formerly brewed at Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Tripel
Portland, Oregon USA

Batch 32. Almost no head. Taste and nose is very, very strong of caramel. Desurfer nailed this-it tastes like a very cheap chardonay. Other flavor notes- astringent, acidic, sharp, sugar, earth, and straw. Overall, I like the flavor, but there is something wrong with the mouthfeel-it is way too sharp. This one is interesting. Need another from a different batch to ensure that this isn’t infected.

Batch 36. Pours a pale yellow with a big, poofy white head. Aroma is odd; very buttery, sweet but with a weird stale character. I’m getting a feeling similar to Kevin’s rating. It seems like a bad bottle, lots of funky notes to the point of unpleasantness. But we have different batch #’s, so maybe this character is deliberate. Lots of carbonation, astringent bite, like a cheap chardonnay. Pretty gross overall; down the drain it goes.

This is a good Abbey Tripple. Malt, clove, and apricot flavors. Finishes clean, crisp, and dry.

bottle.#32 pours a hazy amber with no head. smells like a sugar daddy, toffee and caramel, and some earthy/yeast notes. taste is sweet honeyish with chocolate coming through, i think i have a bad bottle. i will pick up more the next time i can and double check. white wine aspects come through in this. no carbonation, very dead mouthfeel. cardboard finish.

Bottle, batch 38, drunk 3/30/05. Light peach-yellow body with a slight rosy-pink hue to it. Very hazy and highly unfiltered. Full, lasting, creamy white head. Huge amount of lacing. Smells of good quality, hard aromatic malt, spicy yeast and a bit of candi sugar and honey. Aroma intensity is medium-full. Flavor begins with hops, light and floral/herbal, with some biscuity/aromatic malt, light almond notes, honey, vanilla blossoms a good dose of spicy yeast and a distinct candi sugar finale. Mouthfeel is smooth and fluffy with low natural carbonation. Medium body, with light thinning and some perceived alcohol as it warms, a characteristic not out of style. Definitely American, definitely good (sorry, I just wanted to say something gimmicky).
Batch 16 twelve oz bottle drunk on 3/22/07 at the Stuffed Sandwich
This bottle must be about 10-15 years old, I’m guessing closer to the 15 year mark. Incredibly funny pour shows no head and a thick, sedimented, hazy golden-copper body, despite trying to leave the sediment behind.
First sniff and I’m caught off guard by the fact that there’s no oxidation. As the flavor soon reveals (I was puzzled by the aroma), it’s all oxidation, but importantly, sherry oxidation, not cardboard/madeira. And it creates a deliciously rich, sweet caramel-sherry flavor, with a soft, round, wet-but-creamy texture. Golden raisins, vanilla, honey and light esters without any alcohol perceptible. Nothing distinctly Belgian about it and I’d call it more an old ale at this point. Very enjoyable, however and a fun sherry/beer-like sipper.

Batch 38: Smells like cream of wheat, floral, fruit. Lots of creamy whitish foam which is lasting, leaving fine lace pattern. Lots of pale fruit: pear, apricot, banana, raw nut, pleasant medium to full body, finishing with white pepper, slight alcohol, yeast. Creamy, quenching, a nicely done brew. Not Belgian, but sure as hell delicious.

Pours a hazy brown color body with a fizzy, white head. The aroma reminds me a lot of canned fruit with syrup and alcohol. Flavor is malts and yeast with a smooth honey finish. Alcohol not too overpowering. Pretty good.

Pours a hazy blonde color with a thin white head. Aroma of malt, honey and alcohol. Flavor of malt, honey, yeast and alcohol. Light to medium body, creamy texture that leaves the mouth very dry, lively carbonation. Decent tripel.