Doggie Claws - Hair of the Dog Brewing Company / Brewery and Tasting Room

Mar02x

Netherlands

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer pored in by Alan Sprints himself during the Alvinne Craft Beer Festival. What a fantastic moment.

A - A yellow beer with a white head.

S - A fruity hop scent; mango citrus.

T - There is fruity mango, pineapple, candy sugar, but the fluid is not crispy. Alan told me that it came because of the added honey. I didn't notice it though. I know it sounds stupid but I thought that I was drinking a Imperial IPA. Later I discovered it was a barley wine.

M - A soft carbonation and no real bitterness. This beer is beer lemonade!

O - A real nice beer, and so easy to drink. I know that I am nagging now, but a bit colder would have been nice.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2012 19:58:08 | More by Mar02x

Drinkerofales

California

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours murky copper brown with red in the lights. A large light brown head forms and stays.

Smell is pungent hops, dark fruit, sweet roasted malt, toffee, and booze. Huge.

Taste is candied fruit, booze and roasted malts, hops are present as well.

Feels thick and creamy. While there is an alcohol presence, but it's not too to, just about right.

Nice beer, big and pungent. Gonna get some to age....

DOA

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 00:34:17 | More by Drinkerofales

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.53/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a medium red-orange amber with a one finger fine to medium white head. Nice retention and massive lacing. Looks great. Fantastic aroma of herbal hops and sweet malt, light fruit. Wonderful complex flavor dominated by herbal and citrus hops with a solid sweet malt body and dark and light fruits and honey. Finishes nicely with malt and a hop kick. Creamy medium body. Very well made and tasty. This 2010 bottle was perfectly carbonated, no sign of the over carbonation reported by others for 2010.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 05:00:56 | More by LiquidAmber

dogfishandi

New York

4.4/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

thanks to youradhere for the extra!

2011 Vintage. 12oz bottle, fridge temp., darkness snifter.

pours a cloudy ruby red copper/ bronze color, love the color. big creamy, billowy light tan head. three fingers worth off the pour that settles to a solid fingers worth of retention. lots of thick sticky lacing, and lots of visible carbonation bubbles.

resinous piney hops with lots of sticky carmelized malt, some hot booze, a bit of raisony dark fruits and tobacco leaves. a bit of sweetness, carmalized sugar like, comes through.

great taste and a good balance, but still tons of malt. piney, woody, resiny hops are quickly overcome by tons of sticky carmalized malt, molasses, a bit of burnt sugars and tobacco. some nice sweetness that gets cut by the hop bitterness in the finish. warming going down, but no actual taste of alcohol.

big, sticky mouthfeel, a little sweetness on the sides of the palate after the sip, but mostly resinous hop bitterness that lingers. flows over the palate so smoothly. carbonation looked like it would be high from the pour but settled out nicely.

definatly one of the better american barleywine's ive had. similar to bigfoot only with some better complexities. i would love to try this aged or out of a bourbon barrel.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 22:49:26 | More by dogfishandi

Thingus

California

4.13/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Live tasting 12oz. Bottle, 2011 vintage into Duvel tulip...

Appearance; pours a mahogany copper color with less than a finger of foamy light light copper colored head.. Retention is minute, with just a thin ring sticking around the edge of the glass... Lacing is essentially non-existent with just one spotty web stuck to the side of my glass...

Smell; starts off with a slightly bready aroma, all kinds of winter spices, raisins, prunes and figs...

Taste; slightly bready with caramel and vanilla hints of cinnamon, nutmeg... Notes of raisin and prunes sneak in... Alcohol becomes more prevalent as it warms, but it certainly doesn't detract from the flavors of this brew...

Mouthfeel; just a touch of carbonation, and you certainly wouldn't know it by looking at the beer which is nearly still in the glass... Full medium body goes down smooth...

Overall; a great Barleywine with a lot of complexity that I am sure would only become more pronounced with age!

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 05:39:53 | More by Thingus

gkunkle

Oregon

4.4/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a yellow/ brown color, which I found a little odd. The beer is hazy brown, but when held to light gives a yellow color. The head is mellow, rising to about 1 finger in my snifter. Lots of carbonation can be seen The smell is close to a DIPA smell, strong nose of grapefruit, raisin, alcohol. Taste starts with thick malt sweetness and alcohol, then I get a touch of fruitiness, maybe like a apple/strawberry. Toward the end of the taste I get a smooth malt that eases into a slightly sweet aftertaste. Mouthfeel is thick, with ticklish carbonation. This is a really great barleywine, I enjoy the assertive hops and the sweetness provided by the honey. I'm looking to tasting this again in a few years.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 02:30:08 | More by gkunkle

Arbitrator

California

3.35/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I didn't feel like re-writing a full review of the 2011 vintage, so I just changed the scores and amended a rolling update at the end of the review.

~~~

Chilled 2010 vintage bottle into a glass. Gold cap, if that matters.

A: Despite letting it settle for over a week and putting it in the fridge for a day, a moderate pour produces copious head that threatens to overflow my 22oz snifter. Retention is great; the beer collapses conically, leaving a volcano-like structure of suds in the middle, and sticky lace down the sides. Hard to beat, though the overcarbonation is actually a downside. The body is a reddish-amber color.

S: Pretty hoppy: grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine. Green apple, apricot, and a beautiful floral aroma that reminds me of jasmine and honey.

T: The malts dominate the taste at first, with sugar cookie, apricot, and pears blending on the tongue. I also detected honey and a light floral flavor. There are citrus hops for sure, in the fruit varieties noted in the aroma. A slight touch of grassiness. The aftertaste is malty, producing a grain-honey flavor. Doggie Claws is on the sweet side when young, though I know from drinking past vintages that it dries up with age.

M: Medium-to-full bodied. The carbonation scrubs the palate pretty well; it's only slightly sticky. Pretty well disguised ABV.

D: I was impressed with this one, but I still feel that Fred from the Wood as well as Adam and its derivatives are much better and richer in flavor. I'm content buying two bottles a season (one to drink, one to age).

---

A rolling vintage update from a vertical consumed in Feb 2012.

2011: Drank fresh (a couple of months old). Properly carbed, no gushing. The aroma isn't as vibrant as past vintages have been fresh. The dominant aromas are sugar cookie and grain, with a mild floral note. The taste is an unrefined sweetness with an undercurrent of bitter hops. It lacks nuance while the liquid is on the palate, but the exhalation brings out flavors of peach, jasmine, and honey. The finish is completely unsatisfying; weak and watery. (3.35)

2010: Drank with 1 year on it. Slightly overcarbed, though not a gusher. About a third of the snifter fills with beige foam that sticks around. Clear caramel-amber body. Even when I crack the cap slightly, an overwhelming aroma of jasmine, honey, grapefruit, pineapple, and tangelo reach my nostrils. These great aromatics translate well to the flavor, which is incredibly juicy. While sweet on the open, it finishes in balance with a lightly oily aftertaste and mild bitterness. There are hints of sherry oxidation. This is aging very well, and it is quite a bit better than the 2011. (4.2)

2009: 2 years old, blue cap. I remember these were the "flat" half of the batch. This one is lightly carbed now, so maybe the yeast went to work. This year, like the 2010, has a floral, honey-backed aroma. Its oxidation is evident in moderate sherry character. Some of the citrus hops are fading in nose and taste, with an accompanying stale hop flavor. I'm sure the batches vary, so it's not a direct comparison, but I don't like this as much as the 2010. (3.8)

2008: 3 years old. This looks more ruby than the other batches; it definitely borders on maroon. Low carbonation, and the bubbles vanish into nothing (not even a collar). It's mildly floral, with stronger citrus, but the hops are definitely fading out. Sherry oxidation is quite strong. I can see the trend here, despite the batch variation. The stale hop flavors I picked up in the 2009 have died down. The beer has a mild sugar burn in the finish. (3.5)

2002: 9 years old. Thanks to writerLJBerg for this one. Pours a maroon body with a pinky finger of large-bubbled beige head. An aroma of oxidized sherry fills the area as I crack the cap. It persists in the glass; this is dominated by a smell of oxidation and stale hops, with little else. The aromatic citrus hops have faded out; there are no floral notes. The taste reveals mostly sherry oxidation with a stale, slightly sour grain flavor in the finish and mild biterness. It's interesting, but not very appealing. I think J.W. Lees is a far better showcase for age than Doggie Claws. (2.8)

Result: in the future, I'm not aging this longer than 1 year. I don't like where it goes.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 08:51:59 | More by Arbitrator

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage 2003 as reviewed on 6/9/06.

Pours murky mahogany, with cola-like carbonation release.
Yeast chunks make thier way to the bottom as any threat of a head fizzle out.
Medium sized bubble perculate to the placid surface.
Zero lacing with particulate matter clinging to the glass midway.
Rich and roasty malts dominate the aromatics, with dark fruit and mild oxidation.
Mild pine notes and dried bark with roasted figs underneath.
Alcohol is warming, and nose finishes spicey and dry.
Fullishly medium body, slickish and tacky. Slightly prickly carbonation.
Pallet is filled with sticky malt, alcohols, and bitter fruits.
Citrus-laded dried sap and caramel.
Mildly oxidized, resinous, and almost hot.
Bitterness is substantial, but not detractive, unlike the wet cardboard note.
Finishes long, warming, slightly mettalic, and lightly astringent.

Three years old and past prime?

Revisit, vintage 2004 as reviewed on 2/10/12.

This ones tasting pretty good, very light oxidation with plenty of plump, juicy malt and some shades of pine still coming through. Most of the hops have faded, just warming booze and sticky malt for the most part. A hint of celery seeds oddly step forward in the finish as the beer warms. This beer is still hands-down way better fresh. This vintage is holding up very well though for an eight year old.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 01:17:18 | More by brewandbbq

PatrickSwayze

California

4.78/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Doggie Claws 2009: 

A: Pours a beautiful rich copper that is clear and effing beautiful.

S: All i can smell is deep rich cherries and lovely caramel notes that bring out complex notes on the nose

T: This thing is deep and complex of rich cherries and caramel just like the smell.  Unreal how smooth this beer is. Im blown away by the apple, cherry caramel flavors.Kind of rreminds me of yummy Julian apple cider (not the alcoholic cider)

M: Rich and dry that packs retarded amounts of depth on the tongue with low carbonation.

O: This one was incredibly smooth with beer at 2 years aged. One of the best barley wines i have ever enjoyed next to aged "big foot". Way more fruit flavors though then caramel notes.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 03:08:35 | More by PatrickSwayze

kojevergas

California

3.4/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into 20cl Beer Sommelier Antwerp Beer Passion Weekend stemware in low altitude Los Angeles, California. This is the 2011 version. My label displays ABV as 11%. Acquired at Wally's Wine in Westwood, California. Reviewed live. I'm excited for this one; I'm really into barleywines and am in the mood for a good one.

A: Pours a half finger head of nice fair cream, good thickness, and decent retention (considering the high ABV anyway). Colour is an extremely dark copper; nontransparent and solid. No yeast particles are visible. Appears adequately carbonated. I'm looking forward to it, though I do note that it seems a bit dark for a barleywine.

Sm: Strangely hoppy - unexpected for a barleywine. Biscuity bread-like notes. Maybe some toasted malt and/or raisin. Dark honey is also present, particularly on the finish - which is lovely. I'd say the honey is dominant, and next in line hops. A moderate strength aroma, but a subtle and intricate one that makes me excited to taste it. 4.0-4.5

T: Nectary. The delightful honey foundation is near-perfect in its subtlety, not intruding on the delicate balance, and not too bright and open; clearly they didn't just add honey the way you might in a honey blonde. It's a dark honey, and reading the label and discovering it's wild flower honey doesn't surprise me. An excellent and unique choice.

The hops are nearly perfectly balanced, giving the open a very interesting character that doesn't at all clash with the balance in a structural or flavour-wise sense.

Light candied sugar manifests mostly on the climax, giving it a bit of body but also thinning the third act a bit. It's not a favorful tradeoff all around; I think they could do with reducing the quantity of candied sugar used a bit.

No yeast comes through, nor does any alcohol - an impressive feat considering the hefty ABV.

It does seem hoppy for a barleywine, but the honey does well to hide the bitterness.

The only troublesome bit is the third act, which has a strange bitter feel to it and is thinner than the first two. It's a minor qualm, but throws the structural balance off to a degree.

It could do with more complexity in its flavours, but what's there is nice and I imagine she'd age nicely. I like it, though for the style it's a bit strange.

Mf: Smooth and wet, but a touch thick. It lumps on the climax, which doesn't bother me - though the thinness of the third act afterwards is (as aforementioned) a problem. It could do with more thickness and coarseness all around. Moreover, the finish is too slick and zips right by.

Dr: Quite drinkable for its hefty ABV, and uniquely honey-centric for the style. I like that they're experimenting, but I think the hop content should be reduced, the honey quantity increased, and the crystal malts omitted.

This one would likely age well, in part because the hop flavour would die down. There doesn't seem to be much yeast in the bottle, so I don't know that the ABV would creep.

Best paired with a good plain bread, like baguette.

Serve in a glass that really lets the aroma out; it's quite pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 06:22:01 | More by kojevergas

Brez07

Maine

3.45/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed as part of the Blind Beer BIF #6. 2005 vintage served into a snifter

A: Pours a dark honey color. Second glass looked cloudy with some sludge. Pour leaves a 1 finger head but this goes within minutes (3.5)

S: Nose has some oak, vanilla, light caramel. Not barrel aged though. Citrusy, piney in the background. Honey? (3.5)

T: Very sweet upfront, but finishing with a dry bitterness. Definite caramel, some butterscotch. There's a slightly off putting plum presence. Starts to get a pinesol flavor from what I'm guessing is old hops (3.5)

M: Medium bodied. Lighter carbonation. Smooth finish (3)

D: This beer is drinkable, but seems like it's going through a weird phase. I don't mind it, but not something I'd seek out again... at least not right now (3.5)

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 12:41:12 | More by Brez07

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Firestone Walker tulip.

Beer pours a cloudy garnet red with a nice two finger foam head. While the head dissipates quickly, it leaves behind copious amounts of lacing. The nose is a lovely blend of gentle hops, lush caramel and vanilla, and a decent malt background. I also detect some dark fruit. Plums, figs, and such. The taste is lovely as well. All of the aforementioned scents are detectable on the palate. A nice conversion from nose to mouth. This has just a shade of sweetness to it. The only drawback, is that this is one boozy motherfucker. That 11.5% is front and center. The mouthfeel is decent, but again highlights the booziness. Otherwise it's quite smooth with little to no lingering aftertaste. Overall, this is a solid barley wine, and one that I'd visit again, although I don't envision myself throwing up and ISO for the stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 03:34:02 | More by Retail1LO

mfavoino

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 bottle enjoyed on 1/15/12.

Appearance: Pours a rich dark brown with a significant head that had incredible retention.

Smell: Toasty caramel notes with some piney hops as well to balance things out.

Taste: This is one of the best beers I've enjoyed in quite some time. Taste follows the nose nicely with delicious caramel sweetness, some subtle fruity notes, and fresh tasting hops that don't bite too hard. Alcohol hits as it finishes, although I would say the taste is subdued considering the ABV.

Mouthfeel: Heavy, thick, creamy. Average carbonation.

Overall: My first offering from HOTD, and it has inspired me to try the rest of their beers. This is worth tracking down, especially if you're a barleywine lover. I think I'm going to grab another bottle and see how it does after a year.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 05:32:18 | More by mfavoino

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Score is an average of the following two vintages consumed on the same day.

2010 bottle. Pours a salmon/ruby with a very large head. Nose is big caramel malt, honey, red apple, some dust and cardboard. Mouth is big, sweet, chewy and juicy, malt forward with honey, sweet apple, perhaps a touch of toffee, and and moderately hopped finish with some alcohol burn. A light cardboard on the finish that I'm surprised with a bottle this young, which detracts quite a bit. 3.4

2009 bottle drank beside the 2010 pours a ruby/copper with a small head. The nose is not as malt aggressive, with rich tones of sap, red apple, and a nice malt complexity. Super rich, silky feel in the mouth. Flavor has a lot of the qualities of the 2010 but in a far more refined package that allows the burnt sugars, toasted marshmallow to shine. Some pine sap bitterness on the finish, and none of the oxidation of the 2010. A great vintage. 4.2

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 00:54:59 | More by JAXSON

DarthKostrizer

California

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Vintage 2011 thanks to MrVonzipper for sharing this one with me

Look: Orangish brown in color with a 3/4 inch head and great retention

Smell: Piney hops dominate the nose on this guy. Hidden behind the hops is a touch of toffee on the nose

Taste: Toffee and caramel malty goodness up front. Mid palate there is a touch of alcohol but not in a bad way. The beer then finishes with a nice hoppy character

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body and a fair amount of carbonation

Overall: I really enjoyed my pour of this guy. I can't really say it reminds me all that much of a barleywine because of how hoppy it is but it is still a damn good beer. I would like to try some older vintages of this one because I think then it would be a bit more like the barley wines that I have come to love

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 23:29:54 | More by DarthKostrizer

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter. 2009 vintage.

4.5 A: Unlike a lot of HOTD I've had, this is plentifully carbonated and perhaps a bit too much so. Transluscent just-darker-than ruby red color. A full three fingers of creamy/frothy off-white head. Retention is nothing short of amazing for a beer this big. Plentiful lacing left behind.

4.5 S: This is still hoppy as hell. Really wonderful aroma on this. Tons of herbal hops with pine undertones. The barleywine underneath all the hops is toasty with caramel and plentiful fruitiness in the form of apple and overripened peach.

3.5 T: The taste, however, is a bit unrefined, though this is still good overall. The hops seem to be in an awkward state at the moment. The flavor is herbal as well. Caramel with toffee and plenty of light fruitiness.

4.0 M: Heavier medium to lighter heavy body. Good moderate carbonation. Good creaminess.

4.0 D: I think I should give this a go fresh...or aged longer. I think I might have drank this at a bad time. Oh well.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 00:11:17 | More by DavoleBomb

buffs9

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a muddy, brown-amber, with a tan head, good head retention and lacing.

S - Smell is of dark and citrus fruit drizzled malts, with sweet honey, molasses, and spicy, piney hops.

T - Tons going on: bread, straw, apricot, honey, molasses, and spicy hops.

M - Smooth and chewy at the same time, thick.

D - It's a sipper, but at the same time I think I could enjoy quite a few of these in a sitting

O - Great barleywine, will enjoy again

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 23:38:51 | More by buffs9

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First had: on tap at their brewpub
Also have bottles of this for later consumption.

Poured a nice brownish amber with a small cap of tan head that retained fairly well. Sweet caramel and brown sugar in the nose, with some fruitiness and distant hop tones. Sweet and thick with dark sugars--caramel and brown sugar--notes of raisins and red wine, with an obvious alcohol kick, and a touch of citrusy hops. Smooth and nearly full-bodied, very drinkable. Great barleywine.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2012 16:42:02 | More by Rifugium

phichifiji00

California

4/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Rich mahogany. pours 1 inch thich tan head that fades slowly. Lots of lacing.

Smell: malty, hint of bubblegum, dark fruit, vanilla, oak, toffee.

Taste: malty, honey, toffee, caramel, spicy, oak, vanilla.

Mouthfeel: full bodied, moderate carbonation, smooth, slightly boozy as it warms.

Overall: A good barley wine. The ABV is well hidden. Very drinkable. well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 18:39:02 | More by phichifiji00

jera1350

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage 2005:

Dark copper color with lots of sediment stirring about. The head is of tan foam with very nice retention and leaves some fair lacing.

Lots of sweetness, mostly in the form of caramel. There is a fairly strong soapy pine scent as well.

Wow. After six years, this beer is still really pretty hoppy and surprisingly warm from the alcohol. A great blend of malty sweetness, but the hops have not disappeared and join in the fun. Very tasty beer.

The carbonation is a bit lower, not surprisingly so after six years. The body does not feel as big and full as an 11.5 percent beer should. The overall feel is good though.

A beautifully aged barleywine that is just solid overall. So glad I am having the chance to enjoy this. Made for the ages.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 02:10:43 | More by jera1350

dbmernin83

California

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2011 on the bottle.
Pours a deep mahogany with head that won't quit.
Hops, booze, caramel malts, and oak literally punch you in the nose.
Holy mother of God! This is just stupid. The level of delicious is through the roof! Big hops, sweet caramel, wood, toffee, and booze all have equal turn making love to every single one of your tastebuds.
Thick and sticky, but great carbonation.
This beer is amazing. I recently had a 2010 and it was just as amazing. Still hoppy, but everything blended together even more. This is a magical beer. I'm going back tomorrow to buy as many as possible to drink now and age.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 05:52:57 | More by dbmernin83

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage 2011.

poured into oversized snifter.

Appearance: Murky copper brown bodied beer with a small white head less than one finger tall. Recedes quickly to a ring around out side of the glass. The beer has a decent amount of lacing.

Smell: This is a big nose on this barleywine with a fairly assertive hop profile. Huge dark fruit notes mixed with traditonal caramel and toffee notes of most barleywines. Hops smell fresh; lots orange and pineapple with a little bit of pine and grapefruit in there.

Taste: Little bit on caramel, burnt sugar, and toffee right away. The malt profile is substantial and fairly rich; it is quickly interupted by the hops. Mild to moderate hops bitterness, the hops are not as strong as I was thinking they would be based on the nose of the beer. The hops have alot of pine notes, also tastes very leafy and almost have a green tea flavor to them. The hops are also fairly dank and musty. The balance between malt and hops profile is okay, but its a bit more hop heavy than I like my barleywines, but its appropiate for the American Barleywine style. It got a bit of a booze kick in the finish.

Mouthfeel: This beer is on the high end of medium bodied, really close to a full bodied beer. Almost moderate carbonation levels, but i gotta say the carbonation is low for a bottle conditioned beer. This beer is fairly syrupy, but has enough carbonation to break it up. The alcohol is a bit warming, but i would still consider this beer smooth. Once again the difference maker in this beer is the bottle conditioning. I wish that all craft beers were bottle conditioned, it just makes a beer than much better reguardless of the style.

Overall: I really do enjoy Hair of the Dog Brewery. They make great beers in styles that I enjoy. As far as Doggie Claws goes its a really nice American Barleywine, probably on of the better ones have had. While I still prefer the English Style Barleywines this beer holds its own. I will say I prefer Adam over this beer, it still worth a try for any fan of barleywines.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 01:33:30 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Vintage 2007, on draft at HotD.

Swiss cheese lace and red-brown body.

Dank vintage malt nose, chewy already.

Aged American, honeyed hops and big malt. Hops have mellowed, but are not without bite. Classical barleywine with prune, date, etc.

Super smooth.

Darn good vintage barleywine, mostly American, but a bit English.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2011 20:07:12 | More by zaphodchak

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A 2011 Christmas gift from a wonderful wife.
appearance: Beautiful bronze, impressively thick tan head.
smell: Very hop forward. To be sure, this little doggie is freshly whelped and i understand these get better with age. There's a solid malt backbone but this smells more like a dipa than a barley at this stage.
taste: Ditto on the taste. Very nice though noticeably "green".
Thankfully, the wife of the year picked up several bottles and I'll be updating as time goes by.

edit 12/11/12: noticeable improvement after a year. not gonna change any scores yet but ageing nicely.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 23:22:53 | More by cindyjeffsmith

aasher

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This bottle is the 2008 vintage and courtesy of BrewerB. Thanks for hitting this want Brian! Opened on Christmas Day.

This beer pours a light to medium bodied pure copper in color with no head or lacing. The aromas are incredibly malty, featuring plenty of caramel, toffee, and sweet dried fruits with a citrusy faded hop character. It solid and to he expected from an '08. The flavors are very sweet and fruity. It's near all swerve malts. I get a lot of cherry and orange peel in the malt bill. It solid and has nice flavor. It's drinkable for the abv and is sticky yet not overly so. Overall this is a nice aged barleywine and pretty similar to the '08 Behemoth that I had earlier this year.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 22:56:25 | More by aasher