Fred From The Wood - Hair of the Dog Brewing Company / Brewery and Tasting Room

ncvbc

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Deep amber rust, clear before the sediment is poured later. Medium white cap with decent retention, falling to a ring within a minute or two. Smell is a woodsy bouquet of hops and malt. Definitely some oak, hints of tobacco and a faint, faint vanilla. Some heat but not enough to complain about. Taste is just like any other HOTD brew I've had. Insanely complex and delicious. Moderate sweetness balanced by the wood like flavor, which is lovely. Some caramel and toffee and piney hop presence leaving a bitterness in the finish. It's sweet in the mouth upon sipping and soon there is a snappy bitterness that is enjoyable. Again, just the slightest burn. Medium bodied with good carbonation and drying in the finish, which I'd give the oak more credit for than the hops. A slow sipper. Not quite up to the regular Fred standards in my opinion, yet it takes on a different persona and a very nice one at that. I really enjoyed this brew and savored it for over an hour. Too bad it's gone.

I owe inflatablechair a huge thanks for including this extra in a recent trade. This favor will surely be returned.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2009 05:24:01 | More by ncvbc

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

06-18-2013 01:30:54 | More by ShanePB

stx00lax

Washington

4.25/5  rDev 0%

06-14-2013 04:26:58 | More by stx00lax

TheRuss9585

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

06-10-2013 17:24:41 | More by TheRuss9585

kscaldef

Oregon

4/5  rDev -5.9%

06-10-2013 10:47:55 | More by kscaldef

jpbebeau

Washington

4.75/5  rDev +11.8%

06-08-2013 05:07:30 | More by jpbebeau

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

huge thanks to m4ttj0nes for this bottle!

poured into HotD Tulip glass!

Vintage 2013

Appeareance: murky brown bodied beer with 3 fingers of light tan head. The head has really good staying power as well. Its stays around for a long time eventually drops down to a thick chunky uneven cap of foam.

Smell: Mild malty sweetness, mellow dark fruits, subtle smoke, leather, earthy, oaky.

Taste: dark fruits, slight caramel sweetness, "toasted and nutty malt", leather, and tobacco. Earthy and spicy hops. Very oaky and woody. This is excellant! The warmer this beer gets the stronger the woodiness becomes and those spicy hops from Fred also seem to really show themselves too. Transition from dark fruity malts to a tannic/vinious malt profile as the beer nears room temperature.

Mouthfeel: high end of a medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation levels. This beers has a fantastic mouthfeel with spot on carbonation. Very drinkable despite the 10% abv. Rediculously smooth, slick, and creamy!

Overall: With this beer tonite, I have finally tried of all the "from the Wood" series beers that HotD has ever bottled! This is another HotD gem. I enjoy Fred very much and it makes a fantastic base beer to put into a barrel. Fred from the Wood is no doubt an improvement of regular Fred! It drinks fantastic fresh and will age gracefully. I highly recommend it! I think that this is almost as good as 2012 Bourbon Fred from the Wood(the properly carbonated batch). I think this beer would also fit into the style category of an oak aged old ale or a really, really big oak aged Wee heavy based on the look, smell, flavor profile, and mouthfeel of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 05:36:43 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

timc100

Illinois

4.68/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

2013 vintage

A: Pours a gorgeous murky brown with slight hints of the gold from non BA Fred. Sits a a very murky, dark ruby brown. Amazing head, considering the aging and abv. - dense, creamy rustic looking beige with substantial retention and sticky lacing that last throughout.

S: Huge! The barrel aging has done wonders with the base. Big flavors of organic woodiness, tabacco, some oaky vanilla and a little leather. As it warms some cherry comes through and cocoa powder. Being as fresh as it is, the crystal malts and bright hops are still there. Also some very slight oxidation.

T: Almost as amazing as the aroma, but less vibrant and complex. The huge notes of wood and tobacco come through along with some smooth oaky vanilla. More chocolate and some caramel. Getting a little big of some dark fruit, wish there were a little more, and a lot less of the base beer than there was in the aroma. Very organic and woody

P: Incredibly smooth, barely any alcohol heat to speak of, proper soft carbonation. Really highlights the flavor. Medium to full in body, definitely doesn't feel big as much as full

O: What else to expect from HotD? They make amazing beers. The oak aging has been done with tact and understanding of what flavors can be extracted and complimentary to the existing beer. I would to have an older vintage, but this certainly drinks well fresh. May actually prefer this to the bourbon variant.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 22:00:52 | More by timc100

tapoutjoe

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +11.8%

05-31-2013 17:20:35 | More by tapoutjoe

Rathakem

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

05-31-2013 03:46:17 | More by Rathakem

KevinGordon

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

05-30-2013 12:55:40 | More by KevinGordon

chippo33

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev 0%

05-28-2013 21:27:13 | More by chippo33

mantissa

Oregon

4/5  rDev -5.9%

05-24-2013 21:46:52 | More by mantissa

drummermattie02

Texas

4.25/5  rDev 0%

05-20-2013 23:55:22 | More by drummermattie02

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

05-19-2013 00:45:47 | More by Photekut

FranzBC

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

05-13-2013 02:01:18 | More by FranzBC

champ103

Texas

4.54/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A huge thanks to Dajai007 for sharing this. This is from 08.

A: Pours a hazed golden/amber/orange color. Still great carbonation is apparent after all these years. A two finger beige head rises with good retention, and plenty of of lace. Impressive for such an old beer.
S: Up front is just a hint of oxidation, though very minor and actually complements everything else. Estery dark fruits like plums and cherries. Toasted malts, caramel, and a huge layered aroma that is amazing.
T: Follows the nose for the most part. Hardly any oxidation here though. Plenty of fruity esters. Dark fruits like plums, figs, and cherries. Toasted malt, caramel, oak, and vanilla. Again, a ton of layers. Amazing.
M/D: A medium to full body. Good carbonation for the age. Crisp, and smooth at the same time. The alcohol show just a bit. For the most part, a supremely easy to drink.

I have had this a few time, I think every time has been through Daja007, which is the case for most of the "rare" stuff that I get to try. Always a great experience. Highly recommended to say the least.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 23:06:54 | More by champ103

FUwolfpacker

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

05-10-2013 12:12:09 | More by FUwolfpacker

weonfire

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev 0%

05-02-2013 17:51:13 | More by weonfire

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

04-30-2013 00:54:38 | More by mikeincharleston

Adamostella

Washington

4/5  rDev -5.9%

04-29-2013 02:50:08 | More by Adamostella

itsthepleats

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev 0%

04-28-2013 19:07:06 | More by itsthepleats

JMRSN

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -5.9%

03-19-2013 23:06:44 | More by JMRSN

MasterSki

Illinois

4.16/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

2009 vintage thanks to ChrisPro. Served in a snifter.

A - White foam, thick collar, partial cap and wisps on top. Mostly transparent orange-brown body.

S - It's what you'd expect - an oaky Fred. Less rye than the base beer, although still somewhat spicy and earthy in character. Some floral and honey sweetness from the malt backbone.

T - The taste is quite similar to the base beer as well, with honey, stone fruits, rye, and estery yeast. Some oak and vanilla presence, but not as intense as the aroma. Thankfully loses the tangy rye finish that I dislike in the base beer.

M - Smooth, chewy texture, medium-full in body. Lower carbonation, with a low amount of alcohol warmth. Quite easy drinking considering the ABV.

D - Surprisingly enjoyable stuff. Quite mellow, and a significant improvement on the base beer. I'm going to have to get another bottle or two of this when it's released next.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:51:25 | More by MasterSki

Azrael

4/5  rDev -5.9%

02-09-2013 05:58:34 | More by Azrael