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

Swimsum

California

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2008 vintage at Beachwood BBQ on 8/8/09.

Pours out a dark golden orange color. A bit cloudy when held to the light. About 1/2 finger head on the initial pour that settles into a thin film. By the end of the glass the head has disappeared completely. Some lacing down the sides of the glass but it doesn't stick to the glass very well and is sporadic.

Sweet smelling upon the first few whiffs. Oak/wood immediately follow this up and ends with an alcohol burn. At times the alcohol becomes a bit overwhelming in the smell.

Oak/wood greats the tongue as the beer is sipped. Followed up by some alcohol heat, sweetness and slight tobacco. The alcohol is the most noticeable aspect of the taste for it. I really think this needs some time to develop as I thought it was very hot.

Sitting on the tongue this is a very thick beer with not a lot of carbonation. Upon swallowing, their is an alcohol burn that I'm not liking all that much.

This one was a sipper for me. Was pretty boozy and not all that complex. Perhaps the meal I had with it wasn't helping it out any but if I had a bottle of this, I'd let it sit for awhile. Hopefully will be able to get another bottle of this one day.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2011 06:14:53 | More by Swimsum

levifunk

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle. batch 80

a - not as nice looking as regular fred. less cloudy and less head.

s - large oak on the nose. citrus hops. very nice nose.

t - oak, hops bitterness, grapefruit, candy sweetness.

m - medium body. lower carbonation.

overall - very different than the regular fred. an odd flavor that i couldnt define.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 02:34:44 | More by levifunk

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle. It is a gusher 2009 vintage.

It pours beautifully, a beautiful orange/red color with a foamy white ehad that recedes to some gorgeuos lacing.

It is straight up fucking infected though, maybe a stray batch of Fred Flanders form the wood got bottled. It smells like a sour Belgian pale. It has a bretty presence and some sweetness.

The flavor is sweet and sour with a definite oak flavor. Well ill be fucked, it isn't half bad infected. It has a big lemony flavor, some cloying sweetness from the base barleywine. Some solid barleywine base flavors like caramel and toffee are very pronounced. The wood is big and bold and it has a bit of spiciness.

Ever had a sour Belgo-barleywine? This is it. I wish I could have it un-infected. And sadly because it is infected I have to dock points somewhere and I will go with the smell.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2010 00:32:40 | More by crossovert

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked this up in northern LA in January, $12.99/bottle, letting it age nearly a year before opening. The beer is medium copper color and transparent, with a solid tan foam that never disappears, it only diminishes to a thick film on the surface.

Big malt in the aroma, sweet and burning with ethanol, some light oak. I should have gotten a regular Fred to try side-by-side, as it's been years since I tried one and I can't really tell how much the barrels change the character. It tastes really good anyway, very sweet and rich. The bottle mentions sweet notes of tobacco and I believe I can get that now that it's been pointed out to me. The alcohol is very evident, forcing sips rather than swallows.

Medium-heavy body, sweet and burning presence, very nice nightcap beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2010 01:29:10 | More by TurdFurgison

Mages64

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

At Brouwers cafe in Fremont. 2009 vintage bottle. Poured into an 8oz snifter. Cellar temperature.

A- Beautiful amber color with a pencil thin head and could be agitated to get more head.

S- Smelled like a sour. Sour lemons, sour grapefruit, malt, oak and alcohol. Really odd that the sour smell arose.

T- zero sourness. Smooth malt and molasses. Oakey almost maple undertones. vanilla and light caramel.

M- smooth and sticky. Thin with little body.

D- fantastic for the tasting but I would not want more than 1 but I admit I am a fresh barleywine guy.

Overall an enjoyable experience but I really want to draw attention to the sour smell. If you don't enjoy sours, the smell alone might turn you off to the beer before you even try it. Never have I had a beer taste so radically different than it smelled!

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 05:39:07 | More by Mages64

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Poured into a snifter. Color is a deep reddish-amber with a nice off-white head that settles down somewhat quickly. The nose is really nice and complex with oak, vanilla, dark fruits, figs, caramel, and some sweet malt.

The taste mixes the oak with the base quite well bringing out a bit of sweetness and fruit. Mouthfeel is really nice and rich, bringing out all the flavors that this has going on. Drinks quite well and is a really nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 22:35:22 | More by Thorpe429

Verecund

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2009. Consumed on 10.26.2010. Generously opened by Bucketboy.

Side-by-side with Fred.

Candy apple red / a reddened orange with a wispy eggshell head.

Fruity and sweet; red grape, characteristically fresh American oak, sweet caramel, and citrus/tropical fruit (e.g., orange, peach and coconut). Smells like someone poured Michael in Fred.

Young oak, vanilla, and burnt sugar. The orangey, peachy, coconuty bright fruitiness melts into the caramel malt backbone. There's a "soft" leather flavor aspect as well [thanks, Joe].

Medium-low bodied, with some stickiness.

A nice beer, but I wasn't feeling it in particular tonight. I think I favored the more straightforward Fred.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2010 15:30:32 | More by Verecund

womencantsail

California

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: The pour is a deep, dark red-orange featuring a thin off-white head.

S: Quite a complex nose. The oak is strong up front along with some vanilla notes. Plenty of fruits follow; oranges, cherries, red grapes, and other assorted dark fruits provide a nice sweetness.

T: The oak is not quite as intense initially. Sweet caramel and toffee along with an intense fruitiness. There is a mild bitterness, possibly imparted from the oak. The wood is not as heavy on the vanilla, but provides a bit of a spicy note. Just a touch of chocolatey oxidation to finish things off.

M: The body is medium to full with a somewhat low and smooth level of carbonation.

D: I liked this quite a bit better than regular Fred. Very, very complex and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 07:28:13 | More by womencantsail

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 12 oz. bottle poured into my snifter glass and allowed to come to room temperature. 2009 Vintage. Huge thanks to IdrinkGas for including this as an extra in our trade.

Appearance: Brownish orange in color and very hazy. One finger beige head with really good retention.

Aroma: Caramel and molasses are the main notes I pick up, but there is also oak, tobacco, and figs all in prominent roles. Really balanced and aromatic.

Taste: Much like the aroma, a nice balance of tobacco, cherries, earthiness, oak under a backing of caramel and molasses. Nice balance of sweetness and earthiness. Really flavorful.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and creamy, but with enough carbonation to keep it crisp and not too heavy.

Drinkability: This is definitely a sipper but it really works well as one. The clean aftertaste helps make this really easy to drink.

Overall, one of the best barleywines I've ever had. So balanced and so tasty. Highly recommeneded.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 02:54:22 | More by Gosox8787

MbpBugeye

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

There is a long story behind how I acquired this beer, basically all you need to know is that AleWatcher lost his mind and practically sent me my entire wants list.

A- Beautiful looking beer. It is a glowing peachy copper color with a medium haze. The head, despite ABV and wood aging, gets up to a pretty decent size, sacrifices most of itself to create great lacing and retires to a full film.

S- I could smell this from over arms length as I let it sit in the glass for a moment. The smells Im getting from this distance are very fruity and sweet. It has my attention... It is indeed very sweet smelling. Lots of fruit, sweet sugary malts, pipe tobacco, fresh cut oak, a little bit of Belgian yeast and alcohol.

T- Yes'm, this is a sweet beer. Lots of Belgian style fruitiness that almost becomes tart. Sugariness, pipe tobacco and wood. Alcohol is pretty pronounced.

M- Nearing syurpy but not quite there. Low carbonation. This beer is very sticky. Alcohol really makes this a warm one too.

Thanks again Jeff. You have me floored.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2010 03:18:05 | More by MbpBugeye

zimmerbloke

Wisconsin

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

From Blind Bomber BIF (Thanks to Hophead101!):

A: Bright, golden pour with a pretty substantial head. Actually quite a bit of sediment, probably bottle conditioned. Boy, does this beer have some legs!

S: Quite tart on the nose... in fact, until the beer warmed, I had a hard time convincing myself there was anything else there. As it approached cellar temperature, the tartness picked up a bright oaky overtone and I started picking up a fair amount of booze, some dark fruits and sweetness, almost like a burnt sugar. Very interesting.

T: Wow! So much going on here. First and foremost, tart oakiness. Fades into an extremely balanced (if slightly hot) bready sweetness... booze soaked dark fruit, and a little yeasty, well integrated malt flavor.

M: Thick and warming. Fairly faint carbonation, but I loved just letting this one sit in my mouth. Unique, but very enjoyable.

D: Really enjoyably, if a once in a while beer. 12 ounces went down really easily.

Holy cow! Major, major thanks to Hophead101 for throwing this amazing extra in the box. I've wanted to try this beer like crazy for a while and cracking it open blind in the middle of the box was such a sweet surprise. I think it held up to what I was expecting in quality, but it was definitely different than what I was expecting. Thanks!

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2010 21:06:46 | More by zimmerbloke

hopsbreath

Oregon

4.97/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I had this at the new HotD tasting room today in PDX. After sampling all six of the beers on tap my wife and I agreed we each needed our very own 12 ounce tulip of this to truly capture its essence. MADhomebrewer joined us soon after and we convinced him to order a tulip of his own as well. WOW was the consensus impression about this beer.

As I already mentioned, this beer came served in a tulip with the smallest half centimeter of light cinnamon head sitting atop the chestnut brown body. In case there was any mistaking this beer for the non-barrel aged version, the color is a dead giveaway. Regular Fred is not as deep and rich. It is instead more amber in color. No lacing showed up but what do you really expect from a barrel aged 10% ABV beer?

Smell was...Coconut! Indeed, there was a strong aroma of the tropical fruit not unlike some Caribbean rum. How in the world Alan Sprints was able to get that smell in a beer escapes me. Lots of tobacco, leather, and prunes also are strong contenders here. I must have sniffed this for a solid 3 minutes before taking my first sip. It was outstanding.

The taste sealed the deal for me. Toffee, decadent caramel, raisin, banana esters, cognac, and amaretto were layered on top of each other with enormous depth and complexity. Phenomenal!

Mouthfeel was superb. Moderate carbonation allowed the flavors to be the showcase and not battle prickly carbonation. Perfect body was not-to-thin-not-to-thick.

Drinkability...I want another now! The one was all I had because of the 8 o'clock closing time but I want to go back for some more later. I'm wondering if we didn't just hit the HotD lottery. I have not had previous batches so I can't make comparisons but this batch seems perfect. Some reviews call this "to hot" and that it "needs more time in the bottle". I disagree and must say that for a young alcohol forward beer, on tap mind you, this was a real treat to enjoy. Part of being on BA for me is to find new interesting beers. To frequently I feel let down after anticipation of a transcendent beer experience falls through again. Homerism be damned! Today, I can honestly say I found my new favorite beer. I thoroughly look forward to something that will top this one day. Find this, obtain it, and drink it NOW!

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2010 07:21:48 | More by hopsbreath

Docer

Washington

4.22/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at their tasting room...

- Much darker, and more murky than the regular Fred.... ruby red, brown, hazy and cloudy... fizzy mocha head... left a nice thin layer...

- Lovely oak and earthy notes along with a raisin and fig blessing... light hop, cherry and citrus hint... light sour and bright bite.... woody...

- Smooth, light tartness... way better than the basic Fred... almost like a blend... I swear there is a slight Adam in there... paired it w/ chocolate... oaky... smooth... perfection.

- Medium bodied... little murky and drying... waters the palate...

- Overall a little hot, some chunky yeast,... but works its magic over the palate.... a very classy and smooth brew.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2010 05:11:08 | More by Docer

hughesm4

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had a bottle poured into a pint glass.
a-Beautiful beer, has a light orange/copper around the eds-ge of the glass and a is a very cloudy amber in the center of the glass.
s-It is very sweet and malty smelling with a variety of fruits.
t-Taste is much of the same with a caramel sweetness taking the lead and and a crazy almost bitter balance of fruits following up.
m/d-Extremely sweet and full bodied. My only knock on the beer is that it seems too sweet, but it is delicious non-the-less.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2010 02:00:16 | More by hughesm4

davod23

California

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I need to give a lot more of my business to HOTD. Seriously. Poured from the bottle (2009) into a tulip.

Brilliant copper color with a half-finger eggshell head that shockingly sticks around a while. Perfect clarity. Very nice lacing down the sides of the glass. The beer clings to the sides of the tulip nicely when swirled. This is one pretty beer.

The aroma is very nice. It's not as robust as I have experienced in other barrel-aged barleywines (e.g., Perfect Storm, Angel's Share) but what is there is enjoyable. A sweet caramel, a spritzing of cherry juice - which is completely unexpected and awesome - oak, leather, with a hint of booze. Hops call from a long distance away.

Taste is great. I'm getting a host of bright fruit flavors that I do not typically associate with the style, but I'm completely on board with them. Cherries, peaches, and coconut served on an oak plank and drizzled with caramel. Some leather on the finish. How can I not have any more bottles of this?

Mouthfeel is good. Carbonation is perfect, body is medium-thick. It would be a perfect score, except I'd like it if it were a bit stickier on the finish.

Drinkability: This ale is leaving my glass way too rapidly. I could see myself drinking a couple of these in a night, which is saying something considering the alcohol content and the complexity of this brew.

Highly recommended beer. Well done, HOTD.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 02:08:09 | More by davod23

farrago

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thin cream white head which disappears about as soon as it arrives, you also get a razor thin stripe of lacing in a few spots. Thick brown-orange creek mud inside the clear, strong effervescence visible, brighter zinc orange around the rims. Big, dewy nose bursting with caramel, molasses, honey, vanilla fudge and a big spoonful of orange marmalade, ginger and cinnamon spice, dates and maraschino cherries, there's something like a bitter rye edge more than grassiness, for all of its sweetness has excellent posture in your nostrils. Full-bodied, sappy clinginess adds to the weight. There's tang from the mandarin orange, pink grapefruit citrus but overmatched by the dark chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, molasses, honey and pine sap. A sip or two reminiscent of Cherry Coke. Well layered apricot, nectarine, guava, fig, date and golden raisin. Some orange pekoe tea leaf notes too. The carbonation isn't light per se but fluffy in texture and not changing the creaminess. Ends with rising bread yeast, introducing some movement. Vivid flavors, would be better if it dialed it back a notch.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 02:31:08 | More by farrago

glid02

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Paul - much obliged!

Pours a slightly hazy dark copper color with a half-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of smooth caramel malts with good amounts of oak and lighter amounts of spices. Also present are mild amounts of medium fruits.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Light caramel malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by mild amounts of medium fruits. Midway through the sip good amounts of oak flavors work their way into things along with earthy hops. Faint spices make an appearance before fading into a moderately bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have another.

Overall I enjoyed Fred and I was happy to see that Fred from the Wood didn't disappoint. Well worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2010 05:24:41 | More by glid02

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 64 - RB Edition

Poured into snifter.

Pours a white fizzy head. Color is a hazed brown.

Aroma: Fruit and malty. Orange peel, cherries, oak, toffee, caramel, and dark fruits. Very fruity and well done.

Taste: Oak, vanilla, fruit, oranges, cherries, and some spice flavors. Rich and malty. Toffee flavors.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, but warming. Medium to full bodied with a lighter amount of carbonation. Ends warms and malty.

Overall, amazing aroma, but very malty and sweet. A ton of flavor and I really enjoyed all the fruit flavors. Fairly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2010 02:50:50 | More by mothman

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.6/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served cold from the fridge, 2009 Edition, no batch number listed.

With a vigorous pour, I see a cloudy a reddish orange brew with a 1 finger head of foam. And a very good stubborn head of foam it is. Plenty of lacing to boot. A gorgeous looking BWSA.

The nose is interesting. I'm getting notes of oak and hop bitterness but also some tart and sour fruitiness. I'll admit, I had no idea of what to expect going in to this sitting. It'll be a tough call for me on scoring for smell.

The taste has lots of caramel sweet to it with some definite woody notes and bitterness from the hops but... the finish is dominated by a fairly strong, very wine like sourness. I hope this is the way this BWSA is meant to be. As is it is, I like but if there's some kind of infection going on then I guess I must have a "bad" bottle. In this case, "bad" isn't all that bad according to my palate. I'll be checking other reviews to see what's what.

I'd say it is full bodied, medium carbonated, and does have a silky smooth mouthfeel.

Drinkability? Despite the sourness or because of it???, I find Fred From The Wood an easy drinking strong ale. But I have to say, I prefer the regular Fred by a country mile. That is one hell of a good brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2010 18:51:02 | More by Bitterbill

neorunner

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Third beer from the Blind Beers BIF thanks to SHolland119.

Dark cloudy ruby red/orange pour into my Ommegang glass. Almost copper in color. Head is off tan and fairly thick but doesn't linger very long. Aroma is of thick malts and dark fruit but a good amount of citrus as well. Slight edge of alcohol in the aroma as well. Bitter malt and biscuit flavors, malt is definitely contending with the hops on this one. I think there is a fair rye component to this beer. The finish has a nice creamyness, similar to caramel, that cleans up the lingering bitterness. On the mouthfeel side of things the beer has a sticky syrupy consistency, a bit on the thick side.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2010 01:31:26 | More by neorunner

Arbitrator

California

2.9/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Review of 2009 vintage, courtesy of ramnuts, who has generously sent me several vintages of this beer. Thanks, Frank!

A: Hazy golden orange with moderate head that recedes into a ring around the top. It remains active and carbonated throughout the drink, with energetic lacing throughout.

S: Wood. Wood, wood, wood. Alan, did you forget about Fred? With some careful sniffing I pick up light fruits (peaches, I guess?) with a dose of caramel malt and toffee.

T: The initial taste is a nice malty flavor that is quickly overtaken a solid oak/wood presence. Alan's serious about this. Some caramel and toffee malts enter in the middle, with light piney hop taste in the finish. No alcohol burn detected.

M: Medium-bodied and medium carbonation, lacking that motor oil feel. Well captured presence.

D: I LOVED my 2008 bottle (the first time I had it). I am sure my palate has evolved, but I am also positive the 2009 batch is overwhelmingly woody. Wood from the Fred needs to be aged a bit to let that die out.

EDIT: I am consuming a 2008 vintage on 01/17/2012, and it is as I remembered it back when I first had it: balanced expression of wood and very peachy in the nose and mouth. I find this version far superior to the oak juice of the 2009 vintage.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2010 19:19:08 | More by Arbitrator

bluemoonswoon

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Getting around to reviewing another one of the beers JackCrow sent me. Thanks again!

12oz bottle poured into a New Belgium tulip glass.

A: Pours out a slightly hazy golden brown and topped with a thick, viscous sandy white head, pretty decent lacing to boot.

S: Peaches, white grape with touches of a sweet and soft, oaky vanilla barrel character. Really fantastic stuff, nothing overpowering, no hot boozy breaths, no over to top punch of hops, just a nice understated (for an American barleywine) aroma on this one. In fact there even seems to be a bit of tart cherry coffee cake working itself in here as the beer comes to temperature.

T/MF: Loads of vanilla, latent hop bitterness, that same tart cherry coffee cake taste. This is just the first impression on the first sip of this beer. After the first sip there is an incredibly long, thick and mildly boozy finish where the barrel character really beings to assert itself on the back of the tongue and throat.

D: An excellent sipper, great barrel character and a wonderful example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2010 03:53:40 | More by bluemoonswoon

Ryan011235

Ohio

4.85/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter on 6/5/10

2008 vintage

Countless thanks to PDXHops

Fred From the Wood is a deep, vibrant shade of amber; at times it appears nearly copper. The poured yielded a one finger head of tightly-bubbled foam though after several minutes it has become a skim with a patch of bubbles in the middle. A little bit of lacing so far. By the end retention is thin & lacing randomly splotchy.

Leading off the aroma are notes of oak & tobacco which, working in tandem, impart a slight mustiness. These earth tones engulf a smooth, toasted malt sweetness; blended are hints of brown sugar, toffee, caramel & a spot of butterscotch. Undertones of fig, raisins & prune. There's a mild boozy swoon as well.

Right off the bat the taste is astounding & incredibly well-integrated. Dark fruit notes - raisins, prunes & plum - are enveloped in boozy hints of sherry; bolstered by toasted sugars (mostly caramel & brown sugar), the result is just shy of being tart. Tobacco potency is a welcomed addition to the fray (it isn't at all harsh, as I have previously encountered in other beers). There are a few stray wood overtones, but none as apparent as the aroma.

Rather full bodied with smooth & creamy carbonation; definitely low, carbonation is just right. Sticky & dense without being gritty. The whole flavor profile lingers on the finish, slowly tapering off. So much so, in fact, that is seems like the beer is still drifting about long after is has gone.

Drinkability is superb. Considering Fred From the Wood is such a massive beer with so many intricacies, it's all the more impressive. This may well be the most complex beer I've yet had; it's certainly one of the best. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2010 01:41:42 | More by Ryan011235

DaveHS

California

5/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a hazy golden orange with a foamy white head. The complex nose reveals quite a bit of the new American oak barrel aging.
Aromas of leather, cookie dough, smoky malts and vanilla extract. The complex mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, with light, pleasant carbonation. Packed with smoky sweet oak flavor, as well as caramel, citrus fruits, banana and a buttery sweetness. Light piney hops show up on the back palate, behind a wall of oak. A world class barleywine. Wish they made more of it.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 21:28:03 | More by DaveHS

Wisconsinality

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle split with Beerwolf77. Thanks bud.

A- Pours a dark golden apricot with a little bit of haze. A half finger worth of head that leaves spotty lacing on the glass. A small cap covers the beer throughout.

S- Big scents of oak, dark fruit and some sour apple. Also some sour grapes as well. The booze comes out a little bit but melds well with the other aromas.

T- Smooth oak, tobacco and dark fruit. The dark fruit is a little more hidden than it is in the nose. The alcohol is barely even noticeable except for the warming in the back of the throat.

M- Medium bodied that is a little tart in the mouth. A little warming on the way down. The feel of the carbonation is less than what the head would indicate.

D- After this beer warms, it really comes together well. Very good beer that I had been wanting to try. Thanks again Beerwolf.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2010 14:52:18 | More by Wisconsinality