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

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: bright gold with round juicy glow, a touch of haze, cottony white head, decent snail trails

S: floral bouquet, hard candy.... really hits you.... strong medicinal alcohol aroma, permeates the mucus membranes, opens them up, but reigned in and complemented well with the honeyish, turbinado syrup tones.... overall, pretty baller-bold

T: strong, smooth, phenolic, hot, with odd under-/over-ripe honeydew.... a slick hybrid between an old school type Amer strong (Yards Tavern Ale?) and a spicy Belgian strong golden (Duvel, but with a different, smoother spice)

M: round like its glow.... tiniest gummy-chewy texture... buffered desiccant effect from medicinal alcohol.... has some substance, has something to say

O: the funky melon thing really sticks out, the most memorable thing about it aside from the honey-nectar like body (like an ice-wine or a Moscato?).... I could tear through a few of these

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2013 20:52:13 | More by Bouleboubier

BrownNut

Florida

4.7/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Batch 86 (bottled 3-22-12), drunk 6 months later, cool, tulip

A - 4.25 - Cloudy apple cider color, but then again I didn't think to hold back the yeast from the initial pour. Modest off white creamy head.

S - 4.5 - So pungent on initial pour, an almost winey puff of aroma spread around. Then it went straight malt, bringing to mind various breakfast cereals. Then it transmuted into a near-sherry smell. Yeah, definitely sherry... except that kind of borders on a yeast smell. So much happening!

T - 4.75 - Not surprisingly it tastes just like it smells, a cross between sherry and malty cereals, like the perfect cross between the two. There's a mild honey element, and though there's some sweetness, it's more the flavor or "throat fumes" of a special honey than necessarily the sweetness. There's almost an apple element going on, both the sweet nectar of the ripest apple and a somewhat bitter oxidized apple flesh taste. No real hop presence unless that oxidized apple bitterness is the hops. So refined and mature and elegant. Classy is the word I'm looking for. And yet the flavor is lighter and more subdued than you'd expect for something this concentratedly thick. A nice hot fume wafts up the throat for a good while after each swallow. There's a bit of that oxidized apple flesh bitterness left on the tongue for a bit.

M - 5.0 - Heavy body, the first I can genuinely categorize that way. So silkenly smooth, particularly on the lips, that it's sexy. That's easily the best mouthfeel I've ever experienced. The mouth is left coated. The few other 5's I've given out in this category should now realistically be 4.75s.

O - 4.75 - Holy cow. I had heard HotD was one of the best breweries around, but I'm cynical about hype anymore. But in this case it happens to be true. This is a sophisticated and impressively classy brew. The craftsmanship here is just impressive. I can't find a better word. Instant high respect and esteem for the brewers. Halfway through the glass I was already sad that I only had half a glass left. And only a 12oz! Accursed single-bottle limit! I agree with others who say to drink this cool and to savor it slowly in sips over an unhurried time. Treat it more like a digestif. I may need to rethink my reluctance to award scores of 5 after this. I keep wanting to leave room at the top of my scores for the very best beers I haven't tried yet, and I may have found one of them here. A tour de force.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2012 03:11:11 | More by BrownNut

KDawg

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from tap into pint glass. Pours a dark orange color with a nice head.

Well balanced with nice malty aromas of navel oranges, hops, citrus notes and some spice tones. Good depth to it as well.

Full bodied with a real nice and smooth feel. Good depth of flavor with notes of navel oranges, hops and a good dose of spices as well.

This was really enjoyable. Full bodied and well balanced with no hint of the alcohol at all.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2012 20:12:08 | More by KDawg

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at their brewpub

Poured a caramel brown color with a small cap of long-lasting off-white head. Sweet aroma of syrupy sugars--caramel, toffee, butterscotch--with some notes of grass and vanilla bean. Taste replicated the aroma pretty good, but I got a big caramel apple profile, in addition to butterscotch and vanilla bean, with some piney and citrusy hops coming through mid- to end-palate. Very nice. Smooth, moderately carbonation, heavier-than-medium body, and quite drinkable overall.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2012 16:48:44 | More by Rifugium

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at HotD.

Lingering white trace, tan body.

Balgian nose, candi sugar and some yeast, honey, and fruit.

Caramel sweetness balanced by rye balanced by candi sugar... an awesome strong!

Lively, almost foamy. Quite Belgian.

Pretty much what I was hoping for, HotD doesn't disappoint!

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2011 20:01:36 | More by zaphodchak

PainkeepBrewing

Oregon

4.88/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served out of normal 12oz bottle into snifter. I've had many many of these, so I have a feeling for the consistency of the brew.

A - Light/pale brown, very clear (especially considering bottle conditioning), effervescent. Huge head in general that lasts, foamy and white.

S - Fig, sweet malt, spice. A bit of fruity hop on the nose but not much. A pleasant smelling beer that does not have any major standout smells.

T - Holy god. Every bottle of Fred is better than the last. Sweet malt on the front, mixed with some rye spice and then a flush of blended hops. Lasting spice, sweetness and slight bitterness at the end. A slight bit of alcohol depending on vintage, but less than you'd ever expect from a 10% beer.

M - Viscous, but not TOO thick. You know you're drinking a special, strong beer, one that makes you stop and savor it rather than chugging it. Satisfying is the best word to describe.

O - One of the better beers I've ever had and one I will continue going back to as long as I live in the PNW. Fred smells wonderful, tastes wonderful, feels wonderful. It's one of those brilliant beers that seem few and far between and deserves more credit than it already gets.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2011 07:22:54 | More by PainkeepBrewing

Oneinchaway

California

4.65/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A very distinguishable beer that kept me guessing what it was exactly during a blind bag taste.

Good slightly cloudy and darker yellow look with a light coating of head).

Very smooth mouthfeel that goes right down.

Very banana like aroma jumps from the glass with a very similar taste to mimic its scent.

Overall a very deliciously sweet beer (like that of the juice straight out of a fruit).

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2011 19:37:29 | More by Oneinchaway

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a nice light, coludy orange color with a nice white cap.

S: Nose was rye, booze and candy. Citrus and floral notes.

T: Taste starts out hot but smooths out. Plenty of citrus, candy sugar sweetness and rye. Floral notes. Piney at times.

M: Mouthfeel is quite smooth but with noticable alcohol. Very good. A big body for sure.

O: Good

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2011 02:35:16 | More by barleywinefiend

smakawhat

Maryland

4.3/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fred consists of very yellow almost lemon yellow opaque appearance. A good solid head that doesn't seem to dissipate too quickly.

The nose on the beer is quite surprising. An overwhelming sense of tropical fruit, specifically mango, and sweetness. Tastes of a sweet sugary honey, but not of heavy alcohol that linger in aftertaste.

An enjoyable beer but depending on your preference for fruit you may not care for it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2010 04:53:35 | More by smakawhat

david131

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Batch 77

A- A luminescent, cloudy, orange liquid with a thick and creamy bone-white head that is dense enough to dimple the surface of the liquid. Fantastic.

S- The aroma struggles to find its way through the dense head. What I do pick up is apples, pears, bananas, and caramel. I can detect just the slightest hint of alcohol on the tail end as well.

T- Pretty unique. Same aspects as noted in the aroma with a bit of nuttiness and a stronger alcohol presence. Has a unique Belgian Quad-like quality to it.

M- Unbelievably creamy and smooth with just a bit of alcohol warmth at the end. Nice.

D- A bit of a sipper. I have trouble figuring this beer out- it is strong, but not overly flavorful. It seems as though there is a lot going on but it keeps it under wraps.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2010 03:58:05 | More by david131

sprucetip

Alaska

4.38/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From notes. when I had this at Horse Brass it was called "Fred Strong." Maybe there is another beer by that name? But I'm going to assume that they are the same. (June 2012 updates in parentheses)

Clear, copper, good head, spotty lacing.
(2+ inches of head in the tulip, amazing retention, thick lacing).

SMELL Sweet, dark fruity, estery heat, spicy. Sweet and boozy, mainly. (same components but more synergy, complexity and balance than what I said before.)

TASTE boozy, sweet, spicy, raisins. Very complex and unique and difficult to describe. Hop presence is for sure, but not much bitterness. Intetesting. My notes say "reminds me of a barleywine."
(very rich, complex and balanced. Unique and special.)

FEEL full body, slick, strong warming. (super smooth, really nice and full.)

OVERALL Sipper. Sweet, tasty, s-l-o-w sipper. (This is special).

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2009 01:05:52 | More by sprucetip

DiabolikDUB

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-Tap @ Horse Brass poured into Shaker glass.

pours a slightly glowing but cloudy orange color with a creamy off-white head with good retention and thick lacing down the glass. The aroma has caramel, citrus hops and is tangy. The flavor has citrus hops, malt, nuttiness, spices, toffee and finishes with a soft bitterness. Its a creamy, full-bodied beer and is very drinkable. Very unique beer overall and is one of the beer that really made me want to get closer to the Oregon beer scene. Fred from the Wood is more fragrant but this is easy drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2009 22:47:16 | More by DiabolikDUB

HardTarget

Texas

4.6/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Rogue in Portland, OR.

Aroma: Light wort in an IPA base but little hops leave it sugary, but appealing.

Appearance: Light hazy orange with a thin collar that leaves spider web lacing.

Flavor: Orange peel fruit is strong and fresh. As that fades it becomes clear it’s all C-hop induced citric, but no acid or burn at all. Mild yeast note and the alcohol is only mildly noted. I wouldn’t have pegged this as a Barleywine; it’s chuggable with dangerous drinkability.

Mouthfeel: Mild oil, medium almost light body.

Overall Impression: Drinkability to die for! Really great stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2007 19:18:56 | More by HardTarget

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Stunning!

On tap at Horse Brass in Portland.

This is on par with the very best Barley Wine’s I’ve tasted.

Appearance: Muddy straw gold with orange hues and a thick and last white head.

Aroma: To begin with…fruit…blueberries, odd as that might sound, pineapple, apricot, and cherry. Then enters the spice followed by pine sap. Large and aromatic, potent and loud, pungent even. Booze is only caught in glimpses. A sweet caramel maltiness is ever present but not dominant. It’s surprising how the hops can play such a large roll but not come across as overwhelming nor as simply citric or piney. The variety of fruit in the nose seems boundless. I swear, that if I really put my olfactory to work on this I pick up nearly the entire array of orange citrus fruit – nectarines, tangelos, blood oranges, the whole damn line up…The only thing missing is grapefruit, and rightly so. It would be too aggressive and we would never find the much more subtle but equally important cherry, berry, and even a little plum.

Taste: As the nose indicates, this is a boldly fruity beer. Juicy apricot/peach/nectarine flavors blend with cherry and are then juxtaposed by juniper and pine spice. Dark and heavy malt flavors enter with rum like booziness bringing raison and plum to the table. Finally caramel covered apples and spicy figs take their place too.

Mouthfeel: Large, balanced, boozey, doughy, and smooth.

Drinkability: For me this stuff is like a taste of heaven. I could happily sit and sip this for hours.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2007 19:47:01 | More by DaPeculierDane

Barleywhiner

California

3.88/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Batch #63. This is a beer that is that has a lot going on. It poured an opaque orange/brown with little yeasties floating here and there. A nice thin, yet well defined head. It smells sweet and bitter, the taste is similar to the smell with the sweet becoming a malty caramel flavor and the bitter is piney with an alcohol residue that sticks to the tongue. The mouthfeel is creamy and rich, plenty of body, not a whole lot of carbonation. A beer worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2007 06:34:35 | More by Barleywhiner

RedDiamond

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

For the sake of expedience, I’m combining two reviews into one. Both are of the same beer bearing the amicable name Fred, but one was served on draught at the Horse Brass Tavern, the other poured from a 12 oz. bottle originating from my local market.

The Horse Brass actually serves 20 oz. imperial pints of this powerhouse 10% ABV barleywine. This is an insane serving size though it works well as a taunt to your young adult male friends who think all beer is a variation of Bud and who can be coaxed into pounding an imperial pint of barleywine to prove their virility. It’s loads of fun to later deride these young fools for their effete shortcomings as they pass out in the toilet stall after having had “just one beer.” More fun than darts by far.

I opted for a more sensible 10 oz. stemmed wine glass that I savored with great reverence. Fred, named for the venerable beer writer Fred Eckhardt, is a huge ale with a tremendous yet tempered bitterness on draught bearing a flavor profile comparable to an imperial IPA. It is solid and soothing with a great polished texture to the tongue and a taste of congealed honey and sharp bittering derived from ten different hops. Fred is dull topaz, clouded, and has a dense body that seems to glow from within.

Aside from being a hearty compelling beer, the essential reason I revisited Fred in its bottled form was to gain a sense of its smell. I made the assumption that the beer itself didn’t actually smell like cigarette smoke and that this intrusion originated at the bar. True enough. The real Fred has a strong aroma of sliced melon and carotenoid fruits such as peach and papaya. There was also a biting element of alcohol. By comparison, the smell was much more provocative from the bottled version, while the overall taste more tempered and inviting on draught.

These differences could possibly be explained by a different batch or age of the beer. While I don’t know how old the draught version was, the bottled version I drank was from batch 58, which in February, 2005 had clearly not achieved its potential. It was still harshly bitter with an accent on its rye malt component.

Though it says “Golden Ale” on the label, Fred is a golden barleywine reminiscent of Old Boardhead. Given time, Fred evolves as a refined ale with much personality – perhaps too much personality to be accurately conveyed from a single tasting.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2005 03:16:14 | More by RedDiamond

RoyalT

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance – This one was foggy but very shiny on-tap. The color is orange tinged with brown and the head was very modest (as opposed to the head from the bottle that explodes on your kitchen counter).

Smell – The nose is very sweet and winey. There’s a bit of yeast malt to this one, but mostly it is tons of sugar bathed in alcohol.

Taste – The big boozy winey notes carry the day. There is some nice malt in the form of a light yeast.

Mouthfeel – This Barley Wine is medium to full in the body and is extremely smooth, although there is enough of an alcohol bite to warn the drinker. The flavors are much better mixed out of the tap than they are from the bottle.

Drinkability – This was much more drinkable from the tap than the bottle. The pub kept it kind of warm, too (not cold, I should say) which helped a lot. It is a big beer yet very smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2004 02:34:54 | More by RoyalT

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on tap at Redbones.

This ale poured a hazy, amber color with white foam that settled. The smell was sweet and malty with some bitter hops aroma and a hint of oakiness. The taste was fruity, bitter, resinous hops balanced with malt and a lightl sweet, slightly vinous finish. There was a slight, pervading oakiness (possibly due to oxidation). The mouthfeel was smooth and dry overall. The body was medium with moderate carbonation. This was a nice, old ale.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2003 06:49:45 | More by UncleJimbo

skar

New York

4.65/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at the Blind Tiger, NYC 11/5/03 Belgian Beer Fest

Appearance/Head: Cloudy, reddish amber color. Excellent head that lasts.

Aroma: Strong, powerful grapefruit aroma with nutty and toffee notes. I also notice some British barleywine malt aroma and even a hint of artisinal cheese. Very complex aroma.

Taste: Starts with a rich malty sweetness. Lots of tangy citrus fruit. Ends with a bitter, crisp finish. Also a little dry with notes of tonic water. Each sip brings different malt and hop flavors. Reminds me a little of Fraoch Heather Ale.

Bottom line: A NW beer with outstanding complexity. Almost perfect, this beer deserves its own style and a group of beers trying to clone the flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2003 14:13:13 | More by skar

freed

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap, so I'm unaware of the batch number. It was a new keg though. Served in a nice tulip glass, it was thick and cloudy, almost a flat looking golden, much like pressed apples. Topping the glass was a dense white cap of foam that slowly thinned through the drink to leave an uneven and active crest of bubbles. Very pleasing to look at.

The smell was warm, sweet, fruity and yeasty. The taste exhibited the same qualities, sweet gala apple, full malt body, tart edges, and almost syrupy finish. Hops are hidden by the other, bigger flavors and sensations. Alcohol content is evident, and becomes more so though the beer. A glass is a good serving size, and it makes for a nice finishing beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2003 21:06:05 | More by freed

dwarbi

New York

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is a hazy brownish orange, with bubbles that are slow to rise and a head that is even slower to fade. Smells a bit of honey. A very nice aroma. Creamy taste and a little sweet. Very tasty, and the flavors stick around. An excellent beer, but the sweet, creamy weight hurt the mouthfeel and drinkablity.... but only slightly.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2003 17:55:58 | More by dwarbi

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: On tap.

Appearance: Tarnished gold in colour with a fine ring of white lace.

Smell: Mostly alcohol in the nose, almost rum like with a little dried fruit.

Taste: Very chewy malt mouthfeel, a mix of caramel and toffee flavours swish around the tongue with a hint of wood, perhaps oak. The very warming estery alcohol and generous use of hops add a spicy bite though the ale.

Notes: An extremely big ale indeed pushing 11.5% abv! It was hard to pick out any exact hop flavour due to the use of 10 different hop varieties. Try laying this one down for a year and see what happens. This brew will get your mojo goin!

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-1998 00:00:01 | More by BeerAdvocate

beagle75

Iowa

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 81
Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Clear, medium golden color with over two fingers of voluminous and persistent white foam head. Moderate clumped lacing remains on the glass and effusive sheets of bubbles rise in the column.

S: Lightly toasted grain is clean and very honest. The rustic quality of the smell evokes just-milled base malt, and lots of it--exactly like a visit to a working brewery. Fruit is weak but bright, a combination of pear and delicate lemon. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins sweet, with big pale malt that is paradoxically refined after the rustic smell. The cleanliness, on the other hand, parallels that of the smell, lacking any characterful input from yeast. Things get interesting into the middle as the flavor sweetens further to become truly dessert-like. There is a definite boozy thread that develops mid-way through the flavor profile, well-timed alongside emerging herbal bitterness. Whatever fruitiness is present appears similar to the pear from the smell, but is short-lived. The finish maintains the characteristic cleanliness of the rest of the profile with a sleepy-but-moderate bitterness that has shows staying power.

M: Thick viscosity, very smooth--even slick--on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: I did not expect or want to like this beer; strong blond beers never seem to measure up. This well-aged bottle of Fred was able to win me over, representing well the learned opinions of those few who reported that this beer might even exceed the excellence of Hair of the Dog's other signature strong ale, Adam. Something--namely Belgian abbey yeast--seems absent, although it is not missed. A strong burst of yeast-derived metabolites would only distract here. As it is, this beer is a focused and decadent beast of a malt-bomb. Although the official derivation of the name honors craft brewing royalty, I like to think that is also gives a nod to Fred Armisen and his Portland-inspired humor.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:18:44 | More by beagle75

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.49/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from a 12oz bottle into an Allagash chalice. Batch number 86. Cellar temp.

Appearance- Slightly hazy orange/copper with thick off-white head that shows no sign of leaving. Incredible lacing follows.

Smell- Very strong fruit aromas of peaches, green grapes, apricots, and citrus fruits. heavy caramel malts and light booze are also prominent.

Taste- Belgian candy sugar, apricots, and rasions are the dominant flavors I'm getting. Carmel and earthy tobacco notes are light, but still there. Finish is mildly boozy with nice hop bitterness. Well balanced between malty/sweet and hoppy. Hops linger for a while.

Mouthfeel- Thick and resinous. Ample enough carbonation. Smooth and mildly hot. Clean finish with a mouth cleansing bitterness.

Overall- With the moniker of "Golden Special Ale", one might believe this beer to be a light crisp ale, butin my mind, it has more wheat wine qualities to it. Phenomenal none the less. Would love to try their variations or older vintages.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 16:14:09 | More by Seanniek91

chinchill

South Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. cellared bottle from 2008.

Poured amber and more-or-less clear. Although bottle conditioned, the aromatics seem similar to a barrel-aged beer. Some of that is the suggestion of brandy in this high ABV ale. Also smells a little fruity. Has a medium-full body with some harshness from the alcohol.
Taste: very strong flavor; no style on bottle but "imperial barleywine" seems appropriate. Mildly bitter.

O: an extreme ale that seems a little over the top and with the high ABV a bit too obvious. Rough and unrefined in contrast with an aged Firestone DBA that preceded it.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 02:54:53 | More by chinchill