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

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.88/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Huge thanks to Beerzebub for the overwhelming generosity that he always shows me. 2010 bottle. The brew pours a near-still cola-brown hue; there is no head or bubbles but the liquid is viscous enough to leave slight legs upon the glass. The look is rustic and menacing. The nose is, on the contrary, the most absolutely inviting thing imaginable; the complexity is literally astounding. There is a plethora of sensory delights to behold within the flavor and aroma of Matt. Notes of charred brown sugar, toffee, raisin-dark fruit, cherries, hardwood smoke, tannic oak, buttery vanilla, booze, leather, and that familiar HotD twang - just to mention the most prominent associations - all make for a very familiar set of elements but they are combined here in an unusual and novel way. The feel is more lively than the look suggests, and is quite silky as well. Overall this is far and away the best HotD brew I've had (and that is saying something because I've had some great ones.) Lives up to any and all hype.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 02:18:10 | More by ktrillionaire

Bluecane

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +5.8%

05-22-2013 09:10:05 | More by Bluecane

bbadger

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%

05-20-2013 18:51:01 | More by bbadger

chossboss

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev -5.3%

05-17-2013 04:41:17 | More by chossboss

aslamm75

Indiana

4.75/5  rDev +5.8%

05-02-2013 17:27:30 | More by aslamm75

Ribsandwhiskey

Oregon

4/5  rDev -10.9%

05-02-2013 03:03:46 | More by Ribsandwhiskey

cfrances33

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%

04-29-2013 01:53:25 | More by cfrances33

zachattack555

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -5.3%

04-28-2013 21:05:50 | More by zachattack555

blackie

Virginia

4.65/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

bottle courtesy of my man lou into branded tulips at brewery taproom

a: served in a sweet branded tulip, the beer is a deep, murky plum-brown in appearance, only a wisp of head on the surface

s: a stunning condensed nose of complex fruits and liquor - plum and fig, apple jam, sweet woody bourbon, vanilla, brown sugars, integrated smoke, quick brushes of cocoa, sweet tobacco, intense

m: syrupy, full tongue-coating mouthfeel, carbonation light and delicate

t: as incredible as the nose would indicate - a rich stew of sticky dried fruits - plum, raisin, cherry, apple; brown sugars and a dusting of cocoa, vanilla and sweet, smooth bourbon, pipe tobacco, toffee

o: not many beverages out there can take this one in terms of complexity, worth seeking out and worth the cost

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 17:41:16 | More by blackie

spry

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +5.8%

04-26-2013 16:32:53 | More by spry

Kelp

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%

04-23-2013 04:46:46 | More by Kelp

Hoppy_McMalt

Washington

4.75/5  rDev +5.8%

04-20-2013 04:45:37 | More by Hoppy_McMalt

DmouthCaliBrewz

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev -5.3%

04-16-2013 06:27:59 | More by DmouthCaliBrewz

ArchEnemyBrew

Washington

4.75/5  rDev +5.8%

04-15-2013 03:43:32 | More by ArchEnemyBrew

mjgardner

Kansas

4.75/5  rDev +5.8%

04-15-2013 01:07:30 | More by mjgardner

jakerainey

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +5.8%

04-15-2013 01:03:51 | More by jakerainey

bulldogg915

Wyoming

5/5  rDev +11.4%

04-14-2013 04:39:36 | More by bulldogg915

meatyard

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%

04-01-2013 13:04:15 | More by meatyard

MasterCraft

Massachusetts

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

2010 bottle, reviewed from notes

Pours black with ruby highlights and a very thin brown head

Smell is out of this world. Powerful notes of molasses, vanilla, soy, bourbon, brown sugar, faint smoke, cola, dark fruit, sweet liqueur.

Taste is right on par with the smell. More brown sugar, rum soaked raisins, licorice, bourbon, char, oak. Very sweet but still balanced. No alcohol evident.

Mouthfeel is sticky and viscous without being creamy, lower carb. Just where you'd want it for this beer.

Perhaps the most complex beer I've ever tasted, and absolutely one of the best.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 03:19:29 | More by MasterCraft

mtbeer3649

Washington

5/5  rDev +11.4%

03-28-2013 02:41:38 | More by mtbeer3649

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%

03-24-2013 03:09:58 | More by onix1agr

JMRSN

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%

03-19-2013 23:05:29 | More by JMRSN

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.78/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Opened at TN whales tasting 3/16/2013. We had both the original Bottleworks 10 bottling (which was pretty obviously past its prime) and a bottling from November 2010 which was better. Ratings are from the latter, but I'm posting both reviews here.

11/2010 Matt

Dark raisiny brown, only light carbonation visible. 6/10

Smells of sweet and slightly smoky malt, hints of chocolate and caramel. 7/10

Taste is sweet sugar and vanilla up front, some light sweet chocolate, mild smokiness, decent amount of booze, very tasty. 8/10

Carbonation is pretty good, nice thick semi-syrupy body, solid mouthfeel for the style. 7.5/10

This is a really solid, fairly interesting strong ale, but a little disappointing given the generally high regard for this beer. Maybe I would think more highly of a fresh bottle. 7.5/10

7.8/10

Bottleworks 10 Matt

Looks basically same as 2010. 6/10

Smell is sugary sweet vanilla, caramel and raisins. 8.5/10

Taste is woody, sugary sweet, vanilla, a bit smoky, still fairly boozy actually. Tastes pretty old but still good. 7.5/10

Mouthfeel is pretty flat and feels oxidized. Not great. 5/10

Still pretty durn tasty, but clearly past its prime. Smells considerably better than the more recent bottle, but definitely not as good overall.

7.2/10

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 17:16:35 | More by AlexFields

claytong

Vermont

5/5  rDev +11.4%

03-16-2013 01:19:45 | More by claytong

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2010 vintage

A - No head. None. Pours dark purple/black. Pretty much opaque. No lacing. I can't quite decide whether it looks terrible or strangely great. I'll hedge it towards great.

S - wow... Interesting. There is a lot of booze, the apple brandy barrel is there with lots of wood and apple sauce. There is some smokiness in the background. A bunch of stuff that I can't really describe.

T - most interesting and assertive beer I've ever tasted. Super aggressive flavor of oak, and the apple brandy. Almost peaty smoke element is there throughout and really hangs on in the aftertaste. There is some sweet molasses flavor on the edge. A sort of an indescribable overtone that I can best describe as the taste equivalent of the way an expensive dark cigar smells. It's not easy drinking, but its very good.

M - rich medium feel and low carb.

O - This definitely holds the spot as most complex and interesting beer I've had. Would want to drink it all the often, but would certainly have it again. HotD talks about making old styles of ales and this one exemplifies that. Matt really does taste like an antique beer. Amazing work of creating complexity and depth in a beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 01:12:32 | More by Beerandboards