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

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.98/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2010 bottle (2 years old), tried at the Tasting Room in Portland, OR.

Pours an oily black colour, with a noticeably deep hazy that prevents the insertion of light. Insanely deep and thick body forms the most static carbonation I've ever seen. The only drawback is the head, which is a tiny ring of white bubbles around the edge. To be honest, it's understandable for the age of the beer.

Nose is insane. Big booziness comes through strongly, but everything is coupled with complex intense characters. Oak and bourbon provides the basis of the intensity, but smoother vanilla sweetness provides a basis. And it's gorgeous. Characters of red wine and applewood incense pop through as well, layering flavours atop flavours. Unbelievable stuff.

Palate is no less incredible: front betrays pepper and leather notes, before sweet port and oaken vanilla notes come through. The mid-palate shows a smooth complexity: more vanilla, darker notes and a hint more spice, before the finish comes rounding out. Here we get notes of sweet pepper, capsicum, red wine, pepper, berries and dust. Feel is rich, sweet and boozy. Incredible.

The aftertaste lingers for so long, so rich, and complex. I'm sure I'll still be tasting this on my grave.

This is an absolutely insanely good beer. The level of complexity is mind-boggling. It's almost overwhelming. Smooth, delectable and incredibly complex—genuinely one of the best beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 00:30:02 | More by lacqueredmouse

mdfb79

New York

4.2/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 06/09/12 notes. Bottle is from November 2010, tried in the same tasting as Adam, Fed, and all their variations.

a - Pours a brown, almost black color, with less than one inch of tan head and low carbonation evident. Almost flat.

s - Smells of roasted malts, licorice, bourbon, sweet dark fruits, plums, figs, raisins, and oak. Very interesting, but very nice mix of bourbon and licorice.

t - Tastes of bourbon, licorice, roasted malts, bourbon, oak, and light smoke. Nice, though I like nose better.

m - Medium body and low carbonation, with a very smooth body.

o - Overall I liked this one a lot, though it is very different. I preferred Cherry AtfW, AftW, and FftW, but this is still a great beer I'd like to have again.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 15:31:16 | More by mdfb79

Auracom

Illinois

4.73/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Yet another enormous thanks to Greg for this. 3 oz. poured into a FFF Teku on June 9th, 2012.

A - Pours quite flat ala cherry Adam FtW without the red hues, dark brown coloring is akin to regular Adam.

S - This is a bit mellow initially. Predominantly bourbon barrel in the nose, lesser dark fruit, a touch of brandy, candied sugar. After a strong swirl near room temp you can pull a bit of the sweet apple cider note and get a pretty unique mix.

T - Front to mid palate is old ale, Adam-like with roasted malt grains, light espresso, dark chocolate, and caramel. Mid to rear is rather amazing bourbon barrel toasted oak that transitions into an undeniable apple eu di vie barrel quality. The backend apple is more like a golden apple variant, it's more hearty and not really tart. The dark chocolate pushes through the full palate to a lingering bitter aftertaste.

M - Medium body, low carbonation almost identical to Adam FtW, great finish of brandy barrel and oak tannins.

D - Stellar stuff, one of the greatest back palate finishes I can remember. Great barrel combination that makes this memorable and worthwhile.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 17:03:56 | More by Auracom

claaark13

Indiana

4.73/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks jedwards. This is awesome. Poured cellar temp into a HF tulip.

A - Very dark brown, mahogany. Lacing slowly forms and lingers until the end.

S - Spices, roast, dark candied fruits, slight booze. Magic in a bottle.

T - Sweet dark malts, roast, candied dark fruits, slight heat yet mostly smooth, some dryness...almost like and apple. Some wood-like notes come through.

M - Medium body, heavier on the tongue.

O - Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2012 21:12:23 | More by claaark13

aasher

Indiana

4.43/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Courtesy of claaark13, first bottling. Thanks Sean!

Matt pours a medium bodied, sticky dark dark molasses brown in color with no head, just light beige bubbles. The nose on this one is complex and smells like something I've had before but can't out my finger on. It features sweet malt, molasses, maple syrup, leather, tobacco, figs, oak, and light smoke. The flavors are almost identical. It's slightly dry so I get plenty of spicy tobacco and oak up front. It's followed by figs, plum, and raisin. It just has this earthiness about it. I really dig it. It drinks like an old ale and doesn't feature any alcohol at all. It drinks medium in body and coats your palate. It's really enjoyable. This beer is great so I hope it isn't too difficult to chase down.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 20:17:28 | More by aasher

Mahlik

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle poured into a Deschutes snifter. 2010 vintage.

A- Pours a deep, dark brown with no head, even after an aggressive pour. Some stray bubbles float around the edge of the glass but that's it. Nothing really in terms of lacing.

S- Where do I begin? Notes of molasses, leather and tobacco, which I would expect since the base beer is Adam. The aroma begins to become a little sweet from the apple brandy, candied sugar and honey. But everything is balanced out by the big smoky backbone. I also detect notes of dark fruits and oak. I'm a little disappointed that I'm not picking up much of the bourbon.

T- Big smokiness hits the palate. It's like a smoked meat kind of smokiness. Leather, roasted malts, dark fruits, apple and just the slightest bit of vanilla. Again, it starts to become too sweet but the smokiness does not let it become so. Velvety chocolate coats the back of my throat and lingers just for a second or two. Still not much bourbon. Based on the reviews, the bourbon should be more than noticeable.

M- Full, rich body with only trace amounts of carbonation. Somewhat creamy. The beer coats my entire mouth but falls just short of being syrupy. You can feel the alcohol's presence but it's not overwhelming.

O- Really a standout beer. Complex, layered and blended nicely. I would have given it a higher rating if there was a little more carbonation. I was a little disappointed with the lack of bourbon I was able to pull out of this beer. Overall though, a definite must try.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 21:41:13 | More by Mahlik

siege06nd

Virginia

4.63/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Massive appreciation to IrishColonial for cracking this little treat with me. Thanks, Eric!

A. Deep, dark tobacco juice brown. Very loose, faint ring of cream colored bubbles around the neck and that's about it. Some extremely light lacing, but decent oily legs.

S. My goodness, there's a lot going on here. Molasses, rotten fruit, bootstrap leather, tobacco, baking chocolate, honey, hints of smoke, vanilla, plum. One of the most complex bouquets I have experienced. Definitely in the Old Ale/Strong Ale vein, with lots of overripe fruit and malt notes. This is excellent.

T. Brown sugar, molasses, some earthy hop notes, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, tobacco, leather. Follows the nose almost exactly. Has a very nutty flavor overall, with thick, cloying sweetness and a coffee-tobacco finish. I'm not sure I've ever had anything quite like it. It's extreme in the sense that there is so much going on here, but everytime I feel like this is about to go off a cliff, it surprises me by reeling it back in and finding a nice balance. It's decadent, lighly hoppy, extremely malty, and very sweet. The finish is almost like a good cigar. Wow.

M. Full bodied, sticky sweet, and very lightly carbonated. Suits the style.

O. A fascinating beer and one-of-a-kind experience. It's quite likely I'll never quite find a beer like it. The number of flavors this thing presents is incredible, and it strikes a surprisingly impressive balance between all of them. Hop, malt, booze all get their turn here, and all add up to a very impressive concoction. Definitely over-the-top sticky and cloying, so beware of that, but the sheer breadth of diversity in the flavor profile in this is awesome. Not a perfect beer, but extremely daring and the results speak for themselves. Great job, HotD!

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 18:13:19 | More by siege06nd

SkiBum22

New York

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a very deep dark brown color with a minimal head that doesn't leave any lace. Pours more like a wine or spirit than beer.

S - Hints of tobacco and old leather with sweet dark fruit, rich plum, and raisin. very deep and complex, loads of richness all over.

T - Some bourbon, dark fruits, getting a lot of raisins, caramel brown sugar. Some apple in the finish.

M - Medium light body with moderate carbonation. This is surprisingly light but still very, very good.

O - Glad I had the opportunity to try this rarity. This one lived up to the hype. Really great beer and another good one from Hair of the Dog. I was worried it would be past its prime but it's still drinking great. Hope they release this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 21:07:13 | More by SkiBum22

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.35/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from 12/2010 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours dark brown, almost black. No carbonation at all. Aroma of dark dried fruit, bourbon with hints of vanilla and caramel. Rich, complex flavor dominated by dark fruit, dark malts, chocolate and caramel sweetness. Finishes sweet with some wood overtones. A bit sweet. Would have scored a 10 with some carbonation. I'll age one.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 03:26:48 | More by LiquidAmber

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.63/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a Hunahpu snifter.

Appearance - Dark brown murky pour with no head. Not even a stray bubble. Flat as hell. Lots of gross looking sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

Smell - Wow, it's out there. Chocolate, apple, leather that all combines to smell like bourbon-barrel Coca-Cola. Sweet aroma. Boozy, too. Fascinating and very nice.

Taste - Sweet caramel, apple, and again coca-cola. Leathery, but not enough to balance out the sweetness. Licorice. I get a lot of the Eau de Vie, but not a lot of the bourbon barrel in the taste. Very sweet.

Mouthfeel - Flat as hell, which I already said. Thick and syrupy. Sweet. Everything that makes it tough to drink.

Overall - It's a fascinating beer. I honestly don't know how much I like it. The flavors are amazing, although I don't know how well they go together. Unique enough to really impress me, though.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 03:02:52 | More by Alieniloquium

CruisaC

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 vintage poured into glass. Ticking a longtime major want, thanks Kundog.

Color is dark cola with a thin ring of tan head. More than I was expecting based on other reviews I read.

Smells of raisins, apples and molasses. Brandy is the prominent spirit, and I don't get much bourbon.

Sweet raisins up front with some apple on the finish. Ends with some booziness but no burn.

Thick, smooth mouthfeel, and again some heat on the end

Overall, another solid effort from HOTD; they tend to produce beers over and over right up my alley. Looking forward to my Adam from the Wood patiently tucked away in my cellar.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 00:39:57 | More by CruisaC

billab914

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2010 vintage poured from a 12oz bottle into my CBS snifter. It poured dark brown, almost black in color with the only traces of carbonation being a few bubbles forming at the edges of the glass.

The aroma shows some dark fruits to it with notes of raisin and cherries coming out. The candi sugar is pretty noticeable as well with a sugary, almost candy like presence to it. From the barrel aging I get more of a brown sugar flavor with some slight bourbon and vanilla notes. I get a little bit of a leathery, slight tobacco like flavor to it as well. Lots of flavors going on in it. It was pretty good, but felt a little overly sweet with the candi sugar and dark fruit maltiness combination at times. I really liked the depth to it though and as it warmed I get less candi sugar and more bourbon to it, which bumped it up from a 4 to a 4.5 for me.

The taste shows a lot of the sweeter, dark fruit flavors up front. Cherry, raisin and fig flavors really stand out in it. Towards the finish I get a hint of the smoked malt mixing with some very good brown sugar and smooth bourbon flavors. I get some bitterness in the finish as well that really helps balance out all the sweet maltiness.

The mouthfeel is a little above medium bodied, but lighter then it looked. Carbonation is low. Overall it was a really good beer. It felt a little overly sweet with the candi sugar at first, as it warmed though things really started coming together. The finish is where things really stood out for me in it, the barrel aging, slight smoked malt and balancing bitterness really worked together well.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 16:48:04 | More by billab914

Ohsaycanyoubeer

Florida

4.93/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle of the 2011 version of my namesake. Slight hint of apples on the aroma. Taste of smoke, oak, hides the alcohol remarkably well for 12.5%. This is delicious. Caramel, smoky, Apple, bourbon greatness. A sipper well worth the hype. Now if only I could find more of it...

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 01:19:54 | More by Ohsaycanyoubeer

Dan3279

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a special one for me. I have to thank my buddy Aaron for hooking me up with this bottle. I am enjoying this bottle on my son Matt's first birthday. I started looking for this bottle in October and Aaron came through big time. I poured the 12oz bottle into my DFH snifter to find a nice dark, deep, brown body. I had no head and no carbonation.

The aroma was complex, the dried fruits really stood out on this one, also with some bourbon, vanilla, caramel, and plums. A great smelling beer.

The taste was as complex as the nose, and was just exceptional. The great thing about this beer is the balance. With so much going on one flavor doesn't dominate the rest, you can really taste the bourbon, dried fruits, caramel, vanilla, etc.

This was a smooth, smooth beer to drink. The carbonation was extremely light. This one is defiantly one to take on slowly and enjoy sip by sip.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 02:42:09 | More by Dan3279

portia99

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle (2010 release) poured into a Brooklyn snifter.

A - Bottle opens with a very mild pop...pours into the glass a rather dark brown color with traces of amber when held to the light. Looks to be nearly still in the glass...not a trace of head forms...appears on the thick and syrupy side.

S - Quite sweet on the nose, syrupy and buttery toffee, caramel and molasses, marshmallows...big shot of straight booze, sweet vanilla, dark fruits, brandy.

T - Yep, super sweet almost coating the lips in various sugars - honey, toffee, caramel, simple syrup. Smokey malt creeps in to the sweetness giving a little bit of balance to this. Lightly hoppy bittered but doesn't really stand up to the sugars in here. There is a mild touch of alcohol warmth that doesn't match the intensity found in the aroma. For 11.5% it is hidden quite well. The sweetness is unstoppable...this really is a bit much for me. I've had some unfermented worts that weren't this sweet.

M - Pretty much completely still. Thinner than I would expect, but manages to be about medium in body. Mt teeth hurt from the intense sugars here. Smokey aspects round out the finish behind all of the big malty sweet flavors, but really come far from what I'd call balance.

O - Well, I know I'm really supposed to like this beer a lot, but it just doesn't work for me. This is as slow a sipper as there can be. This would work much better in a small, small serving. It is fairly complex with a host of sugary sweet flavors to it, but it is just too overpowering for its own good. I'm getting thru the bottle but it is slow going. I would not call this one of my favorite American Strong Ales.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 21:57:27 | More by portia99

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.64/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2010 bottle, consumed in Jan. '12, brought to share with Matt Capone at Capone's, Norristown, PA.

Poured from the bottle into a few taster glasses. Color was the darkest of browns, maroon around the edges, opaque, no head to speak of, although light swirling produced a tiny bit of unexpected lacing. Nice aroma, indicative of the complexity that I'd soon be tasting: dark fruits and lots of them, booze, wood, esters, thick dark malts. Lots of sumptuous dark fruit in the taste--raisins, prunes, figs--no disguising the booze, smooth chocolate (lingered into the aftertaste), with hints of smoke and herbal hops. All things considered, the mouthfeel was amazingly smooth and velvety; obviously you want to let this one sit on the palate and get the full gambit of flavors from it. Very nice, and very savorable. I have a couple extra bottles of this that I'm going to let age for a while. Should be interesting to see how they taste in a few years, but they're obviously ready for consumption now.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 02:54:47 | More by Rifugium

hansgruber

Indiana

4/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into New Belgium globe

Small bit of foam with a small collar. 
Very dark body with a slight bit of deep dark red showing around the edges. A wee bit of lacing. 

Smells of apples, oak barrel, chocolate and a touch of smoke. 

Chocolate first and foremost with some smoke and oak barrel. Apple isn't too noticeable on palate like it was in the nose. 
Very little bitterness. Real smooth. No sign at all of the 11.5%. 

Slick mouthfeel. Could use a touch more carbonation. Full bodied. Zero burn from alcohol. 

Flavors are a bit muted so I suspect this is a bit past it's prime. Would love to get a bottle from the newer batch to compare. 

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 06:21:21 | More by hansgruber

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.55/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of boatshoes a while back. Thanks again for the trade man!

From a bottle into a snifter.
Vintage: 2010

APPEARANCE: Pours a small, medium looking, light tan head with good retention. Bistre brown in color with medium carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a wisp and solid ring, both of which remain for the whole ride but leave no lacing down the glass.

SMELL: Big bourbon nose off the pour. Bourbon, oak, vanilla and some smoked meat in there as well. Notes of roasted malts, coffee and chocolate notes, but the bourbon and smoked malts are more prominent. Complex stuff.

TASTE: Bourbon up front, with oak and vanilla notes, as well as some roasted and smoky notes from the base beer. Some bitter chocolate, coffee, and some smoked meat accompany the barrel at the swallow, with touches of sweet apple coming through at the finish. Bold and lingering aftertaste of barrel flavors, bitter chocolate and hints of smoked meat. This is phenomenal. Very complex, tasty, and the barrel adds to the brew as opposed to dominating it. Just awesome.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Creamy enough on the palate, goes down fine and finishes somewhat mouth-coating. Some heat lingers as well. Solid.

OVERALL: This is a great of example of barrel aging done right! The base beer is complex and interesting, and the barrel aging is done just long enough to add complexity to the base beer instead of dominating it. Phenomenally complex and enjoyable; I hope to run into it again. Along with Adam and Fred, this one is another stellar brew from Hair of the Dog. A limited release definitely worth tracking down. Thanks again for the trade boatshoes. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 13:43:42 | More by Jeffo

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle thanks to starrdogg, that's Matt for this Matt!

The beer pours at dark brown hue with very little head or lacing evidence. Really no lacing at all on the glass even with a swirl, appears more like a spirit than anything else.

The aroma is huge, it has lots of bourbon and brandy notes but also a roasted character like a stout also with some chocolate and a touch of dark fruit and alcohol ethanol sweetness. This reminds a lot of parabola in the nose, it has a bacon like tinged roast stout with bourbon feel to it. Wow it's huge and hopefully is a prelude to a great taste to come.

The taste also has plenty of prune and smoke in the taste, lots of candied dark fruit and then a little touch of spirit as well. Surprisingly, it's not hot and feels smooth though pretty complex over the palate. Really it seems like maybe they had aged this in a single malt barrel with all the peat notes in the beer, it has a nice earthiness to it too though I guess it makes sense with the smoked malts. Some caramel definitely comes through as well.

Overall this beer and parabola really remind me of each other. Both great, lots of smoky notes and some kings of spirits but not too much. Nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 04:02:15 | More by Dreadnaught33

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.43/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to ithinkimasofa for sending this one out to me. 2010 vintage.

Pours a cloudy dark brown with a minimal white head. Smell is a fantastic mix of bourbon, brandy and chocolate with hints of alcohol and dark fruits. Taste follows the smell - the brandy and bourbon come together perfectly and combines with a bit of roasted malt and a bit of smoke. It's sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with minimal carbonation. Overall, this is really a great beer that doesn't really taste like anything else out there. Probably my favorite HOTD beer thus far.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 03:59:04 | More by starrdogg

dirtylou

Washington

4.63/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz single, bottleworks.

2010 vintage.

appearance: served in an oversized snifter, pretty lifeless pour - some light bubbling but no retention. Well, its as-advertised at least.

smell: heavy aroma - leather, tobacco, tart apple, oak, brandy, cherry

taste: decadent and rich - apple brandy, oak, rich chocolate covered cherry, tart apple, leather, tobacco, caramel, smoke. A truly remarkable strong ale - not too many in this league.

mouthfeel: rich and full bodied, sparse carbonation

overall: exceptional

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 00:08:23 | More by dirtylou

tjkinate

Texas

4.38/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this brew with my buddy Jimmy2282. Thanks again buddy.

A: Well, not really a looker. Am extremely thin head formed, but dissipated almost immediately atop this reddish brown brew. Yup, that about covers it.

S: Loads of dark fruit mix beautifully with the oak and bourbon notes from the aging. Malty backbone presents itself and is accompanied with a warm boozy scent. My mouth is watering.

T: Very similar to the smell although I was able to detect more caramel and toffee along with those dark fruits. Bourbon flavors with vanilla are present, but by no mean overwhelm the other flavors.

M: Mild carbonation in the medium/heavy brew, slight burning as the brew passes down your throat. Becomes more prominent as the beer warms.

O: One fantastic brew that I wish came in a bigger bottle. Hint, Hint!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 01:45:34 | More by tjkinate

draheim

Washington

4.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz (2010) bottle into a snifter. Pours completely flat, deep cola brown. Not a single bubble; completely still. For that reason alone, I can't give it more than a 2.5 for appearance.

Aroma is rum-soaked tobacco, leather (I believe the first time I've ever used this descriptor), dark fruit, and vanilla.

Taste is even more impressive than the nose. Toffee, vanilla, pipe tobacco, oak. Complex caramel and booze; smoky, rich.

Mouthfeel is smooth, velvety, coating. Lack of carbonation is sincerely disappointing, though, and I have to dock points both on appearance and mouthfeel for it.

Overall a mixed bag. Aroma and taste are really complex and surprising, but the beer's flatness leaves me wishing for so much more. Next time I'll do a side/side between Matt and Adam, the similarities are pretty obvious.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 08:44:15 | More by draheim

drabmuh

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

After several failed attempts at landing this beer I finally found someone that would throw me one. Thanks. Shared with others, this beer is still.

At the time of this review, this is the #1 beer on the "Top Beers - American Strong Ale" list on beeradvocate.com

Served with Adam, Adam from the Wood, Cherry Adam from the Wood, Fred, Bourbon Fred, Doggie Claws '05.

Beer is completely flat, brown, sweet aroma, dark, legs on the glass which is a Stone IRS glass for those keeping score.

Aroma is malt, bourbon, apples, sweet, oak.

Beer is medium in body, really sweet, strong, very dry, a little too dry for me, but the more I drink the more I like it. Strong, sweet, nice liquor backbone, leading up to a bitterness-less finish that leave the mouth dry. I would have liked a less dry finish but ultimately this was good.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 03:08:07 | More by drabmuh

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.47/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by drabmuh. Thanks Matt.

Served with Adam, Adam from the Wood, Cherry Adam from the Wood, Fred, Bourbon Fred, Doggie Claws '05.

The beer appears nearly still and a dark brown color. The aroma is nice, with a lot of booze, pepper, spice, fruit, barrels. Smooth on the palate. Low carbonation with less booze in the flavor than was present in the aroma. Complex and delicious, this one is a slow sipper. Great blend of bourbon and fruit flavors, with light spice. Overall, a terrific beer. Glad to have finally tried it. It is my name, after all.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 20:31:26 | More by Huhzubendah