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

Hugonaut13

Illinois

4.06/5  rDev 0%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2012 bottle poured into snifter. Big thanks to Standardcherry for this bottle.

A - Pours a deep, cloudy caramel brown with some dark brown yeast floaties in it. Plenty of carbonation in this bottle thankfully. A fingers worth of white foam at the top that is extremely slow to recede. Not a very attractive beer.

S - bourbon, oak, vanilla, and caramel all mixed together and quite strong. It's obvious that this beer took on A LOT of barrel during it's time. This is not a bad thing, smells tasty!

T - Is about what you would expect after the smell. Starts off with oaky brown sugar/vanilla combination. When it was cold, there was some bitterness in the mid that was close to off-putting, but that left as it warmed. It was replaced by lots of sweet malts and dark fruits. Very good. Leaves with a very apparent sweet bourbon taste. Pretty good stuff once it warmed up.

M - Thick and rich is the best way to describe this. The alcohol is also quite present, not that I mind that. This is a definite sipper. Infact, I'd suggest having a glass of water along with it. A bit of a chore to drink.

O - This is one of the most bourbon barrel forward beers I've ever had. The base Fred is completely lost and was taken over by the barrel. Thankfully, I enjoy the strong barrel presence. This is a beer to pour when you only plan on having 1 and have time to enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 23:35:27 | More by Hugonaut13

blackie

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

draft at the brewpub

a: draft served in a super cool branded tulip at the brewery, medium amber in color with a cloudy haze, creamy coating head with good retention

s: loaded down with sugary complexity - raisin, honey, brown sugar, lovely bourbon pulls in vanilla and coconut, caramel, sweet alcohol

m: thick and syrupy, sweet fullness, smooth moderate carbonation

t: heavy caramel and dark fruits of raisin and fig, brown sugar, strong bourbon with vanilla and raw oak, big warming alcohol, rich and sweet

o: this one doesn’t hold back on the sweetness and barrel, and that’s something I dig, loved it

4/45/4/4/4

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2013 03:31:23 | More by blackie

Gfunk720

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to whiskey for this bottle. 12oz'er out of my Lawson's tulip.

A- Pours almost like a apple cider. A murky brownish color, forms with a few bubbles on top. I could tell from the pour that this was flat as could be.

S- Smells of caramel, dark fruit, and toffee. It is very sweet, with hints of bourbon and vanilla as well. I get a little bit of heat, and some oak soury notes.

T- It is a sweet malty bomb up front, almost too sweet. In sweeps some vanilla, bourbon, and plum notes. There is a nice lingering oaky aftertaste with hints of rye and sherry.

M- Flat, flat, flat. This beer would have been better with just a bit of carbonation. The body is quite nice. The lack of carbonation though does make it seem a bit syrupy.

O- Overall, it's hard to hate any of the oak aged stuff from HOTD. However, this one was a bit off the mark. While I knew it wasn't going to be carbonated, it was just too sweet and syrupy. I think the carbonation would have helped a bit, but not saved it completely.

-GFunk

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 23:17:50 | More by Gfunk720

beerpirates

Belgium

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into my CBS snifter , 2012 vintage

Pours a murky, orange-amber colored body with a 3 finger white head that stays a long time and leaves sole nice lacing.
Aroma is richer toffees with a good amount of bourbon and vanilla-oak. A few dark fruit notes, caramel, and buttered almonds.
Flavor is similar. Richer toffees and caramels with a bit more of a sherry-like, tropical fruitiness. A few raisin dark fruits, a nice bourbon and oaky vanilla, a light woody spice, and a touch of buttered almonds towards the end.
Finishes somewhat dry with a bit of a woody spice, toffees, bourbon, vanilla, and a light fruity note.
Nice aftertaste following a somewhat chewy, medium body and a good amount of carbonation.
Overall, a pretty solid barrel aged beer . Lots of barrel character, but plenty of toffees and fruits to balance.
Very good !!

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 19:44:49 | More by beerpirates

MasterSki

Illinois

4.06/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Another one thanks to ChrisPro. Served in a snifter. Not sure what vintage this was.

A - A few stray bubbles, but otherwise still. Transparent dark golden body.

S - Loads of bourbon and oak, both of an earthy and spicy character. Fred is long gone - he's been overwhelmed by Mssrs Woodford, Blanton, et al.

T - The taste has a touch more sweet caramel malt to it in the periphery, but it's still quite heavy on the vanilla, bourbon, and oak. A slightly tangy finish, from both bourbon and rye.

M - Smooth, medium-full body. Creamy and lightly dry in the finish. No carbonation, and some definite bourbon heat in the finish.

D - A bit of spritz would help make this more drinkable. If you like drinking bourbon, then you'll dig this, but it's somewhat heavy-handed. Age will blunt the alcohol a bit, but I don't anticipate this carbonating any time soon. I like spirits, so this was nice in small doses.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:59:25 | More by MasterSki

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.05/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Absolutely love regular Fred and scored it a 4,55 here, so I had high hopes for the bourbon barrel version. Cheers to bsuedekum and Boozcamel for bottles of this stuff.

From a bottle into a snifter
Vintage: 2011
Drunk right after a regular Fred batch 80

APPEARANCE: Pours disappointingly flat. A hard pour riles up some jiuce bubbles, but that's it. Burnt orange in color with no carbonation. A bit darker than the regular Fred. Looks flat the whole way and leaves no lacing.

SMELL: Lots of bourbon, oak, vanilla and coconut on the nose. Some caramel and toffee there as well, but most of what made the base Fred so nice is outplayed here. Quite bourbon heavy and perhaps a touch of sulpher on the nose. Nice, but not as well crafted as I'd hoped.

TASTE: Liquor like, with lots of bourbon, oak and candy sweetness up front. Sugary sweet finish with brown sugars, caramel, and more bourbon barrel flavors, like vanilla and coconut linger in the bold and alcoholic aftertaste. Oaky wood flavors are there as well.

PALATE: Flat and liquor like in the feel. Syrupy and slick going down, finishing rather sticky on the palate. Too bad, as some carbonation would have brought this to life.

OVERALL: Disappointing really. The regular Fred is such a fantastic beer, and the barrel aging here didn't really help it out. Besides the fact that this bottle was completely flat, the bourbon barrel aging is too dominant, basically whiping the base beer off the planet. More nuanced barrel aging would allow the beauty that is Fred play a roll in the flavor profile a little more, and some carbonation would help the whole experience further. Glad to have tried this, and I'll wait and hope future batches turn out better.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 12:00:06 | More by Jeffo

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.19/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to Chris and Adam for this bottle!
2012 Vintage poured in to tulip.

A -Murky/swampy brown/orange in color with a small amount of cream coloured head.

S - Bourbon, vanilla and oak dominate the nose with a slight bready/candy sweetness in the background. The base beer is completely drowned out by the barrel aging, but this is still an excellent nose.

T - The barrel qualities are dominant, as the nose suggested. Bourbon, toasted oak and vanilla flavours are noticeable up front and throughout. Traces of the base beer show up in the finish with some floral notes and a sweet candy-like flavour.

M - Medium body with some chew. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 03:21:38 | More by TheSevenDuffs

mfavoino

Washington

4.16/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Shared a 2012 bottle with a couple of other BAs at the HotD Tasting Room on 19 Jan 13. Poured into a tulip.

A: Typical haze associated with HotD, amber in color, and no head.

S: Candied sugar sweetness, big bourbon barrel aroma, and slightly nutty.

T: Very sweet candied sugar, caramel, smooth bourbon. Tons of malt, great barrel presence, oaky, and no hop presence. Well-hidden abv.

M: Not as flat as I expected it to be, but definitely on the low side. Heavy, syrupy, and well-hidden booze.

O: Surprisingly sweet maltbomb with great bourbon taste and assuming the time it had to mellow contributed to the lack of alcohol heat.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 19:06:55 | More by mfavoino

jeonseh

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 1 from 2011. Poured into a GI tulip. Part of NWI tasting group New Year's Day

A - Chestnut with light brown hues. Looks slightly like maple syrup. As expected for this one, no carbonation or head

S - Boozy up front with brown sugar, bready malt, dates, and a slight lemon peel finish

T- Sweet beer with brown sugar, candied dates, malty, bready, and sweet bourbon kick. Finish is candied dates as well as a light lemon. Very flavorful throughout.

MF - Flat beer which is what I've heard about this batch. It is thick and syrupy which actually works with the flavors in the beer. There is a thick, syrupiness that lingers and coats the tongue. It definitely could have used some carbonation.

O - Solid beer with lots of flavor. It was definitely thick and flat. This is definitely a big, bready and malty beer that is loaded with bourbon sweetness. Worth tracking down

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 20:10:37 | More by jeonseh

wethorseblanket

California

3.88/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Bottle procurred by Aussy13 last year. 2011 vintage. Thanks.

A: Pours a murky reddish light brown with 8 to 10 bubbles (count them quickly) at the rim leaving zero lace. Essentially still.

N: Toffee, almond shells and husks, whiskey, and a twinge of slightly sour apricot pits. Oddly interesting oxidized sherry-like notes.

T: Layers of sweetish bourbon, oak wood, caramel and toffee.

M: Full body and no carbonation. Sweet boozy finish.

O: Unexpectedly undesireable. I can only sense what could have been.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 04:51:06 | More by wethorseblanket

Auracom

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Awesome throw-in from Greg, cheers! 6 oz. of the 2011 Vintage poured into a Hunahpu's snifter on November 21st, 2012.

A - This is surely flat. Pours a deep bourbon-brown coloring with absolutely no head. Zero retention or lacing. Surprisingly light alcohol legs.

S - The bottle's description hits this on the head - almonds and whiskey. I think it's more of a rounded nutty aroma, with the barrel note underneath. Touch of bread, dark fruit, and trace alcohol.

T - Not nearly as hot as I've heard this offering can be. Initial whiskey note transitions into more a woody, pitted fruit character near the back. Pull some Werther's caramel candy, toffee, and a touch of cherry oxidation as it warms. Bitterness picks up slightly into the finish, but I actually get a slight, almost maple syrup sweetness in the aftertaste (moreso syrup than tropical fruit, no doubt).

M - Yup, this had as little carbonation as a beer possibly can. It drinks a bit like alcoholic juice, which is a bit weird and a letdown. Otherwise, medium body, very smooth, with a semi-dry finish.

D - Even though it needs more bubbles, this is a decent offering. The flavor is balanced enough and feels smooth enough to work even without the carbonation. Would definitely revisit, which is good because I've got another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 16:02:27 | More by Auracom

beerhan

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Bauermj for this want.

2012 edition, 12 oz bottle

A-pours a hazy amber with no head initially followed by an intense one finger white head.significantly less sediment than normal Fred.

S-overwhelming bourbon aroma with some oak and caramel.

T-very strong nutty taste with a mild bourbon kick with almost some pineapple coming through.

M-compared to regular Fred, this rendition is nearly flat. Very nice medium low carbonation and a syrupy body.

O-a treat to drink, would love to try this again. Very different than most barrel agreed beers I have tried before but then again hair of the dog is just very different.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 15:59:45 | More by beerhan

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

part of blind bif 7
consumed blind next to Fred batch 84

Offering 2A & 2B from quirkzoo

2A Pours a murky brownish orange with a half of a glass of foam that just sits on top of the beer and has no plans of going anywhere.
The aroma is very malt heavy with hints of clove and banana. There seems to be some citrus hops in there as well. The taste, there is a nice amount of sweetness balanced with a bit of hoppiness, lots of cloves and some spiciness. Nice bit of prickly carbonation helps this one go down easily.

2B Pours a muddy dirty brown with absolutely no foam whatsoever.
Very malty as well but there is more going on. Caramel malts and brown sugar along with some oak. I'm also picking up some cherry flavor, there is a good amount of sweetness to this. You can tell this is a sipper but I also keep going back for another taste.

The labels say wise to share. I threw caution to the wind and heck its a friday. I'm guessing this is a barleywine, They seem close enough that they might be different vintages but I'm not quite sure. The sweetness in 2B throws me a bit.

So lets pull back the covers and see what we have

2A Hair of the Dog Fred Batch 84 (2011)
2B Hair of the Dog Bourbon Fred 2011

well that caught me off guard. I guess in the bourbon fred i was kind of picking up the barrel but describing it as a sweetness and the cherry. I'm amazed at the difference in carbonation as well. Hell of a pairing and I'm thrilled at the opportunity to try a Bourbon Fred. Didn't plan on that one happening. Thanks quirkzoo for hitting another want of mine. Pretty damn awesome.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 05:50:37 | More by mikereaser

SaisonFest

Washington

3.88/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

So i gave the appearance a 2.5. I did this because it poured still with no head,cap, anything resembling carbonation, but the color is nice. If this was a beer besides a HOTD strong ale it would have gotten an 1.

So i gave the Smell a 4.5. I did this because IT IS AWESOME and strong in maple sap and oak and caramel , and butterscotch and is really rich with some vanilla bourbon notes with a hint of heat. <3.

Flavors continue being rich so i gave them a 4.0. Whole not quite as full as the nose was there is a lot of richness to work through and the still mouthfeel is only a slight hindrance to a beer like this, in the same way that a port is carried by its richness. See aroma for flavor profile.

I really liked this

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 03:06:52 | More by SaisonFest

cbeer88

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Tasted blindly in the Blind BIF. Bottle is opened without a sound and poured into Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Dark orange, bordering on brown. Literally zero head even on an aggressive pour. No lacing, and no sign of life other than a couple of faint bubbles wisping up to the top.

Smell: Caramel dominates along with brown sugar and oak. Figs, raisins, and other small dark fruits in the nose. I get more vanilla as it warms. Smell isn't strong, but what is there is good.

Taste: Caramel and caramelized brown sugar dominate, with some oak in the back end. Very sweet. No carbonation and no hops to speak of - super malt bomb. I think this beer is strong given the intense malt profile, but the alcohol is completely hidden. This beer tastes like it has some age. Given the assumed strength I'm guessing quite a bit.

Mouthfeel: Extremely full bodied, sweet and sticky, and zero carb.

Drinkability: This is a slow sipper, but drinks quite good despite the complete lack of carb.

Overall: I don't mind uncarbed beers at all, particularly when they are done this well. Better than the sum of its parts.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 19:23:45 | More by cbeer88

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2012 vintage

A: Deep amber with rusty reddish edges, great clarity. Long lasting white head, gorgeous.

S: An absolute wall of bourbon barrel. I've never smelled so much barrel outside of an imperial stout. Without dark malts getting in the way, the barrel really shines through and takes the lead. Some booze. This will be a 5 one day.

T: Sweet, buttery baked apples. Creamy vanilla, raw spicy oak. Reminds me of a very delicious buttery apple crisp, wow.

M: Full bodied but the carbonation keeps this drinkable until the end. A stunning sipper.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 18:08:22 | More by mattsander

ngeunit1

California

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours a super hazy amber-brown with only a few bubbles around the edges. The bubbles disappear quickly leaving behind no lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of Bourbon, oak, vanilla, sweet caramel malts, caramelized and residual sugars, some grapefruit and citrus hops and some booze.

T - Starts off with some sweet toffee malts with some brown and maple sugars, dark fruit, grapefruit hops, and some vanilla. Through the middle, the bourbon and oak come through with some floral hop notes, a hint of hop bitterness, some honey, and some more residual sugars. The finish is a mix of caramel malts, dark fruit, oak, vanilla, Bourbon, honey, some citrus hops, and some booze.

M - Full bodied with very mild carbonation. Feels smooth and a bit syrupy with a warming and sweet finish.

D - Very drinkable. The lack of carbonation hurts it a bit, but the barrel flavor blends so nicely with the base beer that it is still very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 03:36:59 | More by ngeunit1

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.65/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

355ml bottle 12,0% Abv.
Served lightly chilled in an over sized wine glass.
2011 Vintage

A massive thanks to Lurchingbeast for this one!

Appearance: As expected, Bourbon Fred pours completely still - not even a trace of foam, even after a somewhat violent pour. The body is fairly opaque and a beautiful orange-brown with golden edges and traces of red. A swirl coats the glass in fantastically heavy alcohol legs.

Smell: Wow, this smells fantastic, but quite a long way off from what I expected. Bourbon is certainly present, along side light fruits and a floral and honey character that is reminiscent of an older bottle of IIPA. Notes include: Bourbon, vanilla laced caramel, toffee, butterscotch, a touch of oak, orange blossom honey, sweet floral notes, overripe peaches, golden apples and some sweet orange.

Taste: The flavour is similar to the nose, but with a little more emphasis on the fruity characteristics. The finish displays a light bitterness that does a great job of preventing the beer from becoming cloying. Notes include: Bourbon, caramel, golden apples, overripe peaches, a touch of citrus, a general light (meaning the opposite of dark, not a small quantity!) fruit character, a light earthiness, a touch of oak and a light floral note.

Mouthfeel: Yes it is flat, but that does not bother me in the slightest. The body is bang on for my tastes - full and sticky.

Overall: I guess it helps that I like flat beers, but I thought that this was an absolutely fantastic American strong ale and I will most certainly be trying to get some more bottles of it in the future.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 13:50:46 | More by Thehuntmaster

doopiedoopiedoo

Netherlands

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Given to me by Jeffo to ease the pain after the reality of a poor 10k race result set in.

Year made 2011.

From a 12oz bottle into a snifter.

Comes out murky brown reddish. No head, no carbonation visible.

A huge bourbon bomb on the nose. Caramel, sweet smells of maple syrup and a strong wiff of alcohol.

Intense bourbon flavors, great oak, caramel and hints of vanilla. A slight bitterness that find a counter balance in dark fruits and very far away a tad of orange.

Flat as a pancake. There is a little bit ofcarbonation to be detected. It has a medium body and great full finish that leaves all the great flavors linger for a long time. This has all the characteristics of a barleywine.

The obvious lack of carbonation keeps this from being the epic beer it should be. Other flat beers have found it's way down my drain but I couldn't resist drinking this. The flavors are intense and I gladly would drink another one just like this but I would really really like to try this one with carbonation.

Thanks Jeff for helping me to recover and giving me the chance to try this. EPIC.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 07:40:22 | More by doopiedoopiedoo

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottle: Poured a deep brown color ale with almost no head and no lacing – pretty much flat. Aroma of Kentucky bourbon with some vanilla is pretty powerful with distinct alcohol ester and loads of brown sugar notes. Taste is an unbalanced mix between strong notes of bourbon with some loads of brown sugar notes and some light vanilla. Body is full with almost no carbonation and loads of alcohol ester is discernable. Too boozy and too sweet for my taste – probably the type of beer that could be split four ways for a 12oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 19:17:02 | More by Phyl21ca

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.8/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a Kate the Great snifter. 2011 bottle.

Appearance - Murky bright amber. Not a hint of a head. The slightest puff of air when I cracked it open, but that's it. Leggy and sugary.

Smell - Bourbon, oak, and fruitiness. Apples and a peach aroma that was missing from other treatments. It gets more intense as it warms. A touch of acidity as well. Reminiscent of Fred from the Wood.

Taste - Sugary, for sure. Masks some of the flavors. Pale palts and tons of fruity flavors. The bourbon is a little more subdued here, but the oak is more intense. That slight acidity is interesting and blends with a hop bite to really cut the sugars.

Mouthfeel - Yeah, it's flat as hell. It would be so much better with a slight tingle of carbonation. As it stands, it's a sweet, flat, sugary sipper.

Overall - Could be so much more. I would love to try a 2012 bottle of this. Warming and delicious., but just a touch too sweet and too flat to be great.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 01:27:50 | More by Alieniloquium

cavedave

New York

3.88/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks yet again to one of the finest BA's around oregonskibum for this tasty treat. 2011 Vintage

Pours all but completely still, reddish light brown and clear, a swirl leaves some oily legs for sure.

Bourbon forward, but candi, caramel, toffee, vanilla, figs, some nice floral in there as well, hints of barrel oak. Wonderful aroma.

Ah, all the flavors of the bouquet with some oxidation and tannins adding a tasty complexity to it. Quite a thick taste if such a thing is possible. Alcohol spice carries some fruity spice with it into the end of the sip.

Gotta ding this big for no carb., this beer would be stupidly drinkable with just a bit of spritz, but perfect viscosity, and a long juicy finish rescue it somewhat.

All in all a fine beer despite the obvious lack, I hope another year or two will allow some slow-mo carbonation to occur, but it seems unlikely. Still a beer I am quite happy to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 22:19:34 | More by cavedave

eatabagofbooger

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 2 (with carbonation)

A: Pours a nice, unclouded caramel color with a generous, fluffy white head.

S: Leathery figs, prunes, vanilla, candi sugar, maple syrup, and the same unidentifiable hop flavor I get from regular Fred and Doggie Claws. Subtle bourbon.

T: Follows the nose, except the bourbon is no longer subtle. Cunningly sweet with huge maple flavors and hints of vanilla and coconut. Warming alcohol flavors make this a brew that would be ideal on a dark, frigid Winter night. In spite of this, it's very smooth. Leaves a thick coating that tastes like I ate a spoonfull of dark brown sugar. Points for smoothness, deductions for being too damn cloying.

M: Holy hell this beer is thick, oily, and syrupy. The coating on my tongue just won't go away! This is the carbonated batch, and I'd hate to imagine what a syrupy mess this would be without bubbles. As it is, it seems like Allan may be overcompensating for the last batch, as the carbonation is a touch too aggressive.

O: I think I'm going to save the rest of mine for winter and make sure to open them when I have guests, as even a 12oz is too much sweetness for me for one sitting. Unlike many HotD beers, this one is so smooth that I see little reason to age it. In fact, with the hops being the only thing keeping the sweetness in check, I dare say this will be better fresh than with age.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 00:18:38 | More by eatabagofbooger

s1ckboy

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle. Thanks to beeraroundtown for the trade.

A - 3-4 Fingers white head, deep brown/orange body, hazy.

S - Bourbon, oak, citrus/orange, sweet.

T - Bourbon, candied sugar/marshmallow, toffee, a bit of citrus/hoppy flavor in the finish.

M - Good amount of carbonation, smooth.

Awesome beer. Don't let the initial mediocre reviews throw you, the 2012 version is great.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 22:29:19 | More by s1ckboy

NWer

Washington

4.81/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

2012 vintage.
Thanks Luke for getting these for me. What a treat!
Poured a very dark brown into my Hair of the Dog tulip (what else?)
Wonderful aroma of bourbon, caramel.
Generous head that retains well for quite a while. Any question of carbonation quickly evaporates.
Taste is sweetness and bourbon caramel and oak. Alcohol very present. A little rough around the edges.
Mouthfeel nice but again a little rough.
Needs time to smooth out and blend. The remaining nine bottles remain in my cellar for a year at least.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 01:40:08 | More by NWer