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

hopsbreath

Oregon

4.45/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sneak peak of the 2012 batch on-tap at HotD. A 12oz tulip full will run you $8.50 but it's worth it. I've previously tried the previous batch of Michael and did not care for it. When approaching Flanders Red's I ask myself if I enjoy it significantly more than a $10 750ml of Rodenbach Grand Cru. The answer was no for the '09 batch. This go around is a different story though.

Michael pours rusty/murky brown and was placed on the bar in front of me with a full half finger of butterscotch head, good lacing was left. Great intense nose reveals vinegar high on the acidity with cherry notes that are well developed and distinct. Tasting leads with the acidic vinegar but plays very closely with heavy bleu cheese funk. Very little residual sweetness left after the barrel aging. Appropriately carbonated which is no surprise on-tap; I'm really hoping this translates to the bottled batch. Probably the driest finish I've ever had on a Flanders Red.

The ’09 batch was a little muddled, but this one is both heavier on the funk and sour with brighter more intense cherry and vinegar to boot. A candidate for most improved beer of the year. I'll be buying a full allotment for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2012 07:35:52 | More by hopsbreath

waltersrj

Washington

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pour: Golfen orange, yellow with a small white frothy head.

Nose: Cherry, traditional Flanders red malt and some sour funk.

Taste: Ruch decadent soured brown/red malt, tart cherry, slight lemon, lactic acidity and smooth oak.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth, perfect.

Overall: Fantastic work Alan. Once again a treasure.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2011 20:36:07 | More by waltersrj

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.04/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks trxxpaxxs for sharing

The beer pours a rusty brown color with a very loose off-white head that fades without lacing. The nose is pit fruity, floral, slightly vinous, with very little alcohol.4 The taste is definitely fruity and sweet upfront, consistent with the nose, followed by a faintly woody finish. There is not nearly enough oak or dryness. I'm assuming it would probably dry out/become more complex with a bit of age, which would make the mouthfeel quite supreme. This is a delicious Flanders, a bit too sweet, but with lots if subtle fruit flavor and great potential.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 05:56:21 | More by ThePorterSorter

merc7186

New York

3.86/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to Trxxpaxxs for sharing this bottle.

12oz bottle into snifter.

A: Reddish Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Rose Hips, Tart Cherries, Mild Honey

T: Rose Hips, Tart Cherries, Mild Plums

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Tart

Overall, a pretty basic flanders red with decent tart cherry but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 03:16:23 | More by merc7186

maximum12

Minnesota

2.65/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Big thanks to bfg75 for procuring a few HoTD bottles for me; this is the last survivor of that fine trade. I tip my cap to him, the bottle, as I pop it open. 12 oz. bottle from the 2012 batch split with my wife, who loved the last Flanders we had.

Faint hiss on the pop, & only nine microscopic bubbles greet the eye on the pour. Swirling raises no further breathe of air/liquid interaction. It is a very nice color of copper cut with mud. Nose is dominated by sherry & cherry, with a faint zing of vinegar.

Michael suffers from a lack of that thing most beer has: carbonation. What flavors exist fall flat as stale potato chips or dried Twizzlers. Sherry, muddled fruits, & a heavy hand of yeastiness. Drying oak wanders, shot through with cellar must. Sort of tart. Six ounces is more than enough; I'd have been fine with three.

Hair of the Doggie has been hit or miss for me, & this is a whiff. Flat, not very flavorful, & expensive. 0-3. Doesn't even touch mediocre, not a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 03:33:05 | More by maximum12

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Batch 1 from 2009 poured into a matching HOTD tulip. The brew appears a hazed orange color with yellow around the edges. A frothy khaki colored head sits atop with solid, perfect retention and patchy lace that paints the glassware.

The aroma starts off wild with cheese and vanilla oak. Some fruit mildly like cherry imparts some medicinal aspect to the overall smell. However, it remains very enjoyable smelling with perhaps a bit too much focus on the barrel aging.

The flavor opens up with a bit of a tang. A lot of barrel character is like raw wood and almost too much vanilla for the style. A mild astringency ia present, mildly herbal to medicinal flavoring towards the finish.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. So smooth and easy drinking. I felt it is missing some vinegar and more sour cherry notes indicative of the style but collectively its pretty nice. Maybe just a bit too much focus on barrel character but this was a nice brew that I wouldnt mind having more of.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 14:34:18 | More by stakem

Magnus23

Oregon

4.74/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A big take on a Flanders Red. I was a little suspect of how this would work, but I am happily surprised. Another delicious beer from Hair of the Dog. Big fruit and a little funkiness and souring. Also can taste the alcohol, but not overwhelming for a beer of its strength. Goes very nicely with a cheese plate or even a good stew. Warming, comforting and at the same time very fresh tasting.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 03:06:39 | More by Magnus23

tectactoe

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Murky copper color on the pour, not as much red as I would have guessed; only a mild translucency at the very edges. A small, grey-tinted head bubbles up and quickly settles to a ring around the glass.

Aroma contains a touch of sourness; tart cherry, sour apple, lactic, acidic and very vinegar-like with very, very mild vinous notes in the end - juicy grapes and mild alcoholic character. Oak notes are pretty heavy in this one, too. I'm sensing a bit of funk, but I'm not sure if there's actually brett in this, or if my mind is just playing tricks on me. But seriously, there's a very mild funk in here somewhere, I can smell it, dammit! The tartness leads into a finishing, fruity sweetness.

Michael isn't as sour on the palate as it was on the nose, but it still delivers a handful of fruity goodness; apples, cherries, grapes. Lots of vinous notes popping out now with a mellow booziness that remains smooth and laid back throughout the duration of the sip. Pretty creamy on the mouth, which I definitely wasn't expecting. The wine notes get stronger as this one goes on; the oak booms halfway in and leads strong into the aftertaste; lots of wet wood and a mild funk that makes its way back again. The finish is vinous with sweet grapes and cherries, a touch of alcohol, and lots of oak barrel. Medium carbonation, thin-medium body with a lightly creamy mouth feel.

It would've been a little better had it been slightly more tart, but it was still pretty damn good. Easily drinkable and refreshing, I'm not sure how old this one was, but I think it had some age on it. Nice wine-like characteristics and a big contribution from the oak barrel.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 22:57:19 | More by tectactoe

MasterSki

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by ChrisPro. Served in a snifter. This was the 2009 batch I believe.

A - Off-white foam settles to wisps, a thick collar, and little else. Murky orange body.

S - Cherry vinegar, oak, a hint of dill, some lactic notes. There's a hint of funk that gives this a mild musky note to it, but this is largely an acidic, sour beer.

T - The taste has a bit more residual malt sweetness. Lots of wet oak, hint of leather and tobacco, sweet tarts, lactic sourness, and less overt vinegar. Finish is slightly vegetal.

M - Dry, medium body, with well-hidden alcohol. Medium carbonation - this eventually developed bubbles, as I remember it being flat out of the gate.

D - A bit more oak and acetic than I like more Flanders beers, but miles better than it was on release. Alan's beers are built to age and this was no exception. Enjoyable at this stage, but still only a good take on the style. I'd drink it again

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:26:09 | More by MasterSki

Gobzilla

California

4.23/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a burnt brownish orange with reddish highlights and a thin bubbly head that barely left any lacing sticking to the glass. Plenty of sweet fruity aromas upfront on the nose consisting of cherries, dark fruit with a little vinous character, subtle vinegar, good acidicy and nice oaky wood presence. The dark fruit were more apparent on the palate with great cherry fruit accents, vinous barrel character, oaky wood notes with plenty of acidicy, lingering vanilla and a touch of brown sugar. The brew was medium in body with a fair amount of carbonation which had a fruity, acidic, semi sweet, oaky, mild vinegary and tart finish. Good lookin out beezler on this bottle, drank good and was solid all around.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 10:48:37 | More by Gobzilla

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Michael 2012: on tap at the brewery. Mix of 07, 8, 9. In small wine like glass.

Pours a pretty amber red color with just a slight ring of white head, bubbles rising to the top. 4.5

Smell is nice, but subtler than most sour beers of this age. Has some ripe cherry notes that have a simple blanket of pulpy wood surrounding it. Just a flutter of funk in there, sort of in a fruity vibe. 3.75

Taste is much bigger than the nose, it has huge flavors of tart cherry, madagascar bourbon vanilla flavors, and a straw lemony malt that almost reminds me of a saison, very interesting. Not a lot of sweetness and less fruity Brett than expected, but it does have a nice funk. Theres a clear spice rye or grain taste in the middle that is unique. 4

Mouthfeel is nice. Spritzer carbonation and light medium feel, leaves some bitters on the tongue. 3.75

Overall a good beer but not amazing compared to other beers in the style. 4

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 22:48:10 | More by Dreadnaught33

DaveAnderson

Minnesota

3.69/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle purchased at the November 2012 dock sale.

Pours a hazy butterscotch with almost no head. This one is nearly flat. It's no matter, because it smells pretty good. Right up front is oak and vinegar, plus something a little farty. I detect a little caramel note in there, too, and maybe some overripe fruit.

It's fairly nice on the tongue, although the bitterness detracts from it. It has a nice sour punch, and the wood gives it a welcome roundness. It's surprisingly juicy.

The lack of carbonation hurts overall enjoyment and drinkability. I know this may have improved if I had aged it, but I am getting weary of breweries releasing beers that are not ready to drink straightaway. If it's not ready, don't sell it, guys.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 06:40:25 | More by DaveAnderson

rlee1390

Indiana

4.01/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A-Clear deep ruby, not much head or carbonation.

S-Oak, funk, darker fruits, plums, cherries and some brown sugar.

T-Oak, funk with a nice sour notes. Followed by a bit of cherries and plum/darker fruits.

M-Medium bodied but NO carbonation. The complete lack of carbonation is a major draw back.

O-It was a good beer, but the lack of carbonation really hurt how good this beer could have been.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 22:07:27 | More by rlee1390

mdaschaf

Washington

3.38/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Review from notes. Thanks to FalconA for sharing! 2012 release.

A: Pours a reddish/brown/orange color with a few bubbles forming initially, but are gone very quickly. No real head or lacing.

S: A little bit of dark fruit, some cherry, and oak.

T: The oak was rather prominent, a bit of vanilla mixed in with the tart fruits. Slight musty flavor and a bit of caramel.

M: Extremely low carbonation, bordering on flat.

O: A bit of a letdown. Flavor was ok, not as assertive or tart as I was hoping. The lack of carbonation was what really killed it for me though.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 07:49:08 | More by mdaschaf

pmarlowe

California

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tulip glass.

A: Pours a clear, dark reddish, almost purple color. Browning slightly on the edges. Essentially no head, only some large white bubbles. Looks absent of carbonation.

S: A sour, acetic character with strong barrel characteristics (lots of oak). Cherry and dark fruits.

T: Overly oaky and vanilla, tannic and kind of flabby. Mildly sour with just a touch of fruit.

M: Medium body and essentially flat.

O: Over oaked. A little restraint with the barrel and more carbonation would improve this substantially.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 05:56:45 | More by pmarlowe

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a medium amber with just a ring of head. Really, there is very little carbonation here.

S: Sour cherries, light acetic acid, plum, brown sugar, and caramel. This is very complex and nicely balanced.

T: Balanced sweetness and sourness. I get a nice brown sugar, plum, and prune sweetness along with a sour cherry, slightly acetic sourness. This beer is perfectly balanced and nicely complex.

M: Medium to thick mouthfeel with low carbonation.

O: The balance is key here - I cannot stand when this style is overly acetic or overly sweet. Rarely do I find one this well balanced. I'm very impressed - this is much better than past vintages I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 01:50:58 | More by coreyfmcdonald

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.68/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Big thanks to Aaron for this one. Served in a Hair of the Dog tulip. Nose is pretty nice with a good level of acidity plus some baking oak and a fruit component. There’s some cherry along with mild dark fruits. Flavor ha the acidity and fruit down, but there’s way too much barrel character, as the tannins are nearly overpowering. Light-medium body.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 20:05:03 | More by Thorpe429

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle opned on 11.25.12

2012 Version

A - Pours a medium brown with an orange tint. A few light tan bubbles, then gone.

S - Tart dark fruits, oranges, cherries and some oak.

T - Very woody and tart, some fruit, mostly cherry.

D - Low carbonation with a medium body. Woody finish.

O - Oaky and dark fruit. Light body and cherry-citrus.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 07:27:24 | More by HuskyinPDX

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle at the brewery. 2012 vintage.

A: orange tinted red. No lacing. Acceptable.

N: Tons of oak and cherries. Some vinegar and a biscuity note.

T: Dried cherries and loads of tannins. Very oaky. Lots of leather and earth. Very much like a pinot noir. Red wine grape.

M: Medium mouthfeel. Noticeable alcohol, but not distracting.

O: This spent awhile in the barrels and it shows. Nose and taste are very different, but harmonious.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 17:23:33 | More by writerLJBerg

cosmicevan

New York

3.3/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Notes from 8/24

Thanks to hannont for hooking this one up...shared with the local group in a HotD horizontal. poured into a HotD taster.
2009 vintage

a - pours a maroon orange with proportional creamy head that hung out. murkly. looks nice. the bottle was a bit of a gusher.

s - smells great. as soon as the bottle opened, i could smell the flandery goodness. upon closer inspection it was actually SUPER oaky. the oakiness is rather intense and is a bit odd. from a distance this one smelled great, but up close not as wonderful.

t - again, a bit odd. super funky. don't really love it. not awful, but not great. just funky and acidic. spontaneously fermented funk.

m - oaky on top of flandedrs. fizzy and carbonated.

o - overall interesting. glad to taste it but won't be seeking it out. the oak dominates bringing a big vanilla on the flanders. might be a better beer if not put in the barrel.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 01:34:34 | More by cosmicevan

claaark13

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2009 bottle sent courtesy of jedwards! Served at cellar temp in a Hill Farmstead tulip.

A - Reddish-orange pour with a thick white head. More frothy than creamy. Looks pretty good. Great retention and a thick lacing remains.

S - Sweet cherry juice, leather, cranberries, slightly tartness and vinegar. Really pleasant.

T - Leather comes and goes throughout. Cherries show up after the initial leather, subside, and then cranberries present themselves towards the finish. The light sweetness balances against the tart fruit. Oak shows in the finish. There is also a slight amount of vinegar coming through in the middle, but it is really subdued for the style.

M - Lighter body, but alright for the style.

O - A nice representation of the style. The fruit shows well with some decent tartness. The vinegar in the bottle I had wasn't dominating. It seems there is some bottle variation with this beer and I couldn't be happier to get a great one! Great US representation.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 02:48:15 | More by claaark13

billab914

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2009 vintage. As soon as I popped the cap it started gushing uncontrollably. Unfortunately I lost about half of the beer. Once it settled down a bit it had a brown/orange color to it with a thick, fluffy head. A little murky with some floaties.

The aroma is sour, funky and moderately acidic with some notes of sour cherries and musty fruit. There is a sweeter, almost sugary malt presence to it as well, helping cut through the tart funkiness. I thought it had a great aroma to it for the style, lots of depth and complexity to it.

The taste loses some of the funky, mustiness that I really liked in the aroma. I get a little more sweeter, sugary malts and tart fruits to it. The finish shows a decent amount of the sourness to it though. Notes of tart cherries and a little caramel malts stand out in it. Pretty good flavors, but lacking a little of the depth the aroma had.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied for the style with carbonation being high. Overall it was a pretty solid sour beer. I really liked the funky, musty flavors in the aroma. The taste showed a little too much sweetness up front that seemed to overshadow some of the funky character. Very good overall though, I wish I didn't lose half of it upon opening.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 22:56:21 | More by billab914

raveskdr

District of Columbia

3.38/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big big thanks to Jon for this one. He is crazy generous with pulling out monster bottles.

A - Wispy head that dissipates very quickly. Being in the bottle 3 years (and being from hotd), no shocker there.

S - Great smell. Sour, vinegar, and dried fruits dominate.

T - Oh boy. Very, very vinegary. Just a really lackluster shot at making this style sour.

M - Feels fine in the mouth, but the vinegar taste makes it tough to drink too much of this one.

O - Nice to be able to try, but the people have spoken on this one. Even Michael (God rest his soul) would have thought this was average.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 19:01:48 | More by raveskdr

starrdogg

District of Columbia

3.4/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to Jon for sharing this one. Review #100!

Beer pours a hazy reddish brown with a nice white head. Smell is nice, mix of vinegar, sour and acidic. Taste comes up way short, however. The flavor has an interesting flanders red type taste up front, but it finishes very bland. It is not very sour at all, has a little vinegar up front, but nothing to follow it up. Mouthfeel is light-medium bodied with high carbonation. Overall this is a decent beer, but falls short of expectations.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 05:21:54 | More by starrdogg

andrewinski1

Maine

2.68/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Thanks for this one, Derek! Poured into a small chalice. The color is dark murky amber. There is a large white head that settles nicely into a thin layer.

The aroma is tart candy.

The taste is sweet and malty, with a dose of dirt and funk in the finish. This is just a bit too sweet and the tartness isn't quite there. Instead there is just a dirty aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is average with sharp carbonation.

This just misses for me. It's a bit too sweet and I don't care for the aftertaste, but for some It will be just fine.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 01:25:56 | More by andrewinski1