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

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch #85

A: Pours an opaque extremely dark amber in color, almost jet black, with very light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a three finger tall dense foamy tan head that very slowly reduces to a thick film that covers the entire surface of the beer evenly. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of dark malts with significant amounts of bittersweet chocolate, dark fruit (figs), and just a hint of smokiness.

T: Wow there is a lot of complexity to the flavors of this beer - it starts out with a strong flavor of smoked dark malts with just a hint of iodine. That is followed by some strong notes of bittersweet chocolate and dark fruit (figs and raisins). Light notes of alcohol and bitterness in the finish which lingers for quite a while.

M: Full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with moderate to significant amounts of alcohol warming in the finish.

O: Overall, this is a big beer that is quite filling and one that definitely needs to be sipped due to the complexity. Additionally, the alcohol in this beer is not quite as well hidden as I would have enjoyed and that makes it one that you can only have a single beer during a session. This one will really warm you from the inside, so I'm glad I chose to have it on this below freezing winter evening.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 22:23:35 | More by dbrauneis

hannydawg

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-23-2013 14:01:25 | More by hannydawg

Callmecoon

California

4/5  rDev -6.3%

05-23-2013 02:23:24 | More by Callmecoon

randylangford

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%

05-22-2013 22:30:00 | More by randylangford

ChugMan

Washington

4/5  rDev -6.3%

05-22-2013 03:43:36 | More by ChugMan

PlinyBeMiney

California

3.25/5  rDev -23.9%

05-21-2013 23:17:50 | More by PlinyBeMiney

brian4beer

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-20-2013 00:48:52 | More by brian4beer

NJB145

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-20-2013 00:33:14 | More by NJB145

DJButters

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

05-20-2013 00:15:54 | More by DJButters

Gtreid

Florida

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

05-19-2013 23:42:59 | More by Gtreid

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.34/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to lazarus25 for bringing this up north.

Batch 87

A: Pours torched oak colour - Deep brown with tan-yellow highlights. Just a whisp of sandy head, that really there just to prove it's not a wine. The ale is murky and appears thick in the glass - full of sediment & rustic.

S: Full of alcohol esters with smooth vanilla & dark dried fruits, cherries, plums and raisins. Sweet chocolate with a solid presence of oiled leather and fresh wet wood. Overall sweetness of buckwheat honey shines through.

T: Molasses and smooth vanilla with nuts that give way to grains and finishes earthy and rustic. Alcohol vapours is noticeable on the tongue, but lacks any burn or fire breath.

M: Thick and chewy with a syrup feel on the palette. Offers some puckering dryness at the mid point and on the finish that support the flavours.

O: A sophisticated drink that might pair well with cigars and smoking jackets, in a formidable leather wing back chair with your hounds in front of a crackling fire recounting that day's pheasant hunt.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 04:01:57 | More by FondueVoodoo

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

05-18-2013 22:20:11 | More by Photekut

bbadger

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

05-18-2013 06:48:18 | More by bbadger

chossboss

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-17-2013 04:50:05 | More by chossboss

Pelican5

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

05-16-2013 07:25:14 | More by Pelican5

MontereyBay831

California

5/5  rDev +17.1%

05-16-2013 04:45:09 | More by MontereyBay831

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.49/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: dark, baked wood-meat color... interesting sort of chestnut or chocolaty brown hue... somewhat turbid and primitive.... some foam on the pour, but it took a nap

S: cocoa-dusted coffee cake... measure of toasted bread crumbs... mild phenolic mist coming through the cracks, floral-wood.... superb balance of the elements

T: like a smoky doppelbock - immediate comparison to a slightly silkier Celebrator, but with an almost cherrywood-smoked melanoidin-caramelized quality.... but clean... undeniable salivatory concentration of flavor, but floats wonderfully atop the smooth phantom-fruity alcohol

M: the core is concentrated on the top, soft fresh water carries it.... not as dense a malt foundation as it suggests.... still solid, hardly meek... surprised how clean the finish is.... it sits on the palate momentarily before quietly washing off....

O: I don't see how you can call this an "Old Ale" - it's an old style, I'm sure.... straddles a few styles.... excellent and more or less unique for what it is

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2013 19:38:29 | More by Bouleboubier

meich75

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-15-2013 09:06:09 | More by meich75

OleDixie

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -6.3%

05-15-2013 01:57:01 | More by OleDixie

watsonmd

Georgia

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%

05-14-2013 04:07:38 | More by watsonmd

TheRuss9585

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-14-2013 00:50:18 | More by TheRuss9585

flipdog0

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-13-2013 18:47:35 | More by flipdog0

Bonko_the_sane

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-13-2013 06:30:25 | More by Bonko_the_sane

FranzBC

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-13-2013 01:58:42 | More by FranzBC

yankeepride

New Jersey

3.84/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours a deep brown that has a ruby tint that comes out with a light behind it, with little foam or carbonation. Smells of an alcohol burn with deep, rich fruit notes like figs and currants. Rating to style, I can really see why people would love this beer. The flavors are strong and bold, and close out with just a slight bit of bitter on the back end, which all fades away into a smooth blend. For me personally, these aren't flavors I enjoy, so liquefying and fermenting them isn't going to change that.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 00:45:00 | More by yankeepride