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

jhimstedt

Texas

4.18/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Slick and black, with brown sugar, prunes and soy sauce on the nose. On the palatte got dates and raisins, roasted malt and wood. Great mouthfeel, super creamy with a nice lingering sweetness.

Get some. Great beer. Will definitely be seeking out more for the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2011 13:17:47 | More by jhimstedt

zipper8650

New York

4.19/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Good Beer Sunday but this is not the main event. Batch 80 2010 bottle.
Snifter, poured down the middle
A - huge coffee ice cream color head, sticky with big bubbles
S - sweet, smoke, smoke and smoke. I didnt expect this much off of a 3 year bottle
T - I cant get over the smoke, getting some dark cherry as well
M - thick, pleasant, what I expected and remember
O - big HotD fan, I like this one, dont love love it, I was expecting less burn from a 3 year old bottle. Very good enjoyable beer but I prefer Fred
Skol

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 22:44:01 | More by zipper8650

drumenigma

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Drinking from batch 59. I bought this one a while ago and didn't realize it was already old when I bought it.

This beer pours a very dark reddish brown with about a finger thick head to it.

As far as smell goes it's a little tart and alcohol filled and reminds me of some Belgium brews.

The taste is totally different from what the smell indicates. It's very earthy with a little bit of hops to it. Getting some oak and dark dried fruit flavors in there.

Overall it's an ok beer. I'd definitely buy it again if I could find it locally but from what I have found it seems like this stuff does not make it out here to Mass at all any more so I will just have to savor this bottle for now.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2010 00:22:44 | More by drumenigma

wkcyr4

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Received in a package from Floydster, thanks Kyle for plucking this from my wants. Batch 72.

A: Dark brown almost black with a very nice two finger tan head from a vigorous pour into my Duvel tulip.

S: Figs,raisins and dates.

T: Taste is more of the same, dark fruit flavors and a dark,smoky woody flavor. Upon warming I taste hints of dark chocolate. This is sublime decadence at it it's finest!

M: Full and extremely hearty, practically a meal in itself. First sip is a little hot and extremely boozy.

D: One or two would be plenty but that would take me through the evening with no problem. This one begs to be sipped.

Overall, this is one of the finest beers I've had in some time. I must now seek more from HOTD. Thank you so much Kyle, for making this available to me!!

Highly Recommended!!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2009 01:58:52 | More by wkcyr4

Labonix

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

When poured into my glass it has a little more than a fingers worth of head. The aroma is malt and chocolate. It has a very dark amber apperance to it. The beer taste of dark fruits such as raisons or plums and it has a very light smokey taste to it. This beer feels wonderful in the mouth followed by a slight alcohol burn in the throat which I love. This is definetly a cigar beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 02:42:48 | More by Labonix

Betmore

Ohio

4.88/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

*batch 77, 12 oz bottle poured into a snifter*

Subtle hints of brown around the edges are the only thing that keeps me from saying this brew pours black. A one finger, cream-colored head filled the glass quite nicely and then subsided into a thin film which produced some very nice lacing.

The initial aroma is all candied plum and raisin. As it warms, however, oak, leather, grape, subtle hints of sweet pipe tobacco, and even more sweet and fruity aromas that I just can't quite put my finger on begin to come through. Amazing.

Upon my first sip, I notice that although it drinks a lot more sweet than bitter, it's incredibly balanced. There is absolutely nothing out of place. Rich candied fruit, oak, and vanilla are the predominant flavors. Subsequent sips produce leathery, tobacco-like flavors. Alcohol, while detectable, is balanced perfectly in the background. If you haven't had this, believe me when I say, "It works". I'd love to pair this with a great steak.

Mouthfeel is on point. It's full-bodied without feeling like cough medicine or motor oil. Carbonation is perfect. It's neither fizzy nor flat.

This is a fantastic beer. I can't help but think that this would be the perfect brew to get your wine-only friend to finally break on through to the world of craft beer. This beer oozes compelexity and begs to be paired with a great meal. I'll be picking this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 01:11:34 | More by Betmore

sirtomtom

California

3.93/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice dark brown color with significant amount of haze. A HUGE tan foamy head, that dissipated into a slightly lumpy two finger head over time. My bottle was seriously over carbonated. Spilling a few drops on the counter, foamed up instantly.

A wonderful toffee, caramel aroma.

Taste of a again caramel and toffee with a bit of sweetness, a nice thick wheaty body. However the carbonation kind of ruined the beer a bit. It was still delicious, but it punctuated smoothness with the roughness of so many bubbles. I think they over conditioned my batch just a little bit(wish I wrote down the batch number). I drank the bottle over two days and the second day yielded less bubbles and I have to say it was fantastic after the some of the carbonation subsided.

This is no doubt a great beer from Hair of the Dog, they could just use a little better QC on their bottle conditioning.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 06:10:31 | More by sirtomtom

montrealbcr89

Quebec (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at Top Hops in NYC

A: Poured a really nice cola-like brown, perhaps more on the brown side. Two fingers of creamy, off-white khaki head. Sticks around greatly.

S: Wow! Effervescent! Sweet caramel, burnt brown sugar, some dark fruits, and a hint of smoke. The creamy sweetness is dominant.

T: It doesn't QUITE live up to the smell, but still really great. Caramel, smoke, little bit of chocolate, and some cola-like notes

M: Pretty spot on. Carbonation is just enough to rinse the pallet.

O: Great old ale. Must. Find. AFtW!

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 23:40:02 | More by montrealbcr89

HairOfTh3Dog

Oregon

4.4/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch 72 poured From the Bottle Into: My mouth. Ive had this beer so many times, I didn't waste time glassing it.

Smell is very malty and smokey. Can smell a bit of the booze on the initial whiff.

This is a very smokey beer. It tastes like campfire and leather belt to me, in the most fantastic way possible. All those strong flavors are balanced by lightly sweet malty background. I can taste a bit of the yeast in this batch probably because I'm drinking it from the bottle. But I like the character it adds.

This beer is a bit heavy, and definitely coats the tongue. I could drink 2 of these but I would need a water break afterwords. This is an amazing beer, and when I'm in the right mood, one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2009 01:11:04 | More by HairOfTh3Dog

BastardKing24

California

3.38/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Batch # 76 on a 12 oz bottle.

Poured dark brown with lots of head, looks promising. ALOT of yeast sediment in this, it took a while to settle to the bottom of my glass.

Smells of rich wood scents and peppermint, perhaps some sour notes.. hmm I want to like it but sort of off putting. Is this infected? i dunno

Taste is ok, not the infected taste i have gotten from similarly smelling beers. Decent dark roast and malt build for an old ale, a real different style of old ale for me. Its enjoyable to a degree but i think there is something off about this bottle or batch, maybe time will change this but it has a pepperminty, sort of sourish taste i cant match well to an old ale. I wish that flavor characteristic wasn't there but its still drinkable.
Difficult to sort out the flavors leading me to believe its early in its age. I will seek this out again, perhaps another batch # to see how it tastes, worth a try i think, considering other's reviews of this.

Mouth feel is rather good, decent thickness.

drinkablility suffers as this packs a punch.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2010 03:57:19 | More by BastardKing24

blincoln

California

3.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Huge three-finger coffee colored thick bubbled head (thats a mouthful – literally). Good head retention with some lacing. Real dark brownish black color letting no light through.

Aroma: Strong smell of fruits, malts, and roasted smell – almost like a hint of campfire.

Taste: Roasted malt taste. Bitter chocolate finish that lessens as it warms. Minimal hops.

Palette: medium carbonation, heavy, but goes down smooth. A little sticky after.

Overall: I wasn’t really sure what to expect on this one as it is a “Old World Beer”. Whatever it was, it wasn’t my favorite type of beer – almost stout like. I had higher hope given the talk I’ve hear surrounding Adam, but it definitely wasn’t bad. Overall I found it to just be so-so.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 05:37:16 | More by blincoln

kunstdrache

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This review is for batch 72

Poured into my delirum tremens goblet.

Apperance is a slightly opaque black color with a small old-worldish brown head. Smell is pleasantly delicious with some hints of something sweet, maybe a mix of molasses and toffee? Taste is just a slap in my face, this beer is just so well balanced- molasses, bitter chocolate, malts, hits of fruit (cherry?) and topped off with a sweet flavor which I cannot place.
Mouth feel is just great, it looks and tastes thick and the remaining liquid leaves a pleasant aftertaste. Alcohol is almost barely noticeable!

I could drink a six pack of this, but...HOTD beers are just exceptional beers that deserves to be treated with respect...I can probably only drink one or two bottles before maxing out my taste buds. Props to Alan for creating a great beer!

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2009 02:19:11 | More by kunstdrache

jag21

Washington

4.47/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Adam batch 77.

A: dark brown with tan head

S: smell is pleasant, dark fruits, with a bit of smokiness and hops

T: smoked malt, leather, some dark/dried fruit, mildly assertive hops at end.

M: Creamy, coating carbonation. Slick.

O/D: Good, I could have more if the price wasn't too high for that kind of activity.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 22:45:41 | More by jag21

chrisrose30

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My first from Hair of the Dog - a great first impression. This beer is amazingly complex and smooth.

A: Pours a dark, syrupy brown with a light brown head.

S: Wow, blue cheese and raisins, burned sugar, chocolate, molasses, carmalized fruits with a hint of alcohol. Very pleasant.

T: A variety of flavors exist here - once again, raisin, chocolate, molasses, carmalized fruits, some tobacco and alcohol. Even though this is complex, it is very well-balanced.

M: Smooth is all I can say - it feels like this beer floats on your tongue - nothing attacking the tastebuds here.

O: Wonderful beer - I would definitely try this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 00:30:42 | More by chrisrose30

rustrose

North Carolina

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

Hair of the Dog Adam Batch 65 from 2006 Tasted 1/10/10

Aged three years :) A bit different from the fresh experience.

Served into snifter at about 53 degrees.

Pours a beautiful black with a tan fizzy head of a finger and a half. Lovely grape juice purple highlights held to the light--good clarity for a beer this dark. Foam dwindles to a misty sheet.

Very nice bouquet bursts forth. Malty and imperial stout-like, but not nearly as dark, with a lot of milk chocolate, fresh coffee, and roasted nut (hazelnut). I think there's some toffee beneath that. Faint hints of smokiness, but I might not have guessed it had I not seen that this was made with smoked malt. Smells rich and dessert like, something dark and European and sophisticated. Just a little black currant fruitiness--which I think is this beer's expression of the vinous tang of a beer aged 3 years. Perhaps some fig in there also.

Oh wow, very complex, rich, delcious palate unlike much anything I've had before. Flashes of berries, lots of milk chocolate, warm bursts of rich sweet caramel and buttery toffee. Some roasted pecan flavors in the finish, or perhaps hazelnut. Yes, definitely some Nutella in this beer. Really wonderful for the nuttiness meeting the chocolate. A subtle balancing bitterness adds just the right nudge to keep things level. There's some peppery alcohol here too, which is a bit hot and not completely hiding, but not distracting either. Not quite as forceful in roastiness as an imperial stout, but luscious with lighter chocolatey flavors and roasted nut complexity. Cleans up nicely with the gentle bitterness for an overall bittersweet effect. The faintest hint of smoke in the finish as this warms a bit and I pay especial attention.

Smooth and velvety mouthfeel, creamy, thick, rich, and chewy, but not cloying.

Super easy drinking. This is fantastic. A real poster-child for aging a beer (with the exception that it loses whatever smokiness people report in the young beer). Balance is perfect, flavors are complex, and it's just going down in a flash. Only defect is the booziness that grows as it warms. This is probably best between 50 and 55, and is suffering a bit as it warms into the 60s.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2010 04:08:13 | More by rustrose

hrockefeller

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle (batch # 75)purchased at Parti-Pak. I've heard so much about Hair of the Dog, and now that they're available in Indiana, I had to see what all the hype is about.

A: Pours a dark brown with notes of ruby at the edges of the tulip glass. A medium soft pour yields a mountainous light brown head that lingers for quite a while and clings to the glass.

S: Very sweet smelling with hardly a hint of hops. Seems to have the roasty elements of an RIS with additional yeast aroma.

T: Like chewing chocolate covered espresso beans. Letting the beer warm up some reveals hints of other flavors that are difficult to put a finger on. Medium alcohol notes throughout. I've had other beers that hid 10% alcohol better than this.

M: Creamy head is a definite plus, but the liquid seems a little thin compared to others of the style.

D: So far this seems to be a sipper, one that keeps me interested, although perhaps not begging for more.

Overall, I can see some of the draw to this beer, but I have to say that either my expectations were too high or it's just not hitting all the right notes with me. Perhaps I need to purchase another and cellar it.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2009 05:24:03 | More by hrockefeller

dngilb

Oklahoma

4.78/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: black, big tab head, highly retained lacing.

Taste: chocolate, toffee, butterscotch, leather, grapefruit, apple, hazelnut, smoke.

Mouthfeel: full bodied... Surprisingly effervescent for such a full body. Thankfully so... It's big.

It's a big delicious desert! Thank you Adam.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 04:22:14 | More by dngilb

Benway

California

4.65/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle labeled Batch 68.

This has been a favorite of mine for a few years now and I think I'm close to finally brewing something myself that comes even close.

A. Pretty close to opaque with a light brown head that remained consistent at about a quarter of an inch.

S. Slight alcohol, leather (pretty common description but apt is apt), overall very balanced and unique. You know what you are in for and it's great.

T. Fantastic. Spice charactheristics aren't so complex, rather full and again balanced. Burnt caramel, leather, leaves your tongue coated with almost a coffee feel. I'm not good enough to praise this beer.

M. Excellent. Well rounded with no particular hop or malt bomb. That the 'leatherness' can take over so completely and not be a put off is remarkable.

D. Way far from a session beer. Pairing it with food may not be such a great idea as it stands so well on it's own. Maybe keep the food pairing somewhat hearty but neutral (German) in terms of spice. A cigar would probably be ideal.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2008 01:41:21 | More by Benway

ezperkins2

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Hair of the Dog – Adam
12oz bottle from batch 82 poured into a tulip
Served roughly 50 degrees.

A: Poured a murky dark brown with a few floaties towards the end. Lively light brown head with great lacing.

S: Not an overpowering nose but subtle and pleasant. A little bit of raisony dark fruit with hints of chocolate and molasses. I noticed another review mention Flintstone vitamins and low and behold it was there.

T: Absolutely amazing. It had been a while since I have had an Adam and I forgot how great it is. Similar to the nose there is a bit of raison, molasses, tobacco, alcohol and even though this is not the wood version there is still a hint of a wood like flavor. So many flavors and none of them are overpowering.

M: Beautifully creamy mouth feel. It has a very unique feel to it due to the fact that it is full and creamy but without the thick oily viciousness you would expect from such a large beer.

O: This is a fantastic beer. The taste is 5 out of 5 all the way. There are so many flavors that pop up throughout and they are all balanced and delicious. I am lucky enough to drink a lot of amazing beers living in Southern California but Adam is in my top ten for the year.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 06:37:43 | More by ezperkins2

DivaTron

4.63/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Dark chocolate brown with a red tint when observed in the light. A thin head with modest lacing.

Smells of coffee, smoke, and honey, with a hint of melon sweetness.

Tastes quite bitter with none of the syrupy rich sweetness that I often find in strong stouts. It's front forward and bold, tastes roasted.

Mouthfeel is somewhat flat, but rich and full-bodied.

Overall, excellent. The appearance and mouthfeel are nothing special, but the smell and taste more than compensate. This is an especially expressive dark brew and must be tried!

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 03:52:34 | More by DivaTron

dardan

California

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark, rummy, malty goodness.
A: Relatively cleaning pour, dark, opaque,
S: Carmelized dark fruit and rum,
T: Smooth, rich, caramel malt, appropriate hop balance,
M: Full, smooth, good level of carbonation,
D: Easy drinking for 10%ABV as long as you enjoy strong dark ales.
Good stuff - well worth a purchase, and the cherry version presents a whole 'nother gamut of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2010 05:24:52 | More by dardan

QuadLover

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A ~ Deep brown, almost opaque pour. Small, creamy, consistent head.

S ~ Malty, fig, caramel, a little musky.

T ~ Chocolate sweetness, malt, roasted coffee with a bit of bitter that helps balance the sweetness.

M ~ Full bodied, creamy on the tongue, syrupy.

O ~ Excellent, drinkable, double digit Ale. Beautifully crafted with notable complexities.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 20:38:06 | More by QuadLover

Sternfels

4.63/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Fluffy none lacing head. Old ale brown color.

S: Caramel then vanilla then lemon

T: Tastes amazing. Caramel and warm apples. Slight woodchuck granny apple flavor makes it a 10%abv hidden excellence.

M: smooth cool greatness

O: Woodsies grreattttneeeessss love this thing!go buy

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 05:05:11 | More by Sternfels

chaint

California

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Dark chocolate brown color with a creamy head. Light carbonation, but a huge chocolate aroma...quite nice. Very sweet and deep flavor that coats your mouth and remains long after your sip. Big, big flavor, but still quite smooth. This is a great beer in this variety.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 00:15:40 | More by chaint

SnacksMcBillings

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

"Batch 82" 12 oz bottle conditioned. poured into tulip glass.

Aroma: Dark fruits, smoke, tobacco (Copenhagen?), alcohol notes as it warms up.

Appearance: Huge dense tan head, pretty much black color, very deep brown if held to light.

Flavor: smokey, dark bread, bitter, roast malt, some dark chocolate, subtle caramel as it warms.

Mouthfeel: medium body, medium-high carbonation, warmth from alcohol evident.

Overall: Wow, drinking experience similar to eating a fine steak. Smokey, meaty, you want to savor every sip. Bitter but balanced to the very intense malt bill. This beer should define the old ale style.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 04:32:57 | More by SnacksMcBillings