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

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Adam is a complex, physically appealing man. Thank God he's a beer!

This is a gorgeous looking beer, as it looks like something straight from Belgium. A huge, rocky, pillowy off-white head tops the amber brown body. Head retention is great. Nose has a hoppy twang and some very strong smoke and alcohol notes. I think it smells kind of like roasted pork. Has many flavors to pick out..grape, raisin, and other dark fruits. Finishes dry, slightly hoppy, with warming alcohol. An interesting brew indeed. Not a huge personal favorite, but highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2003 23:46:24 | More by IrishRedRock

beerguy101

California

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

Deep black color, large head. Very roasted caramel nose. Very rich caramelized malts, intense hop flavor. Very intense flavor, yet a very mild taste. Hardly any bitterness. Finish is smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter, there is very slight alcohol taste, sort of subdued. WOW! Very nice beer, from a very non-traditional beer maker.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2003 17:04:31 | More by beerguy101

Realale

Missouri

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch #55, 12 oz. bottle.

Clear dark brown with mahogany and black highlights. Biggest head I've EVER seen on a beer. First pour was nothing but foam - no liquid at all. Took four pours to get a 12 oz bottle into an Imperial pint glass. The head itself is a grayish mocha color, and settles very slowly to a thick complete rocky cap. The head doesn't leave lace, as much as chunks of foam as it slowly recedes.

Nose is smoky meat and roasted beets over slight bitter coffee and ocean scents. Frankly, while complex, its weird. It smells old - like smelling a beer produced a couple of hundred years ago before malt was kilned over coke.

Very smoky on the palate with a slight sweetness. Quite thick initially, but takes on more realistic proportions by the mid-palate. Long and malty, with chocolate, coffee, and hop bitterness. Not much hop flavor, which works well here.

Nice bottle-conditioned mouthfeel. Complex and obviously well and lovingly made, but I'm pretty sure I don't like it. Regardless its an idiosyncratic beer, and commended to any taster for the experience.

Many thanks to MJR for donating this one to the cause.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2003 14:27:36 | More by Realale

freed

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I have to drink beers like this when my wife and friends are away. We'll, my chance has arrived.

Grabbed a 12 oz. bottle (Batch 56) from the cooler at John's Marketplace and waded through the Friday wine tasters to make my purchases. I don't think she took off my bottle returns, but oh well.

The beer sits heavily in my glass. Deeply stained mahogany that reddens at the thin parts of the glass. Great head that seems to have a never-ending supply of carbonation. I see it rising from around the glass. The smell is malty, dank, and slight hints of the countryside (manure). Tasting it reveals a bold wave of malt flavors, hot alcohol sensation, sour spin, and tart, fruity finish. There are delicate flavors, but the are masked to well by the bold creatures. Somewhat of a challenge to drink all 12, but still worth the trip.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2003 01:15:04 | More by freed

beerinator

Illinois

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

Appearance: Solid black. Slight red twinge. Creamy tan head.

Aroma: Awesome. 'Caramely' sweet. Barleywinish.

Taste: Has a bit of coffee flavor. Smooth finish. Tingly carbonation. A little light in flavor, with a pleasant alcohol warmth.

Notes: Overall a very good beer. A bit daunting in appearance, but much more mellow in flavor. Would have liked it to have a bit more body.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2003 14:00:39 | More by beerinator

RoyalT

Ohio

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

Appearance – Monster head that laces all exposed areas of the inside glass. The color is a deep, dark, rich brown – almost black.

Smell – Lots of smells in this one. Burnt malt and brown sugar come to mind, along with struggling hops and a juicy, chewing tobacco scent.

Taste – This is like syrup. Thick, chewy malts laden with tobacco, burnt brown sugar, prunes (lots of prunes), raisins, and other dark fruits. The sugar comes out even more at the end with a lingering finish along with the alcohol. There are some bitter hops in there somewhere but I’m having trouble picking them out.

Mouthfeel – No carbonation to speak of. The beer is creamy smooth though.

Drinkability – Well, it carries a 10% ABV, so I wouldn’t be shooting it with pizza or pretzels. It is smooth enough to go down well though.

Comments – This is a full-bodied heavy hitter and not for the faint of heart. The majority of inexperienced drinkers would probably pour most of the bottle down the sink. I like a strong, malty dark ale but the unbalanced character keeps me away from 5’s on this one.

Update – For my 2004 re-review I found the flavor tainted with some off sour notes which brought the Taste rating down by 0.5.

Update – For my 2005 review we are back on track. The sourness is gone, the rating is back up, and for the first time in history the bottle didn’t explode all over my kitchen floor. Yeehaw!

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2003 03:26:05 | More by RoyalT

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Batch #47. It'd been sitting in my fridge for a few months and I wanted something with a little kick to it tonight. Was I in for a treat!

Presentation: 12oz. amber bottle with instructions on how to pour and other blurbs about the quality of this beer.

Appearance: Minuscule "pfft" when I opened the bottle. Poured a deep, dark, intense brown in color. Virtually opaque. Creamy off-white head is only slightly present yet manages to do a fantastic job of lacing the glass.

Smell: Wonderful vapors escape from the glass as it warms. Sweet, warmed caramel, mixed with juicy-ripe dark fruits assault the olfactories, weaving themselves into the very fiber of your senses. An olfactory experience not to be missed.

Taste: A veritable Swedish massage for your palate. Alcohol-soaked raisins and plums ("Hairy Buffalo" party, anyone?), toffee, roasted coffee beans, chocolate, alcohol, and a wonderfully brief smoky flavor all make appearances on the stage, speak their lines, and depart quickly. A dazzling symphony of flavors that combine to play a wonderful opus of flavor for your audience of taste buds.

Mouthfeel: Wonderful. So creamy smooth. A veritable drenching of the palate in flavor. Outstanding.

Drinkability: Excuse me? 10% ABV. Are you *sure*? A wonderful beer to be had. It got much better as it warmed, with the flavors being more pronounced. A very smooth and quaffable beer. I really had to slow myself down with this one, lest this concoction disappear too quickly. Do yourself a favor and pick one up. Reward yourself for a job well-done with Adam.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2003 19:06:27 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

jcalabre

California

3.25/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Originally sampled on 1 June 2002. I am writing this review from my notes. It poured with a huge head. It's very sweet. As others have noted, it would go well w/ chocolate. Also, the alcohol is very apparent. It does have a sweet taste to it. This is a unique brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2003 19:55:26 | More by jcalabre

nomad

Kansas

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

This beer is pretty dark brown, so I might as well call it black. Light tan color head, big bubbly frothy head, a bit of lace - an okay looking brew.

Smell was big and present: a peanut butter scent, dark roasted malt, semi-sweet chocolate, and a tad of dark husky wood. Taste was strongly of chocolate, figs, chewable malt, a soda like sour. A sweet yet biting combination of flavor and mouthfeel, except this is a bit more thick. Did leave a little fizzy sort of action on the middle of my mouth.

A big beer, a sweet sort of English Strong Ale (not a barleywine!). Definitely good but surely not great. Serve slightly chilled for best results.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2003 09:36:33 | More by nomad

faernt

Illinois

5/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is a profoundly good beer. The head is sculpture. My first encounter was on draft at Floyd's in Seattle. I've tried batches in the 20's, 30's,40s, and 50's, with tonight being #52. The last time was #33. This beer is an example of Beer as Art. It is beguiling. Like a good meal the components are so integrated that no one element stands out. They tease. The flavour changes from Imperial Stout to Harvest Ale. All the leathery,woody, chocolatey flavors dance interchangeably throughout the taste. When I think I have a flavor pegged it changes. Alan Sprints is an alchemist. This is gold turned into beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2003 20:10:04 | More by faernt

Loki

North Carolina

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

Sampled in a 12 oz bottle from batch 54.

I compared Fred to a German WWII blitzkrieg attack because of his pointed helm. Well then I would have to compare Adam to 1920's mob muscle wise guy because of his look and his hat.

Adam looks like an old or upper level 1920's mod member from his mug shot on the bottle. But looks can be deceiving and Adam is young. Young, pissed, and full of fire!

In my review of Fred I said that he should come with a warning label that read 'Pour with caution!' Now I know why he doesn't because where Fred brought a squad of head, Adam brings a large Chicago neighborhood of large muscled head; thick, billowy, mountainous head with a valley and craters. The first pour left an inch of beer and the rest of the glass full of head, and I used proper technique I swear! It took three pours and about 20 minutes to get all of Adam and his muscle in the English Pint glass.

Then the St. Loki's day massacre started.

Adam roared into my nose on his gangs Model-Ts screeching to a halt and the tires leaving the scents of roasted malt, toasted barley, hops, and flowers.

Then the tastes assault began. The young, beguilingly strong Adam fired his Tommy Gun of taste with a fury rarely seen. Hit with flavor bullets of new leather, malt, hops, flowers, dark chocolate, and bitter toffee. Then Adam's cronies, ABV blindsided me with a vicious attach of alcohol and young, punk spite that comes from a man tested at much too early an age.

Adam and his Batch 54 Gang needs to be left alone for years in the hopes that age will mellow their anger and wisdom will temper their fury. Hopefully Adam will become the wise, but strong Dom in the family and rule with a fair, but firm hand. For if Adam doesn't learn temperament much will be lost.

All of that being said and the St. Loki's day massacre being recorded, I would gladly recreate the event if I was to never see Adam age and achieve the temperament of an aged wise guy.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2003 18:24:13 | More by Loki

Darkale

Virginia

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

Thick, dark brown body, with a smooth, creamy, tall, extra-resilient head. Small bubbles, frothy, uneven -- the head is just wonderful. Fabulous lacing; the head recedes from the glass like a reluctant army, leaving a thin layer of itself behind.

Aroma is sweet, malty, and full of bread. Talk about bread in a bottle!

Chewy and creamy maltiness fills the mouth when you take your first sip. The upfront taste is a high sweetness, followed by a deep, charcoal burning, and all of it is covered with a creaminess that seems almost foamy.

Lovely.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2003 19:18:11 | More by Darkale

BeerBuilder

Minnesota

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

Pours dark brown with ruby highlights. Forms a light brown head that leaves a decent amount of lacing. The aroma is malty, bready, and peppery with a bit of roastiness and chocolate notes. The flavor is sweet, bready, raisiny, with a super sweet fruity flavor and a sweet syrupy finish. It is a full-bodied brew that is very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2003 08:17:39 | More by BeerBuilder

Shiredave

New York

4.53/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

If this is an example of an "Old World Ale" then they sure knew what they were doin back then.
Dark, slightly hazy, ruby color with a thick, rocky / blocky head
that sits high above the glass. The head stayed in a klump till empty, tan lace pocked the entire glass. The aroma initially reminds me of an Imperial Stout; strong roasted scents with smokey tar and alcohol. Flavors of more roasted barley, gooey toffee and plums steeped in alcohol, like a fruity brandy. Absolutely unique combination of delicious flavors.
Firm hop presence comes through near the end blending earthy, resinous hop with roasty sweetness. Finish is long and complex. A very remarkable beer with aspects of an Imperial stout and a Belgian Grand Cru.
Outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2003 20:10:58 | More by Shiredave

BigHead

Arizona

4.28/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Man, the head is huge on this, puts my gourd to shame, I had to wait to let this puppy settle. A very dark amber brown, light doesn't find its way through very well. A sweet, smoky aroma, malty, with a hoppiness at the end. The beer has a definite roasted malt flavor with a smokey, earthy flavor. A pretty smooth drink considering the complexity of the taste and the ABV. As you go further into this beer, the hop character becomes more apparent. A slight caramel aftertaste. A very good beer but not something that you can drink alot of.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2003 20:08:19 | More by BigHead

tavernjef

Minnesota

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

Whoa Nelly, this is an amazing beer.

Batch 52 - Bottle Conditioned 12 oz.

Color was not what I was expecting, so it was a nice surprise to see it pour into the glass very dark brown, very thick and creamy looking, its almost black. Growing tannish head with lots of divets and thick foaminess.

Smells of a heavy roasted malt, deep chocolate with some spicey hop notes. What a sniffer, you also smell the strong % of alcohol. Put spiced vodka in with a chocolate - chocolate chip cookie mix and you'd get this smell. Well maybe.

Taste is outstanding. Super complex. Super smooth and syrupy. Is very earthy and deep. Hugely done, heavily roasted malt, giving the all around chocolate taste a deep, sweet feel of a dark chocolate. Has a bit of spice from hops that balances well.

Has many levels of feel, but I think earthly creamy/syrupy is the overall on this bad boy. Has some dryness and sweet tingley things going on in there as well. Complex city.

Its a sipper, its very strong in its flavors and alcohol, and takes some getting use to.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2003 06:24:23 | More by tavernjef

49degrees

British Columbia (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

BATCH 54 :: One of the most intriguing and style-dodging brews I've ever encountered. Incredibly complex in its presentation, its called an Adam style, which I'm not exactly up to snuff on; however, if comparison can be made, it would be a stunning interpretation (and blend for that matter) of a Porter, Stout, and Barley Wine. It's a real pleasure to both drink and study.

Adam has the most superfluous heads I've ever seen. I was never able to pour the entire bottle into the glass as the head was so incredibly large and slow to disapate that the beer would have been warm before I had the chance to drink it. I've writing this after savoring the glass for nearly 45 minutes now and there is still a 1" thick, tightly packed foamy head sitting atop the brew and roughly a 1/4 bottle left to enjoy,

Adam is a very deep, dark brown, almost black in color, slightly syrupy in complexity and presents and extremely large, brown colored foamy head. Aroma wise there's suggestions of bitter chocolate, coffee, earthy tones plus a slight hit of spice on the nose.

This is a very palette pleasing beer with relaxing chocolate suggested, roasted malts, a slight spicey (almost peppery) flavor that is somewhat reminscent of a spicey Merlot or Shiraz wine. At 10% abv, there is a definitive alcohol hit on both the nose and palette, but its not overwhelming thanks to nice blends of hops and malts. For a heavyweight beer, this is very drinkable but will likely catch up on your quickly if you're not paying attention.

Highly recommended. Would make for a great after dinner drink and a winter warmer.

[ STATS:>> 12 oz bottle / ABV: 10% abv / PRICE: $3.39 USD ]

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2003 16:26:16 | More by 49degrees

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

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

I review this beer, like I do all others, without checking the classifications or other reviews, and am subsequently bewildered by what the heck this is supposed to be! It's utterly unique, and in a class of it's own.
Color is a dark mahogany, with a full, thick, sturdy, creamy head. Aroma is nutty, creamy, and sweet. Palate? Unparalleled!!! Marvelous, magnificent, with layers upon layers of malt. Hops give a cameo, not much screen time at all. So strong, so full of flavors, it's hard to know where to begin! Where, oh, where to start, where, oh, where to stop? A toffeeish flavor comes through on the palate, but before long everything is overtaken by smoke! Loads and loads of malt, rich and warming, earthy, chocolatey flavors peek through, but the notes of smoke and tobacco become dominant. Profound. Rich,and thick, and continually smokey, though the main flavor is a suggestion of being encased inside a nut. This is a true American classic.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2003 00:48:40 | More by feloniousmonk

Dogbrick

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 54: Finally able to get this in Ohio. Pours a motor-oil dark brown, and 9/10 glass light beige foam to start out. I barely noticed the foam creeping out of the bottle in time to keep it from ending up all over the table while I was waiting for the foam in the glass to die down. That was kind of irritating. It is never good when it takes you longer to pour a beer than it does to drink it. Head took forever to dissipate. Aroma was a great blend of roasted nuts, raisin, malt, and alcohol. Flavor is an earthy concoction that doesn't even bother to try to hide the alcohol content. Very complex, with flavors of malt, fruit, caramel, vanilla, chocolate, and a myriad of other things. Great beer, but the crazy foam attack needs to go.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2003 07:02:09 | More by Dogbrick

comat0se

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch 48

Aroma:
Slight coffee, multitude of fruits, alcohol

Appearance:
Massive, 2 inch tan head even when poured very carefully. Dark brown with garnet highlights.

Mouthfeel:
Full with active carbonation and alcohol warmth, perhaps even over carbonated.

Flavor:
Hints of roasted malt, smoke, coffee, chocolate, overwhelmed by rush of complex, sweet dark fruits, full mouthfeel, prickly carbonation, and alcohol sting. Finish is light roasted malts, drier and moderately astringent from grain bitterness.

A very nice, complex old ale. Definitely one I'll get again.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2003 22:45:10 | More by comat0se

cretemixer

Indiana

3.55/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Batch #41. Pours a deep, deep auburn color with no head , hence no lace. Extremely sweet and fruity aromas; figs, raisins, caramel and alcohol. Brandy like on the nose. Slightly bitter taste, coffee, deep roasted malts, alcohol. Suprisingly dry with a thick mouthfeel, almost no carbonation. Hop presence comes through mid glass, but takes a back seat to the alcohol. Finishes flat. I didn't see any other reviews for this batch so I don't know how it fared compared to their other batches.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2003 05:45:30 | More by cretemixer

marc77

California

4.55/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 54. Frenetic bubbling. The apparent overcarbonation precludes a simple pour into my favorite "Schwenker" glass. 1/8 beer, the rest foam. Ridiculously thick tan, creamy and sticky head. I used two glasses at first. Quite manageable after a short deliberation to allow both me and the beer to calm down. The head is seemingly molten like in viscosity. Lightly murky deep crimson hue. Ripe pear esters, woody oak, with a robust, leafy tobacco - like dark fruit and earthy hop nose combination upfront in aroma. Mellow beechwood smoked malt and butterscotch are secondary. Hint of bittersweet chocolate. Absolutely unique, rich overall and intriguing aromawise. Combination of chocolate and dark caramel laced sweetness initially in flavor is ceded by assertive fruitiness comprised of sugary plums and dried dates, with mild banana esters emerging late. Rounded, judicious smoked malt complements the malt character well. Hop bitterness is moderate and non descript, but offsets malt sweetness enough to aid in the oddly quaffable nature of this brew. Full in body and dextrinous, with the high CO2 levels lingering, lending a paradoxically crisp, yet rich mouthfeel. Finishes lightly smokey, with quasi black patent like malt bittersweet note pleasantly lingering. Adam is a flabbergasting brew. It's reminescent of Schelkerla's Rauchbock / Anchor Old Foghorn hybrid. Absolutely delicious, but somewhat perplexing. This fine beer is certainly worthy of a 750 ml portion.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2003 19:26:31 | More by marc77

francisweizen

Australia

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Re-rare: Now-a-days I like this brew a lot more. It's still a dark brown colour with a small white head. Aromas are of smoke, leather, roasted malts, brown sugar, and more. The taste is very smoky, boozy, complex (leathery and earthy) and also a bit musty. It has a very warming finish and a nice medium bodied-thick mouthfeel. Nice., new scores are my current views of this brew.

A good beer but not one of my favs. I'm just really not the biggest fan of this 'old ale' style and this beer was not one of my favorites. However it did pour a very nice dark brownish colour with almost no head. This had some nice aromas of caramel and dark chocolate malts, but to me it tasted too 'earthy' for my liking(allot like 'skullsplitter')This did have a nice full mouth feel though but for me this is still a beer with a pretty low drinkability. Perhaps I will grow to appreciate this style more, in time, but for now this is not one of my favorite brews.
Oh Well...
Cheers anyway!
F

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2003 23:09:52 | More by francisweizen

sinistersteve

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

*Batch 54*

Way too much head with this beer, even with a gentle pour. Albeit a thick head; I do hate having to wait to drink my beer. The beautiful lace in the glass was the only reward from this foam Bitter sweet aroma. Bitter, yet smooth flavor. As with most Hair of the Dog brews, this as a very unique taste to it. At 10% abv, I'll definately get rewarded for my patience.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2003 20:57:22 | More by sinistersteve

DarthMalt

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thick, dark amber, almost stout territory. Smell is heavenly. Strong apple and caramel aromas along with a nutty, creamy yeast undertone. Also, a little d-bock melanoidin or two swimming in there.

Tastes fabulous! Imagine your favorite d-bock/borderline eisbock transported in a leather tankard, through the Scottish highlands, on horseback--all those groovy tannins, oily extracts....mmmmmm!

Pretty fab old ale from this side of the pond.

Not sure if I got a bum bottle, but the fizz was real low on this guy.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2002 19:43:37 | More by DarthMalt