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

Florida9

Illinois

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

A: Very dark brown. Slight cloudiness as a bit of sediment makes it into the glass. Forms a smallish light tan head that doesn't bother sticking around for long. No lacing.

S: Wonderfully aromatic and rather complex. Dark fruits, dried fruits, raisin, tobacco, brown sugar, leather.

T: Taste is much like the aroma. Raisins, brown bread, molasses, burnt caramel, a bit of earthy leather and just a hint of leather. Finish is long and earthy.

M: On the heavier side of medium with a very easy carbonation and a mild bitterness. There is a dry, chalky, alcoholic feeling on the finish.

O: While Old Ales are not my favorite style and I couldn't see drinking this beer on a regular basis, I can't deny it: this is a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 02:01:01 | More by Florida9

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 84

Appearance. Pours a murky deep brown with a little red and 2+ fingers of thick, light tan head that has great retention and leaves some nice thick lace.

Smell. Molasses, brown sugar, smooth booze, roasted malts, and a little dark fruit.

Taste. Molasses again, some tobacco and roasted malts, dark fruits - plums and raisins, a little cocoa powder and smoky wood. Quite dry, but enough sweetness to bring out the flavours nicely.

Mouthfeel. Medium-full body with medium+ carbonation.

Overall. Nice big beer that's smooth and has a bunch going on, all in a nice balance. Exemplary for an old ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 02:18:33 | More by Rutager

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

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

A: Opaque black with a tan colored head that rises out of my glass. I think the bottle had been shaken a bit earlier in the day, probably accounts for this.

S: Very complex. Dark fruit, tobacco, leathery, smokey, a bit of vanilla, slightly oxidized. Unique and delicious.

T: This is a very impressively balanced beer. Not nearly as sweet as other examples I've had of Old Ale. A rich, dark smokiness is a beautiful counterpoint to the sweetness of this style.

M: Full but not overly syrupy. Very creamy. Fantastic beer to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 01:53:36 | More by mattsander

CaptainPiret

Tennessee

4.73/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours as brown as possible before you get to black with a thick, tan creamy head. Smells of dark fruits, brown sugar and toasted malt, and the flavors definitely match up. Love the sweetness, but it's balanced with some smokiness and bitterness and a trace of alcohol. Very rich and full-bodied mouthfeel. This is an awesome, complex beer that could take the place of dessert after a good meal.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 01:44:08 | More by CaptainPiret

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass from a 12 oz bottle.
Batch number: 85

Pours a nice opaque brown. Quite dark actually with no light coming through and not a lot going on at the edges. There is a nice 0.5 inch light tan head that is creamy and sticks around for a while. Nice dense bubbles.

Delicious nose. Molases and carmel notes intermingle with some good dark fruits. Dates and prunes and some raisins. There is some brown sugary sweetness perceived as well. Very malt forward. Very nice sweet notes.

Flavor starts off with some strong malty roast. Some tobacco and coca notes with some slight coffee. There is some slight boozy heat that creeps up. Then in the middle there is more of a sweet and dark fruit note. The flavor sort of threw me off because the nose was much more sweet. Still very nice Old Ale. Malty and grainy with some good sweetness and some nice leathery and roasty notes. Mouthfeel is a bit crisp for my liking but still good.

Pretty good Old Ale. Not my favorite but still good. I enjoy a bit more sweetness in the flavor but there are still some nice interesting smoked and raosty notes. Some slight coffee and coca can be perceived too.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 22:29:35 | More by JoEBoBpr

stoutluvr420

Vermont

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

Appearance: Dark brown-orange with a medium creamy brown head. Nice lacing. Aroma: Smokey, caramel, dark fruits, chocolate, and some leather. Taste: Smokey, malt, caramel and dark fruits. Good bitterness in the aftertaste (long duration), but not overwhelming. Body is rich. Overall: Very complex and well balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2012 22:35:39 | More by stoutluvr420

thebigredone

Wisconsin

4.23/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very glad I got to try this, thanks to brabuse430 for the extra!

Smells amazing, likely the most aromatically interesting beer I've ever had. Chocolate, fruit, booze, caramel, it's all in there.

Taste is quite complex is well. I get a variety of different flavors as the beer moves across the palate. Very distinct smoke, dark fruit, and burned caramel. Quite tasty.

Overall, a great beer. Not one that I would be drinking everyday, but something that I definitely look forward to trying again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 19:55:26 | More by thebigredone

IllNate

British Columbia (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown/black, with maroon highlights. A finger of light tan head with good retention. Interesting nose, with molasses, toffee, nutty, vanilla, fig, raisin and leather believe it or not. As well as a host of other aromas. Very complex and intriguing, could smell it all day. Taste follows with all things mentioned above, again very complex, in fact I'm going to say this is the most complex beer I've had to date. I'd give it a 5, but it's hard not to imagine it couldn't be improved upon with so much going on. Mouthfeel is full bodied and smooth, it hides it's alcohol well without too much sweetness or bitterness. Overall a very fine beer, going to have to pick one of these up now and again I think.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 04:21:23 | More by IllNate

alexipa

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I love big ales. Adam is right up my alley.

A: Dark black to brown. Almost no head at all, even with an aggressive pour. Pretty standard however for such a big bottle conditioned ale.

S: Caramel, dark fruits, a pleasant sweetness, and a bit of booze. Smells very appealing.

T: Smokey chocolate malts, leather, caramel, a slight bitterness, and lots of booze on the finish. I must say that the distinct leather notes are a bit off putting, but easy to look past in favor of the other complexities.

M: Perfectly (un)carbonated. Creamy and smooth, very boozy. This is what I want from a big ale!

O: A great offering from HotD. I had this on tap at the brewery but greatly preferred it from the bottle. I would love to taste it with some age on it.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 04:25:27 | More by alexipa

Etan

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle shared by Jason. Batch 85. Thanks!

A: Pours a dark woody brown with a small tan head.

S: Muted leather, maple, vanilla, smoked meat.

T: Bitter smokiness, figs, leather, brown sugar. Dry with some mild hop bitterness and slight alcohol in the finish.

M: Medium-bodied with crisp carbonation.

O: A bit too dry and leathery for me, but still good - a unique old ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 05:52:26 | More by Etan

Dope

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a dark mahogany with a huge and foamy light brown head. Fades very slowly, leaving a perfect patchwork of lacing behind. Nice island of foam sticks around for a long time too.

S: Brown sugar, caramel and molasses. Some cocoa and leather.

T: Starts off with some caramel, brown sugar and a little...butterscotch? Lots of leather in the middle with some cocoa and smoke. Almost get some tobacco in the finish with some earthiness. A little more smoke in the aftertaste too. Spicy alcohol lingers.

M: Fairly heavy but not overly so. Nice and thick - appropriate for the style.

O: Not a bad old ale. Most are very fruity and this one is not. Quite smokey with lots of tobacco too. Great if you like that in a beer but I'm not a huge fan. I still enjoyed it and can appreciate the complexity and balance, but the choice of flavors didn't agree with me that much.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 04:12:40 | More by Dope

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

danedelman

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to thebeerbug for giving me this one.

A-pitch black with a nice tan head that stuck around for lacing the entire glass.

S-very savory, roasty, toasty dark malt. hint of molasses and smoke is somehow in here.

T-chocolate malt hits you first followed by a hint of smoke and some bitterness. Very well balanced.

M-thick and good.

OVerall-thebeerbug comes through again and gives me this insane stout. I have to say I was off the stout kick until I became friends with him. Great brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 19:36:18 | More by danedelman

jegross2

Illinois

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

Reviewing Adam from the Hair of the Dog Brewing Company.
Score: 93

Batch 84. According to Hair Of The Dog's vintage chart for Adam, Batch 84 was brewed on 10/11/11 and bottled on 01/12/12. vintage bottle served in a Goose Island silver goose Matilda glass and enjoyed on 01/19/12.

Appearance: Pours a deep chestnut brown color with two fingers of foamy khaki colored head that slowly receds to a thick and creamy layer. Amazing lacing with ridiculous cling. 5/5

Smell: Light vanilla, chocolate, leather and hops. A little bit of "vodka-like booziness" too. Light grains, malty caramel, a modest amount of "smokey banana" and a little dark fruit too. 4.25/5

Taste: A lot more smoke up front than the nose led on, but the amount of smokiness here is by no means approaching what you would expected from a smoke beer. There is oak, cocoa, spice, dark fruit and a little "musty" caramel malt. There is a subtle fruitiness present too with a mild alcohol warmth on the tongue. 4.25/5
Complex and balanced flavors

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, medium carbonation, creamy mouthfeel. Dry finish. A little sweet. 4/5

Overall: A delicious, readily available old ale that is a little rough around the edges fresh. This beer is a prime candidate for aging.

Recommendation: Seek this one out.

Pairings: Dark chocolate.

Cost: $5.99 for a 12 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 10:39:49 | More by jegross2

Gobzilla

California

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2002 vintage

A: poured pale brown in color with pale yellow highlights and hardly any head that barely left any lacing sticking to the glass.

S: wnoa!! Lots going on here consisting with lots of caramel, brown sugar, lots of malty sweetness, smokey character, dark fruit such as plums, mild booze, hints of leather and a little apple as well.

T; it definitely tasted old which was bombarded with leathery tabacco flavors, burnt caramel, maple syrup, stale brown sugar, a little plum coming through, hints of smoke character but very little booze on the taste.

M: the brew was medium in body with a low amount of carbonation which had a leathery, old tabacco, dark fruity, smokey, sweet,,and sticky slick finish.

O: very fortunate to try this beer that old and was pretty delicious considering how old it was. Good lookin out whoever brought to woodshop tasting.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 19:22:07 | More by Gobzilla

IvoryFoxhole

Virginia

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

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass. Batch 84.

A = Like Hair of the Dog Fred, pour carefully, as high carbonation means head explodes and lasts for a long time. Leaves pretty thick lacing. Beer is a dark brown with maybe a burgundyish tint to it.

S = definite smoke tones, some chocolate, some alcohol

T = smoke dominates, reminds me as much of a smoked porter than the old ale it is. Can barely pick up the figs, maybe something leathery. Not quite as together as it should be. You pick up the alcohol burn at the end

M = pretty thick, definitely carbonated and alcoholic

Good, not great. Definitely prefer Fred to Adam; am going to age a bottle and check back in a year and see if that helps.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 00:12:57 | More by IvoryFoxhole

pschul4

Illinois

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

Bottle #3 from Libbey, this is what I've been waiting for!

A- Pours a medium brown with a 1.5 finger head

S- Lots of smoke in the nose with some malts in the background and very faint hops

T- Wow! Tons of layers here. First the malts hit you followed by smoke then leather than a little bit of hops in the end. It's a big beast of a beer thats for sure

M- Super creamy which is PERFECT for what it is

O- Love LOve LOVE this beer! Simply world claas!

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 04:50:49 | More by pschul4

birchstick

Missouri

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep brown with slight hues of red with a huge, billowing head. Nose is dark fruits and leather. Taste opens up with sweet sugary malts up front that slide to some dark fruits (fig and raisin) A bit of ashy burnt flavors are subtly in the background and then a dry woodsy bitterness rounds it off. Mouth is creamy and full. Overall, this is a solid old ale. Chocked full of flavor and really nice complexity. Wish I could have grabbed a couple more of these

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 01:32:01 | More by birchstick

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.73/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to FosterJM for this one!

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass at cellar temperature.

L – Ruby-brown color with an immense 5-finger tan head that does not go away. Not much lacing, though.

S – Lots of aromas in this one – rich nutty and toasted malts, toffee, molasses, chocolate, vanilla, leather, plums, and dark cherries. Very complex. I can’t wait to see what this tastes like.

T – Follows the aroma plus more. Starts off sweet with hearty nutty and toasted malts, chocolate, vanilla, molasses, and rich dark fruits like plums, cherries, and figs. Finishes with earthy, leathery, and smoky flavors, along with a subtle earthy and floral hop bitterness. Tastes phenomenal.

F – Medium-to-full-bodied with not much carbonation, a sticky and chewy mouthfeel, and a smoothly bitter and dry finish. Earthiness and bitterness lingers for a great amount of time and complements the throat-warming alcohol sensation.

O – All too often, beers smell complex and leave me asking for more in the taste. Not this time. This is one of the few beers that I’ve had in which the flavor offers even more complexity than the aroma. This was delicious and insanely drinkable for a beer or its style. Great, great offering from HOTD. I’m so glad I got to try this. Thanks James!

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 00:27:55 | More by BlackBelt5112203

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

yamar68

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to match1112 for gifting this one! Poured into a brandy snifter at cellar temperature:

Pours a murky crimson/black, with a velvety two fingers of brown cream head. Great lacing and retention.

Mmmm... overripe cherries, figs, fresh leather, brown sugar, some faint licorice notes, caramel, hardwoods, rather complex while maintaining a great sense of balance.

The hop character is what I'm most surprised by. I love Old Ales like this one - all those earthy, dark fruit qualities that you'll find on the nose are echoed in the taste but still balanced with a pleasant hop profile. Very nice.

Very thankful to have had the chance to try this one. Thanks Matt!!

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 00:22:17 | More by yamar68

joefuzz

New York

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

Batch 85

Pours a very deep brown with a very decent sized mocha head.

Smells wonderful, leather, peat and dark cherries

Taste is very fruity at first figs, plums, raisins, and bing cherries come to mind and finishes with a tobbaco leather flavor.

Mouthfeel is old ale all the way thick and low carbonation

Overall this beer is world class I have to pick up more and see how it ages

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 02:01:06 | More by joefuzz

Duff27

Illinois

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

Big headed whore, tan. Brown body. Great head retention and splotchy lacing.

Caramel, dark fruits, slight smoke.

Smokey, "leathery" for sure...enjoying that aspect. Caramels. "peaty". Cherry notes after some great cheese.

Very full mouthfeel with a great carbonation point.

Yum, like Brian said, "best non-BA old ale there is". Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 21:58:33 | More by Duff27

cvm4

Mississippi

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bath #82

A - Pours a dark cola or rootbeer. Light tan 1 finger head.

S - Sweet brown sugar, raisins, dark plums and vanilla oak. Almost a bourbon barrel aged smell. The nose is phenomenal.

T - Lots of wood & oak. Not as sweet as the nose. Loads of molasses and dark fruit. Very rich taste.

M - Full bodied, medium carbonation.

O - Best old ale I've had. No complaints at all with this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 19:24:09 | More by cvm4

Axic10

Pennsylvania

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

After having a conversation on here with Barrythebear, I was "assigned" drinking a bottle of Adam and Adam from the Wood and review both. I decided to drink them side by side. Hooray Science!

Poured into a Swamphead snifter. Batch 84.

Appearance: Deep dark brown, poured with very little head which settled down to a thin off white layer swirling on top. When held up to the light nothing comes close to passing through. Great lacing throughout the entire time I drank this.

Smell: Leather, tobacco/smoke, dark fruits and an alcohol sting. Very good nose, smells fantastic.

Taste: Raisin, plum, fig, chocolate, smoke (but not rauchbier levels), and leather

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and very very smooth.

Overall: A great readily available Old Ale that has always been enjoyable whenever I've decided to open it. However in the side by side, I think that Adam from the Wood is the superior beer, albeit by a slim margin.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 02:11:12 | More by Axic10