Orthus
Thirsty Dog Brewing Company

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From:
Thirsty Dog Brewing Company
 
Ohio, United States
Style:
Dubbel
ABV:
7%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.95 | pDev: 10.63%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
35
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 20, 2020
Added:
Jun 01, 2008
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
Orthus was the two-headed hell hound brother of Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of hell. Orthus is a Belgian dubbel brown in color, 7 grains, 3 hops, Trappist high gravity yeast.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.13 by Blogjackets from Ohio

Mar 20, 2020
 
Rated: 4.27 by gobuccos from Ohio

Apr 17, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Mar 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.88 by OhioCoastie from Ohio

Feb 10, 2017
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
$ 18.35 (Including tax)/750 mL bottle ($ 0.722/oz) at Oppermann’s, Saginaw, MI
Undated bottle at 42 degrees into a hand washed and dried JK snifter, allowed to warm to 45 degrees (per bottle notes) before consumption
Aroma – can definitely smell the barrel – woody and vanilla
Head – large (Maximum 6.2 cm, aggressive pour), tan, frothy, diminishing to a very irregular lacy ring and a complete layer with rocks. Second pour gives the dense creamy head with a few rocks which is more typical of a dubbel.
Lacing excellent – wide bands of tiny bubbles covering the inside of the glass
Body – dark brown with just a hint of red, clear
Flavor – initially bourbon barrel and slightly sweet. Careful sloshing within the oral cavity releases some caramel but no particular fruity esters. Hops are not tasted but may be noted in the slightly bitter aftertaste. Alcohol is not tasted nor is a post-consumption gastric burn present. No diacetyl.
Palate – medium, not quite creamy, lively carbonation

This leans more to the BBA side and seems less of a dubbel to my taste. For me, this is one and done – there are equal or better BBA beers at much lower prices.

Appearance 4.5, Aroma 4, Flavor 4, Palate 3.75, Overall 3.75
Jan 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Huhzubendah from District of Columbia

Oct 23, 2016
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Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.29/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Opaque brown with two fingers of tan foam. Aromas of bourbon, dark fruit and caramel malt, sweeter overall. Taste opens up by building on these sweet notes with oak, molasses, big dark fruit with some booziness, a hint of nuts and decent yeast. Feel is warm and full yet finishes decently yeasty, smooth
Mar 16, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by Fabiand from Texas

Feb 02, 2016
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

3.14/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Mild dark fruits, a little roastier than I'd expect, with brown toast and notes of cocoa dusted almonds. It's a little boozy and also has notes of citrus and coffee.
Dec 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.58 by mltobin from Connecticut

Dec 11, 2015
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Thoroughly enjoyed from the 750 ml bottle in a snifter. This bourbon barrel aged dubbel pours a nice medium mahogany with a nice head of off white verging on khaki foam that settles to a thick ring, thin pooling layer, and subtle lacing. Nose of brown sugars, subtle bourbon barrel, dark berries, and vanilla. Flavors exceed the nose with brown sugar and bourbon to the front and sides that fade to a blackberry and tart pie cherry note awash with brandy. Back of the taste shows hints of vanilla and candy sugars with some oak and bourbon notes that finishes subtly dry. Great mouth feel with solid carbonation. A must for the Belgian lover and bourbon lover alike who would rather there be balance between the brew and the barrel.

Excellent

Cheers
Dec 06, 2015
Photo of UrbanCaveman
Reviewed by UrbanCaveman from Ohio

4.48/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
750 ml bomber, poured into an oversized wine glass at ~45 degrees F.

Appearance: Pours a deep, murky mahogany brown, which lights up with a uniform ruby tint when subjected to an iPhone flashlight. Forms about two fingers of dense, pale beige head, with fantastic retention. Lacing is off the hook, with thick sheets clinging to the glass, punctuated by ridges marking each sip.

Smell: Sweet candi sugar, caramel malt, and cherry-plum liquor wafts right out of the glass, in a heady, strong aroma. There are vague hints of oak wood, vanilla, and pure win in the nose.

Taste: Phenols and liquor indeed, this punches right out of the gate with a nigh-astringent spicy dryness, which casts the oaky-vanilla notes from the bourbon barrel in sharp relief. I am reminded vaguely of a spiced rum, with noticeable but not overbearing alcohol heat and flavor, caramel sweetness, and a spicy character somewhat like a rye bread with a peppered crust. Faint tones of cherry and prune swim in the background. The finish is a dry caramel - black cherry combination which is not unwelcome in its short time lingering.

Mouthfeel: On the light side of medium or the heavy side of light, this packs some serious carbonation - more than I'd expect from a beer aged 11 months in a barrel, but goes down dangerously smooth.

Overall: Thirsty Dog's barrel aging program does it again. The bourbon notes work fantastically well with their phenolic dubbel recipe. I'd repeat this, perhaps not quite as often as Wulver, but often nonetheless.
Nov 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by SkiBum22 from New York

Oct 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.78 by Zonian1 from Ohio

Jun 28, 2015
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
On tap.
The beer was a little flat but I didn't let this influence my ratings as much as it would if bottled. Still, the feel and look suffered. Less yeasty than many others of this style, and not as complex as the best versions of this style.

O. Worth trying and, in my case, revisiting.
Feb 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by Ohiovania from Ohio

Jan 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by chillwave22 from Ohio

Jan 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4.41 by veres879 from Pennsylvania

Jan 11, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by NorthCoastPranqster from Georgia

Dec 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by mikepcarney from Ohio

Oct 10, 2014
Orthus from Thirsty Dog Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 35 ratings