Fred From The Wood
Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company / Brewery And Tasting Room

Fred From The WoodFred From The Wood
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From:
Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company / Brewery And Tasting Room
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
10%
Score:
94
Avg:
4.24 | pDev: 9.91%
Reviews:
259
Ratings:
588
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 11, 2023
Added:
Mar 28, 2005
Wants:
  483
Gots:
  110
Aged in new, medium toast American oak barrels for at least 6 months
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Swimsum:
Photo of Swimsum
Reviewed by Swimsum from Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
2008 vintage at Beachwood BBQ on 8/8/09.

Pours out a dark golden orange color. A bit cloudy when held to the light. About 1/2 finger head on the initial pour that settles into a thin film. By the end of the glass the head has disappeared completely. Some lacing down the sides of the glass but it doesn't stick to the glass very well and is sporadic.

Sweet smelling upon the first few whiffs. Oak/wood immediately follow this up and ends with an alcohol burn. At times the alcohol becomes a bit overwhelming in the smell.

Oak/wood greats the tongue as the beer is sipped. Followed up by some alcohol heat, sweetness and slight tobacco. The alcohol is the most noticeable aspect of the taste for it. I really think this needs some time to develop as I thought it was very hot.

Sitting on the tongue this is a very thick beer with not a lot of carbonation. Upon swallowing, their is an alcohol burn that I'm not liking all that much.

This one was a sipper for me. Was pretty boozy and not all that complex. Perhaps the meal I had with it wasn't helping it out any but if I had a bottle of this, I'd let it sit for awhile. Hopefully will be able to get another bottle of this one day.
Jan 04, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of Jwale73
Reviewed by Jwale73 from Rhode Island

3.83/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
2008 vintage served in a tulip. Pours a lovely caramel hue with a loose, off-white head the immediately dissipates into a tight band around the shoulders. Clarity has a slight haze. Nose is subdued - hints of caramel, fruit (perhaps apples and raisins), and ethanol. Taste reveals raisins and prunes and notes of oxidation with a slightly medicinal character at the finish. Mouthfeel is medium in body with a mild, even carbonation and an oiliness to the texture. All and all, an interesting beer but past its prime. I’m curious what it would have imparted in its heyday.
Sep 11, 2023
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. 2013, properly cellared bottle. Pours a dark orange brown with a somewhat fizzy, two finger head that nevertheless retained a one finger cap with solid lacing; strong oxidation aromas on opening and pouring. Aroma of dry caramel malt, tobacco, musty wood, hints of bakers chocolate; oxidation. Flavor is dry caramel malt, woody oak with some oak vanilla, leather, raisins and black tea. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Various HotD bottles seem to be drifting out of the woodwork (no pun intended) as this venerable brewery shuts down. I think 2014 is the latest vintage for this ale, so this 2013 is as young as I'm going to be able to try this one that I've never seen offered for sale before. The 10 years have been kind to this, as I expected from Fred, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how well this has stood up, especially with the strong oxidation aroma. It is very nicely integrated and no flavors have dominated, even the oak and oxides. A decade is a long time to wait to try a beer, but I'm glad I got a chance to try this, it is delightful.
Jun 04, 2023
Photo of Qu3st
Reviewed by Qu3st from Massachusetts

3.84/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
15 years ago...
Braced myself and went for it.
Honest brown color. Dark but light didn't struggle to show through.
It has some visible carbonation, but it only whispers on the tongue.
Lemon, soy sauce, and thin turkey gravy nose. Strange but not off.
Sweet with no alcohol burn. Pith, cedar, orange oil, caramel, forest air in a sun pocket.
I don't love it, but I do like it. Curious how much longer these can sit; amazing to have a beer that lasts this long, but BW knows the way.
Apr 26, 2023
Photo of AzfromOz
Reviewed by AzfromOz from Australia

4.45/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Received from @turkeysdrinkbeer in August 2022 and drunk in March 2023.

My review from New Beer Weekend 141 follows (shortened to fit into character limits):

Beer tickles my fancy. I once knew a bloke called Fred, and beer tickled his fancy too. He was a regular at the Returned Servicemen's League bar in Alice Springs, where I spent a couple of months working in 1996. He loved a beer, but couldn't keep up with the other old diggers at the bar. He'd get halfway through his can of Victoria Bitter and ask for a new one, can conspicuously half-crushed on the bar - everyone else totally crushed theirs to indicate they wanted another one - but none of us staff ever let his secret out. As far as his mates knew, he could drink with the best of them. I wonder what old Fred's up to these days? I suspect he might have gone the way of today's Fred, in the wood rather than from the wood, but hopefully he'd led a full life by that stage and not half of one like his cans!

I poured two glasses, and the second one copped quite a load of sediment due to a moment's inattention. The uncloudy pour was a lovely brandy colour, deep copper, almost bright brown. The head quickly dissipated to a thin rim. Moderate carbonation glided lazily up the glass.

The sediment pour was a creamy orange-brown. It looked thick and unctuous. The head was retained better in this glass but clumps of trub were clearly visible. I was undecided as to whether I'd drink them or leave them stranded in the glass.

The smell was very brandy-like, with rich umami and a creamy, woody note. The beer smelled old and musty as though it had not only picked up the character of the wood but had drunk deep from the cellar. The smell brought visions of ceiling-beam spiderwebs, thick and heavy with age, and the dry, ozone-heavy scents of earth and soil.

The sedimented pour brought stronger notes of alcohol and warmth and an even mustier character to the table.

Taste was where the beer shone. The brandy notes from the nose combined with a candied and dried orange note to produce a sweeter-than-expected hit of liqueur-like flavour, which was joined and largely overwhelmed by the vanilla, woody notes from the barrel. Alcohol followed, and chased the beer down the throat, leaving pleasant warmth on the tongue, gums, teeth and throat. It settled comfortably in my stomach like a well-worn overcoat, snuggling tight and embracing me in its lazy warmth. That warmth gave warning to the alcohol hidden in this beer's body, and it behoves one to sip and contemplate when that's the case. This is not a beer for rash consumption.

Paradoxically, the sedimented pour had more muted flavour notes, considering it came much harder at my nose. The alcohol felt dialled back and the creaminess dialled up. The brandy notes were diminished and the beer became slightly easier to drink - not that drinking the other glass was any type of chore!

I was maybe a fifth of the way through the beer as began to take notes for the mouthfeel section, and my mouth already had a comfortable numbness to it. The beer's mouthfeel was smooth and a little oily. Maybe silky is the right word as I don't want the negative connotations that might come with describing the beer as oily. It's "oily" in the way that liqueur leaves a thin film on the glass once poured and how the meniscus seems to climb higher up the glass than it should. That's what I mean, and that's how it felt in the mouth. Regardless, my fumbling description should not take away the fact that this beer is delicious.

So, overall: the beer is nine years old and it has spent its last six months in my refrigerator, so it wouldn't have deteriorated from the time I had it in my possession. I can't speak to its previous eight years, but regardless, it had held up remarkably well. It developed that umami richness that comes with oxidation, but the bottle was sealed and waxed so I suspect that's a product of the time in the barrel and the make-up of the grist rather than any oxidation that occurred post-bottling. I can only conclude that the combination of wood, time, and brewer's skill has melded an unforgettable, winter sipper (drunk ironically at the end of the worst summer in memory) that deserves slow meditation on the qualities the beer has brought to the fore. Losing Hair of the Dog is a tragedy, but I suspect Fred from the Wood will still be enjoyed, albeit in an ever-diminishing capacity, for the next twenty years. Hoarders of verticals would do well to treat this beer with the love it deserves in the intervening years.

Fred is not a name many kids are bestowed upon birth in 2023. It's a moniker from a time past, when life was slower, brontosaurus steaks were served medium-rare, and time seemed less tied to ever-growing grapples with the modern necessity for speed and experience. Fred from Wood honours those days, and drinking it should be done with that past pace in mind. Slow down, and enjoy this beer while it lasts.

Cheers!
#219
Apr 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Fettpopps from Massachusetts

Mar 04, 2023
 
Rated: 4.26 by trevorpost from Pennsylvania

Jan 14, 2023
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
2013 vintage

This is my first truly “new” review from the Hair Of The Dog box of goodies that I recently ordered. The only other one I had so far was an old 1998 Fred, a beer which I had already reviewed fresh. As I work my way through the box, it seems to make the most sense to start of with the barrel aged version of their only beer I’ve tried. Let’s get into it

Pours a murky brownish copper with a finger of creamy light tan head that fades to a ring and leaves minimal lacing

The nose is super sweet but not cloying as a smokiness keeps it in check. I’m picking up on aromas of sweet toffee, dates, tobacco, caramelized sugar, brown bread, lightly toasted oak, oxidized sherry, and an odd touch of green olive

It’s pretty similar in taste, just a bit less boozy. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting black cherry, dates, brown bread, brown sugar, toasted oak, smoky tobacco, light toffee, and red grape. The swallow brings notes of brown sugar, oxidized sherry, sweet caramel, dates, honey, toasted pecan, brown bread, tobacco, and a very light leafy bitterness

A medium full body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a smooth yet biting beer. Finishes shockingly dry given the abv and not overly sweet

Even at nearly 10 years old, this is a damn good beer. I’m very excited to taste my way through the rest of this box
Oct 25, 2022
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 oz bottle of 2014 Fred from the Wood. Let warm up from fridge temp for about an hour before drinking.

Pours a clear dark golden color, I left the sediment in the bottle to drink by itself. Nice off-white head that eventually fades to a thin covering. Big boozy aroma of pear, oak, apple pie, touch of vanilla, a little pipe tobacco. Taste is still fairly warming for an 8 year old beer. Some honey-like malt sweetness with long finish that is reminiscent of brandy or rum. Thin to medium bodied, good carbonation level. Overall I am enjoying this one
Jun 27, 2022
Photo of zac16125
Reviewed by zac16125 from South Carolina

3.96/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2014 bottle into a snifter
reviewed June 2022

A: It’s a coppery/amber brown in the glass with a fingers width of white head that has decent retention. No discernible lacing. 4.25

S: Aroma is huge fig and raisin, nice phenolic spice, cinnamon, fruity esters reminiscent of apricot, port, soft oaky vanilla, a bit of pleasant booziness to round it out. Phenomenal. 5

T: Doesn’t taste anything like the nose. It’s got that staple HotD smokiness, that’s both up front and on the finish where it lingers for eternity. There’s some bitterness, an almost astringent nondescript spice, subtle fruity notes. Not a ton going on and really a let down from the nose. 3.25

M/D: Medium body, carbonation is fine, ABV is kept in check, drinkability average. 4

O: Jekyll and Hyde situation, aroma is essentially perfect, but the taste doesn’t live up. Not sure if it’s an age thing, it really shouldn’t be for the style and was purchased from HotD cellar program so I assume cellared appropriately. Regardless, not a bad beer but pretty disappointing overall. 4
Jun 27, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by Hawkfish from Washington

Jun 05, 2022
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Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Revisited February 3rd, 2024 (for Cellaruary)

Vintage: 2013
ABV: 10%; pouring temperature: °F
Source: direct from brewery online purchase

Deep caramel red body, semi-opaque; relatively thin yet lasting head, khaki colored. Nice nose; toasted caramel, raw white oak; a trace of raisin and fig. Fantastic flavor; candi sugar, brown sugar and caramel; dates and raisins; spicy phenols, licorice and star anise. Heavy body; fairly smooth mouthfeel overall; nuanced alcohol warmth.

Here we are with a beer somewhere between 10 and 11 years old, still tasting fine. I hope I have another bottle or two of this in the [s]crawlspace[/s] cellar. I liked this back in 2022, like it now, and would love to try this vintage again in the future.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Revisited June 24th, 2022 (2014 version) for the online BA Hair of The Dog tasting 24-26 June 2022

Ratings and scores: 4.0 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75; BA weighted overall: 3.77; rDev: -10.9%

Dirty, muddy light brown body; thin yet persistent head, fairly dense. Band-aid note right off with the aroma; drifts into a light caramel presence as the beer sits. The flavors amps up the caramel notes; toffee; leather; boozy. Medium-heavy body; velvety; light alcohol burn.

Compared to the 2013 version, this one lacks the depth and balance of the previous year. Way more phenolic (in a nutshell). This version still has overall good points but doesn't reach the levels from the earlier year.

Pouring temperature: 51 °F

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Original 2013 May 09th, 2022 ratings and scores: 4.0 4.0 4.25 4.25 4.25 (4.18 overall, rDev -1.4%)

Light, dirty brown brown, cloudy; lasting yet thin bone colored head. Earthy, musty, malty nose; caramel; raisins. Rich, malty flavor; vanilla and caramel notes; underlying hints of white oak; mild booziness. Heavy, velvety body; soft and chewy; relatively sweet mouthfeel; light alcohol warmth.

For a 9-year old beer, this one has aged beautifully. It's also nice having a rich, creamy (if thin) head that lasts. Subtly complex and rich, heavy yet easy drinking

Pouring temperature: 43 °F; bottling data: 2013 vintage
May 10, 2022
Photo of darktronica
Reviewed by darktronica from Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2009 vintage. Murky bronze with minimal carbonation evident on the pour. Plum, black tea, mandarin orange, cinnamon, and some tart grapefruit and oak on the nose. The palate adds some old ale notes, a bit of leather, gumdrops, and cider spice. Evidence of some oxidation starting to take hold. Residual fruitiness and a modest tart acidity on the finish.
Feb 19, 2022
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Rated by BMBCLT from South Carolina

4.51/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
2014 Vintage
Jan 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.27 by paulish from New York

Dec 22, 2021
 
Rated: 4.24 by snowmageddon from Massachusetts

Nov 25, 2021
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.49/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a dark cherry color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has intense caramel, apple, smokiness and woody hints
The taste follows the nose with very well balanced caramel, apple, smokiness and woody flavors
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A very well balanced Strong Ale
Nov 25, 2021
Photo of thebeers
Reviewed by thebeers from Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -12%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
Pours a syrupy-looking, light amber color with strong effervescence and two fat fingers of lightly tanned head. Excellent retention. Thick lacing.

Big pear cider, apple and caramel in the nose. A little leather, vanilla and white pepper behind. Quite the mix.

The taste is completely different: massive wood, strong pepper, earthy bitterness, alcohol burn. Only hints of the fruit and caramel peak through. The woodiness and peppery bite linger.

Initially feels very thin against all those big flavors, but it's actually very chewy. Moderate carbonation.

The 180 from the nose to the taste is hard for me to get over. Worth a try, but the wood aging doesn’t do the base any favors, IMO.
Nov 06, 2021
 
Rated: 4.41 by alexsergio from New York

Oct 30, 2021
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Reviewed by mushroomcloud from Texas

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2014 vintage. Opened 10-9-21 with a nice hiss.
1/4" off white head with some surprising retention, settles in as a cap and ring.
Orange-gold body - opaque but not murky, brightens and clears some during the session. No lacing.
American oak is still prominent on the nose after 7 years, wow. Smells like spicy fresh oak in a winery barrel room. Leather, vanilla, and some fruit (apricot, table grapes), underneath the wood.
Very fresh feel and taste for a 7 year old bottle. Big spicy wood, same as the aroma, more stone fruit and some vanilla.
Medium body with a round and slick mouthfeel. Smooth. Low carbonation. Tannic. Lengthy and ultimately dry finish.
The drinkabilty is phenomenal.
Outstanding.
Oct 10, 2021
Fred From The Wood from Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company / Brewery And Tasting Room
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 588 ratings