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

Adam From The WoodAdam From The Wood
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From:
Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company / Brewery And Tasting Room
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Old Ale
ABV:
12%
Score:
99
Avg:
4.46 | pDev: 8.74%
Reviews:
190
Ratings:
1,055
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 25, 2024
Added:
Jan 04, 2005
Wants:
  1,467
Gots:
  176
Our Adam aged in American Oak barrels. First released in 2000, and released again in November 2011 in 12oz bottles. This 12% beer has lots of the typical HOTD aromas: Caramel, brown sugar, tons of raisin and tobacco. Fig, date, and plum fruitiness in that order. This has a fairly strong earthy vinousness as well as oak vanilla.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Mscarpen:
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Rated by Mscarpen from Tennessee

5/5  rDev +12.1%

Jul 26, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of augustgarage
Reviewed by augustgarage from California

4.47/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.75
2015 vintage - 12.4% ABV - poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter. Served at 53F.

Opaque bole body with a faint dun collar. Mediocre retention; flaccid lacing; sticky legs.

Rich complex malt aromatics with an array of stewed fruit (cherry, plums, figs, currants), port, and faint barrel notes.

Assam tea, black pudding, pipe tobacco, cocoa powder, and faint peat on the palate entry. Extended evolving medium-dry finish brings more fruit, molasses, and some gentle vinous tartness. Low bitterness, gentle yeast esters. Base beer remains the star.

Modest carbonation, medium-light bodied, and gently warming (ABV well concealed). No astringency, but still almost refreshing for the style.

Stylistic considerations aside, this is a singular creative achievement in American brewing.
Feb 25, 2024
 
Rated: 4.5 by Fettpopps from Massachusetts

Aug 25, 2023
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Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.7/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Adam seemed just fine on his own. And then the found wood. A long slumber on oak gives him an upgrade that he didn't think that he needed.

And its with a deep and dark tawny rusty-brown that Adam From The Wood unfolds in the glass like fine brandy. Held in a slight fog, a robust perfume of stone fruits, rummy alcohol, hints of chocolate, toffee and molasses, suggestions of coffee and campfire all speak to a savory and emboldened scent despite its lack of any measure of froth.

Rich Barleyine aromas of dense English malts, stone fruits, and bold rum-like alcohols. Brown malts give light chocolate, coffee, nuttiness, and a modest campfire note. All make for an exquisite experience to the nose. A dry syrupy character approaches the tongue with a malty stride. Molasses, brown sugar and chocolate all carry a leathery dryness for a sweet and savory upstart.

As the umami-rich taste of sherry wines and drier ports slather the middle palate, its sultry darkness invites the coffee, oak and campfire qualities coming. Condensed fruitiness of date, fig, grape, raisin, prune, cherry and plum create a fortified wine character with that malty weave. Trending dry and coffee-like, a hint of peppery peat shows in a malty-dry finish.

Lowly carbonated, fullish in body and certainly off-coying, the Adam From The Wood is the ale equivalent of madiera, port and sherry as it extends into a long vinous, savory and brandy-warm aftertaste. Its as ideal as you could ever expect an British Olde Ale to get.
Feb 14, 2023
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Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan

4.48/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Received courtesy of @beergoot while visiting in Colorado. Finally got a chance to try this.
I read the label so knew there was no carbonation, but, dang, it’s beer. I tried to rate accordingly to style.
The pour was chestnut brown with zero head, and I mean zero. But they stated that upfront, so apparently the appearance is awesome.
The aroma was plum and cocoa, just as they wrote it would, back in 2014. Wow, 8 years old. Thanks Dave!
The taste was sublime, once I got past the zero carbonation, I got everything they specified and more. Plum, chocolate, oak, maybe that’s the soy that they wrote about. I enjoyed every sip.
The feel was more like a barleywine that had been decanted a bit long. Flat. But while that is different, it’s not unpleasant. Not a 5 though.
Very glad to have been able to try this, and I need to check out other old ales. The complexities are very interesting.
Jun 08, 2022
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.04/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. 2018 bottle purchased last year, presumably stored adequately by the brewery. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque black in the glass, with no head and only a few stray bubbles appearing (I.e. a HotD pour). Aroma of dark, dry caramel malt, oak, raisins, dates, freshly cut wood and a little oxidation. Flavor is dry caramel malt, oak, musty wood, tobacco, dates, well dried raisins and plums; a hint of vanilla. Port-like, somewhat vinous finish with lingering woody and dark fruit. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess, but not really enough carbonation. The sad news of HotD closing down had the silver lining of quite a number of hard to find brews making their way to Seattle, so I've been able to tick off a bunch I never had seen in person. Regular Adam has always been one of my favorites to pick up and experiment with aging over the years, with good results. It may well have been my first experience with an old ale or Adambier, which became favorite styles. Any beer from HotD might surprise with a still pour, but often there would be enough carbonation to be adequate. This one, not quite; it's not completely still, but close. On the other hand, it lives up to its name, with the classic Adam malt depth and flavors overlaid with a variety of woody notes, both oaky, fresh cut and musty. The aftertaste is remarkably like Port wine. It's always been an adventure with Hair of the Dog, and some of my favorite beers were brewed by them, including Doggie Claws, Adam and Fred. With or without carbonation, this is a worthy beginning of saying goodbye to the brewery.
May 25, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by jschott75 from Illinois

Jan 01, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by paulish from New York

Dec 16, 2021
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Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.65/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Pours a very dark color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has intense molasses, caramel, raisin, fig, date, plum and Oak barrel hints
The taste follows the nose with very well balanced and complex molasses, caramel, raisin, fig, plum and woody oak flavors
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A great and very well balanced Old Ale
Nov 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4.2 by von_kaiser from Connecticut

Nov 26, 2021
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Reviewed by JLK7299 from North Carolina

4.34/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This is really good no doubt. I do wish it was a little thicker but I’ve been trying to score it for awhile and I have zero regret about getting it. Darn good!
Nov 26, 2021
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Rated by bret27 from California

4.26/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Purchased 2018 bottle from brewery in Portland.
Nov 06, 2021
 
Rated: 4.6 by NorCalYeti from California

Oct 13, 2021
Photo of zac16125
Reviewed by zac16125 from South Carolina

3.94/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 4
Pours black, zero head not even any bubbles. Looks flat. Aroma is cognac, brandy, port, tons of spirit notes. Charred oak bourbon notes, a scotch like peat character. Taste is interesting. Huge scotch peaty notes, port wine, charred wood. Decent amount of dark fruits, moderately sweet. Great flavor profile but the absolute lack of carbonation bothers me. Due to the lack of carbonation mouthfeel comes off thin. This ones tough for me, because I really dig the aromas and flavors but the mouthfeel and flat nature really hurt it overall.

3.25/4.25/4.25/2.25/4
Oct 03, 2021
 
Rated: 4.09 by MTKATL from Georgia

Sep 20, 2021
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Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Had on tap and a cellared bottle, both aged 3 years without much difference, will sit on my other bottle for years. Brown body with a solid tan head and periodic lacing. Bourbon, oak, molasses, caramel, elevated yeast, cocoa, leather, big dark fruit, and stale crusty bread make up the barrel forward yet complex nose, amazing. Taste is right on par with the world class nose: gooey caramel enlightened by the barrel with everything from the nose plus tobacco, earth and vanilins. Feel is warm, oh so smooth, has amazing yeast, oak, and barley depth, musty and gooey feeling all at once. Amazing, meets the hype for sure
Sep 18, 2021
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Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong

4.2/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A 12 fl. oz. bottle, 2015 vintage, poured into a snifter glass.

Appearance: Dark brown in colour with pretty much no head and only sparse to no lacing.

Aroma: Dark malt, chocolate, roast, caramel, oak, whiskey, with light notes of vanilla and dark fruit, plum, prunes.

Taste: Moderately sweet, dark malt, roasty, caramel, chocolate, oak, whiskey, light vanilla, dark fruit, grape, plum, prunes, some nutty notes, boozy, with light peppery spice.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.

Overall: Despite it being both sweet and boozy (usually not my thing), it was still an enjoyable sipper.
Aug 24, 2021
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Rated by jb_4226 from Texas

4.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Review #50, yummy! Can taste the fruits, soy, oak all good stuff
Aug 07, 2021
Photo of heysuz
Reviewed by heysuz from Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Brew: Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company / Brewery And Tasting Room – Adam From the Wood

Intro: 12 oz. poured into a tulip glass. Shared with a friend.

Appearance: Murky dark brown, almost opaque. Minimal to no head. Same with the lacing as we drank

Smell: Sweet, heavy, dark, bourbon.

Taste: Followed along with the smell. Little to no carbonation. Again, a mixture of dark fruits, pretty heavy tasting.

Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy. Invokes seriousness. Oily mouth coating

Drink: Again, follows along with mouthfeel. I’ve had better and I’ve had much worse. It’s definitely a sipper

Conclusion: I’ve had several other old ales and this would not be in my top ten. It is very well crafted and is deserving of it’s place in the category. It just gives me the impression of old school. This was the second of two drinks from HOTD and both seem very similar although different styles. It just leaves me with the impression of a brewing company doing what they do and perfecting it. It may be time to move ahead
Jul 23, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Jul 23, 2021
Adam From The Wood from Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company / Brewery And Tasting Room
Beer rating: 99 out of 100 with 1055 ratings