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

 

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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.

2014 Vintage

 

 

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

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.

 

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.

 

 

 

Cellared bottle from (!)2014. Murky orangey brown, only white surface islands and webbing remains past initial pour. Nose is an expressive gem: flowers, bright oak, lightly toasted bread, orange, apricot, booze, caramel, vanilla, toffee and a kiss peach skin, super well balanced. Taste has the oak become the overlord of all the flavors, add some dark fruit depth underneath the nose elements but overall not as defined or balanced as nose. Feel has great oak character through the whole sip, booze, light botanicals and malt textures support artfully. Another winner from HOD, but if you do not enjoy wood forward beers you have been warned

 

 

 

 

 

Dark brown with an amber tinge, slightly cloudy with moderate carbonation and a hair of beige head.

Smells of creme brulee, burnt brown sugar, raisins, vanilla and a hint of oak.

Tastes of raisins, oak, wood, brown sugar, and a hint of bitterness.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Really covers the ABV.

I got this in Portland on Yamhill St, at the brewpub. 2013 brew, drinking in Redding, Nov 23rd, 2019. Excellent brew.

 

 

 

2013 vintage from the bottle...

First thing noticed is how much darker this is than good ol' Fred. A ruddy amber brown with classic HotD lack of clarity. Above lies an oddly orange tinted tan foam, that snappy as bubbles continue to vocalize their demise. A thin ring and even more scarce patch are all that they leave behind.

The Fred signature Dark Belgian Candi sugar is still dominant in the aroma, but to taking on a much richer form. Dates and prunes soaked in classic cola and associated spices, accompanied by a lively leather and tobacco oak influence. Definitely takes Fred to the next level.

There's molasses, then there's Fred From the Wood. Straight up molasses. Syrupy, black licorice, oak, leather, fig and a touch of soy sauce. Once again, Hair of the Dog nails simplicity with insane and contradictory complexity going well beyond just the flavor. The finish has such a unique flavor that I can't quite put my finger on, yet it's so familiar. Frustrating as hell.... Raw cranberry juice perhaps?

Syrupy and smooth with just a faint pop of carbonation that colludes with the wood to employ a perceived dryness. The booze is remarkably well hidden, especially considering the source as being ones not shy of intensity. A sipper, and a pleasure with it's sweet yet bold demeanor.

Another, as expected, absolute pleasure. Once again, I have no context to this versus fresh. My first go with Fred From the Wood is this very bottle. 6 years old and absolutely fan-fucking-tastic.

Cheers.

 

2013 vintage.
Pours dark amber with a moderate tan head.
Aroma is tea, lemon and oxydation.
Flavor is carmel, tea and cardboard.
Medium heavy body.
Overall an okay beer. The 5 years is apparent. Not bad. Drinkable, but I prefer the non-BA version.

 

2013. Nearly flat but more carbonation than a lot of their bottles. Oxidized but HotD makes beers that are really well suited to aging where the flavors actually work with age on them. The barrel isn't very noticeable, perhaps getting overpowered a bit by the oxidization. A great beer but not one I'd age much longer.

 

12oz bottle

Tea and tobacco all over the nose, dried orange peel, dusty oak, toasted scones and burnt sugar. Taste follows suit. Thin caramel and burnt sugar, toasted scones, walnut. Flash of orange marmalade. Some berry. Deep earthy tones of tea, tobacco, and pine bark. Plenty of dusty and toasty oak. Long earthy tobacco and herb finish. Medium-full body with gentle carbonation and a slight sticky texture. A great American interpretation of an old ale, and full of character. A pleasure to drink.

 

 

Bottle from Jeremy, barley wine tasting 2018. Really smooth, sharp ABV notes in the aroma. Malty sweet and boozy. Perfect all the way around. Barrels really up the ante on this beer.

 

We did a side-by-side with Fred From the Stone at the brewery and the differences were stark.

This had a thicker head with an even more solid wall of lace all around the glass, yet had a lighter amber-orange hue that was fully opaque.

Aromas of really hard spirits hit the nose with woody spice, sticky sap, pear, apple and salted caramel. As it warms I also get maple and candied nut. The aroma here is the big winner between the two, hands-down.

Frothy and soft but with a medium level of boozy heat, this semi-dry version tastes of apple, pear, toast, wood, licorice and molasses.