Cherry Adam From The Wood
Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company

Had this on 2026-02-06 near Pittsburgh, PA from a 2019 bottle.

Strong aromas of cherry and bourbon. Dark brown with no head and no lace. rich dark brown bread aroma. And the classic care of the dog yeast. plenty of dark cherry skins with a bit of tartness. The bourbon is there but on the mild side. The alcohol is there but not real noticeable. It’s just freaking delicious.

 

 

2018 Vintage

A - Raisin colored pour with thin toffee colored lacing and very low to little carbonation.

S - Toffee, cherry, Sherry, and some alcohol presence on the nose.

T - Oak, cherry, Sherry, caramel / toffee malt, and Bourbon while finishing on the sweeter side.

M - Light syrupy body with pronounced warming on the way down.

O - Boozy but nice blended complexity.

Poured a 2014 bottle in 2025. It was exceptional.

Look - Has a clear very dark brown color with no head.

Smell - Smell on this is amazing. Cherries, oak and maybe vanilla? Really nice!

Taste - Taste is wonderful as well, with many of the same characteristics as the nose.

Feel - Goes down well for a 13.5% beer. No carbonation, but the bottle says it wasn't supposed to have any, but a nice smoothness.

Overall - Overall I found this to another fantastic beer from Hair of the Dog.

2020 Vintage tasted in 2025. Still holding up. Nice brownish/red color. Quire a bit of sediment in bottom. Little bit of carbonation bubbles upon pouring. No describable head. Nose was cherry. Taste was cherry with a tartness. Easy drinking with a warmth going down.

 

2024-12-24
12oz bottle served in a little WABL sample glass. 2016 vintage. Bought it at Bottleworks a couple days ago.

Pours black, slightly translucent, with basically no head and only a little visible carbonation immediately on the pour. Smell is booze, wood, chocolate, cherry, sawdust.

Taste is lots of cherry, some dates, kwik chocolate sweetness, booze and lots of molasses. Some root beer.

Mouthfeel is medium to thin, smooth, flat. Overall, very nice, but would be better with a hint of carbonation and a bit more silky texture.

Adam seemed just fine on his own. And then the found wood, and then he found cherries. A long slumber on oak and pitted fruit gives him a tart and oaken upgrade that he didn't think that he needed.

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

Rich barleyine flavors of dense English malts, stone fruits, cherries and bold rum-like alcohols wrap around toasted malts to give a light chocolate, coffee, nuttiness, and a modest campfire note, all making for an exquisite experience to the senses. A dry syrupy character approaches the tongue with a malty-rich stride. Molasses, brown sugar and chocolate all carry a leathery dryness for a sweet, savory and tangy middle palate.

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

Lightly carbonated, full-ish in body and certainly off-cloying, the cherry and oak version of Adam 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.

 

 

 

2020 vintage

And for the second to last new beer to review from my HotD box, we have Cherry Adam From The Wood. Like Doggie Claws, this was part of a mixed vintage 12 pack, so I have vintages of this dating back to 2011 and wanted to start with the freshest I have. I’ve had regular Adam, albeit a 1997 vintage so I’m not really sure what to expect here

Pours an opaque medium brown with a finger of light beige head that quickly fades to a thin ring and leaves minimal lacing

Holy hell, this might be one of the most cherry-forward beers I’ve ever smelled. I’m picking up on aromas of tart cherry, dark chocolate, brown sugar, plum, dry oak, tannic red wine, vanilla, dark bread, light caramel, and molasses

It doesn’t quite have the same impact in taste, but I still enjoy it quite a bit. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting molasses, black cherry, tannic red wine, dry oak, raspberry, dark toast, and vanilla. The swallow brings notes of black cherry, dry oak, molasses, brown sugar, plum, dark bread, sweet caramel, and light fusel alcohol

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a slick and slightly boozy beer. Finishes bone dry and complex

This is one hell of a beer. I wish it had just a bit more cherry presence in taste as it does in the aroma, but it’s still awesome. Well, the only one I have left to review is Don, quite a special one
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2014 vintage consumed 2/5/24

It lacks any real head like most of the other vintages I've had, just a few light brown bubbles over a murky brown body. These older vintages really lose their cherry pop in the nose (obviously) but it's still quite nice. Lots of molasses, brown sugar, cherry pit, toasted walnut, cocoa powder, fusel alcohol, toffee, light oak, and plum. The taste was never super cherry forward so it's not all that different from the 2020. Up front it's molasses, golden raisin, pecan, jammy raspberry, burnt caramel, smooth oak, cognac, and light vanilla. The swallow presents baked apple, burnt sugar, cherry pit, jammy raspberry, smooth oak, pear skin, brown sugar, cognac, and the slightest hint of leafy hops. Medium full body with almost no carbonation and a slightly dry finish. Unfortunately this is worse in every aspect, but still a pretty damn good beer. It should be interesting to see what the 2011 bottle I have is like

4.03/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2011 vintage consumed 2/18/24

Once again there’s no head to this, but it has a nicer color, more of a reddish brown but still opaque. The nose is pretty similar to the 2014 vintage I had a few weeks ago and that’s fine by me. Lots of cherry pit, molasses, dates, burnt sugar, caramel, smooth oak, plum, cocoa powder, light leafy hops, and a touch of booze. Oh wow, this is surprisingly more jammy and brighter than the 2014 vintage in taste. Up front it’s black cherry, brown bread, molasses, dates, burnt sugar, caramel, golden raisin, baked apple, smooth oak, and light orange. The swallow presents cherry pit, molasses, burnt sugar, dark toast, dates, toasted oak, cocoa powder, and black cherry. Medium full body with gentle carbonation and a mostly dry finish. I had 3 other vintages that I never reviewed, but ironically this oldest one I had was my favorite aside from the freshest bottle I had. A great beer no matter the age though

4.31/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2019 vintage. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter. Serving temp ~60F.

Clear rosewood body with amaranth highlights and an active collar of misty rose/beige foam. Fine bands of lacing recedes down thin waves of shimmering legs. Decent retention for the style and ABV.

Rich, potent malt aroma accompanied by a lower layer of barrel notes and a lower layer of cherry which blends seamlessly into the stewed fruit and esters at the bottom of perception. Pipe tobacco, treacle, toffee, bread pudding, etc. Just short of amazing.

Rich dark cherry flavor right at the front of the palate. As soon as you get a note of cherry pit, this is joined by dried apricot, leather, baker's chocolate, and notes of fine sherry/port from the oxidation. Mild bitterness melds with the flavors from alcohol. Long, smooth, yet dense/chewy medium finish. Superb.

Medium-low carbonation, faintly oily/slick mouth-feel - gentle tannins and even heat.

An immensely enjoyable sipper worthy of contemplation.

 

Pours a murky purple-tinted dark amber color with a thin tan head that quickly dissipates into a lasting wisp and crown. Spotty lacing.

Cherry, leather and wood in the nose.

Cherry, vinegar and sherry dominate the taste. There’s some leather, burnt ends, clay and wood behind. Complemented by some alcohol burn.

Slick, oily feel with soft carbonation.

They didn’t skimp on the cherry. 2021 bottle.

Pours a dirty brown-burgundy with a murky transparency. Head is a finger of khaki foam. Aroma is cherry, which is tart, plump, and forward. Toasty, caramelly, and mildly nutty malts come in behind, bringing with them dry oak. The tartness of the cherries starts to fade as the beer warms a touch. Flavor profile is cherry, which is less tart, but more plump than the aroma. Caramel, toast, toffee, and oak build and elevate the remainder of the flavor profile. Dark fruits tack onto the back, but are mild. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a slightly fuzzy texture. Overall, this really develops well as it warms. Cherry notes, are as would be implied by the name of the beer, abundant. Does not feel hot or heavy, as the ABV would suggest.

Served in a 15.5oz Spegeialu tulip from a 12oz bottle. 2021 version. Consumed / noted July 2022. 13.5% ABV.

Revisited April 06th, 2026

Clear, dark brown pour; no lasting head. Hints of chocolate, cocoa, and cherries on the nose; faint oak and leather. Fantastic taste; sweet and tart cherries wrapping around light cocoa powder sweetness; dried figs and sweet dates; some abstract spiciness, cinnamon and anise; fine, boozy undercurrent; Red Man chewing tobacco. Outstanding mouthfeel; dense and viscous; slippery; palate coating; sublime and gentle overall warmth.

Wow! This 2018 edition certainly is a treat. I love the richness and balance of things. Well-crafted beers can be beautifully aged. This beer exemplifies this concept.

ABV: 11.5%; pouring temperature: 56.0 °F; bottling info: 2018
Source: online direct from brewery purchase

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

Revisited: October 13th, 2022

Ratings, scores, review:

4.25 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0; BA weighted overall score: 4.02; rDev: -6.9%

Burnt umber color, opaque in the stemless tulip glass; thin yet lasting ring of foam circling the glass circumference, slippery legs of foam slide down the glass with every sip. Prominent raw oak aroma; lesser presence of raisins, leather, and tobacco; a hint of old cherry. Slightly sour taste; cherry; figs and raisins; woody phenols; brandy-like. Heavy body; light velvety quality to the mouthfeel; alcohol warmth.

I like this edition of the beer, but was more impressed with the 2020 version I had a few months ago. This latest edition seems a bit thinner in flavor and mouthfeel. Perhaps a couple of years of further aging more develop more complex flavors. I have one bottle left (may get a few more), so the empirical method certainly will come into play in the future.

Pouring temperature: 45 °F; bottling info: 2022

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

Original July 13th, 2022 review of 2020 vintage: 3.75 3.75 4.5 4.5 4.25; overall: 4.23; rDev: -2.1%

Muddy, brown body with a thin, wispy ring of foam and thin patches of head riding atop the beer. Faint aroma; pleasant cherry sweetness backed with a faint, musty wood note. Sweet cherry flavor interspersed with sharp bourbon flavors; very mild fruit tartness; raw white oak; rye. Heavy body; fairly smooth overall; a bit acidic.

Few beers are like Hair of The Dog beers, and that makes them unique and enjoyable. This edition of Cherry Adam is quite enjoyable in the taste department. It is somewhat like a boozy black cherry pie. As the beer warms, a lasting yet thin head does form across the top of the beer plus a little stronger smell develops, more malty in character. A nice and different beer.

Pouring temperature: 41 °F; bottling year: 2020

Brewery announced it was going out of business, so I mailed order direct from the brewery. I received a six pack of all different vintages. Drank this one after a good day working in the yard. An Old Ale @ 13.5% ABV. Poured into a small, stemmed tulip glass.

This is the 2021 vintage. Aroma reminded me of my grandfather’s basement as we made wine in my youth. Acidic like an old ale, but not as malty as I believe an old ale should be. More sour-like than I recall other old ales. Not a sour. Not a barleywine. 4.0

A – Pours opaque, muddy, dark brown, mahogany. Still with no discernable carbonation and no head. Some mild viscosity on the glass. Classically ugly. 4.0

S – Aromas of sour cherry, mild sweetness and spirits, vinous qualities. 4.0

T – Tart. Faint cherries. Not fruity. Oxidized. Oaky – very oaky in my opinion. Cardboard. Some very mild sweetness in the start, but none in the finish. No discernable hops. 3.75

MF – Medium bodied, but thin for the high ABV. Dry, slightly tart finish. 3.75

This beer has been in my ~45°F beer refrigerator for several weeks, so I let the beer warm at room temperature for 20-30 minutes after removing it.

A faint hiss as I pop the cap. The pour was not gentle and I made no attempt to decant. Even so, there was no head formation at all save a small ring and a few islets of bubbles on an otherwise still surface. The color is a nearly opaque dark brown, with lighter brown revealed around the edges with a back light. No carbonation visible.

The aroma is not strong. Tart cherries with acidity as from a Berliner. Wood, leather, and dark bread are in the aroma as well, but I have to tease them out from behind the tart cherries.

The initial taste is of leather and dark bread, but this is quickly socked by the tart cherry and acidity. The tart cherries dominate from the onset through to the finish and into the aftertaste, with the tartness becoming more astringent in the finish. There is a definite woody character underlying everything, perhaps accounting for the astringency. The finish and aftertaste are, as promised on the bottle label, sweet-tart. The alcohol is obvious in the flavor, the sharpness, and in the warming.

The body is on the thin side of moderate, with a sharp feel due to the acidity.

Overall, a very nice beer. Style-wise, it presents more in line with the Berliner style than Old Ale, IMO. However, I’ve allowed it to seek its own uniqueness, and on that scale, it is very good.