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

Cherry Adam From The WoodCherry Adam 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:
13.5%
Score:
96
Avg:
4.32 | pDev: 10.19%
Reviews:
305
Ratings:
909
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 13, 2024
Added:
Nov 16, 2008
Wants:
  878
Gots:
  176
Cherry Adam from the Wood is aged with locally grown black cherries in Bourbon and Sherry casks for 15 months.

First release - November 2008
Second release - November 2009
Third release - March 2011
Fourth release - November 2012
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by StonedTrippin:
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Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.21/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
very few beers can rival this one in terms of complexity and depth, its downright enormous, and is so unique in the crowded american strong ale world, i love it. thanks to drlovemd87 for unselfishly sharing yet another bottle of exceptional ale with me. dark auburn in color, syrup textured, dead still, heavily sedimented brew. black cherry color to match its added fruit. intentionally flat, i think maybe the carbonic acid exposure over time on a beer thats meant to be cellared like this one may denature or corrupt some of the fruit character and smoothness, which is why, i presume, they didn't carbonate it. a nose of medicinal cherries, over ripe black cherries, and a whole heaping ton of sweet grain. toffee and coffee and dark chocolate covered dried cherry come out in the flavor, and I'm amazed how little the alcohol shows up. its so thick too, viscous and pushing gelatinous in terms of mouthfeel, but i don't want it to have bubbles. the decadence of the feel makes me inclined to sip on it, rather than hammer it, which allows it to warm up, and man oh man does it warm up beautifully. the grain is never lost, but the cherry is dominant i think, especially at temperature, and especially in the finish. it kind of reminds me of one of those home spun booze infusions with fresh fruit, where you forget about a jug of whiskey for a few decades loaded with plums or something, very grandpa-like. so much texture, its palate coating and increasingly cherry focused as it warms. wonderfully done beer here, like nothing else I've come across in terms of enormity and grace. as much a cordial as it is an ale. wish we could get their beer in colorado, i don't think anyone here does beer quite like this.

edit: homie shared a 2012 vintage bottle with me in december of 2022, ten years old now, pretty cool to get to sip on one this long cellared, and as was to be expected, it has aged fantastically well, not even really all that different from the one i had above, which was nowhere near this old, maybe a little less assertive fruit, but now its got all kinds of middle nuance like raisins and leather and cognac, and both the wood and whiskey seem as pronounced as ever. also think there is some alcohol content variability from year to year on these. char, oak, vanilla, light maple and molasses too, but its not stuck to my teeth. i like the little bit of oxidation is has too, gives it a sort of english appeal, and the malt layers are absurd. amazing beer, as good now, or even better, as it was when i had it last, increasing aroma score slightly. i already miss these guys and they just closed...
Jul 06, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.87 by trevorpost from Pennsylvania

Mar 13, 2024
 
Rated: 4.26 by NorCalYeti from California

Dec 30, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by BarrelAgedG from California

Feb 17, 2023
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.31/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
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
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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
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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
Feb 04, 2023
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Reviewed by augustgarage from California

4.48/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
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.
Dec 30, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by Fettpopps from Massachusetts

Oct 30, 2022
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Reviewed by thebeers from Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
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.
Aug 24, 2022
Photo of Harrison8
Reviewed by Harrison8 from Missouri

4.24/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
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.
Jul 31, 2022
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Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

4.02/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Revisited: October 13th, 2022

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

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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
Jul 13, 2022
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Reviewed by Sludgeman from District of Columbia

3.88/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
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
Jul 04, 2022
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Reviewed by MNAle from Minnesota

4.11/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
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.
Jun 30, 2022
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Rated by BMBCLT from South Carolina

2.07/5  rDev -52.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
2021 Vintage

Drain-pour!
Jun 27, 2022
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.24/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Sampling a cellar temp 12 oz bottle poured into my snifter. Another bottle that was part of my cellar order last fall.
The beer pours a dark mahogany color with some garnet highlights as it falls into my glass. Does appear to have some cherry juice/coloring as it pours. I decant and leave the sediment in the bottle and get a thin densely packed edge layering of beige foam. This foam leaves just a hint of scattered lattice on the glass when I swirl or take a sip.
The aroma on this beer is sort of what I expect, but also kind of unique. I get some brown sugar and dark fruit, like plums, and definitely some cherry notes. The cherry aroma is sort of a tart cherry note. I dont get any hops but do get just a bit of spicy booze note. the booze isnt surprising for 13.5%. Jeebus! these beers are high octane!
First sip reveals a medium body with a bit of a slick mouthfeel and very fine and tingly carbonation. While the carb is physically present, there isnt a lot of it.
Flavor is some brown sugar and toffee and then this rolls to some sweet cherry briefly and then more tart cherry notes take over. I dont get any hop flavor either. the cherry notes linger well after the swallow and the warming booze only hits after the beer gets to my belly. The delayed warmth is impressive in my opinion, for a big ABV brew.
Glad to have tried this one, and sad that the brewery is closing down. Definitely an innovative player in the craft brewing world for many decades!
Jun 27, 2022
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Reviewed by mushroomcloud from Texas

4.21/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2021 vintage. Opened 6-24-22.
Dark brown (opaque) with some red-brown highlights at the bottom and edges. Thin beige head that hangs around longer than expected and retains as a ring. Getting some pleasant fresh cherry aroma along with wet wood and brown sugar. Tart red cherry flavor, a soft spice, and young bitterness. Slick/smooth mouthfeel, low carbonation, some heat and only a touch of sweetness in a long finish. Very drinkable at 13.5%. Unique. Outstanding.

2021 vintage. Opened 8-6-23.
Jun 25, 2022
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Reviewed by FBarber from Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
2022 vintage.

So right off the bat I was taken aback as this beer kind of gushed out on me when I opened it, Got all of it in the glass, but was not expecting that much carbonation in this beer.

In terms of appearance, it pours a lovely reddish brown color. Opaque, but not overly hefty in appearance. Huge billowy tan head initially forms, but quickly dissipates leaving a thin layer of foam along the top of the beer. That thin layer then just sticks around for the longest time. Aroma has notes of oak, leather, bready malts with a light roastiness to them, cherry, smoke and some dark fruits.

Taste follows the nose with notes of bready malts with some moderate smokiness and a light roastiness. There are notes of dried hops with some light to moderate bitterness. The cherries come through with just a hint of sweetness. They end up providing more tartness to the beer than sweetness. As I drink the beer there is a slight spicy note to the finish that rounds into view as it warms up. Feel is smooth, medium bodied, with very minimal carbonation. Drier on the finish.

If I move past the idiosyncratic carbonation that seems to be the hallmark of all of these HotD beers, this is incredible. The smokiness, the cherries and the underlying beer just work so well together providing this unique, rich flavor. It almost gives off this umami quality for me. I'm definitely savoring this beer.
Jun 25, 2022
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2021 vintage, drank at the taproom in Portland in 2022

Cellar temp bottle. pours a very dark brown, almost black. Tart cherry, oak, and smokey malt in the aroma. Similar flavor, a little boozy. Medium bodied.
Apr 29, 2022
 
Rated: 4.06 by alexsergio from New York

Apr 07, 2022
Photo of darktronica
Reviewed by darktronica from Indiana

4.29/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2021 vintage, a pretty lightly carbonated one at this time. I love the subtlety and balance of HotD's approach, where even sour cherry variants are highly complex.
Feb 16, 2022
Photo of zac16125
Reviewed by zac16125 from South Carolina

4.31/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Very dark brown, essentially black. Small fizzy tan head dissipates quickly and leaves no lacing. 4.25

S: Smoky char, molasses, earthy, ripe red fruits. Pretty big oak, herbaceous, cherry is moderately strong. 4.5

T: Taste is an almost tart cherry up front, followed by the typical dark charry roast characters of HotD. Pretty big raw oak. Fig and dates, subtle caramel round it out. 4.25

M/D: Full bodied, low carbonation, ABV well masked with average drinkability. 4.25

O: Overall, very good but not mind blowing, which seems to be where I settle with most HotD beers. Certainly worthy of a drink, a cellaring, and a revisit but an all time BA top 5 Old Ale? Not at that level for me personally. 4.25
Dec 24, 2021
Cherry Adam From The Wood from Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company / Brewery And Tasting Room
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 909 ratings