Matt
Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company / Brewery And Tasting Room

MattMatt
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company / Brewery And Tasting Room
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
11.5%
Score:
98
Avg:
4.44 | pDev: 10.81%
Reviews:
275
Ratings:
948
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 16, 2024
Added:
Jan 27, 2009
Wants:
  1,423
Gots:
  144
Brewed using two Munich malts, two Smoked malts and two types of Belgian candy sugar. It was aged in 33 year old Bourbon barrels and Apple Eau de Vie barrels for about one year.

First release: February 2009 (a.k.a. 'Bottleworks X')
Second release: November 2010
Third release: October 2013
Fourth release: 2016
Fifth release: 2019
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by LiquidAmber:
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.32/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Review from 12/2010 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours dark brown, almost black. No carbonation at all. Aroma of dark dried fruit, bourbon with hints of vanilla and caramel. Rich, complex flavor dominated by dark fruit, dark malts, chocolate and caramel sweetness. Finishes sweet with some wood overtones. A bit sweet. Would have scored a 10 with some carbonation. I'll age one.
Apr 12, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of thebeers
Reviewed by thebeers from Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Purple-hued cola black with the slightest of spotty tan head bubbles, but otherwise no head to speak of. Vinegar, umami and port in the nose and the taste. The taste adds moderate smoke and light char, as well as flashes of caramel, raisin and honeycrisp apple. Medium bodied and slick feeling with minimal carbonation. There is some nice depth to the malt and fun interplay with the barrels, and it otherwise delivers as advertised, but the smoke isn’t to my personal preference. 2019 bottle.
Jan 16, 2024
Photo of CarolinaCardinals
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina

4.06/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Received a 12 oz Mystery bottle from @DIM 12-7-23.

Beer pours a murky reddish brown with virtually no head. This is suggesting a barleywine is in hand.

Nose is giving me some plum and a strong dose of muskiness with a hint of sour. Perhaps tequila barrels?

Taste is a huge malt base giving me plums, prunes, and dates. Finishes with a balanced and very embracing warmth with each sip.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and fairly smooth.

Overall, I believe I am tasting a very strong barleywine, guessing 14-16 abv given the warmth, aged in tequila barrels.

The reveal:

a 2022 Matt from Hair of the Dog!

Label description: Made with various malts, smoked grains, and candi sugar, it has notes of apple, chocolate, and gratitude. Wow, I am shaky at blind tastings but man this was fun! ABV is 11.5 so I was way off there as it came across much more potent with all the warming. I still will argue that i am getting more dark fruits than apple as the label suggests. Regardless, big thanks to Dan for the challenge!
Dec 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by shigg85 from Japan

Sep 15, 2023
 
Rated: 4.1 by smi69 from New York

Feb 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.18 by trevorpost from Pennsylvania

Dec 31, 2022
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
2022 vintage

Alright, back to the Hair Of The Dog beers I ordered a few months back. I'm really trying to nurse these since I know that once they're gone, that's it. A blend of beer aged in bourbon barrels and apple eau de vie barrels sounds very interesting, so let's get into it

Pours an opaque medium brown with just a few sad bubbles, giving the impression of a much older beer than this is

The nose here is quite boozy for "only" 11.5%, but there's a fruity complexity to round it out. I'm picking up on aromas of sweet bourbon, brown sugar, raisin, baked apple, charred oak, peat smoke, sticky toffee, milk chocolate, and tobacco

It's a bit more abrasive in taste, but I still quite enjoy it. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting milk chocolate, candi sugar, sweet caramel, apple brandy, sweet bourbon, molasses, light plum, and oak. The swallow brings notes of apple brandy, raisin, brown sugar, molasses, charred oak, fusel alcohol, peat smoke, light leather, and tobacco

A shockingly thin beer pairs with almost no discernible carbonation, resulting in a sharp boozy beer. Finishes boozy and fruity

This is a strange, strange beer. It's such a thin approach to a high abv style, with weird barrel treatment. Despite this, there's still a pretty damn good beer behind the weirdness

_____________________________________________

2013 vintage, consumed 7/13/23

Let’s go for another one of these guys. I got both the 2022 and this 2013 in my HOTD box last year. Let’s see how this is with 10 years on it

It looks exactly the same as the 2022, and still not really an attractive beer

It’s also quite similar in the nose, with the fruity notes being more prevalent. I’m picking up on aromas of plum skin, baked apple, molasses, sweet bourbon, brown sugar, tobacco, black cherry, toasted oak, and light smoke

I still have the same impression here of the 2022 where it’s more aggressive in taste. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting apple brandy, sweet bourbon, plum skin, molasses, burnt caramel, toasted oak, and light raisin. The swallow brings notes of apple brandy, burnt caramel, molasses, toasted oak, vanilla, earthy cinnamon, raisin, tobacco, and fusel alcohol

A medium body pairs with very gentle carbonation, resulting in a slick and boozy beer. Finishes mostly dry but boozy

I’m actually scared how similar this is to a beer that was 9 years younger. Are these damn things bulletproof? The only change I’d make to my rating is bumping the feel up from 3.5 to 3.75
Dec 11, 2022
 
Rated: 4.01 by kemoarps from New York

Oct 22, 2022
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Matt 2022 from Hair of the Dog Brewing. Purchased on-line from the brewer. Stored at 37 degrees at home. Reviewed 13/08/22. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottle appears with only 2022 on the label, otherwise undated. Price for 12 oz bottle 16.41 (Including shipping) = $ 1.37/oz. Served at 55.9 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King Snifter. Final temperature 61.3 degrees.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Deep Amber (SRM 15), slight haze (Bottle conditioned).
Body – Brown (SRM 20), opaque. Under direct light, looks like dirt road puddle water after you’ve just driven through. When rear-lite, some light penetrates at the edge, olive.
Head – None (Aggressive center pour). A few tiny bubbles align around the rim.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Caramel/peaty. No hops, no yeast, no bourbon, no barrel.
Flavor – 4 – Begins with a hard palate burn. Candi sugar comes through, no hops, no yeast. Distinct bourbon! Some weak dark fruitiness. Sweet but not cloying. No ethanol (11.5 % ABV as marked on label) aroma or taste although the bourbon is stronger on the exhale. No vanillin or tannins. Distinct upper gastric burning, weak lower gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Slightly sour (!) ending.
Palate – 3.75 – Medium, almost creamy, barely noticeable carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 Respectable brew a bit on the syrupy side. Flavors are mulled and indistinct. Perhaps this needs to age a few years. One and done.
Aug 14, 2022
Photo of Harrison8
Reviewed by Harrison8 from Missouri

3.96/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a dark brown with a semi-murky transparency. It looks a bit like dirty lake water. A finger of khaki fizz sits on top. Aroma is smoke, which really leads things off. Caramel, fig, raisins, and dark fruits mingle behind with some soft barrel. Flavor profile hits most of those same notes, starting with smoke again, and building with caramel, fig, and mild dark fruits and barrel. Toasty, bready, and earthy malts build it up further, with the first two being the emphasis. Mouth feel is medium in thickness with a very mild, watery texture. Overall, a mild, smoke forward beer that pairs up with some barrel. A bit surprising how mild it is considering the 11.5% ABV.

Served in a 15.5oz Spiegelau tulip from a 12oz bottle. 2019 bottle. Consumed / noted July 2022. Reviewed from notes.
Jul 31, 2022
 
Rated: 4.31 by dshansen1184 from Washington

Jul 15, 2022
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.4/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Cellared 3 years. Tobacco brown opaque pour with a beige collar. A lot going on here in the nose: peat smoke, earth, black strap molasses, leather, tons of dark fruit especially plum and date, and oak. Taste starts with the sweeter candi sugar, date, and grape strong now too with nose elements, then smoky earth, licorice, leather, anise finishing. Feel is light while maintaining a robust edge, booze and yeast carry well with some finishing bite. RIP HotD
Jul 07, 2022
Photo of jrc1093
Reviewed by jrc1093 from Connecticut

3.79/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75
2019 vintage; consumed on 4/3/2022

Pours a nearly viscous chestnut-brown body capped yielding no head and some lightly distinguishable effervescence poking at the surface; a glossy void remains and no lacing is produced; for all intents and purposes, this is a an almost entirely placid beer.

Aromas of almost acrid char of bourbon hits a medicinal smoke peak, permeating dirt and dehydrated coffee grounds through roasted green apple core as cleaner apple eau de vie pronounces over time.

Taste shows grilled green apple developing medicinal smoke and a mossy peat progression upfront into cherrywood, slight hickory, and roasty chocolate through the mid-palate; leather provides a more refined backdrop to mushy grape on the back end as fresher dark chocolate notes linger through the finish.

Mouthfeel brings a medium-full body dispersing a semi-creamy texture through minimal carbonation; a silky character over the mid-palate shows a slightly gritty, tannic understructure across the back end, finishing almost bright, and exceedingly dry.

Truly eccentric and bluntly weighty in expression, a cleanly executed polarity of barrel, malt, and smoke stabilizes a sensory roller coaster; overall, an odd yet appreciable offering.
Apr 04, 2022
Photo of JohnnyHopps
Reviewed by JohnnyHopps from Indiana

4.69/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Appearance - The beer poured a murky black color with little visible carbonation or head.

Smell - The candy sugar came through in the nose. It brought Twizzlers to mind, with oaky notes.

Taste - Initially, I detected sweet cocoa powder. Sweet fruit leather and pipe tobacco notes followed. The finish brought to mind a dry red wine. There was just a touch of heat in the finish.

Mouthfeel - The thick body stuck to the roof of the mouth and tongue. It allowed this righteous beer to linger.

Overall - This beer was really good!
Apr 03, 2022
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
2019 bottle, drank at cellar temp 55 degrees

pours very dark brown, almost black. just a thin ring of bubbles, no head. aroma of dark malt - cocoa, mild molasses, pipe tobacco, smoke, a little boozy. similar flavor, earthly, touch of hard cider, lingering finish. just a touch of carbonation, so sticky mouthfeel.
Apr 02, 2022
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

3.89/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Sampling a cellar temp 12 oz bottle poured into my snifter. Purchased about a year ago from the Brewery and shipped to my house. Bottle has been in the cellar since then and is a 2019 vintage.
The beer pours a dark cola brown that exhibits some ruby highlighting on the edges when held to a light source.
Minimal beige frothy head foams up after aggressively pouring the second half of the bottle. ALmost seemed still up until that point. Surprisingly the foam remains a tightly packed edge layering that remains throughout this sampling.
The aroma is big and robust malt character. I get molasses and raisins with some notes of wood and also a decent amount of smokiness, which is surprising to have carried for 3 ish years. there is also a little bit of tobacco leaf and some wooden notes and some bourbon notes that sweeten up the nose. Not really boozy and the smoke and bourbon intertwine and dominate the nose. I Dont get any hops nor any booze on this aroma.
First sip reveals a light to medium body and almost still carbonation. It is very fine and spacious almost non-existent. Feel is a little slick and texture is smooth, the beer drinks easy for the physical traits. Yet somehow still tells me its a sipper.
Flavor is some molasses and bourbon with a bit of sweet raisin and this rolls to some smoked notes and char, more ashy than smoked meat. There is a bit of black peppery bite but not really any warmth. No hop notes and I do find the char to be a little harsh on the finish. Overall an enjoyable beer and glad I could get this from HOTD, but I think I would pass o another bottle due to the charred note.
Feb 13, 2022
Photo of von_kaiser
Reviewed by von_kaiser from Connecticut

5/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
strong oaky scent. tastes like oak, smoke and raisins. light carbonation but not so much to make it still. enjoyed this much more than Adam from the wood. A delightful room temp winter sipper.
Dec 29, 2021
Photo of JLK7299
Reviewed by JLK7299 from North Carolina

5/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Drinking this right now at a bottle share. Initial reactions: smoky, a lot of oak. It is thick and very tasty but I would agree with the initial reactions.
Dec 28, 2021
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.65/5  rDev +4.7%
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, chocolate, smoke and Bourbon barrel hints
The taste follows the nose with very well balanced and complex molasses, chocolate, smoke and Bourbon flavors
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A great and very well balanced Strong Ale
Dec 20, 2021
 
Rated: 4.5 by paulish from New York

Dec 15, 2021
Matt from Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company / Brewery And Tasting Room
Beer rating: 98 out of 100 with 948 ratings