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

2021 vintage. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter. Served in the high 50s to low 60s F.

A vigorous pour yields a clear bistre body with harvest gold highlights and a fine beige cap receding to a vague collar. Barely rousable lacing; moderately viscous legs.

Bourbon, cola, and chocolate covered cherries in the nose.

Fruit forward palate entry, tart cherries leading into a leathery old-ale-like malt delivery with not-quite-vinuous stewed fruit/mincemeat notes. Bittersweet finish with more acidity from the chocolate. Earthy mild bitterness. Strawberry wine, wax seals, and faint smoke. Barrel notes are present but surprisingly delicate (not muted). Perhaps some esters from the yeast...

Oily, creamy, thick mouth-feel with very light carbonation. Alcohol is warming but fairly restrained.

Big, cherry-forward, English-influenced curiosity from some masters of their craft - albeit not really to style at all.

 

 

 

2021 Vintage

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown appearing nearly opaque in the glass. Relief at a carbonation pop on opening, this poured with classic HotD stillness, a faint ring off-white bubbles around the glass. Aroma of dark toasted malt, chocolate, earthy wood, bourbon and dried cherries; oxidation although this is a 2012 bottle. Flavor is dark toasted malt, tart cherries, light chocolate, bourbon and woody oak; tart cherry finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess, low carbonation. Well, one anticipates low carbonation on many of HotD's big ales and this is one of them. Fortunately there is enough to keep this from being completely still, acceptable. The malt body feels full, but is overwhelmed by the cherry component, as is the chocolate. Not so much a stout profile as a tart cherry cordial strong ale. Interesting, but not one I'll need to chase down again.