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

2017 vintage, reviewed 2022

Zero pop to the cap, pours like an uncarbonated juice, maybe a couple bubbles. It’s kind of a dark cooper color in the glass. Not a strong start, she’s not much of a looker. Aroma is huge scotch peat characters, raw oak, subtle caramel and very fair dark fruits that you really have to work for. Taste is more complex and eons better than the appearance and nose implied. Port wine, oak, a medley of dark fruits, caramel/toffee. Oak and the big peaty scotch notes come on the finish and linger for a while. Really a ton going on and very delicious. Mouthfeel is a bit odd due to the complete lack of carbonation, and it’s quite thin; it drinks more like a spirit. Not sure the ABV but it’s not noticeable. Considering the absence of carbonation and thin mouthfeel it still remains quite drinkable which is a bit of a surprise. Overall, highs and lows but definitely a drink I enjoyed.

2.75/4/4.5/3.75/4.25

 

Cellared bottle 4.5 years. Opaque brown pour, very still, no head. The house yeast is there right away in the nose with sweet cherry, bourbon, light molasses, black currant, big oak, brown sugar, and caramel with moderate oxidation. Taste has stronger oxidation, but also adds leather, tobacco, big prune, and faint milk chocolate. Feel is boozy and lighter, but the yeast and malts balance so well you don't care, absolutely no carbonation, so smooth. A unique take on the style with how the yeast and cherry are incorporated by the barrel, with gasp, nuance for a strong ale

Pours a burgundy-brown with heavy fog for the transparency. Head formation is null. Aroma is toasty, caramel, earthy malts with light cherry behind. It's semi-sweet, but it's really more focused on an impactful fullness. Flavor profile is caramel, toffee, molasses, brown and cane sugar, and light chocolate. It really leans into those old school sugary notes. Alcohol doesn't hit the nose, melting into the ale itself. Some faint cherry and oak adds to the depth. It's quite potent in depth, and yet not overly complex. It doesn't carry much, but what it does carry hits hard. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a still texture. This still texture keeps it drinking smooth. Overall, an extremely pleasant ale that combines nuanced simplicity with hearty alcohol, and does it all smoothly.


Served in a 15.5oz Speigalau tulip from a 12oz bottle. 2017 vintage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12oz Bottle

2017

A giant thanks goes out to Phil for always keeping the Hair of the Dog faucet flowing. Thanks, buddy! Cherry Fred is still, like some of the past variations. There's not a sound as the cap pops. With that said, this is still a great looking beer. It's dense and slightly murky. The darkest of reds even hinting at some deep purple highlights. It looks elegant yet bold, much like my interpretation of everything Hair of the Dog.

The nose on this beer is absurd. Figs, dates, and bing cherries get it going. There's a slightly oxidized brown bread maltiness combined with a touch of graham cracker. Soft oak and a bit of mustiness surround the giant malt driven body. It's a touch leathery, even earthy at times. This beer smells like you should be sipping it in a wood paneled, leather bound library next to a roaring fire and bear skin rug. Your smoking table next to you with a copy of The Sun Also Rises. When beer brings you to a place, it's a good thing and rare.

The cherry is ridiculously well done. Brown bread and soda bread make up the giant malt base. The fruitiness mentioned above is present in droves in the flavor profile. Fig & date with a rich, dark cherry presence. The oak is on the peripheral and a slight oxidation adds a ton of depth. Old leather is nuanced as is a bit of dark berry sweetness on the swallow. This is a really great beverage.

I find it necessary to ding the feel a bit because it's still. With that said, I don't know of a beer that could pull off no bubbles as well as this. The body has some weight up front with a velvety feel. There's no stick or overly sweet finish though, it cleans up nicely. What there is, is a welcomed boozy spice on the swallow that dries up the overall finish. This stuff is dangerous.

What can I say? Hair of the Dog packages a beer with no bubbles and it is still a masterpiece. There's great dark fruitiness and depth present in this beer while remaining dangerously approachable. 750s of this guy would be perfect for the Winter holidays. What a great beer. Thanks again, Phil!

 

 

As with most of Fred's litter, Cherry Fred From The Wood doesn't make a sound as the cap is pried off. I'm not worried this time. The pour reveals a deep crimson fluid, which collects as a solid body of dark cherry or even prune purple. As expected, it is completely flat, with just a few beads floating around the perimeter of the glass.

Bourbon, cherry, and wood are intoxicating as they lazily ascend from the surface. Wonderful compliments of chocolate, cinnamon, and granola make my mouth begin to water as I imagine this is going to be like taking a bite into freshly baked cherry pie, only the cherries were bathed in sweet bourbon first.

Sweet Baby Jesus. The first sip comes out of the gate with smooth and mildly oaked bourbon being front and center. Slightly tart dark cherries glide over next, drizzled like a syrup reduction. Sweet milk chocolate dusted in spices finish this off, and without the perception of granola or bread, this ends up being a bit more like a cherry truffles than pie. Fine by me.

There is no carbonation, as expected with Fred. And once again, it works quite well. It would only distract from the rich and syrupy full figured mass that Fred is. Sturdy. Strong. Bold. At 13.5% abv, it's no wonder there is a hearty warmth, but still this manages to hide it well.

Once again, Hair of the Dog delivers an incredible beer. And once again, a beer that is probably not for everybody. But those who are fans of this incredible brewery need to put this one on their wants list, right up there at the top. Plenty of bite from this dog. Cheers!

 

On tap at Birriria Volo, after all these years of missing this dog. Initially soapy glass despite the high $ per ounce. Then cherry, plastic cherry, sweet canned cherry. and Bourbon maple syrup that is the real taste, and not the off taste

On tap at Beavertown Extravaganza. Reddish copper color. Aroma has rich malts, sticky bourbon and sweet dried fruits. Taste is sweet and sugary with dried fruits and cherry preserve. No carbonation.

 

 

Cherry syrup

 

 

Big sweetness, rather flat. Towards the end of the night I ended up cuveeing this with some fresh Adam, a particularly leather / smokey batch. In a 2:1 ratio, fred to adam, became incredible.

Which is to say this is an excellent beer but lacking a touch in elements to balance the sweetness and bourbon.

 

I'm not really a fan of most cherry beers but this was definitely the best thing I had at HotD and that includes the very delicious 2013 Matt bottle I had later. Cherry is subtle and well integrated. I had this next to regular Fred and it didn't even seem like the same base beer. A truly great beer.

 

 

 

Had this on draft at Brouwer's Cafe in Fremont. Wasn't sure what to expect, but man was this a great beer. Definitely the most "cherry" tasting cherry beer I've ever had. Not sour or mouth puckering at all so not for those looking for something mouth puckering or sour. It packs a punch though at 11% abv. Excellent overall