Don (2022)
Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company / Brewery And Tasting Room

Alright, time for review 1700! It’s about time I broke into this one, I’ve had it for nearly a year at this point and the brewery has already released the 2023 vintage despite being closed. And it’s because of that new vintage that I must try this one for this landmark review to decide if it’s worth it to get the new one. I’ll likely be drinking small pours of this guy over the next few weeks, but let’s get an official review in now

Pours a murky medium brown with obviously no lacing but fantastic legs

Obviously this is booze forward in the nose, but it’s wonderfully complex in its booziness. I’m picking up on aromas of charred oak, sweet bourbon, black cherry, toasted walnut, port wine, brown sugar, fig, sweet caramel, light honey, and molasses

Despite the insane “modern” barrel treatment, this has a classic old world taste that Hair Of The Dog is known for, just amplified by the aging. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting toasted walnut, raisin, port wine, baked apple, brown sugar, sweet caramel, almond, toasted oak, rye bread, molasses, and light prune. The swallow brings notes of port wine, toasted walnut, molasses, sweet bourbon, stewed cherry, burnt caramel, funky rum, charred oak, prune, smoky tobacco, and fig

A medium full body and no carbonation results in a slick beer that drinks much closer to a spirit. Finishes neutral but coats the mouth, though drinks a bit below its abv

This is a wonderfully unique beer. I’m glad I have 2 bottles, but I’m really wondering how long I should wait on the next one. This thing seems bulletproof

 

one of the coolest beers ive had in a long time, massive thanks to my homie for sharing this, a beer of lore to be sure! this is done in a number of barrels, i think differently than the original don, rye, bourbon, port, and rum, all for a real long time, and this thing is massive at this abv! the bottle is one of the most unique i have ever seen, a funny screw top, looks like a medicine bottle, and this being packaged still makes this kind of thing not only cool but also sensible, can probably be resealed for later, like a port or something, so cool, even though we did not do that. the beer is slightly less viscous than anticipated, high shine, deep brownish red color, darker, maybe molasses toned, leggy and regal looking with zero head. the aroma of this is breathtaking, and not just from the alcohol, which actually is moderate to me for what this is. i get crazy dark sugars in here, belgian candy syrup, the rum for sure, a forever boil on the malt, maple and treacle and even birch syrup notes, raisin pulp and fig, then the more vinous elements, port for sure, walnut and blackberry with it, tons of oak all through it, just a light acidity to me too for a second, subtle coffee, cocoa, and barrel char, and then whiskey, spice, vanilla, honey, and toffee at the end, impossibly complex, and we need to let it sit and warm and breathe a little bit before we taste it, it fills the room. the flavor is wild, dates and prunes and dried cherries up front, the port wine part hits early, candied almond and butterscotch come on, brown sugar and creme brulee topping, light smoke and a bitter roast layer, big stout vibes for a few seconds, i swear i get scotch too, but definitely the spicy rye, all the oak, strong vanilla, black tea, burnt toast, still some english ale yeast in the hunt, licorice, tobacco, old mans closet, cognac, warming fusel alcohol but its not even that intense really, and this continues to evolve like mad as it sits. i definitely get some red wine tang at the end, sticky sweet but not offensive too, and just soaked in woodiness, amazing. its smooth from being still, unexpectedly slick, and just a downright joy to drink on. cant thank my friend enough for sharing this rarity, a wonderful exclamation point on barleywine night and a killer hair of the dog lineup. unforgettable!

Opened from a 16 fluid ounce bottle. Fridge temp, but let in warm before tasting. Not a sound when opened. This is definitely a still barleywine. The nose is insanely intense. Rum comes across initially, but this is a really nice rum. Reminds me more of the flavors from a Foursquare rum rather than a cheaper rum with a bunch of sugar added. Bourbon definitely makes a presence after a minute or two. Reminds me of Eagle Rare. This is definitely a beer to spend time with on the nose. Evolves rapidly and has so much to offer. Also getting some toffee, apricots, rhubarb, and orange.

The taste is intense. Really nice. Definitely boozy. The alcohol is immediately clear on the first swallow. This is one best consumed in small samples! Big rum and bourbon notes. Not getting as much of the port, but the rye does show up here. A nice spice. Slight pepper. Brown sugar, plums, raisins, an earthy note, and graham crackers. Wow. So intense. For me, this comes close to the line of a harder alcohol.

Mouthfeel is quite thick and viscous. That lack of carbonation really plays into the mouthfeel. The aftertaste is a mild sweetness from the barrels. Overall, a pretty awesome experience.

Dark, murky brown body; no head; looked thick and viscous during the pour. An alluring spicy, boozy aroma; dark fruits; dates and anise; wood-like herbal note. An initial take that the taste is bland quickly develops into a powerhouse of intense flavors; cinnamon and black licorice; peppermint; brown sugar; black cherry; bourbon; leather and tobacco; a suggestion of chili pepper. Heavy, thick and slippery mouthfeel; huge residual sugar presence; slippery and oily; plenty of alcohol warmth percolates through the beer's depth.

This is truly a unique and impressive beer. This is a non-carbonated beer (on purpose), so the relatively high score for the looks. Things get real interesting once the aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel come into play. The standard terms of 'rich' and 'complex' don't really do this beer justice. It's a definitely a unique and impressive beer experience. This one if for the ages.

Pouring temperature: 44 °F; bottling info: 2022

Sorry, any description of this beer would not give it justice. One of the top ten beers that I have ever tried. It's doesn't pour like a normal beer (it's flat, with a dark brown/black color). No lacing. The level of complexities in this beer is amazing - rye, dates, raisin, carmel, leather, whiskey. It's almost like one of FW Anniversary beers, but on steroids. Sadly, I only bought one before they sold out. I did share with one of my son's.

I will miss Hair of the Dog. Thanks Alan!

 

16 oz medicine bottle.

Cherry, orange, tobacco, leather, port, bourbon, oak, vanilla, raisins, figs, toffee, caramel, molasses. Brown sugar. Lots of barrel flavors. Warming, smooth, boozey in a good way. Low carb/still which is perfect for a beer like this. Drinks more like an old ale than a BW.

Cheers to HotD and the good run Alan had!

No bubbles, as advertised. This is a flat, muddy brown. There is plenty of heat and plenty of sweet, they compliment each other well. Up front I get baked apples covered in brown sugar and orange candies, these don't last long. Waves of umami, port, leather, molasses, smoke, and whiskey sweep the fruit aside. The finish is a really pleasant charred wood burn. The body has some heft but is still a bit thin.

I find myself sipping this like liquor. My extremities and belly get that nice warming tingle I associate with whiskey drinking. I'll enjoy this a few ounces at a time in a tumbler over the next few days. This beer is a singular experience, I've not had anything even similar. Better than the 2018 version by far, not even close. Very glad to have some more coming.

Wasn't a huge fan of the batch 1, but the 2022 version is a whole new kettle of fish. Enjoyed at the brewery tasting room yesterday...

Like the original version, the 2022 Don is completely still, and so there's no head or lacing whatsoever in this beer. On the nose, I pick up vanilla, dark fruits and noticeable whiskey, bourbon and rum. It's attractive enough, but the aroma profile really doesn't prepare you for the explosion of flavor on the palate. The 2022 Don is fairly sweet, but the beer isn't cloying and the sweetness isn't overwhelming. There are waves of flavor in this massive beer, as the beer shows the hallmark of considerable barrel aging. The label indicates that this beer was aged for at least 4 years in rye, bourbon, port and rum barrels, and that's apparent on the palate. This beer is incredibly rich and strong (there's considerable heat in the finish, which actually works well for this barleywine), with a long, nearly endless finish. Mouthfeel is very full and smooth, despite the considerable abv. Frankly, I'm not sure if carbonation would improve this beer, as it's pretty fantastic without it. Dyan mentioned in his review that this beer is quite warming, which if anything is an understatement.

An absolute tour de force by Alan Sprints, this is an amazing beer. It's expensive ($31 for a 16 ounce twist top bottle in the tasting room), but I don't regret purchasing the bottle I had at the brewery. Impressive.

Bottle at the source.

Batch 1 was tasty. This batch is phenomenal. Just incredibly rich barrel character, deep, well integrated, warming and particularly harmonious. Spicy rye, warmed dark fruit, leather, earth, cognac, toffee, ribbons of butterscotch, a gorgeous blend of rum and port. To stand up to such barrel expression requires a big beer, and this is just that. Big, brooding, warming, lush, creamy, mildly sherry like. Lovely full mouthfeel with a long, warming finish. Complex, harmonious, cogent and daring.

2022 version, at the brewpub in Portland. poured from screw top bottle, no carbonation.

very dark brown in color. Ton of complexity - fig, smoke, leather, spicy clove. Boozy. Still, no carbonation.

**EDIT also one of the bottles I brough home. bumping up the score a bit. At different times, I pick up the different spirit barrel characteristics.