Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2024)

Hair of The Dog Brewery -- Doggie Claws
Barley wine style ale
ABV: 10%; pouring temperature: 45.3 ℉; bottling info: 2002, bottle conditioned
Source: online purchase from brewery
Auxiliary vice: CAO -- Arcana Thunder Smoke - Toro Grande



4.02/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Revisited November 27th, 2024

Poured out a murky, dirty brown color; thin, soapy head that settles to a thin, partially creamy head, patchy. Fine aroma; sweet caramel and dark pitted fruits; raisins and figs; a twinge of oak and light phenols. The taste offers dark, sweet malts and stone fruits; herbal bitterness; oak barrel. Medium-heavy body; smooth and silky on the palate; very gentle boozy warmth.

I bought two bottles of the 2002 edition to see how these 22-year old beers have held up. While not up to par with later editions, this one drinks quite well for being two-plus decades old.

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December 25th, 2023 scores, ratings, and review:

4.5 4.0 4.5 4.75 4.5; BA weighted overall score: 4.41; rDev: +6.5%

Revisited December 25th, 2023

Clear copper pour; incredibly dense, slow-rising carbonation; thick, spongy, khaki colored head, very long lasting; thick, sticky rings and fingers of foam cling to the glass interior. Deep, rich caramel smell with some subliminal spiciness; figs. Superb taste; dense spicy sweetness; cinnamon and ginger; nutmeg; raisins, dates, figs; boozy. Immensely dense body; thick and sticky residual sugars; light and soothing alcohol warmth; incredibly dense head, sticky and velvety.

I need to rethink my take on Doggie Claws. This is by far the finest sample of it I've had, and it's 13 years old! Most editions are okay (in my book), but lack that special oomph to take these barleywines to the stratosphere. The 2010 edition has shown me what this - sadly - closed brewery could do.

ABV: 11%; pouring temperature: 41 °F; bottling info: 2010
Source: online order from the brewery

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June 26th, 2022 ratings and scores:

3.5 3.5 3.75 4.25 3.75; BA weighted overall score: 3.73; rDev: -9.9%

Revisited June 26th 2022 (the day Hair of The Dog closed for business)
Barleywine style ale
ABV: 10.5%; pouring temperature: 41.2 ℉; bottling data: 2006

Brownish-red body, muddy; sparse, patch head. Malt nose; mild caramel; a bit of wood. Full-on malt taste; caramel and toffee; nice subliminal alcohol presence. Heavy body; smooth and velvety texture; mild alcohol warmth.

At 16-years of bottle conditioned aging, this beer looks ugly, has little aroma, yet the taste is rather appealing, and damn, if the mouthfeel isn't robust and luxurious.

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May 22nd, 2022, vintage 2019 ratings and scores: 3.5 4.25 3.25 3.25 3.25 (overall: 3.51; rDev -15.25)

Revisited May 22nd, 2022, vintage 2019

Dirty, brownish-orange body color; sparse, wispy head. Beautiful aroma; pine needles and Xmas holiday spices; thin malt presence. Odd taste overall; bitter and phenolic; spruce and licorice. Heavy yet flat mouthfeel; mildly astringent; alcohol heat.

Compared to my 2018 sample, this version makes for a disappointing follow-up. It certainly has a certain winter holiday flavor profile, but overall, it lags in all other favorable aspects. Drinkable yet totally lackluster.

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Original July 19th 2021 ratings and overall scores: 4.0 4.25 4.25 4.5 4.25 (rDev +29%)

Burnt orange color; cloudy; thin yet persistent head, bone white in color. The beer exudes a rich, deep malt note; dark pitted fruits such as figs and dates; toasted caramel. Initial taste is rich with caramel sweetness; boozy notes soon follow; phenol bitterness offsets the sweetness; nougat. Heavy, chewy body; viscous; oily smoothness; alcohol warmth permeates through the residual sugar texture.

This is an awesome barleywine, rich and satisfying on many levels.

Poured at 68 °F; 2018 vintage.