What Beer Are You Drinking Now? #4790

Hair of The Dog Brewing Co. -- Bourbon Fred From the Stone
American strong ale
ABV: 12%; pouring temperature: 43.8 °F; bottling info: 2019
Source: direct from brewery online order



3.58/5 rDev -13.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Re-visited November 30th, 2025

Initial clear, dark copper pour; sediment clouds things; thin head, wispy yet lasting; fine, fat sheets and fingers of foam clinging to the glass after every sip. Rather weak nose; musty malt with caramel tones; pome fruit esters. Much like the scent, a bit malty, some over-ripe pome fruit notes on the palate; a touch of phenol notes on the bitterness side, a tad brash. Heavy body; a bit sharp and biting.

Well, perhaps there is a magical tipping point for aging beers. This particular example spent at least two years in the crawlspace 'beer cellar' beyond my previous tasting, but, for whatever reason, this example doesn't thrill me as much as, say, my 2022 sample of the same vintage (and stored under the same conditions). So, glad to have consumed this one (this is not necessarily a 'Project Cellar Clean' effort, but still need to make room for the new kids in the cellar).

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Re-visited June 25th, 2022

3.75 4.25 4.5 4.25 4.25; BA weighted overall score: 4.32; rDev: +4.32

Dirty, tawny orange body; cloudy; thin, creamy head, thin rings of foam encircle the glass. Candied orange aroma; sweet cherry. Sweet, rye-like flavor; caramel; red licorice; orange zest. Heavy body; thick and sticky; some alcohol warmth.

This beer has a really unique and interesting flavor. It makes the beer pretty memorable. Much better from my first experience from almost a month ago.

Pouring temperature: 57 °F; bottling data: 2019

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Original May 22nd, 2022 ratings and score: 3.75 3.75 4.0 4.5 4.0 (overall 3.98; rDev -3.4%)

Dirty, cloudy appearance; brownish-orange color; thin yet lasting head, off-white color, some sticky rings and fingers of foam encircle the inner glass. Heavy caramel smell with over-ripe stone fruit tones; trace of bourbon and oak. Big earthy sweetness with a heavy caramel note; whiskey; phenol bitterness. Smooth, velvety mouthfeel; heavy with residual sugars coating the palate; lots of alcohol heat and dryness; sticky.

A decadent beer, rich and boozy in nature.

Pouring temperature: 55 °F; bottling info: 2019; bottle conditioned

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...and a brief story behind the tune selection...back in the late 80s, I was stationed at Sembach AB in West Germany...my good friend Tom and I were avid hikers...he lived in Sippersfeld and we spent many times hiking and running through the area woods and trails...one day we were hiking through the eastern Sippersfeld area and came upon a chain of spring-fed lakes (pFrimm spring ponds?)...it must have been summer time as we were hot and tired, so we decided to dive into and swim around the last big pond...we then hiked to a small farm area that served beer and pomme frites (aka French fries - Alter Friedhof ?)...it was truly a glorious German afternoon...

...Tom was (is) a huge Van Morrison fan, and he always thought 'And It Stoned Me' nicely summed up our afternoon experience (..."and we looked at the swim and jumped right in"...)...I have never disagreed with this impression...

 

...I have envy...beer envy, location envy, fire envy...a near-perfect beer drinking environment...