Session # 110 | Hair of the Dog | Doggie Claws | 11.5% ABV
Barley Wine | Portland, OR | Rating: 94/100

I’ve said it too many times to remember, but Hair of the Dog from Portland, Oregon is one of my favorite breweries. It’s hard to find fault with any of the beers Alan Sprints creates. This beer, Doggie Claws, is no exception. It’s a barley wine style ale that sits at 11.5% ABV and hides the alcohol burn exceptionally well. As you pour this beauty in to the glass, I suggest pouring from a higher level than normal to incorporate some air into it as some have complained about the carbonation levels. This will help open up the nose, which is full of sticky fruits, caramel, and a nice hop aroma from the simcoe addition. The aroma is followed by a taste that equals the smell and really highlights the deep sticky fruits like raisins, dates, and figs (like a Belgian Quad might), but with a much lighter caramel undertone. While it may come across as being a bit too sweet, the hop character and alcohol helps cut the sweetness to show (once again) why Hair of the Dog makes some of the best beer around.

Up next: Special # 6

Others: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Great Divide Old Ruffian, Victory Old Horizontal

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Justin Townes Earle “Mama’s Eyes”



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I never get tired of the hops. My body does, but I don’t. The Blue Dot IPA from Portland, Oregon’s Hair of the Dog Brewery is one of the reasons why I can’t stop going back to this style. It’s become an obsession to find the next big mind-melter of an IPA. And the ride is amazing. As for this one, I was really anxious to receive this beer because it comes from one of my top three breweries on this “blue dot” astronauts call planet earth. Everything I’ve had so far from this brewery has blown my head to pieces: Ruth; Adam; Fred; and Doggie Claws. Good Lord I want to move next door to this place. Somebody please buy my house. Right out of the bottle this thing screams Hop Stoopid, Union Jack, Pliny the Elder, and Sculpin – all of which belong to the beloved West Coast. I can’t think of a better group of IPAs to be compared to than those. There is a TON of bright sunshine that just pops up out of the glass when you pour it. The smell alone reaches that part of your brain that controls your inner hop junky and makes your brain begin to moonwalk. The taste is the same, too. I really am surprised that I don’t see more people geeking out over this beer on the forums. Not saying they dislike it, but damn… This is very yummy. In the end it tastes a lot like the previous beer I reviewed (Ballast Point Sculpin IPA), but I have to score it one point higher simply because its bitterness is a touch more balanced here – making it one I could drink all freakin’ day.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Vetiver “Rolling Sea”



Brewery: Hair of the Dog
Beer: Blue Dot
Style: Imperial IPA
Location: Portland, Oregon
ABV: 7%
Rating: 95/100

I firmly believe that intuition is a very strong thing, and I knew I would love Hair of the Dog’s beers way before I ever had my first sip. Until this video I had only had the Ruth, which is their pale ale. It didn’t blow my mind but it gave me completely different insight in to what HOTD beers would bring to the table. In searching through their lineup, Adam stood out as one I wanted to drink next and get on the show ASAFP. And what a winner it is. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s complex, and it’s friggin’ macho as hell. I’m surprised there’s not engine oil in this beer because it has just about everything else a manly man could want: tobacco, chocolate, coffee, smoke, and dark fruits. But what makes it truly magical is how all of these flavors and aromas come together in the most amazing way. The balance between sweet and bitter or chocolate and tobacco are magical. There’s no other way to put it. If I had this beer at my disposal in Kansas City I think I’d be spending a good chunk of change to stock my collection. Adam is easily one of the best beers I’ve had in 2010. Get a trade going now or float a few extra Washingtons to purchase one off of eBay. Either way you won’t be sorry…

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Earth

Brewery: Hair of the Dog
Beer: Adam
Style: Imperial Stout
Location: Portland, Oregon
ABV: 10%
Rating: 99/100