Saturday, March 12, 2011

Fred by Hair of the Dog

Fred. Barely Wine. Hair of the Dog. Portland, Oregon.

Winter 2010/11.

My review on RateBeer:

3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (52) - San Diego, California, USA - MAR 12, 2011

12 once bottle poured into Duvel tulip. Batch Number 79.

APPEARANCE: Pours hazy, burnt orange gold. Some sparse cinnamon powder-like sediment. Off-white, cream-colored head is 1 finger and settles fairly quickly, leaving a thin film of foam on surface as well as some medium size bubbles around edge of glass.

AROMA: Tangy aroma that has some subtle vinous character – almost like smelling a WarHeads (sour hard candy). Strong rye aroma. Spices – allspice as well as light cinnamon and nutmeg. Hops, which seem citrusy and grassy. Belgian candi. Some honey. Grape bubblegum. Wet grain. Extremely faint band-aid. Slightly musty character to the aroma as well – though this seems to fade as the beer warms up. As it warms up, displays some oak notes. Subtle orange creamsicle aroma as well.

TASTE: Belgian candi. Rye. Tang from the rye. Hops are citrusy and grassy. Spices such as allspice, as well as some light cinnamon and nutmeg. Some honey. Faint orange creamsicle. Back of palate has slight grainy taste. Finish has hop bitterness, including light resinous characteristics. Light alcohol warmth on finish.

MOUTH FEEL: Thick; almost a bit syrupy. Full-bodied. Definitely quite sweet, though unable to say it is cloying - as long as it is drunk as a dessert beer. Mid to low carbonation.

OVERALL: Sweet – definitely a dessert beer. Despite being primarily sweet, there is slight bitterness on the finish. Seems like plenty of residual Belgian candi – whether this is good or bad will depend on the mood/environment of the drinker. Let it warm up a bit and take your time with this slow-sipper. Despite some faint off notes among the complexities on the nose, the positive attributes of the overall experience with this beer far outweigh any marginally undesirable notes on the aroma. Complex interplay of sweet and slightly tangy with a bit of a bitter finish. Interesting and quite unique.

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