I wanna be a punk rocker

Many people in the know on beer know that Seattle and the Northwest have a lot of great beers. There is a vibrant culture here in Seattle with many great places to get beer. One great place to pick-up beer is Bottleworks sure their website sucks but don’t let that cloud your judgment about the store. Every year the owners of the store contact a brewer to create a special beer for them. This year it was Hair of the Dog and in the normal style of this brewer the beer is named after a person in this case it is Matt which is the name of the two owners of Bottleworks. I bought this bottle on an impulse when I was at the store I am happy I did although my wallet thinks differently. First let me say this is the most expensive 12 oz. bottle of beer I have ever purchased it ran me $20! But enough with trivial things like money let’s get down to the important stuff how good was this beer?

Well I have to say pretty damn good. It is a very sweet smelling beer and like the bottle says there is actually a hint of apples. If you do not like sweet beers though run far away from this puppy as it is another one of those “dessert beers.” But, besides the sweetness this beer is very strong.  The bottle says it is 11.5% ABV but I don’t buy it I think it is much higher. The beer is very dark and heavy. I had this beer straight out of the bottle so I didn’t get a picture of the actual beer but I just love the label. I mean a punk rock bulldog how cool . Overall I liked this beer and I would not have minded picking up another bottle or two just to see how well they aged. This beer would probably be really great aged a few years it would probably mellow out and get even sweeter.

The good: smooth beer that kicks like a bulldog bites
The bad: the price!

Overall taste: ★★★★☆ 

Bitterness: ★☆☆☆☆ 

Smoothness: ★★★★½ 

Related posts:

1. Hair of the Dog – Adam

Look even dogs want a piece of Adam!

Today I am drinking Adam from Hair of the Dog.  It is labeled as a “hearty old world ale” whatever that means but really it is a Pilsner malt.  I can tell you that it is a refreshing beer but a bit sharp at first but nowhere close to an IPA.  It does not taste like it is packing a 10% alcohol punch with it though which is good and dangerous all at the same time .  When it first hits your tongue it tastes a little sweet but not over powering and as it sits in your mouth the hops become more prominent.  I have let it sit out on my desk after opening it for a good fifteen minutes and it seems to get better as it gets a tad bit warmer.  When I took my first swig right out of the fridge it was a bit more bitter than it is now.  Since this is an ale and slightly lighter of a beer serving it at around 50-60 degrees is probably best, a bit warmer and it would probably be gross.

I could imagine having this beer on a hot summer evening while bbq’ing up some burgers or ribs.  Bummer it is 40 degrees outside and raining!  I will have to keep this ale in my brain for when summer finally rolls around and I throw some burgers on the barbie.

Good: Crisp beer and refreshing!Packs a punch that you don’t notice until you are half way through the bottle.

Bad: Not too much flavor and not very “deep”, it doesn’t leave a huge impression compared to other beers I have tried.

Cheers!

Related posts:

1. Beer Review: Avery’s The Reverend
2. Beer Review: ESG – Terminal Gravity
3. Hair of the Dog – Matt