HotD's website says Batch 80 was bottled on 02-16-10. About the beer: "Adam is a recreation of a historic beerstyle.
Originally made in Dortmunder, Germany, it was the first beer [HotD] produced
when [we] opened Hair of the Dog. Rich in flavor, Adam is best served as a
dessert beer. It is great with chocolate or cigars, or just a warm fire
and good company. It has 10% alcohol by volume and 50 IBUs."
Regarding Hair of the Dog distribution and Adam availability, my understanding is that HotD distributes mostly to the west coast, with some limited distribution back east. Adam is probably their "flagship" beer, and it's brewed year-round and is pretty easily acquired wherever one gets Hair of the Dog.
Appearance: A little lighter in the glass than comes across from the photo, but still a very dark chestnut brown. I did a very gentle pour on this so as not to disturb the yeast which had settled to the bottom of the bottle, but I got practically no head on this. There are thin patches of tan foam that shift on the top of the pour, but that's about it.
Smell: This beer smells very, very sweet. Toffee, caramel, a little bit of smoke, and vanilla. There are also notes of dark fruit, like fig.
Taste: Rich, sweet notes of chocolate, toffee, and dark fruits. There is a bit of warmth from the alcohol, but overall considering the ABV and heavy impact from the strong flavor notes, this beer is remarkably well balanced and complex. It also doesn't taste very oxidated after 2 years of age, which is nice.
Mouthfeel: It's pretty thick and slick, but actually finishes pretty dry, which is nice. It's definitely a sipper, overall though. It's very rich both in taste and in body.
Overall: If you like old ales as a style, this one is great. But it's definitely not an "easy-drinking" or very refreshing beer -- it's like dessert. 12 oz is about all I'd be able to drink of this before I started feeling overwhelmed, and truthfully, I could do just as well with about half. But none of that should be an indication that I don't like this. As I said, it's incredibly smooth and complex and tasty. It is a departure from the hoppier styles I usually prefer, but it's good to expand my horizons.
4/5
Regarding Hair of the Dog distribution and Adam availability, my understanding is that HotD distributes mostly to the west coast, with some limited distribution back east. Adam is probably their "flagship" beer, and it's brewed year-round and is pretty easily acquired wherever one gets Hair of the Dog.
Appearance: A little lighter in the glass than comes across from the photo, but still a very dark chestnut brown. I did a very gentle pour on this so as not to disturb the yeast which had settled to the bottom of the bottle, but I got practically no head on this. There are thin patches of tan foam that shift on the top of the pour, but that's about it.
Smell: This beer smells very, very sweet. Toffee, caramel, a little bit of smoke, and vanilla. There are also notes of dark fruit, like fig.
Taste: Rich, sweet notes of chocolate, toffee, and dark fruits. There is a bit of warmth from the alcohol, but overall considering the ABV and heavy impact from the strong flavor notes, this beer is remarkably well balanced and complex. It also doesn't taste very oxidated after 2 years of age, which is nice.
Mouthfeel: It's pretty thick and slick, but actually finishes pretty dry, which is nice. It's definitely a sipper, overall though. It's very rich both in taste and in body.
Overall: If you like old ales as a style, this one is great. But it's definitely not an "easy-drinking" or very refreshing beer -- it's like dessert. 12 oz is about all I'd be able to drink of this before I started feeling overwhelmed, and truthfully, I could do just as well with about half. But none of that should be an indication that I don't like this. As I said, it's incredibly smooth and complex and tasty. It is a departure from the hoppier styles I usually prefer, but it's good to expand my horizons.
4/5
No comments:
Post a Comment