Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws 2014: Brewed in Portland, Oregon by a brewery that introduced me to the wonderful world of Barleywine and Old Ales, this is a 2014 bottle of their Christmas release that is brewed to a strength of 11% abv. It was day 6 of my advent calendar exchange with my father, and is one I had my eyes on but never managed to get my paws on before.

Flavour: Doggie Claws starts out very malt forward with notes of ripe plums and prunes that dominate the front of the beer. It settles into a toffee malt middle that is entrenched in over-ripened fruits and figs, showcasing a surprisingly thin body and some honey sweetness before finishing with fruit leather and rich savoury dates on the aftertaste.

Overall Impression: I was missing the fuller body I’m used to with Barleywines, that texture likely would have put this in the very high rankings of my blog. However, it was still a very, very enjoyable Barleywine that shines as it nears room temperature and is worth a pick up.

Rating: Excellent at 8/10, I’ve heard really good things about other vintages so I’ll have to chase them down.

Food Pairing: A nice stinky cheese (see the pic from the brewery below) or quality bakery fruit cake would make for a fine pairing by the fire on a cold night, or warm summer night, or any night really!