Hair Of The Dog: Adam From The Woods 2018 (USA: American Strong Ale: 12% ABV)
Visual: Black. Still. Slight rim of bubbles but no head.
Nose: Figs. Raisins. Brandy snaps. Chocolate liqueur. Slight black liquorice. Plums. Stewed apricot. Thick.
Body: Smooth. Highland whisky. Cocoa. Figs. Plums. Chocolate liqueur. Liquorice. Bourbon. Vanilla. Chocolate cake. Slight smoke. Slight oak. Coffee cake.
Finish: Cocoa dust. Liquorice. Chocolate liqueur. Chocolate cake. Coffee cake. Smoke.
Conclusion: Ok, wow, I didn’t expect the time in the oak to change the beer so much. It is still amazing but is now such a different beer. Not that you could tell that from the aroma. At this point it is everything you loved from Adam turned up to 11. Dark fruit. Chocolate and spirit soaked notes. Just lovely.
The body is where it really changes. Even smoother than the original beer, giving a lighter mouthfeel, with none of the nicely frothy filling mouthfeel of standard Adam. Instead it comes across like a mix between chocolate liqueur and barley wine that reminds me slightly of Hair Of The Dog’s Matt. It takes few sips for the flavor to build and get grip, but boy, when it does you are in for a treat.
Lots of smooth chocolate, dark fruit, smoothed with vanilla from the oak aging and a mix of whisky and bourbon notes that go into cocoa and coffee cake notes. A mix of the barrel ageing, the base beer, and newly developed notes. As time goes on it builds up a welcome heavier feel, giving extra umph to all you get.
So, is it better than standard Adam? Not quite. It lacks some of the complexity, such as the tobacco like notes you get from a young Adam, or the real creaminess of an old Adam – great as this beer is, the smoother style leans away from my personal preference and with it loses some of the complexity. Still that is a personal thing, and I still love the beer. Definitely grab it if you can, and if the smoother style is for you, this may end up being an all time classic for you.
Background: All these years on Hair Of The Dog is still one of my favorite breweries, and Hair of The Dog Adam is in my top 5 greatest beers. Especially if it has been aged a few years. Only problem is, their beers very rarely leave Oregon so getting hold of them is a tad difficult. Thus, I have to give many thanks To Paula who was on holiday over there and brought me back a bottle of this, a version of Adam that has spent at least three years in a Bourbon barrel. To say I was excited was an understatement. Many thanks! Went with some quality haunting music I haven’t played for a while to go with it: Ritualz – CDR. Still epic haunting electronic tunes.
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