I was not sure if it was an American or English Pale Ale (even though you told me its history), and I did not think to ask until I opened it. Since it seemed more like an EPA, I scored it that way. If it was an APA, it would need more American hop character.
No matter what, though, I enjoyed the beer very much! It certainly doesn't suck! It just does not fit perfectly into any category, so don't let the score mean much (not that it was low). I could drink it just about any night and be very happy. Here's the review:
“Hair of the Dog”
Aroma – Mild sweetness with moderately-low fruitiness (strawberry/honeydew); mild spiciness seems to come from hops, rather than phenols; moderate light malt aroma; mild, smooth alcohol. – 8/12
Appearance – Golden; hazy; poured dense, finely-grained, slightly off-white head that lasted and made very nice lace. – 2/3
Flavor – Sweet and malty at first, but just for a moment before moderate, balanced hop bitterness comes in; finishes dry and smoothly, pleasantly bitter; moderate hop flavor is quite pleasant and does not dominate flavor; no significant bready, nutty, biscuit, or other malt notes; mild, strawberry fruitiness; very low, if any caramel; no phenolic or diacetyl notes; very balanced, but lacks complexity of the style. – 13/20
Mouthfeel – Medium-full body with medium carbonation is very smooth in the mouth; while body is on the high limit, it is not heavy, but it does not quite work with the fairly simple flavor profile; pleasant carbonation bite helps keep in balance but should not be any stronger; very mild warmth in throat; dry finish, but not astringent; no diacetyl slickness. – 4/5
Overall Impression – This is a very pleasant and drinkable beer – very well balanced. It does push the limits on color (on the low side), body (on the high side) and carbonation (on the high side), none of that is overwhelming. What this beer does lack, however, is complexity. The hops do give some of that and are quite nice, but the esters are a bit low, and the malt character is too simple. As a result, it has the simplicity of an Ordinary or Best Bitter. Improving the ester and malt profiles will make this good beer a great beer. A large flaw in many homebrewed examples is that the brewer tends to overdo the notes that should be nuances, so do not go too far! Thanks! – 8/10
Total – 35/50