Ruth - Hair of the Dog Brewing Company / Brewery and Tasting Room

popery

California

3.95/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a yellowish orange. Quite cloudy. There seems to be a nice layer of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Medium head, white. Good lacing. Pretty good retention, as well. The aroma is gentle and pleasant. Floral notes with some grapes and peaches. It smells of honeysuckle and light, sweet fruit. Pale malt. Sugary. The taste is moderately dry. It starts with pale malt sweetness and a good amount of that fruity, floral hop flavor. Considering that the aroma is relatively weak, there's a surprising amount of hop flavor in the beer. Things dry out significantly in the finish. Bitterness is light. Mouthfeel is a bit fuller than expected. There's some body to the pale malt and lush hoppiness. Good beer. I'd like more aroma, but it has a very nice flavor. Easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 04:34:45 | More by popery

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass. Screw top?! What the hell, HotD!

Appearance - Clear orange until the sediment flows in. Then its hazy and chunky. Small white head that only leaves some wisps and nice lacing.

Smell - Not what I expected. Mild hop aroma. Kinda floral. More impressed by the fruit character it has. Like pineapple. Smells kinda like a light tripel.

Taste - Again with the fruits. Banana comes through here. Some clove. A little bit of citrus. A little bit of graininess. Bitterness is pretty strong. Has a slight Belgian character here too.

Mouthfeel - Light and drinkable. Pretty bitter, but I don't mind it. Medium carbonation.

Overall - Interesting take that I rather enjoyed. Nothing like a standard pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 22:41:21 | More by Alieniloquium

GilGarp

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Date stamp appears to say 06.12.13.

12 oz bottle served chilled into a tulip glass. Ruth is a hazy pale yellow color. There is a good bit of sediment but I left most of that in the bottle. The head is thin and settles immediately.

Aroma is unusual but really pleasant. It has a peaches and apricot combination but to much in the way of hops.

Flavor is more bitter than expected, given the aroma, but not overly so for an American pale ale. Bitter citrusy fruits and some of the same fruitiness from the aroma come through. A bit of a Belgian yeast character but I'm not sure what yeast was used. Probably their house strain.

It is light in body and nicely carbonated. It's well balanced and enjoyable if not a little unorthodox.

Overall a really nice pale ale. Underrated on this site.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 00:21:22 | More by GilGarp

HappyPappy2X

Oregon

4.34/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

App: Orange/gold, hazy (from lack of filtration?) Low head - can stand an aggressive pour.

Smell: Lychee, Slightly earthy, citrusy hops.

Taste: Pale malt slow forward, hops tartness grows with more malt sweetness, culminating in very well balanced mid and finish. Undertones of ripe pome fruit.

Mouthfeel: Highly effervescent feel without too much carbonation.

overall: Very quaffable, some complex aromas and character, but subtle enough that it can be ignored if desired. Cannot believe Bros gave it a 60. Unbelievable. How many times have they tried?

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 15:17:45 | More by HappyPappy2X

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.59/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

first off, a screw off cap from such a highly rated brewery?? i'm confused. i pour this bottle into a tulip and it comes out a mango-like orange in color with tons of sediment floaties and a finger of head. i am not impressed. the smell is very citrusy with some bready malt. nothing interesting. the flavor is a bitter fruit-like flavor, grassy hops, caramel, kind of earthy bitterness. medium in body, low carbonation - i'll give it this much, it was refreshing and crisp.

not honestly all that impressed with my first experience from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 03:35:10 | More by facundoCNB

MasterSki

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottle shared by ChrisPro. Served in a snifter.

A - White foam settles to a thin cap, thicker collar, and minimal lace. Hazy straw-colored body.

S - Extremely floral, with some of the advertised pilsner malt. Quite bready, with a bit of faint metallic twang. Hops are earthy and spicy as well. Feels like a 'German' IPA in some ways.

T - The taste is similarly floral and lightly herbal, with bread and a bit of sweet pilsner malt in the periphery. Very light, crisp, and clean.

M - Zesty carbonation, pleasant medium-light body, a tad dry, with a clean finish.

D - Seems a bit miscast as an APA - if this had been advertised as a pale lager or German pilsner I would have raved about it. Easy to drink and enjoyable, but not really what I expected from a West Coat pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:09:34 | More by MasterSki

steeb

2.5/5  rDev -30%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Slightly hazy poured in a thin head

S: Sweet and candy like with some citrus hop aroma peaking through

T: SWEEET. Again some citrus hops coming through behind all the sweet.

M: A bit on the heavy side for an APA from the west side.

O: There is some good hop character to this APA howeverrr, its a bit on the sweet side to really enjoy

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 06:37:12 | More by steeb

mdaschaf

Washington

3.54/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at HotD. Review from notes.

A: Pours a clear straw/yellow color with a small off-white head on top. Minimal retention, thin lacing down the glass.

S: Light citrus with some graham cracker malt and a little bit of caramel.

T: Similar to the aroma, light citrus, mostly lemon and lemon rind, with some grainy malt.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

O: A decent APA, doesn't really hold a candle to the other beers from HotD.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2013 05:23:07 | More by mdaschaf

pmarlowe

California

3.15/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Tulip glass.

A: Pours a mostly clear, straw gold color with barely a hint of head, which forms a thin ring. No lacing and so-so retention.

S: Sugar coated citrus (orange and lemon), some tropical fruit.

T: Sweetness dominates, pale malt, finishing with a mild off-tasting bitterness.

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Unique, but not much better than average. A little too sweet for my tastes. Also, it reminds me of a mainstream adjunct American lager.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 04:27:39 | More by pmarlowe

Amalak

New York

3.25/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A. Gold straw color. Thick. Completely opaque. Some foamy white head with a little lacing.

S. Very mild dark fruit scent.

T. It has a surprising smokey taste to it. It almost tastes like stale cigarettes at the end. Mild hop taste.

M. Crisp and full.

O. It has a flavor but I just don't care for the ashy taste it brings with it. Very odd.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 03:05:10 | More by Amalak

UCLABrewN84

California

3.5/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky and turbid yellow-brown with a 1/2 inch foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt and some earthy and herbal hop aromas. Taste is of herbal hops up front with a malt finish and a slight alcohol kick. There is a very mild hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is drinkable but probably nothing I would actively seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 02:44:45 | More by UCLABrewN84

metter98

New York

3.48/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: The beer is very hazy yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high off white head that quickly died down but left a thin layer of bubbles on the surface, a collar of large bubbles and lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: There are aromas of earthy yeast in the nose along with notes of citrusy and floral hops.
T: The overall taste is dominated by a moderate amount of bitterness and has flavors of citrus hops and earthy yeast. Some hints of alcohol are noticeable in the finish.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and slightly crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is not one of the easiest to drink in the style, especially given its pronounced bitterness and hints of alcohol in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 00:15:57 | More by metter98

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a rather cloudy bright golden yellow to golden orange in color with some light amounts of visible carbonation near the surface of the beer. The beer has a quarter finger tall white head that reduces rather quickly to a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer with a small slightly thicker patch and a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light aromas of pale malts with some hints of lemon/citrus and hay. There are some earthy, grassy, and herbal hops with some notes of black pepper.

T: The flavors are very similar to the smell for this beer. There is an underlying earthiness with pale malt flavors. Moderate flavors of lemon/citrus and black pepper yeastiness. Light to moderate amounts of bitterness are present.

M: Slightly heavier than light bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly chewy with light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: The unfiltered American Pale Ale is a very interesting style (or hybrid style). I found the beer to not be the easiest to drink but is very enjoyable - while the ABV is not too high this feels like more of a sipping beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 01:13:53 | More by dbrauneis

KDawg

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured from tap into a taster. Pours a nice clear straw color with a small head.

Good aromas of grains, crackers, citrus and a touch of hops. Lacking some depth though.

lighter bodied with good flavors of grains, lemon peels and some bits of hops on the end. A little thinner than I'd personally like for an APA.

A solid Pale ale, but not up to the other quality that I was having from HotD. A nice beer, but not much more.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2012 20:20:34 | More by KDawg

codysjb

Florida

3.43/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought in NYC from good beer.
A: A brilliant cloudy orange yellow with a one to two finger head which doesn’t dissipate.
S: Saison-ey, with lemon and zest and farmhouse accents. Little bit of grapefruit.
T: strong. A decent taste but somewhat bland, finishing with some alcohol taste. Lemon flavor.
M: lemon and some generic beer flavor. Some alcohol. Bland
O: Only okay, smell and appearance are amazing but it under performs on the taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 03:49:11 | More by codysjb

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

poured into glass stein as I sit outside on this hot 95 degree day.

Appearance: starts off as a brilliant straw yellow and clear beer. After I waited to let the head settle to pour the rest, sediment made this beer a hazy, opaque dark yellow. Massive head easily 3 finger of head.

Smell: light malt profile and mellow hops. grassy and fruity hop profile. Oranges, and lemons.

Taste: moderate sweet malt profile and mild bitter hops. Sweet grains, saltine cracker, and bananas found in malt profile. Hops are grassy, herbal, and earthy. Lemons and oranges. Mild bitter finish that the pine resins finally makes an entrance into the beer...better late than never!

Mouthfeel: low bodied beer with moderate to high carbonation. Semi dry finish.

Overall: I enjoyed this beer. Dont know why everyone hates on it so much. Its not amazing like most HotD beers, but its decent. I bumped the beer down on overall score because I dont think it fits its beer style very well.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 23:53:26 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

peacebone116

California

3.88/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Dee at Bobby's Liquors, I poured this beer from the 12-oz bottle into a Delirium snifter.

A: Incredibly hazy, the white, thin head quickly retreats to the edge of the glass leaving only trace remnants of its brief existence floating atop the golden straw colored body.

N: Sweet lemon-grass with a hint of peppery spice.

T/M: Slightly lacking in carbonation, this very light malt sweetness and appropriately delicate (bottle touts 4.5% ABV) body pair excellently with the lemony citrus notes and subtle earthy pine resin flavor to make for a very crisp and refreshing beer.

Although this beer seems mischaracterized as an APA, it is quite delicious. I think this one really reminds me more of a Belgian ale brewed with West Coast yeast and an American's heavy hand in the hops. It is a great summer beer for a cool, sunny day in down by the Bay.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 02:28:54 | More by peacebone116

merc7186

New York

3.05/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I had this beer poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Hazy Golden Straw/Orangish Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Mild Lacing

S: Grainy, Earthy, Mildly Floral

T: Grainy, Mildly Citrus

M: Average Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Semi Drying, Gritty

Overall, I expected something better from a decent brewer...there were a LOT of floaties throughout the entire drinking experience, not worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 23:36:47 | More by merc7186

drabmuh

Maryland

3.1/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a Hair of the Dog tulip. Beer is yellow and hazy and severly over carbonated. Offensively so. Takes 15 minutes to pour the beer. Head has great retention but acts as a stiff barrier to my enjoyment. Aggressive carbonation. Lots of lacing.

Aroma is mildly sweet. Mildly hoppy. Citrus hops but very light.

Beer is medium in body and has a slight malt sweetness to it. It is not impressive. Not my favorite beer from them at all. Not a repeat.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 14:17:50 | More by drabmuh

smakawhat

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

An insane gusher. Ninety percent of the glass is filled with white foamy dishwashing soap suds. Clumpy and uniform yes, but I am still waiting for this thing to settle after about 5 minutes already. Body is cloud for a typical unfiltered appearance, with a pale brown and yellow amber. I would give this the lowest score if at least the body color didn't resemble something passable. This is ridiculous. Lots of faint rising bubbles in the body coming up.

Nose when I finally get a chance to wait, and have room, is incredibly floral. A wonderful garden green character, mixing with grass and faint biscuity malt. This smells quite decent.

Taste matches the nose but only bigger. Floral hop presence and a soft sweet matching graham cracker mush. Milky and sweet textures play nicely with a floral hop bent. Texture though is just a bit too fizzy taking away from the sweetness and malt deliciousness.

Overall not all the pieces are here in place to make this worth seeking out again. Guessing over carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 22:35:29 | More by smakawhat

Falcon91Wolvrn03

California

3.98/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance – A somewhat cloudy light golden yellow, with a huge head and lots of lacing.

Smell – Lemon, malt, and kind of a wild ale scent sweetened with honey.

Taste – A sweet lemony malty taste; very unusual, but good.

Mouthfeel – Smooth, moderate carbonation, and crisp.

Drinkability – A great session beer. Another good beer from Hair of the Dog.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 04:47:49 | More by Falcon91Wolvrn03

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a hazy yellow color with a white head. The aroma has a lot of grass and bread in it, with a little bit of orange citrus thrown in. The flavor is similar, with grass and bread standing out. There is also some earthy and tea-like notes in the flavor, as well as some juicy orange notes. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 02:54:43 | More by Mora2000

UnknownKoger

California

3.5/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into Bruery tulip. Appearance is a hazy Orange/yellow. Mild carbonation. Smells like fruit with some hop bitterness in there. Taste is more hoppy than the nose lets on. Very low malt profile. The taste completely surprised me. Mouthfeel is nice. Overall it's a good beer. I don't think I'd go out of my way to buy it, but it's a good beer. I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 19:49:15 | More by UnknownKoger

siege06nd

Virginia

3.13/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Extra courtesy of beenitty. Thanks, Brandon!

A: Pours a very cloudy, murky golden apricot color. Head is unspectacular...about a quarter finger of off-white head. Decent lacing. Looks more like a hefe than an APA.

S: Some mild pine, grapefruit, and some grain. Not much else.

T: Ack, watery and juicy. Lots of sweet pineapple juice mixed with some thin grainy malt.

M: Watery with some citrus juice. Not much else.

O: This one may have been past its prime. But the lack of "Bottled On" date leaves me no choice...I'll review it as it came to me. A mediocre pale ale that lacks crispness and hop bite, this is a juicy, wet, thick mess.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 17:12:20 | More by siege06nd

caryt

Oregon

3.05/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served from a 12oz. bottle into my Dogfish Head pint glass

A: Not what I was expecting, looks like a Hefeweizen, very cloudy caramel color. No head which displays the lack of carbonation I'm about to experience.

S: Mild citrus hops with what smells like wheat yeast to me. Not what I would expect in a APA.

T: Hardly any carbonation, needs more carbonation. Wheat, I may be crazy but I taste wheat. Could use more hops as well.

M: The mouthfeel is the best quality of the beer, however it doesn't make it any easier to drink.

O: Hair of the Dog, I love you. This is not the typical ale I've come to love from you. Glad I tried it though, so I know. Babe Ruth continues to be the only Ruth I love.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 00:35:07 | More by caryt