Hook & Ladder Lighter
Hook & Ladder Brewing Company (No. 2)

Hook & Ladder LighterHook & Ladder Lighter
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From:
Hook & Ladder Brewing Company (No. 2)
 
Maryland, United States
Style:
Kölsch
ABV:
3.2%
Score:
68
Avg:
2.71 | pDev: 16.97%
Reviews:
43
Ratings:
51
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 10, 2014
Added:
Feb 07, 2008
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Rated: 2.75 by wrightst from Maryland

Aug 10, 2014
Photo of Brenden
Reviewed by Brenden from Ohio

2.59/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5
This beer is a crystal-clear dark gold color, and bright. The head is bleach white, about half a finger's height to start but holding well at half that for the rest of the time. It leaves behind some moderate patching.
I'm not sure what this beer is attempting, though I have some idea; regardless, it misses the mark a bit. The nose isn't a while lot more than grains. almost cloying honey-like sweetness, and must. Marring it is some notes that remind me of an adjunct (corn, mostly), and a slight burnt edge to the grains underneath. The flavor offers more of the sweetness, yeasty esters going a little overboard and overshadowing malts and hops. Otherwise, it's just like a watered-down lemony soda.
The mouthfeel contributes to the watery lemon soda impression, though the crispness is consistent enough to stay lively.
When I have trouble deciding whether I'd pick one of these up if the only other option is BMC Light, I'm only doing it if it's free and/or a friend offers.
Jun 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by sebaastionb from Virginia

May 24, 2014
 
Rated: 2.25 by rorjets from Connecticut

Jan 12, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by harpus from Alabama

Sep 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by bconsidine from Maryland

Jun 12, 2013
 
Rated: 2 by brheuer from New Jersey

Mar 24, 2013
 
Rated: 2.5 by cliff1066 from Virginia

Jan 06, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by Duke3nc from North Carolina

Feb 11, 2012
Photo of B967ierhunter177
Reviewed by B967ierhunter177 from Pennsylvania

2.82/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
This beer pours a clear, bold, yellow with half-inch head and some lace. The aroma begins with lemon followed by dough and vanilla. It's flavor is mainly lemon and grass and has good malt and hop balance. The mouthfeel is light with plenty of carbonation making it very sessionable. Hook & Ladder Lighter is a decent beer, very refreshing and a good example of the kolsch style. Recommended.
Apr 18, 2011
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

2.77/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
A- Pours a very light wheat color, very little head, hardly and lacing.

S- Mostly sweet grains, a little bit of hops and corn.

T- Little bit of grain taste on the front end, taste like water on the back end. Nothing really happening at all.

M- Very thin, like water.

Overall- this is supposed to be a light beer, and it definitely is. However I think it is a little too light. This could definitely pass as a good chick beer but too thin for my tastes.
Apr 06, 2011
Photo of hdf561
Reviewed by hdf561 from Virginia

3.2/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Pretty much like Golden Ale but alot more drinkable, and less harsh tasting.

I can use this beer for a variety of different situations, and it supports my profession and a good cause. I think this beer is well worth trying and should be given a chance even if Golden Ale turned you off.
Feb 20, 2011
Photo of DCon
Reviewed by DCon from Missouri

2.3/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Beer from a Mix-6-Pack from Siesta Key Mart in Siesta Key, FL and poured into a pint glass.

Appearance- A light orange color with 1 finger head.

Smell- Very average with light beer but smells hoppy, maybe even a pale ale smell.

Taste- The most boring and extremely horrible light beer I might have ever had, even though this is supposed to be a Kölsch!?!? Come on! Really missed the mark on this one.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied, and mouthfeel had yeast behind it.

Drinkability- Always easy to drink light beers, so this one isn't a problem. Didn't have any more of these, thankfully, because of the Mix Pack I had. Wouldn't suggest this beer to anyone. Actually, would avoid!
Feb 08, 2011
Photo of BennyL1
Reviewed by BennyL1 from Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from bottle into a pint glass

A - It poured the pretty standard golden color that you would expect from a light beer

S - Only thing I really picked up in the smell was some grains and a very faint corn smell

T - The taste of the grains were at the forefront for sure. A little on the sweeter side. I was pleasantly surprised for a lighter beer.

M - Not much to say here. Very smooth throughout with a sweet aftertaste

D - Overall a very drinkable beer. It is extremely light but not in a bad way.

A very good alternative to any light BMC. Plus they donate money to a local burn foundation for every barrel sold. This beer is good for your karma as well as your waistline
Sep 26, 2010
Photo of tone77
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, some grains. Taste is also mild, some grains coming through, not much in the way of flavor. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and has average drinkability. Overall this is a mediocre offering.
Sep 19, 2010
Photo of Soonami
Reviewed by Soonami from Pennsylvania

3.36/5  rDev +24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A friend brought a bottle of this to a tailgate, so I thought it was worth trying. From the description on the bottle, I could tell that this was not going to be a full flavored beer, but rather one light on body, alcohol, and taste. However, I was surprisingly pleased considering that it was only 95 calories. The beer was yellow with a hint of orange coloring and looking a little darker than most macro lagers, but still inviting. The smell was a little lacking but not bad, clean and grainy. The Lighter tasted good, with great biscuity, bready malt flavors, but not enough hops for my personal taste and definitely not enough for a kolsch.

Overall, this is a great alternative to BMC for those that looking for a lighter beer that still has good beer characteristics and doesn't taste too watered down.
Jul 16, 2010
Photo of drizzam
Reviewed by drizzam from Wisconsin

2.81/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from the twist top brown bottle into a clear pint glass. No freshness date.

A - Poured a crystal clear straw yellow color topped with a white one finger head. Decent head retention with some spotty lacing.

S - Kind of a sweet corn and grain aroma...not much in the nose and I had to strain to get that.

T & M - The grain is forefront in the taste, and there is a sweetness that seems to linger after the swallow. Very light bodied, watery actually, but it does finish fairly crisp with a slightly sweet aftertaste.

D - Yep, it's certainly a light"er" beer...I guess it would be drinkable on a hot Summer day, and I would take one over a BMC product. The best part of this brew is that they make a donation to a local burn center for every barrel sold. If you're looking for big flavor, look elsewhere.
Apr 04, 2010
Photo of HalfFull
Reviewed by HalfFull from California

3.48/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
From a 12 oz. bottle and served up in a standard pint glass. A somewhat aggressive pour yields only 3/8's of an inch of creamy white foam. This settles to a thin cap in a minute or so, yielding light lacing. The pour is clear and light straw in color with just enough bubble action rising to keep a light cap.

A light citric sweetness accompanies a husky grain aroma, with a light noble hop presence when allowed to settle for a bit. Taste follows with slightly sweet grains, quite singular in the approach and without any lingering components. Offers a light malt body as expected but there is enough fine carbonation on the finish to keep the dryness from being too discernible. Decent feel as a result and quit quaffable given the light nature of the beer.

Note: Viewed as much as a 'light' beer as a Pale Ale, this beer does a decent job of what it's trying to do but is obviously no match for beers with twice the calories. But then, sometimes those extra calories can have a negative effect as well.
Dec 14, 2009
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

2.78/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Bleached goldenrod with lemon juice colored accents. The good-sized cap is closer to ivory than bright white, which is unusual in such a lightly colored brew. The foam is cobblestone-like as it falls and manages to streak the glass with skinny squiggles of suds.

If blinded, I would have said Euro pale lager. That's because there's no malt except pale malt and there are no hops except Saaz. The ale yeast adds no discernable fruitiness... hence the above impression. A grassy muskiness is the extent of things.

It was a good decision for Hook & Ladder to design Lighter as light ale rather than as light lager. That's assuming that brewing a light <anything> is ever a good idea. Mildly estery ale yeast adds at least one more flavor dimension to an offering that is pretty deficient in that department.

Pale malt adds minimal grain flavor and the Saaz hops add their customary grassiness. It's all very subdued, however, which is the unavoidable outcome when you whittle the calorie content down to 94 per bottle.

The mouthfeel is one small step above the usual light/lite fare. That doesn't mean there's much to recommend it. Decent bubblation does what it can. Which isn't much.

Lighter (Hook & Ladder... fire engine... fire... lighter... get it?) is my third beer from this brewery and is the third average to below-average beer from this brewery. It's better than most of the more widely known light lagers, but then I don't drink them either.
Nov 11, 2009
Photo of BeerFMAndy
Reviewed by BeerFMAndy from Wisconsin

3.07/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
12 oz bottle poured into an American Tumbler. No date or info.

A - Clear and overly carbonated pale yellow straw with a fizzy, effervescent white head. No retention at all with no blanket or anything left and no lacing.

S - Crisp and light pale malts with a somewhat corn-like sweetness. Rather plain and sweet overall.

T - Crisp corn sweetness and dry straw with a pale base malt flavor in the background. No hop flavor. A plain light beer.

M - A lasting sweetness with a lighter-medium body and a crisp carbonation finish. A bit slick on the tongue.

D - An alright session beer you can feel good about drinking when you know proceeds from each bottle are made to a burn foundation. Not bad, just a plain beer experience.
Nov 08, 2009
Hook & Ladder Lighter from Hook & Ladder Brewing Company (No. 2)
Beer rating: 68 out of 100 with 51 ratings