High Light Lo-Cal Easy IPA
SweetWater Brewing Company

High Light Lo-Cal Easy IPAHigh Light Lo-Cal Easy IPA
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
SweetWater Brewing Company
 
Georgia, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #3,376
ABV:
4%
Score:
81
Ranked #25,641
Avg:
3.5 | pDev: 16.29%
Reviews:
20
Ratings:
42
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 19, 2024
Added:
Dec 11, 2020
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
Never sacrifice flavor for drinkability. We brewed this session 4% IPA with sticky Hop Hash to keep the hop chop high, the calories low, and the ABV mellow. Crisp, crushable - the High Light of your day.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by tonystanhope:
Photo of tonystanhope
Rated by tonystanhope from Florida

3.25/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Apr 04, 2022
More User Ratings:
Photo of 57md
Reviewed by 57md from Pennsylvania

3.49/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours a light straw color with a finger of head. The nose is very faint, perhaps some pineapple. The flavor is pretty flat with only a faint trace of citrus. The body is decent for the style.
Jan 19, 2024
Photo of Jimmybobby1234567890
Rated by Jimmybobby1234567890

4.75/5  rDev +35.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Very good for a cheaper/lower alcohol content IPA. Tastes like a classic, very good IPA
Jul 16, 2023
Photo of BrewsOverHoes
Reviewed by BrewsOverHoes from Georgia

3.83/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
I compare this to my first session IPA, which was Stone’s Go-To; very similar.

Smell? Not much.

Mouthfeel is very light, White Claw has more bite. But for the style that’s good for me. Refreshing though, borders on SN Hop Splash, but a little alcohol on this one.

Taste is pretty solid for what it is, low carb, calorie, %4. For $16 a 15 pack, it’s local and cheaper than Michelob or any other low carb beer.

Great to have around the house to coast on.

Not going to bury this one because it’s “light.”
Jun 10, 2023
 
Rated: 3.85 by jchanley from Illinois

Oct 01, 2022
Photo of Maxim88
Reviewed by Maxim88

1/5  rDev -71.4%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
Absolutely no no no. This should not be produced.

Sweetwater makes wonderful beers, and as a fan for > 15 years, it is so upsetting to see a low calorie beer being made to pander to the low calorie market. If you want a light beer, there is a whole bevy of michelob ultra esque beers out there. Please do not sully the Sweetwater name by continuing to make this.

This reminds me of buying a knock-off high end luxury purse, watch, etc. on the streets of city XYZ. Yes, it will make you feel like you are wearing Versace, but in the end, you are just wearing a cheap knock-off and hurting the brand.
Sep 19, 2022
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

3.29/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
12oz can. Poured out a crystal clear, golden yellow color with a small, off-white head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. It smelled of caramel, light pine and orange peel. Kinda bland taste with sweet caramel and a touch of fruitiness. Low bitterness.
Sep 06, 2022
 
Rated: 3.5 by BrewSTL from Missouri

Sep 02, 2022
Photo of jadpsu
Reviewed by jadpsu from Georgia

3.69/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
LOOK: Pours a pale straw to light bright gold with an all white head that quickly fades to a thin skin but does leave some decent side glass lace.
AROMA: Dank citrus aromas of grapefruit, orange and pine nuts as well as aromatic hops.
TASTE: My first venture in a Lo Cal IPA. Definitely has a low calorie, light beer feel. The IPA characteristics are well done if a bit tame.
Thin mouthfeel. Quite dry at the finish.
Aug 01, 2022
Photo of davidward
Reviewed by davidward from Florida

3.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A nice, refreshing, low abv IPA. Good hot weather brew. Pours a light gold with a little white foam lacing. Nose is of pine and grass. Not much complexity here and very little bitterness.
Jul 26, 2022
Photo of Specialmick
Reviewed by Specialmick from Connecticut

3.56/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Look...copper and yellow mixed together to form a white fizzy head. Adequate carbonation and very little haze haha
Smell...so faint that it is not a factor. light hint of citrus and hop.
Taste...a very hop juice and instant bitter that i get from session. A chasable beer for sure I will have another and another and you get the picture. This is a hoppa for sure.
Feel...Excellent juiciness for the low ABV. A fine delivery of a hoppy beer
Overall...This is a perfect beer for the circumstance of hydration and beer drinking at the higher ounce level. (get my drift)
tip back a couple and it is a surprise of good flavors
Jul 15, 2022
 
Rated: 3.58 by Gerred from Missouri

Jul 11, 2022
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

3.54/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
NO can date
Pours a fizzy foamy almost 2 finger head with fair retention, little lacing, semi hazy pale golden tan color

Nose fair fruity hops, a little citrus, berry, juicy peachy stone fruit, a little malt, a little grassy floral hop

Taste brings more hops, light grassy and a touch floral, then citrus and stone fruit, very little malt, a bit watery, dry finish with med-light bitterness

Mouth is light bod, a bit watery, lighter carb

Overall it's a good attempt, nice hop character, but too thin and watery even for what it is, I've had a bunch of NA beers or other very low abv beers that have better a better body and depth, but still a nice hop character so decent
Jul 03, 2022
 
Rated: 3.69 by Chipwells from Georgia

May 15, 2022
Photo of GABronco
Rated by GABronco

3.25/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Hoppy and low cal. I liked the first half of the beer, but it lacked any kind of complexity so the second half of my drink wasn’t as enjoyable.
Mar 31, 2022
 
Rated: 3.43 by funku2 from Colorado

Feb 27, 2022
Photo of flgimp
Rated by flgimp from Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Decent light session IPA
Feb 14, 2022
 
Rated: 3.85 by Yeroc from Pennsylvania

Nov 25, 2021
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

4.04/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
12 oz can, best by 11/21/21, into Ellipsis trophy glass.

Mostly transparent straw with a little gold tinge to it, a creamy finger of head that leaves lots of lace especially if it's rotated. Looks nice.

Signature SweetWater hop hash in the nose, with hints of apricot, grapefruit, and lime. Most of this is achieved through the can, but it's perceptible from the glass at half strength.

Flavor follows suit. Hop Hash - their delightfully fluffy oily cannabis pine mixture - mixing with grapefruit and hints of lime and apricot. Wheat and pale malts form the foundation of this delightfully light and easy IPA. Hints of pine on the finish. Some resins and oils remain but quickly wash away with the next sip and only remain for a span of 15-20 seconds when left alone.

Feel is crisp and wet but a little empty, but passable at 100 calories and 4% ABV. No heat obviously, and has a drying, resinous oily finish that lands halfway between west coast and plains.

Overall, as a regular IPA (which this is not), it's merely average. But at 100 calories, 5g carbs, and 4% ABV? Get the f##k outta here. It's the best one out there.

I'd buy this by the case if it were near me and we actually had enough people buying IPA to create a decent turnover. Until then, I guess I'm taking trips and crossing my fingers.

100% would definitely buy again as a calorie-conscious IPA. Remember we're rating to style here, folks. Superior work when considering the target market.


$1.66 @ Binny's in Bloomington IL
Oct 18, 2021
 
Rated: 3.73 by steevo24 from District of Columbia

Oct 10, 2021
High Light Lo-Cal Easy IPA from SweetWater Brewing Company
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 42 ratings