Hook and Ladder Brewing Company Reviews

alexsdad06	3 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale This is a backlog rating from 2008 from a bottle, from notes. When I had this beer it was average to below average for the style and not something I wanted to have again or I just didn't get back to my notes because of my technology at the time, work and/or family. Words to describe this beer are toasted malts, nutty, chocolate, metallic, light earthy. Tuesday, May 18, 2021
alexsdad06	2.5 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale This is a backlog rating from 2008 from a bottle, from notes. When I had this beer it was average to below average for the style and not something I wanted to have again or I just didn't get back to my notes because of my technology at the time, work and/or family. Words to describe this beer are grainy, grassy, caramel, off fruity. Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Jabah	1.8 Hook and Ladder Lighter This was the first time I saw or tried this beer. Ironically, I was at a Memorial Day party at my fireman friend’s house, and he had a few of these. He told me in advance that it was just OK, so I didn’t have high expectations. Basically an average light lager. Has that pale yellow color, pee looking, etc. Poured with a thick white head. Smelled a bit skunky. The taste was about what I expected, but had a semi-sweet aftertaste which had a slight honey flavor. There wasn’t much sour or skunky taste, so that along with the sweet honey flavor at the end actually saves this beer. An OK watery day time or lawnmower/beach beer. I don’t think I would buy this, but didn’t mind the free sample. Friday, April 10, 2015
PartyFowle	3.5 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale Backdraft Brown is soda-like in color and head. The color is like Dr. Pepper: a dark copper brown, with dark orange highlights when held to the light. The head is a light tan, fizzy, that dissipates quickly and leaves a thin layer across the top of the beer. Smell is smoky, of dark roasted malts as well as some fruity yeast. Flavor is smoky as well, with just a suggestion of bitterness at the end. A thin and watery mouthfeel really detracts from the experience. Somewhat harsh carbonation. I had great expectations from the smell and flavor notes on the first sip, but the taste doesn’t follow through. Sunday, February 15, 2015
generallee08	3.9 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale It had a tan head of average size that fades quickly leaving only a little lacing. The body has a dark brown color with some nice ruby red highlights. The aroma has a big sweet, malty, bready character. The base flavor is malty and bready with some hints of darker roasted malt and modest, slightly citrusy hops. The hops add a good balance to the mostly malty character and finish with the beer with a pleasant soft bitterness. Its texture is smooth, slightly slick and medium bodied with light to average carbonation. Sunday, June 22, 2014
generallee08	3.5 Hook and Ladder Ember Amber It had a light white color head that quickly faded out leaving no lacing behind. Its body was a deep amber color with very good clarity. The aroma had a light sweet malty character with just a hint of hops coming through. Its flavor was much the same as its aroma with a big malty body and some mild hops. Its texture is smooth with light carbonation, a medium body and a sweetish finish. Sunday, June 22, 2014
generallee08	3.5 Hook and Ladder Pipe & Drum Irish Ale It has a deep dark amber colored body with good clarity. The head is small and fades out quickly leaving no lacing behind. The aroma is light with some light hints of sweet caramel malts. The overall flavor has a mild sweet malty character with a touch of caramel and some light spicy/leafy hops for balance. The hops come in more towards the finish of this medium bodied brew. The mouth feel is well rounded, smooth with a light balance of carbonation. Sunday, June 22, 2014
generallee08	3.4 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale The body has a very clear appearance with some visible carbonation and a bright golden color. Its head is light and sudsy, bright white in color and fades out quickly leaving no lacing at all. Its aroma is mild and brings only a light hint of grain with very mild hops in the background. The flavor is a simple but nice light grain flavor and a very mild wheat twang mixes with a good balance of bitterness from hops. The body is fairly light and highly drinkable with a thin texture and average carbonation. Saturday, June 21, 2014
maniac	1.6 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale Bottle on 03/07/2011 courtesy of Butters. Clear golden body with a small white head. Sweet honey, corn and malt aroma. Sweet corn flavor with some grain and faint fruitiness. Medium light body with moderate carbonation. Wednesday, January 1, 2014
maniac	2.6 Hook and Ladder Anniversary Ale Bottle courtesy of Butters on 02/28/2011. Somewhat hazy orangish amber body with a medium foamy off-white head. Sweet fruit, banana, yeast, caramel and sugar aroma. Sweet fruit flavor, some spice, yeast and banana. Medium body with moderate carbonation. Wednesday, January 1, 2014
ewestern	3 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale Sunday, July 7, 2013
jrodooo5	2.7 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale Easily one of the most watery browns I’ve ever had. It pours decent and has an ok aroma of chocolate malt but the flavor just isn’t cutting it. There are some very subtle roasty notes up front but it finishes very bland. Just too plain to even be a decent brown. Quite disappointing! Thursday, May 16, 2013
mjg74	2.6 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale Bottle from Grocery Outlet. Medium golden in color. Nose is caramel, bread, and a little sweet. Not very flavorful. Some malt with a light hint of hops. Saturday, March 2, 2013
MrPresentati	3.3 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale I drank this one from the bottle. A light, friendly ale. I enjoy blond ales, and this one fits the standard. Nothing distinctive enough to merit a discussion. Medium carbonation. Light aroma. Mild taste with only hint of bitterness at the back end. A bit of caramel and malt midway, with a relatively crisp clean finish. Friday, February 8, 2013
hfmejias	2.9 Hook and Ladder Flashpoint Pale Ale 12 Oz. Bottle, poured dark amber with little white head. Aroma of malts and caramel. Taste is a nice balance between sweet malts and bitter hops. Overall a nice beer very enjoyable and very drinkable. Saturday, February 2, 2013
phaleslu	2.8 Hook and Ladder Flashpoint Pale Ale 12 oz. bottle from my aunt CoCo. Pours a clear amber-golden color with a small white head and plenty of visible carbonation. Aroma of pale and sweet malts mostly, with some grass and crackers. The flavor is also really malty, with just a hint of citrus and grass. Light-bodied, with medium-high carbonation and a malty mouthfeel. Not the type of APA I like, and not too spectacular but not bad. Monday, November 5, 2012
jmohno	3.4 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale Clear yellow gold light froth,ok carbonation. Grainy buttery carmel malt aroma,maybe a slight floral/fruit slightly. Taste is same as aroma with a smooth,good body-nice mouthfeel, more floral in finish,some grainy carmelness,slightly sweet.Pretty tastey for a session ale.Carmel butter notes with light floral mainly in taste. Wednesday, June 20, 2012
jmagnus87	3 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale From notes. 12oz bottle poured into a shaker. Aroma of banana and roasty malt. Not a whole lot going on here. Drinkable but don’t seek it out. Sunday, June 10, 2012
Oscbert	2.6 Hook and Ladder Flashpoint Pale Ale Musty earthy floral aroma with biscuity malt backbone Pours an amber copperish color with disappearing head Earthy grassy flavor with balance of sweet malt Med body med co2 strong earthy finish Enjoyable ipa don't care too much for hop selection but no problem drinking a pint ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone Wednesday, May 16, 2012
dwyerpg	2.4 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale A nice malty aroma with some caramel notes. This has a tasty strong initial flavor but finishes with some old painty notes. Actually the more I drink of this, the more painty it becomes. Monday, May 14, 2012
Oscbert	2.7 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale Crisp malt aroma slightly sour wheaty Clear golden color with small creamy head Crisp light malty flavor with some spice hop notes Med light body med co2 crisp bitter finish. Decent Ale taste a bit like a pilsner. Could drink a few of these. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone Monday, May 14, 2012
tone77	3.8 Hook and Ladder Ember Amber Has a dark amber color. Smell is malty, slightly sweet. Taste is also big on malts, some sweetness, very refreshing. Overall a good quality beer. Thursday, February 23, 2012
Suttree	3 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale Brown, as you might expect. Splotchy white head. Smells like brown sugar and a bit of coffee. Flavor is brown sugar on toast. Dryish finish. Sunday, November 20, 2011
Suttree	2.1 Hook and Ladder Ember Amber Whatever. Its Malty, band some uh, you know. Its a nice day outside. Thanks. Sunday, November 20, 2011
Suttree	2.9 Hook and Ladder Flashpoint Pale Ale of all the American Pale Ales I’ve had, this is one of ’em. Red, thin ring of foam. Smell like caramel, toffee. Seems a little watery. Flavor is caramel and pine. eh... Sunday, November 20, 2011
callmemickey	2.6 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale A: cloudy golden body... off white head that lingers S: wheat and yeast... nothing noteworthy pops out T: the taste follows suit... wheat and yeast with a hint of spice M: Light bodied... easy on the mouth D: Goes down quickly.. not likely to drink again (review from 2008) Saturday, October 29, 2011
wlajwl	2.9 Hook and Ladder Flashpoint Pale Ale Citrus, biscuit-like malts, and some earthiness in the aroma. The flavor leans more towards malty than hoppy, although the hops are there. It was relatively balanced, but it would have been better if it had been more hoppy. Monday, August 1, 2011
jmohno	3.1 Hook and Ladder Flashpoint Pale Ale Before i forget, it seems the yeast is interfeering with the good taste of this beer.Bitterness and hop taste is very good.Pour was a nice looking cooperish color with good head and nice froth that keeps.Hops are hard to detect and describe but there is a stronger malt presence, maybe some fruit notes./yeast.Taste and mouthfeel go well together with this toasty dry taste that matches well with the hops.Every once in a while you get a unapealing yeast taste,may not be so fresh other than that this would have won my vote to get again soon.I wont judge it by this until i try it again,too bad i dont know the date or storage conditions. Wednesday, July 13, 2011
gsmitty80	2.2 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale This was my second go around with this beer and i forgot to rate it. It was a little better than I remember but wasnt all that impressive. A little thick on the palate. Sunday, May 29, 2011
mybrainhurts	3 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale Roasted peanuts, sweet and salty aroma. Flavors of caramel, toasted bread, cherries and a hint of vanilla. Wet paper and watery finish. Plays it safe and doesnt really grab an interest. Saturday, April 30, 2011
BückDich	2 Hook and Ladder Lighter Bottle: Only 94 calories! Awesome! Pour a pale gold color with a thin flavor. Light husk in the finish with a distinct watery note. A bit "lighter". Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thorpe429	3.2 Hook and Ladder Pipe & Drum Irish Ale Reviewed from notes. Served in a tulip glass. Pours a reddish-amber color with a nice off-white head. Not much lacing and the retention is a bit weak. The nose is caramel, toffee, and some light bread. The taste is bready with a touch of caramel and sweetness. Nice body to support the flavors. Drinks well enough, but not terribly interesting. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 11-14-2010 Thursday, April 14, 2011
Thorpe429	3.5 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale Reviewed from notes. Served in a tulip glass. The pour is a slightly-hazed golden color with a really tall white head that persists for quite some time and leaves oodles of lacing down the side of the glass. The nose isn’t too much, but is much better than the majority of blonde ales that I’ve had. Some light grain and bread plus a touch of fruit. The taste is a bit more plain with a bread-like character. The feel is really nice with a good body and carbonation level. Nice and sessionable. For what this is and against its competition, I really enjoy it. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 11-14-2010 Thursday, April 14, 2011
Thorpe429	2.7 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale Reviewed from notes. Served in a pint glass. Color is a moderately-dark brown with a tan head that persists for a bit before falling. Nose is quite plain with a bit of caramel and bread. The taste is bready with some light sweetness. Decent body with normal carbonation levels. Really just don’t have too much to say about this one. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 11-14-2010 Thursday, April 14, 2011
ronaldtheriot	2.5 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale Hook and Ladder Golden Ale has a medium to thick, off-white head and a hazy, amber appearance, with a good amount of carbonation and a decent amount of initial lacing. The aroma is of over-ripe citrus and some lightly-roasted malts. It is an unpleasant, off smell. Taste is predominately citrus, but roasted malts and a subdued hop presence is also there. Mouthfeel is medium, and Hook and Ladder Golden Ale finishes semi-dry to wet and fairly refreshing. Overall, this is okay, but I’d rate it higher if it didn’t have that sort of spoiled aroma. RJT Saturday, March 12, 2011
crossovert	0.6 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale Crap, not what the world needs. They could have not made it run of the mill but the did, and it is even crappier in quality than most. Thursday, March 10, 2011
Butters	1.7 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale Shared with maniac. Pours a clear gold with ring of white head. Corny and Grainy with just a touch of grassy hop. barely palatable. blah. Monday, March 7, 2011
Butters	3.2 Hook and Ladder Anniversary Ale Pours a clear dull amber with two finger offwhite head. Nose is semi-sweet with caramel and malt. Flavor is very sweet faint yeasty banana. Pretty decent for an american attempt Monday, February 28, 2011
wlajwl	2.1 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale Too watery for the style, a slightly malty and pretty watery flavor does not do this style justice, there are way too many other examples in this style that do that. Sunday, February 13, 2011
wlajwl	2.9 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale One of those beers that you don’t have to think about that much, balanced by decent ingredients, although a little expensive and there are other, cheaper beers just as drinkable. Sunday, February 13, 2011
Gustav1996	2.3 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale 12 oz bottle. Poured brown with a small head. Aroma was nice: malt, sweet, maybe some mild fruit. Taste really falls short: water, muddled malts, faint nut. Thinnish body. No real depth there. Overall: the nose was nice but the taste was very detached and lost. Tuesday, January 25, 2011
vikingguy	2.6 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale Gold w/ white head. Classic beer aroma...barley and hops. Taste is classic beer flavor as well. Cereal grain and hops. It’s a step above a macro lager. Hops are bit more pronounced and it has a creamy texture. Pretty good. Thursday, January 20, 2011
vikingguy	3.3 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale Brown w/ off-white head. Big sweet malt and toffee aroma. Taste: Some toasty malt, caramel, chocolate and a little nutty. Not as sweet as the aroma hints at. Smooth and drinkable. Very nice brown. Sunday, January 16, 2011
Dorwart	2.9 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale Decent sized light brown head of fine bubbles. Strange sweet vegetal aroma. Some light roasted malts, bananas and bread. Color is a medium brown with a hint of red. Rather bland flavor with more sweet malts and a milky mouthfeel. Not very positive on this one. Monday, December 27, 2010
JDBaker11058	1.9 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale Appearance: deep gold/amber, with light coppering. Aroma: light and malty. Taste: crisp and clean, slight bittering. Finish: short and mellow, slightly bitter with hint of citrus. Notes: Meh. Thursday, December 23, 2010
cazort	2.8 Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale This beer struck me as odd, even for this style. Unusually sour, unusually heavily-carbonated, and unusually thin. Besides these three qualities, which caught me off guard, I found this to be a pleasing beer. It’s a bit sweet for my tastes, but typically I dislike sweetness most when it’s paired with heaviness, and this beer’s thin body made the sweetness less unpleasant. One thing I really like about this beer is that it has a more bitter finish; there’s a little more roast in the finish as well. Bottom line? Average overall, although with many non-average characteristics, just that the good and the bad balance out. Sunday, December 19, 2010
ROGUE	2.8 Hook and Ladder Flashpoint Pale Ale 12oz bottle. Pours a deep amber with a small whitish head that leaves decent lacing. Aroma of lightly toasted malts, hops, citrus and honey. Taste is sweet and tangy, mild fruit and malty flavors with a small amount of bitterness. Medium smooth body with medium carbonation, that is slightly syrupy. Thursday, November 4, 2010
k9coug	2.3 Hook and Ladder Golden Ale Very simple beer, with an odd lingering bitterness at the very back of the tongue. Good warm weather beer, but I’ll take a PBR for those occasions. Thursday, October 21, 2010
argo0	2.7 Hook and Ladder Flashpoint Pale Ale 12oz bottle. Medium beige head atop crystal clear dark amber body. Aroma is medium sweet, grapefruit, light bread. Taste is medium sweet, grapefruit/grassy, light bread. Light-medium body, light acidity. Thursday, October 21, 2010
bpreo	2.3 Hook and Ladder Ember Amber Whenever I drink a new beer, and do not have a computer available to me, I rate it on my iPod, and then come back and catalog it on the website. I drank this one 8 days ago, and forgot I had it in my system. So apparently I was not a fan. Sunday, October 10, 2010