This beer had a beautiful dark brown color to it with just a hint of ruby red. It had a fluffy, almost nougat colored head that stayed with me and had some nice lacing all the way down. Not much in the field of smell, maybe some malts from time to time but nothing noteworthy. But I overlooked this because it was such a great looking beer, and I couldn’t wait to get it on my taste buds.
This is where my opinion started to change. It had a bland, almost watery taste to it, like you get with some cheaper micro-brews. It had a clean finish, of course, with not much aftertaste. I was a little disappointed in the flavor of it. (I should have known because of the lack of aroma, but man did it look good) Â It looks a lot better than it tastes. I normally wouldn’t catagorize a brown as a session beer, but my opinion is that a group gathering would be this ones domain. The more I drank, the better I liked it. Nothing special, but a very smooth and enjoyable beer. Not one I’d search for but if it was offered, I certainly wouldn’t turn it down.
If you have a light palate but want your friends to see you drinking dark beer, this one would be for you. You would look pretty cool while not experiencing  that “DARK BEER” heavy taste. Only don’t tell your friends that it doesn’t taste as heavy as it looks. Just stand there and look manly, drinking your “DARK BEER”. (Hey, I understand, sometimes it’s all about the image)
Don’t forget, the Hook and Ladder brewing company donates a portion of their profits from the sale of each case to the local fire dept. where it’s sold.
P-O-R-C-H Rating: R
NOTE: I was going to rate this an O+, but I bumped it up a couple of notches because of it’s appearance, and it’s potential to introduce people with more….um….shall we say, sensitive taste buds into the world of more flavorful and manly brews. I like this brewery. They seem to find strengths in different areas that overcome any weakness their beer may have. Just like Firefighters, they do what it takes to get the job done.
Posted by Mr. Porch