BrewDog Nanny State

 

As you can tell by the fact that I blog about it, I love real ale but drinking too much of it makes me look like a beer barrel.  So these days, I'm turning more and more to low or zero alcohol beers when I fancy a beer.  Whilst a lot of alcohol free beers taste like beer flavoured spring water, BrewDog's Nanny State is one of the best I have tasted.  It actually tastes like a craft beer, albeit a weak and thin-bodied one, but you can't really expect it to taste like a 6% full-bodied ale because it isn't.

Brewed with Centennial, Amarillo, Columbus, Cascade and Simcoe hops, Nanny State is a lovely malty, hoppy ale with a bitter citrus finish.  The flavour is like a cross between an IPA and a bitter as you've got a hint of citrus as well as a delicious maltiness.  It's thin-bodied and a little watery but with only 20 calories per can, I'm happy to lose a bit of body to have a guilt-free beer.

Currently, a pack of 24 cans is £24.95 from Amazon (or £4.00 + delivery for 4 cans from BrewDog) so at just over £1 per 330ml can, it's not the cheapest alcohol-free beer around but it might very well be the best.  It looks and tastes like a craft beer and it's so moreish and so low in calories that you don't feel bad having just one more.

Brewed by BrewDog Brewery, Ellon, Aberdeenshire
0.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery

Camerons A-hop-alypse Now

 

I haven't had a Camerons beer I didn't like and A-hop-alypse Now is no exception.  Just look at the beautiful golden amber colour of this golden ale!  It has a little bit of sediment in the bottle so I poured carefully to get a lovely clear beer.  The cream coloured head is very tight and it provides a good, robust layer of creamy bubbles.  It's an impressive sight and gets full marks for appearance.

It smells amazing; predominantly hoppy but with undertones of orange citrus and sweet malts.  I couldn't wait to dive in for a taste.  It doesn't have a strong taste but there's a plethora of flavours coming through: orange marmalade, buttery toast, smooth caramel, sweet malts and a hint of citrus.

Soft carbonation gives a smooth mouthfeel although it feels a little thin in body, but that's nothing unusual for a golden ale.  The head lasts and laces right until the very last drop too so this beer really does tick all the boxes for a quality pint.

A-hop-alypse Now is a stunning golden ale and it's well worth grabbing a couple from your local supermarket when they have this in stock.  I'll certainly be getting more and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Camerons Brewery, Hartlepool, Co. Durham
4.3% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Camerons Brewery

Moorhouse's Pride of Pendle

 

What a beauty!  Moorhouse's Pride of Pendle looks right up my street!  It's a deep golden, amber ale with a tight cream head that smells of hops and delicious malts.  I was very excited to get my first sip of this one and I was not disappointed.

With a base of dry biscuit malt and slight citrus fruit bitterness, this ale is so perfectly balanced.  It's bitter but not pithy and sweet but not sugary - just perfect!  It's so softly carbonated and very smooth to drink, my only disappointment was when I emptied the glass.

Deliciously malty and definitely one for my repurchase list: Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Moorhouse's Brewery, Burnley, Lancashire
4.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Moorhouse's Brewery

Goose Island Honkers Ale

 

No longer produced in bottles, Honkers Ale is an English style bitter from USA.  I love bitter so I was really looking forward to this one.  Let's see what I thought.

It's a beautiful warm amber colour but it has a dirty dishwater coloured head that vanishes within seconds.  There was also quite a bit of sediment in the bottle so it needs a careful pour to get a clear ale.  I got a bit of sediment in mine so it does have a bit of haze to it and the sediment seems to remain suspended in the liquid which was quite off-putting when drinking.

Rather alarmingly, it has no smell whatsoever.  I couldn't detect a whiff of anything and my nose was in full working order.  Slightly odd, but on to the taste.  Erm...there's not much taste either.  It's a little malty perhaps but I'm really pushing it to even say that.  It doesn't help that the body is very thin and watery and the bubbles are really harsh despite the flat appearance.  It's like drinking slightly malted fizzy water.

It's nothing like a beer never mind an English Bitter and Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Goose Island Brewery, Chicago
4.3% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 2.5/5

Find out more at Goose Island Brewery