Impossibrew Enhanced Hazy Pale

 

I’m very impressed with this hazy pale beer from Impossibrew.  Not only is it alcohol free, it also contains L-Theanine and Griffonia seed extract to calm and soothe the mind.

It’s a hazy deep golden yellow beer with a small, loose, rapidly vanishing off-white head.  It has an intensely fruity aroma of tropical fruit and citrus and I could easily identify notes of pineapple, mango and lemon.

The flavour is also very fruity and it’s well balanced between sweet and bitter with sweet pineapple and mango giving way to a slightly bitter, but not pithy, citrus finish.  It reminds me of a weak fruit squash with so many different fruity flavours tingling the taste buds.  It has a medium body and it’s very well carbonated.

It’s fruity, refreshing and enjoyable to drink.  Whilst I can’t confirm the calming and soothing effect of the botanicals, I couldn’t tell that it was alcohol-free and I felt as if I was drinking a beer with a decent 4% or 5% ABV.

I’m pretty impressed with this Impossibrew hazy pale and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Impossibrew, London
0.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Impossibrew

Impossibrew Enhanced Lager

 

Impossibrew Enhanced Lager is an alcohol-free beer with a difference: it contains mood enhancing L-Theanine and Griffonia seed extract to calm and soothe the mind.

It’s a lovely light golden yellow lager with a frothy off-white head that retains a decent, albeit patchy, layer as you drink it.  Although it has quite a light aroma, it has a traditional lager smell but slightly more hoppy I think.  

The taste of dry hops continues into the taste as well as a slightly bitter hint that lingers in the finish.  It’s not an overly complex flavour profile but it’s clean and refreshing, which is what I’d be looking for in a lager.  It’s well carbonated and fizzy with a thin but not watery body.

I loved the hoppiness of this lager and the slight citrus tang in the finish.  I wouldn’t have guessed that it was alcohol-free if I was doing a blind taste test.  I think the mood enhancement works too as this lager had a similar effect to CBD drinks.  I felt calmer and more relaxed but of course I had a beer in my hand so I was already in my happy place.

I’m pretty impressed with this Impossibrew lager and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Impossibrew, London
0.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Impossibrew

Days Pale Ale

I’m pretty impressed with this Days alcohol free pale ale.

It’s a beautiful deep golden, molten amber coloured ale with a small beige head that dissipates to leave a thin patchy layer.  It smells deliciously hoppy and malty and I think the aroma is enhanced as it’s not masked by the overpowering smell of alcohol.

The flavour is spot on for a pale ale with notes of malt, hops, dried fruit and a dash of sweet caramel followed by a lingering bitter finish.  It’s softly carbonated with a medium body and it’s very smooth to drink.

This is a very impressive alcohol free pale ale - you can taste more intricate flavours without the alcohol and it’s very pleasant to drink.  I would be happy to drink this beer on a regular basis so Ale Be Seeing You again!

 

Brewed by Days Brewing, Edinburgh
0% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Days Brewing

Drop Bear Beer Co. Bonfire Stout

Wow!  This is one very impressive alcohol free stout that’s brewed in the UK with Chinook hops.

It’s a dark brown beer with a frothy, loose tan head that disperses quickly to leave a patchy layer.  It is very aromatic with a burnt caramel, malty, smokey and roasted nut aroma.  It has a very crisp and dry flavour with roasted nuts combining with malt and the perfect level of smokiness.  It has quite a smooth mouthfeel with low carbonation and a thin body.

The smokiness is absolutely perfect.  It’s often done really badly and I’ve had a lot of smoked beers that taste of ash or bacon but this one is divine.  I have to applaud Drop Bear Beer for brewing a smoked beer that I like and it doesn’t even have any alcohol in it!

You would not guess that it only has an ABV of 0.5% as it looks, smells and tastes like a stout.  The low ABV has the benefit of being low calorie too and there are only 55 calories per can.

I don’t think I have ever rated a zero/low alcohol beer so highly; it’s definitely one I’d recommend and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Drop Bear Beer Co.,  Haverfordwest, Wales
0.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Drop Bear Beer Co.

Drop Bear Beer Co. New World Lager

I am super impressed with this alcohol free New World Lager from Drop Bear Beer.  It’s brewed in the UK with three New Zealand hops: Motueka, Rakau and Wai-iti.

It’s a deep golden beer with a small, loose off-white head that quickly disappears to leave a very patchy layer.  The aroma is honey, caramel and hops with a hint of citrus fruit and this is replicated in the taste with notes of honey, biscuit and hops followed by a dry and slightly bitter citrus finish.  It’s well carbonated and thin bodied, as you would expect from a lager.

It looks, smells and tastes like a beer and I don’t think you would guess that it only has an ABV of 0.5%.  It’s really very impressive; it’s a full-flavoured lager that’s surprisingly tasty and it only has 46 calories per can.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Drop Bear Beer Co.,  Haverfordwest, Wales
0.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Drop Bear Beer Co.

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