We've all safely made it out Dryanuary with our wits about us and maybe a few pounds lighter and with healthier habits. Or at least that is what I assume, speaking as a person who did not actually do a month of dry drinking... What I did take away from my Dryanuary recording session with Joanne was a thirst for more experience with no/low alcohol beers. My original write-up covered the beers that we looked at in our episode and I did an additional follow-up piece covering a more detailed comparison between UK Shipyard's Low Tide vs Pale Ale. But then I thought "why stop there?". I continued to tack on AF beers here and there with my different shops (supermarket and indie bottle shops) in an effort to figure out what worked for me and what didn't. After the first round, I didn't manage to find a single one that has had me reconsidering my drinking habits so I thought I would continue on in my quest.
Without further ado, here are the next batch on my radar (we can refer to it as "Free From February"):
Coast Beer Co - Farmhouse Ale
Style : Farmhouse Ale - ABV: 0.3% - Size: 330ML - Purchased: Wise Bartender -
Price: Sub £3
After placing an order with Wisebartender.co.uk for a few AF beers, including To Øl's "Under the Radar 2019" farmhouse ale, my order arrived with an apology that the To Øl was out of stock, but had been replaced with 2 x Coast Beer Co's .3% farmhouse ale (which I can no longer locate on their site, hence being unsure of the exact price). I sent one across to Joanne to try, knowing she might be keen to try an AF farmhouse and I seized a weeknight opportunity to sink the remaining can. It was off to a fair start with the thick, bright white head pouring well. It was foamy - like a frothy milk - where it seemed a bit dense and springy. The colour was yellowy-orange; similar looking to a glass of iced tea. There was a light haze to it that only just blocked visibility through to the other side. From an aroma perspective, it was a like a fruit nectar with some apple juice. There was no grainy or hoppy notes coming through, just an addition of mild herbal notes outside the fruity nectar (again, think "peach iced tea"). The peachy/nectarine/apricot nectar aroma pulled through to the taste quite well. Without suggesting it was at all unenjoyable to drink, I would have never guessed the aim of this beverage was to be a faux beer because that's just not how it lands. It's very fruit forward, with a light tartness towards the back end of the sip and an herbal note that lingers behind. The can does mention a "tang" in the taste, which I would wholeheartedly agree is present. The more my taste buds adjust, the more I fine something "off" that I cannot place starting to come through but it also starts to become more believably "farmhouse". For me, it's not really passable as an ale so wouldn't be a suitable choice to subside any beer cravings, but it would make an enjoyable alternative to beer overall.
Though in terms of being passable for alcohol it's a "red", I would say in terms of my personal taste buds it's a green.
Mikkeller - Beer Geek Flat White
Style : Oatmeal Stout - ABV: 0.3% - Size: 330ML - Purchased: Wise Bartender -
Price: £2.59
As a big fan of coffee and with a particular interest to try an alcohol free oatmeal stout, I quickly de-capped the bottle of Mikkeller's Beer Geek Flat White to dig in to what I was hoping would be a thicker than usual (for AF) and roasty beer. It poured with a heavily foamed, beige head that sat well for quite some time without issue. The liquid itself was dark and the aroma was pretty spot on with a dark roast coffee - with its hints of both bittersweet chocolate and fruit. For a moment, I almost picked up on a sweet maple scent. All seemed to be off on a seemingly okay foot, but then I drank it... It was sweet... much too sweet. Beyond that, there were no roasty/coffee notes. I felt like it missed the mark of what it was advertising as it was certainly nothing relating to a flat white and was too thin and light in mouthfeel to be what I had expected being an oatmeal stout. Despite the label stating it was brewed with coffee, the aroma was the only point where I noted coffee as it actually had a heavily soured taste - like it was meant to maybe be a sour porter. The full, dark qualities of the aroma didn't penetrate into the beer itself. If it had been labelled accordingly as a beer with any type of sour element so I was prepared, I'm not actually sure I would be too disappointed with it as it came through believably alcoholic and I'm also partial to a sour beer. As I adjusted to it, it did feel like there were some bittersweet cacao and roastier notes that were trying desperately to cut through the sharpness of the sour, but they just couldn't make it. While you can't really taste the carbonation so much, you can definitely tell it's there as it made me burp quite a bit. To be blunt, I would actually almost question if maybe it was the wrong beer inside the bottle... That is kind of how bizarre and outside expectation it was, yet not unpleasant with all things considered. It would not be something I would recommend to a friend wanting a flat white in beer form, but would be for somebody that wants a slightly darker sour.
Red in terms of expectations vs reality, but green if you enjoy a sour porter.
Tiny Rebel - Party Hard (Non-Alc)
Style : Pale Ale - ABV: 0.5% - Size: 330ML - Purchased: Wise Bartender -
Price: £1.99
The can design was very fun in a 90's nostalgia way. It poured with no head at all and the unexpected appearance was more of a murky, off-white colour with a pale yellow-ish tint than the "golden on the eye" suggested on the back of the can. It looked more like a cloudy lemonade with just enough haze that you couldn't see through fully - just shadows where fingers should be. The can also states that there should be citrus and pine aromas, but I personally found the pine to be completely lost on me. I could argue there was a vague citrus aroma, but I actually found it to be more of a sulphuric grapefruit. I expected some heavy carbonation due to the tiny carbonation bubbles wildly shooting upward. From appearance alone, if I walked by somebody drinking this, I would probably assume it was either some type of cloudy tonic water or lemonade and would never guess a beer (AF or otherwise). With the appearance and smell not matching up to the set expectations, I wasn't holding out much hope that the can would be right when it said the taste would be mango and citrus. Surprisingly, I could just about get both of those... but it was only just a hint and more so the lemon. Unfortunately, it was incredibly watery with the flavouring coming through quite weak, so it landed more like a citrus sparkling water. Calling it a "pale ale" was a bold move on Tiny Rebel's part as that is a massive stretch in my opinion. Party Hard can only be what I'd describe as "light" - not just in appearance and flavour, but also in mouthfeel (though weirdly it wasn't the thinnest of all the AFs I've had - including the stouts). If this had been marked as a hop-based tonic - similar to what Square Root produce - I think I might understand its existence a bit better. I honestly think it might even pair well with spirits if used as a mixer. This glorified sparkling water left me feeling disappointed yet again by Tiny Rebel failing to deliver on meeting their own descriptors (without it even being complex flavours). It was too bland and inoffensive in any way to be a drain pour, but definitely had a flatness to it. It just reaffirmed by trust issues with Tiny Rebel.
This is a hard, disappointment-laced "no" for me....
Tiny Rebel - Space Cake
Style : Oat Milk Mocha Stout - ABV: 0.5% - Size: 330ML - Purchased: Wise Bartender -
Price: £1.99
I was off to a bad start with the first alcohol free Tiny Rebel I tried, but still I pressed on and cracked open Space Cake. The off-white head poured fairly bubbly and you could tell from the start that it was going to be on the thinner side. Looking very dark in the glass, it has a more defined brown-ish tint when held up to the light. The smell is somewhat yoghurt-y, but in a way that's heavy on vanilla - similarly to a sweet cake frosting. Although the can was also suggesting I should get coffee on the nose, this was not the case at all. In terms of taste, it advised I should get both coffee and chocolate, but I'm not confident I could make out either. The aroma promised sweetness that the taste couldn't deliver as it ended up - again - just bland and watery. To be fair, I could see where they would make a milky chocolate connection as it had an element of milk chocolate if you under "chocolated" and over "milked", but it wasn't strong enough to make an impact, with the coffee being lost almost entirely (I say almost as there was a faint hint lingering around after I swallowed each sip). Given this suggested oats had been added, the mouthfeel was on the thinner side, even as far as AF stouts go. I've not seen anything suggesting you should treat AF stouts differently to those containing alcohol, but the failure rate I've been having with these is making me question if perhaps I'm leaving them to warm up TOO much as I'm treating them the same as an alcohol filled stout. Please do let me know if I've missed a trick here and should be drinking them straight out of the fridge as I'm willing to accept that might be where some of the issues sit. When it starts to properly warm up, it does start to become more like a flat glass of coke with the exception of that mildly bitter, mocha linger (calling it roasty would be an exaggeration). In order to get the chocolate more clearly without the heavy milky element, my suggestion would be to let it get beyond warm (we're talking room temp minimum) as that is the only point that it felt comfortable to describe it as chocolate in taste. If it's a proper, full stout you want, this would not be the AF option I would lean on nor would you be able to convince me there was alcohol within it.
I would suggest this is maybe a try for yourself selection where my taste buds are picking it up one way, but worth a try to see if it's more fulfilling for you. Worst case scenario, it's not offensive in taste, you just will find it "meh".
Big Drop - Off Piste
Style : AF Hazelnut Porter - ABV: 0.5% - Size: 330ML - Purchased: Wise Bartender -
Price: £1.89
Having heard nothing but positive things about this hazelnut porter and knowing that AF is what Ipswich located Brewery - Big Drop Brewing Co - specialises in, I was particularly excited with how this one would pan out. Their pumpkin spiced beer previously sampled was not my idea of a proper pumpkin spiced beer, however it was tasty and left me with high expectations. From the bottle poured a dark coloured liquid that had a copper tinge to it when held up to the light. The colour of the head was almost beige, but it hardly mattered as it fizzled away almost instantly after pouring, leaving a gorgeous and rich nutty-chocolate smell behind (which was nicer than some actual alcoholic stouts/porters I've had). The decadent smell made it hard to withhold from sipping for long, but it sadly did not taste quite as gorgeous as it smelled. I did leave this sitting out for less time than the other AF stouts because I was getting paranoid that maybe I was allowing them to get too warm before drinking and this resulted in the first few sips having a smoky taste with some light nuttiness in the linger. Although it was thinner in mouthfeel, it wasn't to an unenjoyable level as it matched where it felt it should be given the balance of flavours. Based on my experience, I think it would appeal more to those wanting a smokier beer vs a hazelnut one and - though I wouldn't describe it as "bad" by any means - I was left wanting to warm it up a bit further just to see if it would help improve things further and create a bit more depth. Warming it up did lead to it becoming more nutty, but in a smoked way vs the chocolatey way I (personally) wanted. A maple-y sweetness began to come through on the aftertaste. The taste did feel similar to firesider, just with less of the spices in play. I was left a little bit disappointed by this because due to expectations, however it might also have been that the flavour would never be able to match the indulgent smell regardless so was another that was almost set up (accidentally) to fail. I wouldn't suggest it's Hammerton "Crunch AF" level, but it's passable as a table-beer level porter in my opinion and wouldn't be something I'd reject if offered as it was still tasty.
For me, it's an decent, but I wasn't left feeling strongly either way. But, for others I could see this being good to go.
Lervig - No Worries (Pineapple)
Style : Pineapple Pale - ABV: 0.5% - Size: 330ML - Purchased: A Hoppy Place -
Price: £3(ish)
Mentioned on the last write up and podcast episode, Lervig's No Worries was one of the AF beers named the most by regular dry drinkers and those that dabble for monthly challenges. If you've watched our Dry January episode, you'll know Joanne and I did not get on with the original version of No Worries as it tasted like some type of tomato-based soup for me. There was a also a grapefruit variant people rave about, but as I tend to really enjoy pineapple flavouring in drinks and the whole tropical element, I went for the pineapple variant. For all intents and purposes, it does indeed look like a hazy IPA with a white head (that maybe doesn't hold quite as well as most hazy IPAs tend to). The colour is broth-coloured and the scent is like the juice that's leftover in a tin of pineapple chunks with a slight floral pop towards the end (as if there were a few flower petals sunken in the glass somewhere). When breaking down the tastes, I will start by praising it for tasting far less like minestrone soup than the original, but I did still get subtle tomato undertones that were noticeable enough to catch but not enough for it to be overpowering like the original. In the grand scheme, it was a lot easier to tolerate as there was also the lighter, pineapple juiciness that hits the taste buds first and lingers afterwards. and that thins out the tomato undertones. My only real point of concern with this beer is that it was what I'd describe as pleasant when it was nice and cold, but as it sat and warmed up it also started to go a bit flat with a bitter taste developing alongside an interesting (but not unpleasant) bubble-gum flavour trailing behind. Overall (and not just comparatively to it's original version), I would believe this pale contained alcohol and would see myself enjoying this again in future as a suitable replacement should it ever be needed in future (though still would not see myself converting to this on a regular basis). Even after it warmed up and the tastes dampened a little, it still achieved that goal. If you only take a swig and don’t analyse it too much, it does seem to be fine. Once you start really inspecting it is when it starts to come undone as the tastes do land more harshly.
Aside from all the above, it's also been discussed that part of your beer tasting experience is picking up the memories it evokes. For me, it conjures up images of going to a Chinese restaurant in the US where they give you pineapple chunks on toothpicks at the end of your meal alongside your fortune cookies. Maybe it's the positive memories it gives me, but I'd say this is one I would recommend. Worst-case scenario, it's "just fine".
Infinite Sessions - Pale Ale
Style : American Pale Ale - ABV: 0.5% - Size: 330ML - Purchased: Sainsbury's - Price: £1.30
I went into Sainsbury's to find an alcoholic CLWB Tropica for my side-by-side comparison, and left with this American Pale Ale from Infinite Sessions as I spotted it and remember it being recommended to me by a few people during my AF research. On the can, it's clearly highlighted as only being 36 calories, which was nice as that's not always made clear on beer cans. In appearance, it was crystal clear and golden in colour with a quickly receding off-white head. The head remaining appeared to be made up of tiny little bubbles, so I inferred this would be heavily carbonated. In a weird way, the aroma that came off was similar to Chinese food (think sweet and sour chicken balls) with the sweet notes hitting in a malty way. When digging in further, there was a subtle grapefruit scent that was mixed in. As far as both the mouthfeel and overall flavour goes, it was very thin and I did question if maybe less calories may have been partially to blame. I wanted a fuller flavour off of this as it was quite bland with an odd taste that I couldn't liken to anything else. Sweet and savoury is the best way I can summarise. With the crispness being as heavy as it was, I think this might've also played a part in where the "watery" elements of the taste came from. To be honest, I could probably be convinced this was table beer level strength (like a 1-3%ABV). Regardless, it wasn't really to my personal taste as it was fairly dry and started to dry out my tongue and leave an unpleasant aftertaste (in a similar way as when you burn either your tongue or the roof of your mouth).
Sorry to finish part two off on a negative, but it's not one I would recommend as it just wasn't my cup of tea and there were too many awkward flavours. But it does get recommended by quite a few so perhaps worth at least seeing for yourself as it's so easily accessible if you have a Sainsbury's near you.
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