What they said : Früh Kölsch 0.0% alcohol free beer: it looks like a lager but it’s certainly a beer. And a very special, very refreshing beer from Cologne, Germany, at that.
A Kölsch without alcohol would have been unthinkable a few years ago. But the Früh Kölsch brewery, with 100-plus years of experience, has certainly mastered the task with Früh Kölsch 0.0% alcohol free.
Alcohol is allowed to mature fully before being removed from Früh Kölsch 0.0%. So, this beer tastes particularly delicious and contains 60% less calories than an alcoholic Kölsch.
What I say : Looks like a nice golden lager when you pour it but the head disappears quite quickly. A slightly wheat-beer like flavour is mostly drowned out by the sweetness and that strange 'wet bread' flavour that ruins so many a/f beers and lagers. The after taste is an underlying wheatiness but with the cloying sweetness it taste like I imagine licking a personal yeast infection would. I served it fridge cold but maybe it would be better from the freezer and chilled within an inch of it's life?
And don’t even think about Hoegarden 0.0. In a health conscious moment (back in Feb) I bought a 4pack. Drank the first and thought WTF is this. Drank another the next day to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. Drank a third when pissed several months in the belief it might sober me up a bit. Awful stuff. The 4th lurks at the back of the fridge like an unloved step-child.
I've yet to actually finish an a/f beer. Tried many; they generally just get left or poured down the sink. Utterly pointless. Ditto vegan fake meat products, etc. Just a complete waste of time and effort.
the cloying sweetness it taste like I imagine licking a personal yeast infection would
Lol!
Now summer is coming to an end… here’s my summer winners…
- Tiny Rebel Clwb Tropica NA (0.5%)
https://www.tinyrebel.co.uk/beer/clwb-tropica-non-alc
- Brooklyn Special Effects (0.4%)
https://honestbrew.co.uk/shop/brooklyn-special-effects-lager/
- Mikkeller Drink’in The Sun (0.3%)
https://honestbrew.co.uk/shop/mikkeller-drinkin-the-sun-alcohol-free-american-wheat-ale/
- Salt Dobby (1%)
https://www.saltbeerfactory.co.uk/product/dobby-1-x-330ml/
I found some good dark winter AF beers last year… will start checking them out again now.
I’ve yet to actually finish an a/f beer. Tried many; they generally just get left or poured down the sink.
And as they say the first bites with the eyes. So while you might be buying bad product there are many good ones that would be hard to identify as AF in a blind taste test.
I ordered some Big Drop Pine Trail in a bar without realising it was alcohol free and bloody hell it was nice. I only found out it was alcohol free after I tasted it, though "ooo, that's good" and picked up the can for a proper look.
It's on the ****y IPA spectrum for all you old farts though.
Mikkeller Weird Weather really surprised me after thinking non-alcoholic beer would be a non starter. Very good.
Here are the next 2 I tried, both from West Berkshire Brewery. A pilsner and a peach ale.
What they said
Pilsner First
Pouring from the can we get a golden straw coloured liquid with medium carbonation, and a decent sized white head foams up, and ends up being our companion for the majority of the drinking session. On the nose we get a good amount of leafy Saaz hops aroma mingling with some lighter malt sweetness. Very crisp, and certainly reminiscent of standard full strength ABV pilsners.
With our initial sip we get some hop bitterness which quickly progresses to a mild sweetness with light malt flavours. The bitterness remains on the tip of the tongue and the lips and is pleasantly crisp. The malt flavours dull as the drink continues, but bitterness remains and the beer retains a fair amount of body, finishing with some clean citrus. Whilst recognisable as a pilsner, this shares some similarities with a Helles-style lager.
And Peach Ale
WBB Solo Pale Ale pours a deep light golden colour with a decent head that dissipates quickly leaving a rim around the beer as you sip.
The aroma is vibrant, heady and almost sweet with pineapple and mango leading the charge with subtle hints of pine in the background. Despite the lack of head it is tightly carbonated with a soft, dry mouthfeel.
As you drink a solid hit of bitterness hits your tongue with hints of toffee and caramel following with the barest touch of tropical fruit. The bitterness can be overpowering but I like a decent hit of bitterness so it doesn’t put me off. The finish is quite dry.
What I say
Both of these are way better than the Fruh I tried first. The pilsner still has a hint of the musty yeast that seems to afflict a lot of the af beers and lagers. Still quite drinkable if you like a pilsner but I wish they could get rid of the stale yeast undertones.
The peach ale was pleasant but a bit bland. I wouldn't have said it was particularly peachy and I did have to double check it was claiming a peach flavour and not referring to the hop type or something else. It tasted like beer but in the same way over diluted orange squash tastes. There is definitely the flavour but it is not quite making the mark.
Neither were offensive, just a bit insipid and didn't really seem worth bothering with.
After the 2 tins I went back to a bottle ang got a real surprise with this one.
What they say:
Previously known as Kosmic Stout, Nirvana Brewery’s Dark & Rich Stout certainly puts it’s cards on the table from the start with it’s moniker alone. Have the East London brewers nailed the deep dark flavours of a stout with only using gentle fermentation as their weapon of choice?
Pouring from the bottle we get a jet black liquid and a thin beige head that quickly diminishes as we drink. On the nose we get wholemeal bread, with a background of dried fruit and a whiff of dark chocolate. From the colour of the beer I was expecting more of a roasted aroma.
Roasted malts do make more of a presence upon tasting, though not strongly so. There are a number of ‘dark flavours’ at work here, liquorice, raisin and treacle to name a few, but the bready flavour continues to maintain in residence. It almost reminds me of a slightly underbaked Christmas cake (minus the booze of course!). The flavours diminish as you drink more, leaving a dry finish.
What I say
I will start by saying I didn't like the beer but follow that with saying I would recommend you try it. The flavour is intense. I really struggle to describe it and their description above is as good as any. The colour of the beer really does not prepare you for the mix of flavours which seem far fruitier and slightly sweet but not in the unpleasant sweetness of some others. It is a proper decision to make the beer taste like this. A really distinctive and striking flavour that I don't particularly like but if you do then this is a proper go to choice. I am actually recommending a beer I don't personally like.
I’ll look out for that one.
I wasn't going to have any more but was so encouraged by the Nirvana beer I thought I would try another dark beer, Sam's brown ale.
What they say:
Dark brown in colour with mahogany highlights and a lingering tight head. The nose is malt forward and the beer is dry and satisfying with a roast barley finish. The dry malty character is an excellent complement to spicy food.
What I say
Another okay but non-descript beer with the fusty yeast backdrop. I guess I was going to be disappointed after the last one, much as the tins were always going to taste better that then one before them. A drinkable beer-like fluid but too sweet with the af yeastiness that puts me off.
I’m really happy that my preferred AF beer is Becks Blue, as it’s both cheap and easily available. Has to be cold though - tastes rank if not.
AF “real” ales don’t do it for me - they’re always a bit odd tasting and not quite the real thing.
It’s weird, as I’ve always been a bit of a real ale snob and never have (still don’t) like lager including normal Becks.
Maybe that’s why - the Becks Blue is to me just a refreshing drink rather than a poor imitation of something else. Kind of a gateway drug to having a “normal” soft drink - maybe elderflower cordial or something is in my future.
A few quick ones worth picking upfrom memory...
Franzenkeiner was actually pretty good.
Erdinger blue is very drinkable but it's clearly fizzy pop.
All the last drop stuff is good, the stout is very nice. - unusually most of it actually tastes like beer.
Old speckled hen is an entirely passable beverage.
Adnams ghost ship is pretty good.
Guinness 0% is actually not bad, its a bit thin but it's a lot better than I expected and was a completely acceptable £3.50 for a four pack in morrison.
Bavaria wit is good if you can find it but again a bit like fizzy pop.
I'll keep an eye out for the stout you mention.
Don't try the st Peters.
Generally the thing with af beer is, a bit like instant coffee, if you forget what it's trying to be it can be pretty good. If you drink most of it wanting it to be beer it's going to be very disappointing.
Served proper cold on a hot day, I think the Heineken one is pretty good. Perfect as you're putting the bike away after a hot ride.
Wouldn't disagree Jon. I was genuinely taken aback by the Heineken 0.0. as someone who mostly drinks ale and needs a lager to have some real character I like it.
Franzenkeiner was actually pretty good.
Erdinger blue is very drinkable but it’s clearly fizzy pop
I enjoy wheat beer and one of these suits me down to the ground but i can't for the life of me remember which one I like and which one I think is nothing like the real deal. 😀
Neither is as good as the Mikkeller Drink’in The Sun, and neither is the Hoegarden.
WCA. You need your own YouTube channel doing this!
Honest Brew have a good selection. I've found the German alcohol free beers the best. However Thornbridge zero five was really nice they also do another 0% beer but the name alludes me at the moment.
Agree with the Tiny Rebel one, that is very nice the Tropica.
Smashed citrus, citrus beer is pretty good and UK brewed, cirtainly has a citrus range to it. And their cider actually isn't bad either - it taste more like a scrumpy than others I've had, which are usually just too similar to Apple tago.
Currently I'm on Free Star, out of the bottle its great and I went through a case pretty quick. however out of a can, you really need to put it in a glass to get the best from it otherwise it has that metallic tinge so I'm not enjoying it as much.
Budweiser non alcoholic beer is great out of a can however if you can find it (white can), possiblity one of the best big brands out there.
If I'm out and about I like Peroni Libera which most bars have rather than Becks blue etc.
Good analogy of Erdinger Af as fizzy pop. Its my usual hot day refreshment with the bonus of being isotonic? One AF that has stuck in my mind is San Miguel 0% but not sure if it was the awesome meal or the beer but drinkable. On the drinking at home Im working my way through Budweiser prohibition and lidl Patronus as an Erdinger AF alternative ( half the price).
Bought an explorer box of big drop from Waitrose. When I got home I realized it is AF. Nevertheless as far as AF beers go it is up there with Ghost ship. Due to the variety of flavours it gets my vote as best AF beer brand.
I tried some Tiny Rebel Space Cake recently - it’s an oat milk mocha stout. Bloody lovely but it’s more like pudding than beer.
Currently my fridge is full of Erdinger, Ghost Ship and Solo Pale Ale.
Had a few Space Cakes last winter… as you say, pudding in a glass. Great for sitting by the fire after a meal. Served bloody cold, of course.
I've been trying out the af pale ale and lager from Days recently. It's the best af I've tried so far, it doesn't seem to have the overly sweet, almost syrup like nature of some af beers. I wouldn't say it quite matches up to a decent "proper" beer but it's been good enough that I've not really missed drinking in the last few weeks.
I'm not a lager fan at all but the 0% Lidl lager is good and refreshing cold on a hot day.
If only they sold it in the 12pack instead of 4s.
just finished making jewellery in the studio ready for tomorrows Punk Pedlar sale in Romsey (weather permitting so expect some more reviews from me shortly.
I'm almost ashamed to say it but I've bought a few fridge packs of the Bavaria 0.0, it was a bit malty to begin with but consumed ice cold, having got back from a ride on a hot day, it's perfect. Also fewer calories than a can of coke, etc.
Well I was pleasantly surprised by this one. After the abomination that was the other Fruh I tried I thought I would get this one out the way early today.
They say :
The delicious mix of lemonade and alcohol-free Kölsch 0.0% is isotonic, rich in vitamins and absolutely invigorating.
Mild malt and straw aroma with a note of bitterhops. A drinkable beer with a good balance, hoppy with a dry finish
I Say
Tastes like those cans of 'shandy' you could buy as kids but with a nice hit of lemon. Served cold it is a refreshing very weak lemonade shandy. You wouldn't want too many I guess but fresh from the fridge was oak, just nothing like a beer.
I must be on a roll tonight. I appear to have ordered 2 of these by mistake but am currently enjoying the second can as I type.
They Say
Lucky 777 Tripel is a new one for us and the first Tripel style non-alcoholic beer we have heard of or tasted. Tripel is a beer style originating in Westmalle, Belgium and in the full strength world has a high ABV. They are a deep gold in colour and have spice, fruit and bitterness throughout. Rok Soba's version is also brewed in Belgium and is an amber colour. On the nose is the fruitiness you'd expect - we get orange peel. The taste is quite sweet and remains pleasant to drink throughout with dried fruits, caramel and sweet spice there.
I say
I would agree with them. Tastes like a Belgian lager with a slight orange sweetness but nothing like the artificial levels of sweetness in some of these. You can tell it is without alcohol but it is a pleasant enough drink. The fact I poured the second can straight after finishing ther first is a good recommendation. Probably my favourite so far but I am hoping to find something with more bitter and less sweet.
Oh, iirc brooklyn special effects was very good
The only one I have ever found to be acceptable is the Brewdog Punk AF, although I like the idea of the Guinness 0.0 so will be giving that a try.
The only one I have ever found to be acceptable is the Brewdog Punk AF, although I like the idea of the Guinness 0.0 so will be giving that a try.
Based on my personal opinion of both and your opinion of the punk, I'd say you're going to dislike the Guinness, quite a lot.
I seem to recall punk af tasting like I'd forgotten to flush the lines before I put the carling back on (which is to say like a somewhat improved carling with a strange mouth feel and a purple tinge).
I like adnams ghost ship at 0.5%. Technically not alcohol free but close enough
I tried some Tiny Rebel Space Cake recently – it’s an oat milk mocha stout. Bloody lovely but it’s more like pudding than beer.
As much as I love Tiny Rebel (especially a cold Cwtch!), oat milk mocha stout is really trying too hard.
I'm on an enforced booze break, and I've tried a few different alcohol free beers some that are mentioned in this thread and I just find them all a bit too sweet.
Are there any that have a bit more of a bitter taste? I'm not really into the fruity pale ales and prefer something malty/hoppy and even better if it's cold and carbonated but I can live without that if the taste is good.
Best I've found so far is Ghostship. I tried a Doombar at the weekend, not impressed and wont make that mistake again.
So while you might be buying bad product there are many good ones that would be hard to identify as AF in a blind taste test.
Well I tried my first ever AF beer last night - @&$% me – it was awful. In a blind taste test I would have thought it was off and would have spat it out (it tasted in no way at all like a beer) - it had a really sickly-sweet taste and a sustained 'saccharin' after-taste that I couldn't get rid of it all evening, even after eating.
It was Erdinger Blue.
Next time I will just have a soft drinks like I normally do when not drinking.
A shit AF beer doesn't mean all AF beer is shit... but you know that.
I really like the WBB solo pale ale but I don't think it mentions anything about peach anywhere.
A shit AF beer doesn’t mean all AF beer is shit… but you know that.
Yes I do, but it has been recommended previously on STW (including on this thread) so I thought I would try it and it hasn't given me any cause for optimism that any others will be significantly better unfortunately.
A shit beer doesn’t mean all beer is shit… but at least you're still drinking an actual beer so it's not a total waste.
I've completely given up on AF beers. I've yet to find one I like and I'm not enjoying the journey of discovery.
I've found I much prefer low alcohol beers (2% - 3% ABV) if I feel the need to avoid getting too pissed.
I mentioned it on the sober october thread but I like Drop bear beers. Their 0.5% stout is particualrly nice I think.
Keep seeing adverts for Days AF beer so will have a look at them too
Erdinger Blue is undrinkable.
just had a 0% Guinness. I was prepared to be disappointed but it's really good, it's gone on the list:
Ghost Ship 0.5%
Tiny Rebel cwtch AF
Northern Monk 2.8% and Wiper and True small beer 2.7% get an honourable mention as excellent low alcohol options.
I tried the AF Guiness and it wasn;t too bad but I don't really like guiness so not bothering again.
I seem to have defaulted to Nanny State as a drinkable beer that is only £35 for 48 cans delivered.
I had a Warsteiner Fresh few weeks ago and it was really nice, been looking for it in the supermarkets but cant find it so am still picking up Becks Blue or Bavaria at the moment during the weekly shop, can say I am a full AF convert now.
For a lager, I think the Estrella Galicia 0.0 is pretty decent if you can get it.
I seem to have defaulted to Nanny State
Oh dear. I think there are far better options. Most of the Big Drop range for example.
[i]Most of the Big Drop range for example.[/i]
I tried a Paradiso Citra in the first mix I bought. Ok but not stand out. Nanny State may not be the best but it has a nicely bitter with citrus flavours.
The Big Drop wasn't better enough to be £38 for 24 cans as opposed to £35 for 48. Also the Big Drop has over 3 times the calories which is also relevant when I am trying to lose weight as well.
Tried Free Damm 0.0% recently - not bad at all. A bit sweet, little bit hoppy.
Had 60 cans of AF Brewdog - Punk, Nanny State & Hazy - delivered the other day, despite me vowing never to buy from them again. It's cheap and should keep me going for a while.
Paradiso Citra isn’t their strongest. The Pine Trail mentioned earlier is excellent, Wildtrack is one on my wife’s favourites (I find it ok), and their Galactic is really nice. Quite like Waterslide too.
The Brewdog Coffee Stout was superb - but they stopped making it as only I liked it. Punk AF is passable but a bit weak, Nanny State just rough. The Hazy AF is ok too - but none of them are that good.
Brooklyn Special Effects is good, Infinite Session (whoever makes that) is nice.
Basically I find stouts and IPAs tend to work better than bitters and brown ales that can taste a bit thin and metallic.
Of course if stouts and IPAs aren’t your thing my advice will be worse than useless.
I guess I like rough but then I also eat lemons as fruit and don't like chocolate, buscuits or cake. Each to their own I guess
🙂
Agreed
Tried some of the Aldi AF pilsner last week. Quite liked it, especially for the price. The citric acid gives it a bit of bite.
I finally managed to track down the 0% Guinness locally. It's actually quite nice, fills the desire for a beer nicely. Handy as I've had a couple of late-night mercy dashes to hospital recently so drinking even less than usual.
I love a beer but under no circumstances do I drink and drive. Was persuaded in a pub to have an 'AF' Ghost Ship and was a bit put out when I discovered it was 0.5% as I'm sure I could feel it taking the edge off my reactions. Fizzy water next time.
I picked up a four pack of what I though was their own brand IPA in Sainsbury t'other day. Turned out to be AF, which I wasn't expecting! It's called 'Infinite Session IPA', I should have guessed. Anyhow, following my initial disappointment after expecting a full fat IPA, I was pleasantly surprised as it's the nearest thing to a drinkable AF beer I've found, and I've tried a few. Well, low alcohol, not AF it's 0.5% ABV.
I did recommend it.
Tried some of the Aldi AF pilsner last week. Quite liked it, especially for the price. The citric acid gives it a bit of bite.
This is my standard AF lageresque style beverage. Cheap too.
The ones that have the alcohol removed are def the best ones- like Adam's Ghost Ship
Guinness AF for the win! Otherwise it's Lucky Saint for something lighter
I love a beer but under no circumstances do I drink and drive. Was persuaded in a pub to have an ‘AF’ Ghost Ship and was a bit put out when I discovered it was 0.5% as I’m sure I could feel it taking the edge off my reactions. Fizzy water next time.
Everyone is different but I'd be surprised if it had that much of an effect on you. A surprising amount of everyday items e.g. fruit juice, white bread, yogurt etc. have alcohol in them, so if you're that affected don't have a burger bun.
Not sure if it is on sale yet in the UK but Athletic Brewing Company makes some very tasty beer in a wide variety of styles - think sour to stouts and all between. Out of about 25-30 beers only had a couple that were not that great for my flavor preference. Not sure how they manage such a good job, suspect they have messed with yeast strains that brew the beer without creating alcohol as a by product. I'm willing to ignore the Lance as ambassador/part of their team!!!!
This seemed a sensible place to do this since it's already got a number of reviews up there but I ordered a DIY mixed case from Dry drinker and thought I'd give them a bit of a write up. (Probably about 10 minutes later than I should, sorry for the photo!)
So far as the shop goes they've a (very for low/no) good range of styles and breweries but I want keen on any of the set mixed cases so did a DIY one instead.
Mostly it's be dark with the odd other one thrown in for good my measure which is about how I fill my beer supply when I'm not deliberately avoiding alcohol.
My case contained:
Lowtide BRUNE DMC 0.5%
Nethergate Venture Point Five 0.5%
HOEGAARDEN Belgian Beer 0.0%
Force Majeure Tripel 0.0%
Ollenaut Kaineken smoked Porter 0.5%
Mikkeller Limbo Series Raspberry 0.3%
Nirvana Kosmic Stout 0.0% – 330ml
uNN Road Runner Coffee Stout 0.5%
Samuel Smiths Brown Ale 0.5%
Drop Bear Bonfire Stout 0.4%
Nogne Milk Stout Alcohol Free 0.0%
Athletic Brewing All Out Stout 0.5%
I've dipped into the hoegaarden this evening so in the spirit of the thread, here's a pocket review:
Colour is a little more yellow than I recall for hoegaarden but it's certainly got a reasonable appearance for a witbeer
Mouth feel it's ok, it's got some body to it rather than the very thin feel you often get with af beer, not to syrupy but definitely feels like it's got a fair bit of sugar in.
No legs to speak of though.
Flavour isn't too bad, it's very sweet - it's been a long time since I drank the real one so maybe no more so than that - but with a good bitterness from the peel to the back and a bit of spice from the coriander.
Overall 6.5/10
On an aside I also tried some clean co, clean R golden spiced which is an af rum-alike. Quite drinkable but very little body and tastes very much like you've let too much ice melt in your rum. I'll finish it but I'm unlikely to buy another, it might mix well but I'm the wrong person to comment on that.
Free Dam is not horrible. Everyone I've given it to agreed. It does need a slice of orange in it though.
See second post for my rather less eloquent review of the Hoegarden.
Another 0.5 that saved my seasonal chores/driving duties from being entirely beer-less has been Brewdog Nanny State.
Nice discovery. Spied it on offer (?) £1 a (small) bottle @ local Co-op.
Turned out that I prefer it slightly to the Ghost Ship 0.5 (which to date had been the only other very low-alcohol beer I’ve found to be palatable)
Nanny State made a cheese and onion sarnie go down much better than without any beer. I swear I could even taste hoppiness.
OK, after slagging off AF beer earlier in the thread, I've actually found one that I can drink and not get depressed. The Nøgne Milk Stout is very drinkable.
Ironically enough, here in Norway the only place I've found that sells it is the Vinmonopolet (the government run booze shop that is the only place you can buy booze over 4.5%).
The supermarkets have a big range of AF beer but they are all either undrinkable lager or IPAs. Recently this has been expanded further to include fruity lagers and IPAs which I hate even more than the normal ones.
For me, stouts are the obvious choice for AF beer since the stronger flavours mean that removing the alcohol doesn't affect the taste nearly as much. I guess IPAs do the same thing but I find it quite seldom these days I'm in the mood for something with that much bitterness.
Still, finding one AF beer I like and have (somewhat restricted) access to is progress.
Guinness zero is remarkably good. Pop it into the freezer for ten minutes to get it ice cold and you'd struggle to tell the difference to the full fat version.
See second post for my rather less eloquent review of the Hoegarden.
Ha, yes, I can see it would definitely be possible to hate it but I've had much much worse at stuff in my time.
Of the stuff I’ve drunk over the last year or so, I’ve struggled to get anything anywhere near as foul tasting. But back in the day (Kaliber!) you’re probably right.
I’ve struggled to get anything anywhere near as foul tasting
I give you Beck's blue and a panoply of similar lager things, st Peter's something so horrible I've scrubbed the name from my mind, brewdog nanny state...
Taste is a personal thing of course but there is a long list for me.
I've these to try this weekend after finally making my way through a case of canned Free Star (the bottled were great the canned had that metallic tinge to them).....
I ordered a mixed case from Wise Bartender:
Adnams Ghost Ship
Big Drop Pine Trail
Infinite Session Alcohol Free Best Bitter
Nirvana Classic IPA
Beavertown Lazer Crush Alcohol Free IPA
Drop Bear Tropical Alcohol Free IPA
All good so far. The best bitter was much nicer than I expected, given that AF beers I enjoy tend to be hoppy.
After some 'research' throughout this month, I'd recommend Beavertown Lazer Crush. Bitberger by far the worst! Tonight I'm going to try (a very cold), AF Guiness. It's a bit of a cop out but a slice of lime or a lemonade top can help some of the more gutless lagers a bit.
I know it's an alcohol free beer thread, but if you are looking for something to drink, try the Kombucha for Holland & Barret
Linky
The ginger & lemon linked is particularly nice, reminiscent of a citrus IPA without the horrible after taste.
After some ‘research’ throughout this month, I’d recommend Beavertown Lazer Crush
+1. A residual hint of sweetness I thought it could do without, but overall, pretty good.
Bristol Beer Factory Clear Head also good, and it supports a mental health group.
Laser crush was too lemonade like for me, and I like their Nanobot 2.8 beer.
I tried the Lucky Saint lager a few days ago and was pleasantly surprised, would have again especially properly cold.
The Mikkeler Drinking in the Sun was pretty good as well I thought.
Quite like leffe blond 0.0 and the hazy IPA by Coast brewery in Edinburgh.
The Aldi standard 6 pack pilsner is not bad too. Usually have it with lemonade as a non cheeky wee shandy
Mikkeller Limbo Series Raspberry 0.3%
Colour is a little paler than I'd expected but entirely in keeping with a raspberry beer, a soft pink and develops a reasonable head.
Mouth feel is quite thin, very clearly low alcoholic, but very clean, not laced with sugar or in anyway feeling like it's bulked with lactose or the like. Light effervescence.
Taste is very good, I'm not normally a mikkeller fan but this is very drinkable. Fruit forward and discernably raspberry rather than raspberry flavour. Plenty of fruit sugar but with a good tang rather than just pure sweetness. The base net is obviously a bit lacking so it's not got the sharpness of a proper lambic but it's still well balanced and tastes "adult" enough not to just be fizzy pop. Crisp and refreshing.
Would happily drink several in the sunshine in place of real beer. Might even put a few in the fridge for post "ride" beer come summer in place of a nice cold lager.
8/10
