Tap Social - Day Release Pale Ale

Tap Social is based in Oxford. It is a social enterprise to create employment and training for prisoners and prison leavers in order to reduce reoffending. They "brew, bake and run community venues." Day Release is their first AF brew. It arrives in a 440ml can, has 0.5% ABV and is vegan. The hops are listed as Admiral and  Sultana Savro. Upon pouring into a glass an impressive frothy head is created, though it soon disappears. The aroma is very slightly herbal. Tastewise, Day Release has a slight citrus character and maybe a touch of melon. A light mouthfeel precedes an unremarkable finish. 

2 / 5

Brulo - King for a Day NEIPA

Brulo is based in Edinburgh though this New England IPA is brewed by De Proefbrouwerij in Belgium. The beer is 0.5% ABV, vegan and arrives in a 30 cl can. In the mix are barley, wheat, oats and vanilla; together with Munich, pale ale, crystal and wheat malts. As one might expect with a NEIPA, the hops are all bold ones: Columbus, Citra, Mosaic and Sabro. It starts with a little disappointment: there is little head to speak of and it soon disappears. Minor point hopefully. This king may appear rather reticent but the aroma is decidedly "in your face" - it's very full-on tropical and citrus notes all vying for your attention. The taste is a typical NEIPA big fruity one: grapefruit, tangerine, lime, peach and on a good backbone of pine. The body is lightly carbonated and smooth, whilst the finish is also smooth but with a very nice bitter edge. Definitely a refreshing beer to have on a warm summer's day.

4 / 5

Theakston - Nowt Peculier

This is Theakston's AF take on the famous dark ruby ale Old Peculier from North Yorkshire. It utilises the same ingredients (pale, crystal and roasted barley with Fuggles, Challenger and Progress hops) but the alcohol is then filtered out. The creamy head it creates sustains well in the glass. The nose has a richness to it and with the character of maybe wholemeal bread or even woodiness. Tastewise it is certainly very malty. There are notes of plum, dark cherry and raisin too. The carbonation is very light, making for a smooth, rather slight mouthfeel. The finish is quite sweet. Overall then it is a very traditional dark ale, and in fact there is nothing peculier at all about it.

3 / 5

vandeStreek - Hard Pour Coffee Nitro Stout

The "hard pour" into the glass did indeed create the promised head, but it quickly disappeared, so no "foam mustache" for me then. The 33cl can declares the beer to be vegan and contains barley malt, barley, cacao, coffee and hops. The hops used are Sabro, Columbus and Magnum. The powerful aroma is mainly of coffee of course as well as of dark chocolate. Tastewise there is a well blended combination of coffee, vanilla and some coconut. It has a smooth mouthfeel and a very light level of carbonation, bordering on thin. The finish is dry and is a little astringent. Overall it is a very pleasant stout, I'm just glad I brought my own mustache. 

3 / 5

Heineken - 0.0 Lager

The Dutch Heineken company was founded in 1864 and now owns over 150 breweries in 70 countries; so it is the very definition of a multi-national company and is one of the largest brewers in the world by volume of beers produced. This "pure malt lager" is the AF version of the 5% original. The same ingredients are used: barley malt, hop extracts and "natural flavourings." It is created by the removal of the alcohol using vacuum distillation. The beer is dispensed from a 330 ml bottle, has a crystal clear appearance and supports a bubbly white topping. There is very little aroma to identify. Tastewise it has a slight soft malted character. The finish is similarly unremarkable. 

2 / 5

Van Honsebrouck - Kasteel Rouge Original 0.0%

Founded in 1811, the brewery have now created a non-alcoholic version of their award-winning 8% ABV cherry beer Rouge Original. The label on the stubby 33cl bottle from the "Kingdom of Belgium" lists barley malt, wheat, hops, spices and cherry concentrate amongst its ingredients. The latter comes from Oblacinska cherries, which are usually used in cooking. Unsurprisingly then that cherry is by far the dominant characteristic of this beer, from the nose through to the finish. The sour cherry flavour is blended in with a touch of caramel and a hint of clove. The mouthfeel is rather lively but not overly so - it is light, smooth and well-rounded. The rich finish rounds off a very well put together beer. Must be all those centuries of practice. 

4 / 5

St. Austell - Proper Job 0.5% IPA

This is the alcohol free version of the Cornish brewer's well established IPA. It is vegan and comes in a 500 ml bottle (as well as cans). The ingredients listed include malted barley, wheat and hops - which are Cascade, Willamette and Chinook. The beer has a very bright and clear appearance in the glass and an impressive foamy head. Citrus is the very forward aroma and the taste certainly has a strong grapefruit tang to it. There is a floral character in there as well. The mouthfeel is quite light and it has just the right level of carbonation. The finish is rather sharp. It's a proper IPA, albeit somewhat lacking in significant malt or pine notes. 

3 / 5

Unbarred - Lowkey Pale Ale

Unbarred is a brewery and taproom based in Brighton. As well as their alcoholic beers they offer two non alcoholic ones: Coastin' West Coast IPA and this one - Lowkey Pale Ale. Both are vegan and 0.5% ABV. The ingredients listed on the 440 ml can are oats, barley, wheat and (unspecified) hops. Despite the grains listed, on their website the beer is listed as being gluten free, so I checked with Unbarred and they (very quickly!) responded with: "Our gluten-free beers are tested and contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten, however we leave it on the ingredients list as there are still traces and for allergens purposes. The beer is brewed using gluten products, but we then use certain brewing methods to then break down the gluten and remove it from the beer." On the nose Lowkey is very bright and zingy. The taste is mostly one of citrus but not in any way overpowering, simply very refreshing. At the forefront is grapefruit and lemon, whilst the mouthfeel is as lively as the aroma suggested. The finish has a real sharp smack to it. Not sure Lowkey is the best name for such a vibrant ale but maybe it's to lull you into a false sense of security! Very moreish.

5 / 5

Sierra Nevada - Trail Pass Golden Ale

The Trail Pass can declares the ale to be less than 0.5% ABV, has 90 calories and is vegan. Ingredients are not listed. The brewery is based in North Carolina and the majority of their beers are alcoholic ones. The aroma is quite hoppy and with some floral notes. However, tastewise this initial promise is not delivered. It is bland and rather characterless, with a rather odd "synthetic" taste. The mouthfeel is smooth and with moderate carbonation. The finish has a slight sweetness to it. Not a trail I'll be going along again.

1 / 5

Wiper and True - Low-alcohol Kaleidoscope Pale Ale

This 440ml can is the Bristol brewery's AF take on their flagship pale ale, with just 0.5% ABV. The recipe includes barley, wheat and oats as well as Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic hops. The beer is unfiltered and vegan. There is a bold aroma to this very lively brew - both floral and fruity. Very promising in fact. And the taste does not disappoint. Citrus and tropical fruits, a touch of sherbet and perfectly rounded out with resinous pine. The mouthfeel has a touch of zestiness and the finish has just the right amount of bite in its bitterness. It has won the Gold Medal at the 2024 World Alcohol-Free Awards as well as a 2024 Great Taste Awards star. And now it has just been (easily) awarded five stars from me. 

5 / 5

Huyghe - Delirio Blond

Apparently the earliest evidence of brewing at Melle, near Ghent in Belgium, is 1654 - according to the Huyghe brewery website. This blond beer has just 0.3% ABV and it arrives in a very distinctive 33cl bottle. Barley malt, oats, barley, hops and spices are ingredients listed on the label. The head disappears quite quickly when the beer is poured into the glass.The distinctive aroma of a Belgian blond beer is followed through into the taste - esters of ripe bananas and pears. The mouthfeel is soft and the finish has a slight touch of spice. Delirio is quite a sweet affair and overall I find this to be rather too sweet on the palate. 

2 / 5

Electric Bear / Below Brew Co - Unruly AF Pale Ale

Two breweries from the Bath region have teamed up to produce this 0.5% ABV pale ale. It is (as declared on the 440 ml can - complete with cool artwork) unruly, unfined and unfiltered. It's also vegan, but isn't GF. In with the malted barley, wheat and oats are Citra, Mosaic and Idaho 7 hops. A vigorous head is created upon pouring and it leaves plenty of lacework down the glass as one drinks it. The aroma is at once both floral and juicy. A delightful combination of flavours comes forward upon tasting - citrus (tangerine), stone fruit (apricot and papaya) and pine - and all carried by a smooth and soft mouthfeel. The slight sweetness of the ale is cut through by a finish that is both hoppy and bitter. Easily full marks, unruly or not.

5 / 5