Kirkstall - Virtuous Low Alcohol IPA

This is the 0.5% version of the 4.5% IPA from the Leeds brewer Kirkstall, using the same three hops: Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe. It arrives in a 440ml can and is declared to be both vegan and GF. There is a prominent floral aroma to the beer and with an edge of lemon in there too. Tastewise Virtuous is a confident mix of pine, citrus and sweeter fruit such as maybe blueberry. It has a very smooth mouthfeel, whist the finish is bitter but not overpowering. All in all, it is a well-balanced and refreshing brew, no characteristic dominates and the flavour combination is very pleasing. Most virtuous in fact.

4 / 5

Track - Arosa AF Helles Lager

Track Brewing is based in Manchester and this is the 0.5% version of their 5.2% Arosa Helles lager. The 440ml can is not exactly eye-catching and does not provide too much in the way of ingredients information - it simply says barley, hops, yeast and water. It is vegan and GF. The head created upon pouring is  voluminous and sustains a good while. There is a slight grassy tone on the nose, typical for this style of beer. Tastewise Arosa is very restrained - just a gentle citrus note and there is a light mouthfeel. A clean finish makes it an easy-drinking and refreshing brew.

3 / 5

Cloudwater & Reserve Wines - Red

The Manchester brewer Cloudwater and wines purveyor Reserve Wines have teamed up to produce... well, to produce what? (Hence the photo!) On the can it says "low alcohol beer" but also "serve in your favourite wine glass." The listed ingredients are carbonated water, Chuckleberry Wild Ale (barley, wheat, oats, hops, yeast), fruit juice concentrates (cherry, grape, pomegranate, blueberry, lemon), cacao, lemon zest, orange peel, blackberry leaf, black pepper, ginger, natural colouring, chilli, citric acid and preservatives. Quite the list! The 440ml can also states it to be 0.5% ABV and vegan. With all this fruit it is no surprise that the aroma is of red fruit - particularly cherry. The taste is likewise all fruit - cherry and blueberry in the main. The body is rather slight and the finish is pretty tart. It is an AF beer that is very heavily tilted towards the fruit ingredients, hence the "red wine alternative" declaration on the can, so there is little if anything in the way of expected beer characteristics to the drink.

2 / 5

Attic Brew Co - Lucid AF Pale

The Attic Brew Co is a Birmingham brewer, mostly brewing alcoholic beers, but this is a 0.5% ABV pale which is also declared to be vegan. Barley, wheat, oats, hops (which ones is not specified), hop extract, natural flavouring and maltodextrin are the ingredients listed on the very jazzy 440ml can. After dispensing the beer into a glass the head was quite quickly lost. On the nose Lucid is very much lemon in character, whilst the flavour is mostly of grapefruit. A citrussy pale then, and the mouthfeel is both smooth and light. The finish is moderately bitter, rounding off a simple but pleasant Brummie brew. 

3 / 5

Brew Toon - Unwired to the Toon Macchiato Stout

Brew Toon microbrewery was set up in 2017 and is based in Peterhead, Scotland. Most of their offerings are alcoholic beers. There's a thorough-looking list of ingredients on the 440ml can; the malts listed are Maris Otter, malted oats, crystal extra dark, torrefied wheat, Munich malt, dextrin, black and Carafa Type-3. The hops are Magnum and also in the mix are vanilla, caramel, coffee and lactose. It is a 0.5% ABV beer, unfiltered and is suitable for vegetarians. With such a list of ingredients I was not expecting a shy, retiring experience and sure enough it was not. Straight off the bat, the aroma is of dark (very dark!) chocolate. Tastewise Unwired is very full-on: chocolate, coffee, vanilla and caramel flavours all vie for the attention, whilst there is distinctive roasted edge to the mix. The mouthfeel is creamy but the finish provides just the right amount of bitterness to prevent any cloying sensation. One of the best desserts, sorry, beers that I've tasted.

5 / 5

Brulo - Sabro Galaxy DDH IPA

Sabro Galaxy DDH IPA has the typical ABV of 0.5% whilst the ingredients listed on the 330ml can are barley malt, wheat malt, maltodextrin and hops (Sabro of course!). Although the brewery is based in Edinburgh, this vegan beer is brewed by De Proefbrouwerij in Belgium. First up, the aroma, which has the sweetness of coconut. And then, moving on to the taste, this is a very pleasant combination of tangerine, peach, pineapple and some more coconut. The mild carbonation and well-rounded mouthfeel make for an enjoyable brew, ending with a clean and gentle finish. 

3 / 5

Brew York - L.A. Juice Forsyth Fruited IPA

It's not New York, it's York and it's not Los Angeles, it's Low Alcohol. Having cleared that up (!) this 440 ml can offers up a 0.5% ABV fruited IPA; "fruited" because it contains both pineapple and mango. Also in the mix are barley, wheat, oats, lactose (from milk) and the hops are Citra and Mosaic. Once in the glass the beer is opaque and the head soon disappears. Mango hits powerfully as you take in the aroma. Unsurprisingly, the main flavours are pineapple and mango, a veritable blast of tropical fruits. It's rather gassy (despite the quick loss of the head), whilst the finish is quite citric - maybe grapefruit and tangerine to the fore. Overall the fruity mix of ingredients creates a satisfying beer; didn't they do well!

3 / 5

Northern Monk - Heaven Imperial Stout

Northern Monk Heaven is described on the 440ml can as being a maple, bourbon and vanilla imperial stout and it has an ABV of 0.3%. Malted barley, oats, chocolate emulsion, hops, gum arabic, vanillin and natural essences are the listed ingredients. Once the creamy beige head subsides there is a real strong sweetness of maple on the nose. In terms of the taste, there is plenty of chocolate, maple, coffee and some nuttiness combining to give a very rich flavour profile. The carbonation level is rather low, highlighting the smooth and creamy texture. The finish has a distinctly vanilla character to it. It's as much confectionary as beer, such is its sweetness! Very bold flavours indeed.

4 / 5

Beak Brewery - Nolia IPA (NZ Edition)

Beak Brewery is based in Lewes and their non-alcoholic offerings are branded Nolia. This IPA is a special edition of their IPA, boosted with extra New Zealand hops.The brew also contains malted barley, oats and wheat, according to the 440 ml can. A really strong head is soon established upon dispensation to the glass and the aroma is strongly of citrus. The taste is also particularly citrussy, with more lemon character present than any other fruit. It is quite highly carbonated, resulting in a lively mouthfeel. The zesty vibe follows through to the finish. It's easy to drink and is certainly very refreshing, albeit rather one-dimensional. 

3 / 5

Brulo - Highway to Helles Lager

Once one has appreciated the pun (presumably a German-style beer aimed at fans of AC/DC!) this Scottish beer pours into the glass creating a frothy white head which soon subsides. It's 0.5% ABV and vegan too - barley malt, maltodextrin and hops are the ingredients listed on the 330 ml can. The grain-like character of the aroma transfers through to the taste - a gentle malt flavour topped off with a slight hoppiness and with no real bitterness. The mouthfeel is soft and it has a low carbonation which means a very light finish to the brew. All in all, it is a typically smooth helles lager.

3 / 5

vandeStreek - Bumper Blond

Arriving from the Netherlands in a 33cl can, the ingredients are given as barley malt, hops, coriander and lemon peel. The Utrecht brewery website details the hops as being Columbus and Goldings. The beer is vegan and < 0.5% ABV. When poured into a glass the beer goes flat quite quickly whilst the aroma is slightly herbal. Tastewise, Bumper's main characteristic is one of breadiness - the coriander is hardly noticeable - and the finish is somewhat malty. The beer has a low carbonation level. Overall, Bumper is drinkable but is not the most enticing of brews.

2 / 5

Barsham Brewery - Stackyard Stacked AF Pale Ale

The brewery is based in Norfolk and utilises own-grown and locally-sourced grain together with water from their own bore hole. This AF pale ale is GF, vegan, has 0.3% ABV and arrives in a 330ml can. The listed ingredients are (unspecified) hops, malted barley, malted rye and malted oats. The beer has a vibrant golden colour in the glass and creates a good frothy topping. The aroma is gently floral and hoppy. The taste is one of a classic pale ale: a good balance of sweet malt (almost caramel), pine and a soft fruitiness. The mouthfeel is well-rounded, whilst the finish has a long-lasting crispness to it. It may be stacked, but it should be in a bigger stack - 440ml at least!

5 / 5