Brouwerij Haacht - Super 8 Rouge 0.0%

Super 8 is a Belgian fruit beer which comes in a 33cl bottle. The label declares the ingredients to be barley malt, cherry juice concentrate, fructose, glucose, hops (unspecified) and sweetener. It's a beer that is cherry all the way - from the aroma to the finish. It has low carbonation and has a light and slight body. There is an almond-like character too, making for a liquid version of a good bakewell tart. There is a touch of citrus in the flavour too, but the finish is decidedly sweet. Overall then, Super 8 is a pleasant AF take on the kriek style of beer.

3 / 5

Van Honsebrouck - Kasteel Rouge Original 0.0%

Founded in 1811, the Belgian brewery has 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

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

Chouffe

Chouffe comes in at 0.4% ABV and is produced by Brasserie D'Achouffe in Belgium, this being their first low alcohol beer. Barley malt, wheat malt, hops, spices and hop extracts are the ingredients listed on the distinctive 330 ml bottle. A large foamy head bursts into life as one pours the beer into a glass but it very quickly dissipates. There is very little aroma, maybe just a touch of breadiness. The taste is equally reticent; perhaps a hint of spice or the mildest of fruit, but not much more than that. It has a very thin and watery mouthfeel and soon loses any carbonation. Unsurprisingly the finish is as unmemorable. It's not unpleasant but it doesn't really tick any boxes for me. 

1 / 5

Force Majeure - Tripel Hop

Force Majeure is a Belgian brewery specialising in alcohol free beers. "100% Smaak, 0% Alcohol", as it says on the label. (Although the designation declared on the 33cl bottle is actually <0.5%). Also listed are the ingredients: barley, wheat, oats, hops, herbs and sucralose. In the glass the beer is a delightful rich tawny colour and sports a substantially frothy topping. Ripe banana and esters are the tempting aromas as one raises the beer to the lips. The taste is a delicious combination of raisin, fig, Seville orange and toffee. The mouthfeel is very creamy, soft and well-rounded. The carbonation level is low. All in all, it is a 100% excellent beer.

5 / 5

Force Majeure - Bruin

This is a < 0.5 % ABV brown beer from Force Majeure, the Belgian brewery which specialises in AF beers. The company currently offer five traditional Belgian beers (minus the alcohol), each one arriving in a 330 ml bottle. A sweet and brown bread tinged aroma invites you to drink what turns out to be a richly flavoured beer. Caramel, treacle toffee, malt and with a slight note of cinnamon make for a complex and satisfying taste profile. The mouthfeel is gentle and creamy, whilst the finish is bittersweet.

5 / 5

Force Majeure - Kriek

Force Majeure is a Belgian brewer that specialises in alcohol free beers, making it quite unusual given that Belgium is traditionally a land of high strength beers. As with their other beers, this one comes in a brown 33cl bottle. The label promises "100 % taste 0 % alcohol." The ingredients listed includes concentrated cherry juice, so unsurprisingly the nose is completely of cherries. A sweet and fresh cherry taste follows. The level of carbonation is low and so the mouthfeel is smooth and gentle. The finish has a touch of acidity but overall it is the cherry notes that linger. It is a simple affair, but pleasant nonetheless. 

3 / 5

Below Brew - Brune-DMC

The Bath brewery offer up this brown "abbey style" Belgian beer in a 440 ml can. Typically such beers come in at hefty ABVs but this being AF, it has a very modest ABV of no more than 0.5 %. The beer is vegan. The ingredients include various grains (barley, oats, wheat and rye) whilst the hops used are Saaz and Goldings. Pouring the ale into the glass releases an earthy aroma and a thick foaming head is created that sits atop the rich auburn body. The taste is sweet and malty with notes of black cherry and chocolate. A full and smooth mouthfeel leads into a honeyed finish. AF beers have come a long way in the last few years and this Trappist-style beer is a fine example of just how far. Let's hope more and more breweries walk this way.

5 / 5

Force Majeure - Blonde

A Belgian style beer that, luckily, comes from Belgium and weighs in at 0.4% ABV. When poured into the glass it is quite lively and needs dispensing gently. It creates a billowing white head, which soon disappears. On the nose, the aroma is rather reticent, faintly grassy and a tad bitter. Tastewise it is equally reticent, faintly grassy again but with some sweetness. Unsurprisingly, given its initial behaviour, it is gassy in the mouth; which almost hides the thin watery body. The aftertaste is short and dry. Disappointing.

2/5

De Halve Maan - Sportzot

The Half Moon brewery has been brewing beer in Bruges for around 500 years. This, their first AF version of their blonde beer, is a little more recent - first produced in 2018. It is (naturally enough) based on a traditional recipe but is then dealcoholised (but unfiltered and bottle conditioned). The beer pours a hazy dark orange colour with a big white foam topping. The aroma is powerful - malty and fruity on a sour base. On the palate the flavours are equally upfront and the mouthfeel is quite lively. The aftertaste has a confident tartness. The overall balance of the ale is just right. A real sipping beer, typically Belgian.

5/5

Force Majeure - Tripel

Trappist beers are typically high in alcohol, such as the style known as tripel - a strong pale ale. Force Majeure claim to be the first Belgian brewery to focus solely on brewing AF beers. The beer pours a rich dark orange and produces a foamy white topping. The aroma is as big as one might expect from an alcoholic tripel - fruity esters blended in with a little spiciness. The taste is a perfectly balanced mix of butterscotch, dried fruits and malt. The beer is full-bodied and creamy. The after-taste is satisfyingly smooth, with just a touch of bitterness.

5/5

PALM - Green Belgian Beer

Belgium is of course the home to some of the world's best beers, with a long tradition of brewing. This Belgian beer is unlikely to be joining the long list of great Belgian beers, unfortunately. It looks the part, with a strong amber coloured body and a thick white topping. But it all goes downhill after that - the nondescript aroma leads on to a sweet, slightly cloying taste. No hop character to speak of. At least it's only a 250 ml bottle.

2/5