7.1

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Near non-alcoholic IPA by this Scottish specialist in alcohol-free beers, in this case a NEIPA of sorts enhanced with terpenes (aromatic plant substances) derived from hemp, or, more accurately, CBD (cannabidiol), one of this plant's typical compounds, discovered in 1940. Hops and hemp are related and many IPAs have marijuana-like aromas coming from the hops, so adding CBD terpenes to a non-alcoholic one seems legit, even though I am not the most avid supporter of adding substances to beer that do not come naturally. Medium thick, egg-white, shred-lacing, slowly breaking but generally stable head on a hazy straw blonde beer with greenish tinge and active sparkling throughout, milky pale yellow with sediment. Aroma of fresh green hops still on the plant, green hemp leaves, pomelo, grapefruit zest, pumice, gypsum, lemongrass, raw oatmeal but also cold oatmeal porridge, glumes of some flowering grass, green apple slices, raw green bell pepper. 'Green-fruity' onset, unripe peach, unripe pear, some vague guava, non-sweet though, with a vague sourishness running underneath, enhanced by lively - yet nowhere harsh - carbonation; smooth, bit powdery mouthfeel, evidently thin and a tad watery, but not feeling 'empty'. Slick graininess in the core, with a smooth velvety oatmeal porridge note and soapy wheat coming in strong, soaked in grassy, citric hoppiness, adding retronasal aromas of grapefruit peel, pomelo even, lemongrass and just plain (velvet)grass, but also the promised cannabis element. Long, hoppy bitterness in the finish - peppery and 'green', with powdery notes but no hop burn. Remains refreshing till the end, filled with a 'green' but also 'green-fruity' hop character. Brulo is well-known for offering non-alcoholic alternatives to craft beer and I can see where their recent recognition comes from: apart from VandeStreek's Playground IPA, still the best non-alcoholic beer I ever had, there are very few, if any, alcohol-free beers that managed to pleasantly surprise me. This one does it right: generous amounts of dank hop character even if a lot of it comes from those terpenes, and with a 'fuller' body than average, with a generally dry and bitter character without becoming too dry. Glad I tried one of these alcohol-free Brulos, they do fulfill what they set out to do. Among the best non-alcoholic beers for me so far.

7

Rather nice

7

Top

7.2

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Can at home 20/01/2024 big bright fruity aroma and taste, lots of pineapple, melon, grapefruit, flaked wheat and oat laden malts giving a great mouthfeel and body, nice bitter edge into the solid hoppy close. Amazing to think this is AF. Lovely.

8

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