- Hi, it's Matt and in the spirit
of Dry January, I'm going to be
taste testing some non-alcoholic beer.
(tada music)
And if you can hear some banging,
then that's my neighbor doing some DIY upstairs, yay.
I've got a table full of non-alcoholic beer.
This pile are ones that I haven't had before
and this one is a pile of beers
I have had before.
I've actually not drunk alcohol
for a couple of years now but I like the taste of beer
and I've noticed in the last year
the range of non-alcoholic beers
has grown so much.
Normally I would be drinking ales and stouts and stuff
rather than the lagers.
So from here you can see I've got a stout,
a pale, and another hoppy thing that I've had before
but I'm gonna start with the ones I don't know
so then at least I can finish on ones that I do like.
I've got my bottle opener
and I've got a palate cleanser,
of some tortilla chips.
Let's start with this one.
Clausthaler Unfiltered.
It says it's dry hopped with cascade hops
(bursting of air)
All right then, here it goes.
I don't like it.
Um, I'm not a big fan of lager.
This is trying to be a lager
and non-alcoholic beers generally fall
on a scale of not tasting like Weetabix
to really, really tasting like Weetabix.
Like you've just blended some Weetabix.
And this is about a five on the Weetabix scale.
It's really fizzy, it's quite lager-y.
Next.
God, that one was horrible.
It's definitely going down the sink.
What have we got next?
Brooklyn Hoppy Lager.
This is gonna be another one that I don't like
because I don't like it.
(bursting of air)
(fizzing of drink)
Darker.
That's all right, that.
I could drink that.
It's very malty
as you can probably tell from the dark color.
I could drink a bottle of that.
I don't think I'd choose it.
If this is gonna be the no pile
and that's gonna be the yes pile,
this is in the yeah?
If I was in a pub and I only had this
as the non-alcoholic option, other than soft drinks,
I might have one then switch to soft drinks.
Erdinger Alkoholfrei refreshing isotonic drink.
Isn't that what sports drinks are?
I don't think I'd want this after a run.
(clanging of top on floor)
But then again I wouldn't be running, would I?
Very fizzy, quite sweet.
It tastes like German beer.
It's been awhile since I've had normal Erdinger
and I'd say that tastes quite like it.
It's not something I would choose to have.
I would rather drink this than that I think.
I'm gonna put this in the okay pile,
not the no pile but not a yes pile either.
San Miguel owl face or zero point zero.
It looks more like an owl face.
I've heard terrible things about this.
(bursting of air)
Let's see if they're true.
I'm not the biggest fan of normal San Miguel,
to be honest.
Definitely lager-y.
It is a two or a three on the Weetabix scale.
The Erdinger, if I didn't mention it,
it was a zero on the Weetabix scale.
Lager drinkers might like that but I don't.
That's going in the no pile for me.
Old Speckled Hen low alcohol.
Normal Old Speckled Hen is a traditional ale
and I've drunk it before but I wouldn't normally choose it.
All the beers I've got on this side
are the non-alcoholic versions of the ones
I would drink normally.
And the ones that I haven't tried
are the ones that I wouldn't drink normally,
which is why I haven't tried them.
I know I vaguely like most of these.
These ones I haven't tried because
they're not my type of thing.
I'm hoping this one might be all right.
I'm expecting some Weetabix though.
If you normally drink Old Speckled Hen
and want just not to drink any alcohol, try that.
I'd say that tastes very much like it.
It's got the carameliness of brown ale
or whatever this normally is.
It's very sweet, I'm gonna have another--
I don't think I'll buy this again
because it's not to my taste but it's good.
It's definitely a non-alcoholic version
of Old Speckled Hen.
That's gonna go in the yes pile.
Is that my first actual yes, would recommend?
Next up is Peroni Libera.
I have also heard terrible things about this.
(bursting of air) (clanging of cap on floor)
Possibly the clearest one yet.
Oh wow, that is so sweet.
Has that got actual sugar in it?
Water, barley, malt, maize, hops, flavorings.
It taste like it's got cordial in it.
Orange squash?
That's like a lime and soda,
it's not beer, it's not awful,
I wouldn't drink all of it if someone brought me one.
It tastes like a citrus cordial in soda water.
It's another no.
I'm gonna promote the Erdinger to the yes pile
because it is what it's trying to be.
I was only erring for the no side
because it wasn't to my personal taste
but I'm gonna keep that in the yes pile.
Up next we have Free Damm non-alcoholic lager beer
(cracking of top) and the first can yet.
That just tastes like lager.
If you're normally a Carlsberg drinker,
go for that.
No Weetabix.
It just tastes like a lager.
That's all right.
Okay, halfway through, I've basically got
a no pile and a yes pile.
In the no pile are the San Miguel
and the Claustenhaler.
They're all Weetabix and bitter and no.
Peroni Libera is sugar water.
Brooklyn Lager is a bit Weetabixy, a bit beer-y.
Eh, I'm gonna edge towards a no
but that might be
I don't think I like normal Brooklyn Lager so
it might be more faithful to what Brooklyn Lager is.
On the yes side, we've got Erdinger, Free Damm
and Old Speckled Hen and they all do what
they're trying to achieve.
Erdinger and Old Speckled Hen taste like
their alcoholic counterparts and Free Damm tastes like
a generic lager so if these are the kinds of drinks you want
then go for these in the non-alcoholic versions.
Next we move on to the ones I've had before
and I'm gonna save my favourites 'till last.
I'm gonna go for the Heineken first.
I was drinking this yesterday around a friend's house
and they had it in stock as well
so I suppose that's a compliment.
It's sweet, it's crisp, it's got no Weetabixiness,
it's lagery, it's kind of like normal Heineken.
It's a bit sweeter.
It's fine to drink.
If I was somewhere that had this in stock
then I'd go for it.
But if they also had any of these ones,
I would probably go for these first.
But it's fine, I'd occasionally buy it at home
if I fancy a beer and that's what's in the supermarket.
It's all right, it's a good lager.
I probably like it slightly more than the Free Damm
because it's a bit sweeter and tastes less lager-y.
I don't know what I mean.
I don't know how to say that.
I'll finish it off though.
Next up Adnams' Ghost Ship.
If I'm drinking an alcoholic beer
then Adnams' Broadside is one of my favourites.
It's very strong though so be careful if you're trying that.
(bursting of air)
This is quite good.
It's an ale, it's a bit more bitter, a bit hoppier.
I wouldn't say it tastes like normal Ghost Ship
but it is a reasonably good version
of an ale that's non-alcoholic
seeing as not many people are making ones
that are darker.
They're more heading more towards the lager-y,
lighter end of the spectrum.
Yeah, this is good.
It tastes much nicer cold though.
This is warmed up a little bit
from having been on my table but
the colder it is the nicer it is.
- Next up are the two BrewDog beers.
We've got Nanny State and Punk AF.
Nanny State has been around for longer I think.
I've only seen Punk AF in the last couple of months.
BrewDog's main signature beer is called Punk IPA
so I assume this is meant to taste
like Punk IPA but alcohol-free.
So I'll go for that one first.
(bursting of air)
I've drunk a lot of BrewDog's beers over the years.
Their terribly named Trashy Blonde
which I think they
stopped making years ago,
was one of my favourite session beers.
Paradox, which is a imperial stout,
which is aged in bourbon or whisky casks
is possibly my favorite beer.
Yeah, if I was out and drinking alcohol
then I would go for a BrewDog Punk IPA
or a Dead Pony Club, if it was around,
as my normal choice.
Well let's go for the Punk AF.
I think I've only had one of these before.
It is incredibly hoppy to the point of bitterness,
which is generally what BrewDog
go for in the IPAs.
They make some of the hoppiest ones I've had.
It's all right.
I wouldn't say it tastes too much like Punk IPA though.
It's got the same hops in it I think but...
And if I compare that to the Nanny State,
which I've drunk a lot of... (cracking of top)
It's available in lots of pubs as well.
I haven't done a direct comparison of these two
but I know I like this one better.
It's bitter and hoppy, like both of them are,
like a lot of IPAs are at the moment.
It's a lot maltier than this one,
which is offsetting the bitterness a bit
so it tastes a bit more caramel-y.
And if I'm drinking a normal IPA,
then I'll go for the hoppier end of the spectrum
'cause that's what I like and
that fulfils that spot on the taste buds in the same way
that any normal hoppy IPA would better
than this one does in my opinion.
But they're both good.
If they have one or the other in stock
then I'll go for it.
If they have both then I'll go for the Nanny State.
Next we'll move on to Big Drop Brewing Company's
Pale and Stout.
These are my two favourite non-alcoholic beers at the moment
I was on their website the other day,
just trying to find out where it stocks them
because I've found them more in pubs more often
than I've found them in supermarkets.
But Morrison's and Ocado stock them.
This is a brewery that only brews non-alcoholic beer,
which is probably why they taste so good
and this is the only non-alcoholic stout I have ever had.
I am leaving that to last, that is my favourite.
But first, their Pale.
(cracking of top)
(slurping) (fizzing)
(laughing)
oh no, I had to drink the beer (laughing).
Wow, it's taken me this long before
I've spilt anything as well.
Big Drop's Pale has got the crispness,
the sweetness, the hoppiness, and the maltiness
balanced really well.
These two are, this one's a bit wet and hoppy.
This one's all hop and malt.
Whereas this, I'd say, is a bit better balanced
than those two.
I see this beer out and about quite a lot.
All the All Bar Ones stock it and all the pubs
that are owned by the same parent company
as All Bar One seem to stock it as well,
which is good.
Slightly harder to find this in supermarkets.
I actually found these two so
I could do them in the video,
I had to hunt for quite a bit.
I found them in Holland and Barrett.
Didn't even know they sold beer.
And finally, I've left it 'til last,
it's my favorite.
Big Drop Brewing Company's Stout.
(cracking of can)
I normally drink dark beers if I'm drinking real beer
and it just so happens the one I prefer the taste of
are the ones that are a bit stronger as well.
They're kind that are thick, creamy, and dark.
And I don't mean Guinness,
I can't stand Guinness.
I mean like BrewDog's Paradox,
Dark Arts by Magic Rock.
What was that one I had the other day?
I had a sip of a friend's beer,
it was by War Pigs, it was called
You Fucked Me Up and Now I'm Furious
and wow, it was amazing.
It was like creamy, vanilla-y, coffee,
it was great but I could only have a sip.
(pouring of liquid)
Look at that.
Look how dark that is.
It's still got that dark, bitter, musty tones
that you get in a porter or a milk stout
but it is a little bit sweeter and very drinkable.
It's nowhere near as thick as
I would expect a stout to be normally
but it is a different thing so that doesn't surprise me.
But it still coats the tongue.
It's still thicker than all of the others here
but if you were comparing it directly
to a normal stout, yeah, it would taste a bit wet
but seeing as this is the only dark
non-alcoholic beer I have found,
that means it is absolutely the best by a mile.
And someone would have to try very hard
to be able to beat this, in my opinion.
This is a non-alcoholic version
of the exact type of beer I like to drink.
So if there was a prize going, they would win it.
Here, have a tortilla chip.
That's the only prize I've got.
(laughing)
So here we are, these are the results
of my non-alcoholic beer taste test,
from best to worst.
But just point out that by non-alcoholic beer,
I mean beer that's half a percent of alcohol
by volume or less.
So all of these are 0.5% alcohol
or all the way down to zero.
So my favourites are Big Drop's Stout and Pale.
We've got BrewDog's Nanny State and Punk AF,
then Ghost Ship, then Heineken Zero.
They're all great.
The next section are the ones
that I wouldn't choose to drink myself
but are pretty good, which are Erdinger,
Old Speckled Hen, Free Damm, and Brooklyn.
If you normally drink the alcoholic version of these,
then you'll probably like the non-alcoholic ones.
And then finally we've got the naughty corner.
Peroni Libera tastes like fizzy cordial,
San Miguel Owl tastes horrible.
It is like Weetabix.
And Claustenhaler is horrifically bitter.
It tastes like Weetabix,
it… no, just no (laughing).
So thank you very much for watching.
I've got more information about all of these beers
in the description below.
I am MattGrayYes on all the socials
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