The very clear copper beverage has a sticky head that didn't really require all that much coaxing to come out. It's not particularly voluminous, but it didn't resist the urge to form a head. There is quite a bit of lacing going on, and beers that have quite a bit of alcohol can take a lesson from the cotton-like pattern that the sticky bubbles create down the sides of the glass. The aroma is mostly caramel malt with flowers and pine lingering somewhere behind. It's actually a better aroma than I've had with several regular IPAs. This could not have been easy to make.
First sip isn't terrible. It has quite a bit more pine than I was picking up in the nose, and there's a lot of water going on instead of a thick malt, but all told it's certainly inoffensive. According to the can, this has less than one half of percent ABV, and they did not brew it without alcohol; they gently removed the alcohol. I don't know how you do that, but I guess that's why I am not a beer brewer. Maybe I'll ask Cammo.
Tip-in is almost sour with tartness and carbonation sizzle in reserve while bread or something tries to cope with whatever is making the sour taste. The middle rises with pine as the bread surges to overcome that sour, but things start to get a little acidic this side of the pine. The finish is a strong hit of pine before bitterness swells and lemons finally join the race to increase the acid. The trail off is a bitter cloud of pine.
Bottom Line: It does a good job of replicating a regular beer - but not a particularly great regular beer.
2.0/5