The first Athletic beer was a swing and a miss. They tried to make a good non-alcoholic beer, but it wasn't close to what it needed to be to replace an actual beer. As usual, they are also trying with an IPA. This is a route that usually leads to folly with too much bitterness from the hops without any real body or good flavor to go with it. That's the nature of just adding water to hops - you get something not good.
Well, it says that it's hazy, and it sure is. The dense haze brings out a light yellow in this otherwise dark yellow brew. Should I be calling it a beer? The head isn't much to start with, and it leaves a casual dusting across the top of the beer with the usual ring on the sides. The aroma is pine hops forward with citrus hops at hand. This is going to be one of those try-hard beers, isn't it?First sip is a definite try-hard. The hops are aplenty, but they are completely unbalanced. The bitterness that hits with a pine aftertaste once the drink is gone from the mouth is generally unpleasant, and I don't know if any of this was their intent. There is something in the core of beer that includes alcohol and the proper mix of malt and hops that sings like a chorus unlike this one that is an off-key solo.
Tip-in is moderate carbonation that threatens to build with watery pine and citrus hops behind it. The middle rolls with biting pine and smooth citrus that don't have the weight of malt behind them. The finish is a travesty of bitterness, carbonation sting, and pine hops before the bitter trail-off.
Bottom Line: Not a good one.
1.0/5