Can someone win? Can someone make a drinkable non-alcoholic beer? Athletic exists to find something in this niche for a person or persons who like to work out or like to engage in some kind of sportsball. Afterwards, they may want a beer that doesn't have alcohol and they can drive home from the game without having to worry. At least, I assume that's what the deal is.
This... isn't particularly golden. It's a pale yellow, and they left a bit of haze in there with it. The head on non-alcoholic beers is usually pretty rough, but this popped out like a regular beer. It even suggested a little lacing, but it's not going to amount to much. The aroma is hoppy for a golden ale, but I like hops. I just don't want this going down the road of those try-hard beers that over hop and under deliver.First sip is an okay approximation of a beer, but it's not a great beer. Also, it doesn't taste like a golden. As the smell keyed me in, this is hopped up quite a bit to the point that it might get labeled as "hop water" by a different brewery. The hops are bitter, and they hang on way too long after the drink has been drunk. Let's get this over with.
Tip-in is pine hops and carbonation. Carbonation mixes with the aggressive hops to cause a burning through the whole mouth, and flavor gets lost in the torrent. The finish is pine hops that don't let go for the longest time, and the roof of the mouth pays the price for it.
Bottom Line: Not a winner.
1.25/5