At some point, you have to come to grips with the idea that you might not be able to drink beer for every meal. But, what if, after your breakfast stout, you decide that your mid-morning snack needs a little something to ease it down? Most job sites frown upon drinking alcohol all day, so why not try a nonalcoholic beer from a brewery that knows a thing or two about brewing beer? Can Sierra Nevada equal a good beer with what is, effectively, not really beer?
This pours just like a hazy IPA. It has all the haze, and the yellow beer with an orange tint also is going to leave some lacing. More impressive is the amount of head that it is able to retain. This looks great. The aroma is grapefruit right up front with musty yeast following that smells a little off. I'm not saying it doesn't smell like beer, but it smells like the kind of beer I'm not normally a fan of.
First sip is something that could easily fool me into thinking it was a real beer. If that's the bar, and I think it is, this has succeeded. However, it's not a great beer. I'd say the sip puts it about 2.0-2.25 on my scale. It's low-average. That's better than a lot of real beer, and Sierra Nevada can take pride in that. However, the normal issues with NA beers are shining through. This is watery, but it is also very hop-forward to its detriment. There's no real malt to speak of, and it's got a wispy, yeasty aftertaste.
Tip-in is floral and citrus, but the citrus is suspiciously watery and carbonation is just about right at a light sizzle. The middle opens into way too much pine, flowers, and yeast at the roof of the mouth and water in the center. The finish is bitter fruit skins and that store-brand yeast.
Bottom Line: Not hitting the spot.
1.5/5
