Harvester's Ale
Badger Brewery, Hall and Woodhouse

 

Purchased at the Tesco supermarket. The neck of the 500ml brown bottle bears "2008 Tesco Drinks Awards - Winner of the Lower & No Alcohol category". I've always been suspicious of such type of drink (thinking there's no need for its existence is there?), but since this is brewed by Badger, why not give it a go? BB May 09, served cool in a straight imperial pint glass.

A: pours a dark golden to very pale amber hue, mild carbonation, topped with a fast-dissipating white foamy head.
S: lightly burned sugary note of malts and some faint floral and sweet citric hints of hops come to mind. Smelling like a very light, floral-hoppy pale bitter on the nose, which, to me, is attributed to the typical floral-hoppy edge that manifests itself in most Badger Brewery's product.
T: quite fluffy in texture upfront... then the kitchen-cloth-like taste of pale malts (typical of a traditional English pale ale) prevails, but super light in intensity; some hints of boiled root-vegetable are there to follow, on top of mild hop bitterness and faint citric fruitiness in the end.
M&D: in general, I don't like lower-alc. beers/ales, and this one is hardly an exception. The bottle version of such beers usually come with a very thin and fluffy mouthfeel as the fizziness gets no support from a decent base of ale, but this bottle somehow has retained at least a token presence of hops and light maltiness, especially in the aftertaste. If served on cask, this can be slightly more drinkable. Overall, in its own class, I must say, this ale is not too bad at all.

Before buying this check out the alcohol content, only 2.5%.

I am drinking it because I am going out later and decided to review it while I drink it, before the Rugby.

Brown 500ml bottle, best before Dec 2008, drank on Saturday 2nd Feb 2008.

Poured into my bateman's straight sided pint glass.

Pale yellowish amber, weak and thin looking, bubbles rising up towards the white foaming head. Am I being unfair, how can I tell it is weak and thin just by knowing it is 2.5% and by looking at it?

The aroma is hoppy and sweetish, nothing very strong though.

It's OK, the taste is of beer, alright it is weak but they have given it a good go and you can tell it is a beer in your hand. It is bitter and has sweet overtones.

I can't knock this beer, it doesn't try and be what it's not. Of course it is not going to blow your head off with flavours or make you fall over after half a pint. It is however a good low alcoholic ale.

Ideal beer for the duty driver and well worth trying if you come across it.