Pilot Program: Single Hop IPA-Amarillo
Athletic Brewing Co.

Look: Very attractive. Slightly murky, translucent, pale gold color. Bone white finger of head that settles to a thin layer of foam on top. No visible carbonation. Some lacing as I drink the beer.

Smell: This is the best, and most authentic smelling N/A IPA I’ve had from Athletic. It’s also the freshest IPA I’ve had from them, canned on 1/21. A little piney, herbal and grassy, with orange and grapefruit. Super duper clean. It smells like a regular IPA.

Taste: This beer tastes like an IPA with no off flavors. There is some orange citrus, grass and touch of grapefruit pith. It’s mildly bitter, and dries out nicely with crackery malt.

Feel: As I am finding with all Athletic beers so far, the feel is really nice. Lively carbonation that’s light on the palate.

Overall: This is the up there for the best N/A IPA I’ve had so far, and definitely the best from Athletic. The Untitled Art Juicy IPA has an incredible nose, but I think that this one delivers more flavor. As an IPA this does what I want. No question. And I think it delivers on the Amarillo well with the orange and grapefruit notes. Really well done.

Dated 1-21-2021

Appearance: Slightly cloudy straw-yellow color with a generous-sized foamy white head that slowly faded. A nice looking IPA.

Smell: Fairly prominent pine aromas and moderate citrus/fruity aromas.

Taste: I get moderate pine notes, moderate citrus notes, and some mild grassy hop notes. The taste profile is very good for a non-alcoholic IPA. There is just the slightest hint of sweetness but there are prominent piney bitter hop notes to produce a dry finish.

Mouth-feel: The body is on the light side of medium-bodied with a generous level of carbonation. Nice mouthfeel.

Overall: The best non-alcoholic beer I've had. While the flavors may be a bit restrained in comparison to the best non-alcoholic IPAs this shames quite a few of the lower tier alcoholic IPAs out there.