IPA
Sober Carpenter

can into glass
Standard, medium thick white head. Nearly clear, light amber with an orange tint, makes up the appearance. Soft, sulfur tinged, citrus peel, with a hint of malt, makes up the aroma. Sharp, medicinal and mineral like flavor, for the taste. Sharp and light bodied. Sharp, chemical like finish.

Gold in color with a fingernail of off white on top. There’s aroma is…odd. After a few passes I would describe it as dill. I would describe the flavor as dill like with perhaps a touch of salt. The mouth is moderately carbonated and crisp.

A: crystal clear; medium gold in color; 1+ finger finely pored ivory head that receded to a wispy cap; nice rings of lace;

S: herbal;

T: herbal from start to finish; mild to moderate bitterness at the end;

M: light to medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: OK, but not something I would go back to;

RB transfer

 

Pours lots of foam. Some dark yeast or something floating around. Standard beer color. Smell is floral and hoppy.
So this is my 1st ever non alcoholic beer. Thought I'd try one just in case I'd get used to these in the future.

Nice and bitter like an average IPA. It hits the spot. Feels and tastes like a beer. You might be able to tell that it's NON ALC but overall it's well made.

Code on bottom of can is 23336. Based on their website, that means 336 day of 2023 (December 2nd). Means the beer is about a year old, although the brewery says their shelf life is 18 months, which is dubious for a hopped beer.


Slightly cloudy yellow orange color, white head. Good head retention. Aroma of stale hops. Taste is a bit piney, but also has a bit of cardboard in it. Bitter finish. Medium bodied.

Overall I am annoyed there was no date on the outside of the six pack box because this beer is showing it's age. Also crazy the brewer thinks it has 6 more months of shelf life.

16 oz can.

This is a hop bomb for a NA. Absolutely delicious and full of flavor with a great bitterness. Earthy, piney, floral, and even some sticky resin and dank. Tastes like a west coast ipa. Big fan of this one.

 

 

 

I wrote a more lengthy review (1,000 characters — go, me!) but it got gobbled up while I was scrolling through the other reviews.

Oh well, start again — this time with FEELING!

Looks okay poured into a pint glass.

Clear pale, golden-amber, topped with a Rocky off-white head.

Nose is… beer like. Citrus hops, clean and with no off-notes, but without a trace of malt character, either.

On the palate it’s… a disappointment.

Almost completely lacking in malt depth and sweetness, but in the upside it’s very, very dry, so it’s got that going for it.

Astringent and one-dimensional, with a lemony-citrus character that might fairly be described as insipid.

If you are kicking alcohol, there are (by now) doubtless more than a handful of better Craft N.A. IPA out there, so head in that direction.

But if you are in a situation where you’re gonna feel awkward without a can in your hand, and are looking for something different, some “hop water” (although that is a trademarked brand nowadays) so to speak…

Basically, if this is your idea of a good time, then knock yourself out!

But the beer-lover in me says this: This is a sad attempt at a beer, “Light Alcohol”, Non-Alcoholic, de-alcoholized, or whatever else it actually is.

NEXT!

This pours a very hazy light amber color, with a small head, but decent retention of it. Nose has some some actual hoppiness to it, more than their session IPA, though it's light, maybe a little grassy, Taste likewise has some moderately light bitterness to offset the sweetness, together with pleasant fruity sweetness. Pretty good mouthfeel for a NA, a pleasant thing to quaff down in large amounts without worrying about the alcohol. Pretty good NA, though I think Brooklyn's is still my favorite.

 

From the pint can, it pours a slightly hazy light amber color wit a nice white head that slowly reduces and leaves lacing. The nose gets light citrus notes. The mouth gets a lightly bitter light malt brew.

Canned 10/31/22

Appearance - Pours with a slight haze and straw yellow in color. Off-white, finger width head that holds retention well before dissipating to a thin, consistent layer of suds across the surface. Solid lacing, with thick webbing decorating a good amount of the exposed glass.

Smell - Hops hint at light citrus, grass and floral notes. Mineral qualities and a whiff of butter.

Taste - Follows the nose. There's a fair mineral quality from start to finish, while notes of citrus, grassy and floral hops play off the tongue. Underlying grain notes. Finish lingers with floral and mineral qualities.

Mouthfeel - Light-to-medium body with fair carbonation. Slick, smooth drinker with a refreshing though slightly watery finish.

Overall - Solid NA IPA. For the price, I'd likely continue exploring more NA IPAs before coming back to this one.

Can: Poured a deep golden color ale with a large white foamy head with good retention and some light lacing. Aroma of light biscuit malt notes with some resinous hops notes. Taste is also a mix of biscuit malt with some resinous hops notes and a resinous finish. Body is about average with good carbonation. Better than expected NA IPA but still a somewhat off taste from the malt is discernible.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. A bit of a gusher on opening; unexpected. When things calmed down, poured a lightly hazy, medium golden amber with a fine, one finger white head with great retention and solid lacing; looks nice. Aroma of worty pale malt, citrus and lightly grassy hops, lemon and hay. Flavor is pale malt with a touch of wort, citrus grassy and lightly pine hops, lemon, grapefruit and dried grass; moderately bitter finish with residual citrus rind and hints of pine. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Although this maybe a somewhat older can if I read the date code right (and supported by the gushing on opening), this is the closest to an actual IPA of any of the NA ale I've had so far. There is wort character, but its muted and the main malt flavor is reminiscent of old fashioned domestic IPAs that were brewed in the English fashion, except with an updated hop bill. The hop choice here is classic West Coast, Simcoe, Citra and Cascade, so was quite agreeable. Not to bad and a more than satisfactory no alcohol IPA style beverage. I'd get this one again. Rated as a NA beer, not as an IPA.

One of the best N/A IPAs together with Athletic and Two Roots. 42 IBUs is a progress; IPAs do need bitterness and a malt backbone. Sober Carpenter has both and the right hops: Cascade, Simcoe and Citra. Cheers!