Laziza Regular (Lebanon)

Laziza Regular (Lebanon) 0.00%

Gold in a glass with a faint blue hint to it that makes the naturally amber liquid appear slightly purple. A sweet malt candy sort of aroma, quite similar to the smell of the condensed wort syrup commonly used in homebrewing. The malt candy flavour continues in the taste along with just a hint of skunk due to UV-B exposure and a green bottle that offers no protection. A little bitter.

I don't find Laziza Regular to have a good flavour really and it certainly isn't nearly as good as any of the dealcoholized beers I've had. On the other hand, as far as malt beverages go it's a lot better than some (Tiger Malt beverage is particularly bad).

Freeze Alkoholfritt Ol (Norway - Tromso) 0.0%

Freeze Alkoholfritt Ol (Norway - Tromso) 0.0%

This is one of alcohol free beers that are about as good as the ones in Canada. I've had some here in Norway that are pretty grand including some good Yule ones. Freeze is really sweet and smells and taste a little like a somewhat flat normal beer. It tastes more like a malty pop than beer. So, all in all: for beer this is a pass; for an alcohol free beer this is about average; for malty pops Freeze is delicious!

I should also mention that this beer is actually brewed above the arctic circle which is pretty amazing if you think about it.

Clausthaler Classic (Germany) 0.0%

 
Clausthaler Classic (Germany) 0.0%

Makes no illusions of being a beer instead calling itself a "non-alcoholic malt beverage". It has an interesting flavour, malty and not all that sweet (unlike most non-alcoholic beers) and as a result is fairly bitter. It's not bad for a "non-alcoholic malt beverage" but there are beer near-beer alternatives.

Munkholm Alkoholfritt (Norway) 0.0%

Munkholm Alkoholfritt (Norway) 0.0%

Malty and sweet but actually more bitter than sweet which is a nice change from most low alcohol or alcohol free beers. This beer is actually quite refreshing and though it's not about to be confused with actual beer, Munkholm is a fine alternative to an actual beer.

Three Beers For Beer Geeks

Wychwood Brewery Hobgoblin Traditionally Crafted Legendary Ruby Red Beer (England - Oxfordshire) 5.2%

Fairly red, fairly bitter. Kind of fruity and caramel-ey. Generally mild in flavour despite the grandiose name.



Beer Geek Breakfast - Mikkeller (Denmark) 7.5%

Black, black in a glass. Smells bitter and faintly of black olives (?). Tastes malty and quite pleasantly bitter and most unsurprisingly of black coffee. Really tasty, I would recommend drinking this out of a wine or brandy glass if possible.







Erdinger Alkoholfret (Germany) 0.0%

Sweeter than most wheat beers, though I usually find that most no or low alcohol beers are sweeter than their counterparts (because the sugars weren't changed into alcohol by yeast? mayhaps) but still it has a mild wheat beer taste. A bright gold in a glass. Nice to look at, nice to taste, nice to have as a middle of the day alternative to alcohol bearing beer.

Grans Brewery from Norway

Grans BARE (Norway) 4.7%

Initially the taste was overwhelmingly sour and the beer smelled a little like toasted bread. Many of Grans's beers tend to be sour, in fact the only one that seems to be well balanced is the Lettøl and their stronger Yule Beer . It is amber yet very clear in a glass. It is mildly malty and, this may be all psychological due to the clear glass bottle (rare in Norwegian beers), the minimalist label, and the crystal clear beer itself, but it tastes clear somehow: only a few flavours are pronounced and the rest stays in the background. It's an interesting beer to try if only because the brewer seemed to have accomplished what they were aiming for: a mild beer with only a few clearly distinguishable flavours.

Grans Fri (Norway) 0.0%

Skunky and slightly bitter, a lot like the Grans Lettol but sweeter and slightly wooden, all in all not a bad alcohol free beer.

Grans Premium (Norway) 4.7%

Almost no taste at all to this beer. Lightly carbonated, if you really work at it you can suss up a mild lager flavour. Quite bland for a 4.7% ABV beer but at least it is poundable - you can drink lots of them but this is an otherwise unremarkable beer.