- Great fruity flavour
- Well priced, easy to find
- Slightly fizzy
In this review, this is the first of four beers that we ordered as a multipack from Drop Bear Beer Co., who in their own words:
The multi award winning brewer, Drop Bear Beer Co. exploded onto the UK beer scene in 2019 with the mission of bringing true craft to the alcohol free beer market. Drop Bear Beer Co.
Although we review a range of non-alcoholic beers on our site, we are always interested in brewers that focus on alcohol-free beers only, which is why Drop Bear Beer Co. caught our attention.
At the time of writing, they have four different beers – in a range of styles – that are available for UK consumers. These include the following:
- Yuzu Pale Ale
- New World Lager
- Tropical IPA
- Bonfire Stout
In this review, we are going to focus on the first in the list, Yuzu Pale Ale.
Yuzu Pale Ale Initial Review
In this review, I am drinking from a 330mL brown bottle.
On first impressions, there is nothing too remarkable about the design used, maybe except for the fact it has a bronze from the World Beer Awards.
However, upon closer inspection, it provides some information about the beer that isn’t always so obvious to find.
This includes the following:
- OG – (Original Gravity) – 1005
- Malts – Munich, DRC, Caramalt, Wheat Malt, Flaked Oats
- IBU – (International Bitterness Units) – 33
- Hops – Chinook, Cascade, Centennial
- Ingredients – (listed below)
It’s good to see a bit more info and something for craft beer nerds to get excited about – other than a design!
Opening up the bottle, there was a lot of fizz, with the head almost pouring over the top. This was not something I expected seeing as it had been upright in the fridge all day. Once poured into a glass, it had a slight head that maintained for a couple of minutes whilst I sat and typed this up.
The colour is a dark yellow/ amber colour, that is slightly opaque in appearance.
Aroma wise, it is somewhat unusual; citrusy notes, with a slight toffee depth to it. But this isn’t that unusual, considering the use of Yuzu extract – and the reason for the name of this beer.
Admittedly, I was unaware of what a Yuzu was, but after some research, I have since found out that it is a citrus fruit hailing from East Asia. Visually. It is yellow and looks like a large lemon, but with the ‘squashed’ shape of a satsuma. The taste profile of Yuzu is “tart and fragrant, closely resembling that of a grapefruit with overtones of mandarin orange“.
That flavour profile is very accurate when describing this beer. Where some beers have a noticeable citrusy taste, this beer is unique. It tastes sweet and tart, but not in the same way citrus does.
Although it is sweet – not overly so – it is well balanced with a bitterness kick. After the bitterness subsides, there is a lingering floral honey taste that rounds off this beer.
Where Can I Buy Drop Bear Beer Co. Yuzu Pale Ale?
For this review, we purchased directly from Drop Bear Beer Co., with all four beers costing just £10 including postage fees.
However, if you are looking to purchase one or more beers as part of a bigger non-alcoholic beer delivery, you may wish to check out the following online retailers:
Yuzu Pale Ale Ingredients, Nutritional Information and Calories
The ingredients in this beer are as follows:
Water, Malted Barley, Wheat, Oats, Hops, Yeast, Yuzu Extract
Barley and wheat are the typical allergens in this drink.
| Nutritional Information | Per 100mL |
|---|---|
| Energy (KJ / KCal) | 100.32 / 24.75 |
| Fat (g) | 0.66 |
| Of Which Saturates (g) | 0.23 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 1.32 |
| Of Which Sugars (g) | 0.33 |
| Protein (g) | 0.36 |
| Salt (g) | 0.01 |
| Alcohol Content | <0.5% |
The Verdict
This Yuzu Pale Ale from Drop Bear Beer is an interesting one, and glad I have got round to trying.
The inclusion of Yuzu gives an exciting twist on the standard citrus pale ale, which I believe people should try at least once. It is quite a sweet beer, however, with such a low sugar content (and absence of sugar in the ingredients) it is a surprisingly sweet one.
If you like honey or floral IPAs, this one is for you, and the lack of alcohol is not even apparent here.
The only downside is that this beer is only available to buy online (as far as we are aware), so if you want to buy one or two bottles, you are going to have to add it to a bigger order without spending excessive amounts of postage for single beers.
Saying that, £10 for four beers directly from the retailer is a great deal and I advise you to go and check it out!
