- <Smooth and refreshing lager
- Great looking brand
- Overly malty aroma No longer available
Not a beer I see very often, but one that always catches my attention is the beer for this review – Free Star Prime Time. I think that although fairly simplistic, the branding looks classy and attractive, and wish more non-alcoholic beers manufacturers would tone it down a bit.
But, what caught my eye even more than the branding was the fact that the company is actually closing down, as announced on instagram.
It seems that even though they successfully raised money in a crowdfunding campaign earlier this year, they turned it down and are selling off all their beer on the cheap.
Unfortunately, it might mean that I am too late to the party with this review, but I have it in my fridge and it would be a shame to miss out on this opportunity.
Initial Thoughts
As you can see from the main image of this review, it predominantly comes in 330ml cans. I managed to grab a 330ml glass bottle from my local Sainsburys.
As I mentioned in the intro, I like the branding – preferring the glass bottle I have in front of me. A simple long necked bottle with a catchy red sticker on it.
Opening the bottle, it is an unusual aroma; super malty, and almost caramel sweet. It’s not something that makes me want to dive straight in, but I shall persist onwards anyway.
Fortunately, the taste is better. There is still an initial sweetness of the malt, and a hint of yeastiness, but this is balanced out nicely with the hops, for a true lager taste.
The finish gives a bitter kick, with slightly floral notes lingering in the mouth.
It is perfectly pleasant, but lacks any the wow factor or anything that makes it stand out amongst all of the other non-alcoholic lagers available to buy. Yet saying that, I would drink it again, and am probably going to stock up on a crate from Free Star before it gets summoned to an AF brand that has been and gone.
Free Star Prime Time Ingredients, Nutritional Information and Calories
The ingredients includes:
Water, Pilsner Malt, Hops & Yeast
| Nutritional Information | Per 100mL |
|---|---|
| ABV | 0.5% |
| Energy (KJ / KCal) | 48 / 11 |
| Fat (g) | 0.1 |
| Of Which Saturates (g) | n/a |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 2.4 |
| Of Which Sugars (g) | 0.3 |
| Protein (g) | 0.1 |
| Salt (g) | 0.01 |
This beer is gluten-free and suitable for vegans.
Some Final Words
This is the first time I have reviewed a beer knowing that it won’t be around for very much longer.
It is a shame because I really like the Prime Time branding and think that it looks modern yet sophisticated amongst a raft of brightly coloured designs.
The beer is nice, but nothing remarkable. Yes I would drink it again, but it is particularly unremarkable, which is maybe why this brand has never got a proper foothold in the AF beer market.
If you manage to read this review soon after I publish it, at least consider stocking up on some of these beers whilst the price is incredibly low
