At NoLo Alcohol, we know how many different non-alcoholic beers are out there. You should take a look at our list of beers to review.
But some drinks capture our attention more than others, even before we’ve had a chance to taste test them.
This alcohol free lager from UNLTD. (and the alcohol free IPA too) is one that I am excited to try, simply because I am a big fan of the bottle and branding. I know you shouldn’t get sucked in and influenced by things like this, but I thing it stands apart from some of the brash, cartoon-like designs (we’re looking at you Mash Gang) and it doesn’t use excessive amounts of blue to signify it’s alcohol free.
It simply looks simple and classy, and in just about any environment that alcohol is being served, you could get away with drinking from these bottles all night.
I promise I won’t let my opinion of the branding influence my overall drinking experience, so let’s crack on and see what it tastes like.
UNLTD. Alcohol Free Lager Initial Review
If you don’t know what I’m on about with regards to the design of the UNLTD. alcohol free lager, just take a look at the bottle below.
It is a dark brown bottle with a matte black label with a metallic silver and white detailing for the writing. It is clean and simple. Another thing I like is that they have not tried to fill the label with too much information, simply the name, the nutritional information and then a brief description of the lager, which reads:
“The UNLTD. beer you have in your hand is a non-alcoholic craft beer with all the flavour of a full strength beer.
“Its light citrus aromas, hint of honey, touch of caramel and subtly bitter finish all contribute to make this beer tasty AF”.
With that description, it tees it up nicely for me to open and try.
I’ve had this chilling in the fridge for a while, but took it out at the same time I started writing this review. After a quick photo shoot and a quick introduction, this beer had been stood upright for about 20 minutes.
But by the way it opened, you wouldn’t have known that.
The cap took a couple of attempts to open, and by the time I had managed to break the seal – even slightly – it fizzed out like I had been shaking it for 30 seconds immediately prior. It is clearly over pressurised.
Even though I purchased it last week, a check of the best before states the 13th October – just over a month away. Maybe that’s the reason for the pressure.
Anyway, clean up done, it gives me a chance to take in the aroma. It definitely has a strong caramel aroma to it, more so that I was expecting given it is a lager. If anything, it reminds me of the Big Drop Galactic Stout with its almost burnt caramel aroma.
Poured into a glass, it is a light straw colour with a typical lager head; lots of small bubbles quickly rising to the top. The aroma has balanced out, and can definitely get the honey with the caramel. Less so of the citrus.
Initial taste and I am shocked at how light it tastes after judging the intense aroma. It is delicate, yet balanced, and dominated by honey. There is a slight citrus taste to it; a faint touch of lemon followed by a classic lager bitterness which is just right.
As for the caramel, it is almost non-existent. It is slightly sweet, but I put that down to the honey more than the caramel.
A few more swigs and I find myself getting more into this drink; the initial delicacy and honey taste is less dominant and it tastes like a nice lager.
After the first taste, I feared I wasn’t going to like it. But that changed and I quickly finished it, wishing I had another to refill my glass. Maybe next time I’ll buy one with a longer best before date!
This definitely has craft lager vibes to it, yet has a nice flavour profile and mouthfeel that many non-alcoholic lagers lack!
Where Can I Buy UNLTD. Alcohol Free Lager?
The bottle I purchased for this review was from a boutique garden centre / luxury food hall, which is mostly useless information for you, unless you live near Harrogate.
However, you can buy this and the other UNLTD. beer from the following places:
UNLTD. Lager Ingredients, Nutritional Information and Calories
The ingredients in this beer are:
Water, Barley, Wheat, Maltodextrin, Hops, Yeast
| Nutritional Information | Per 100mL |
|---|---|
| ABV | 0.5% |
| Energy (KJ / KCal) | 31 / 7 |
| Fat (g) | 0.1 |
| Of Which Saturates (g) | 0.1 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 1.7 |
| Of Which Sugars (g) | 0.1 |
| Protein (g) | 0.1 |
| Salt (g) | 0.02 |
Barley and wheat are the allergens to be aware of in this lager.
UNLTD. Non Alcoholic Lager Final Thoughts
Apart from thinking that this beer is one of the best looking non-alcoholic beers on the market, I thoroughly enjoyed this beer and am definitely adding it to my repurchase list.
Although there were issues with the pressurisation of the bottle – I’ll blame this on the near best before date – and my reservations on the initial taste, I think it is one of the best non-alcoholic lagers you can possibly buy today, and strongly recommend you add it to your list to try!
