Run Wild IPA (Non Alcoholic / Near Beer) Review - 11 January 2021.

I've been getting into non-alcoholic beer lately, or "near beer", and I thought it would be fun to start writing reviews of these products. Today I'm reviewing Run Wild IPA, a product by Athletic Brewing in Connecticut (USA). I had heard a lot of good things about this one, so I placed an order on their webshop and had it in 2 days to my door in Arkansas! They describe their beers by saying: "We source all natural ingredients, all organic grands, and fresh ground hops. We don’t burn off the alcohol, we brew fully fermented beer to non-alcoholic levels. So we’re retaining all those great aromas and flavors."  Apparently, Athletic Brewing wasn't impressed with the quality of NA beers, and wanted to make something better.  They noticed there hadn't been much innovation over the past 25 years, and most of the tech used by companies making NA beer was 30-40 years old.  Not only that, but they noticed these "high volume beers" had no hop flavor, aroma, or even craft character.  They set out to remedy that with their own line of NA beers.

Run Wild IPA Product Details

Flavor Description:  "Run Wild is the ultimate sessionable IPA for craft beer lovers. Brewed with a blend of five Northwest hops, it has an approachable bitterness to balance the specialty malt body. Always refreshing and only 70 calories."

IBU:  35

ABV:  0.5%

Link to buy:  https://athleticbrewing.com/products/run-wild-ipa-non-alcoholic-6-pack

The Review:

The aroma of this beer is a clear hop aroma with hints of pine.  It's light on the malt, and has subtle citrusy tones.  In the mouth, it's medium bodied, and doesn't come across as too water.  In the glass, it has a nice coppery color to it, along with a light amount of carbonation.  The flavor is a little watery at first, but it grows after a few sips.  It has a nice hop bite to it, along with hints of citrus, and a light touch of pine.  It reminds me of a decent West Coast IPA.  It finishes smooth, and clean.  It has a little bitterness on the tail end, but it's lighter in that department.  And of course, it's a near beer, so drink up!

Rating and Final Thoughts:

IPA is my favorite style of beer, so I really enjoyed this one.  For a non-alcoholic beer, I was impressed.  It's a good day drinking beer, but also one that's good with a meal.  I rated it at 3.82 out of 5.  A pretty solid IPA, with a nice West Coast IPA vibe and flavor!