Upside Dawn (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 Upside Dawn, 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.

Flavor Description:  "Classic craft golden ale. Refreshing, clean, balanced, light-bodied. Aromas subtle with floral and earthy notes. Brewed with premium organic malts from US & Germany along with combo of English and traditional American hops."
IBU:  18
ABV:  0.5%

The Review:

The aroma of this one reminds me of a good Blonde.  It's mildly malty, and has a hop hint to it.  It's lightly grassy, and comes with a light touch of citrus.  In the mouth it's light to medium bodied, with about a medium amount of carbonation.  It's a pale golden color, with a solid white head.  The flavor is milder, but smooth.  It's lighter bodied, but not water.  In the flavor, I catch hops on the front end, with a citrusy hint to it.  There's a touch of grass, along with a light floral character and touches of pine in the background.  It finishes clean, and crisp, with a light amount of bitterness.  And of course, it is non-alcoholic, so, cheers!

Rating and Final Thoughts:

While I prefer IPAs, I really found myself enjoying this one.  It's a crisp, smooth brew.  It's certainly a BBQ type of beer, or one you can enjoy on the lake or working outside.  It's got a great taste, a light body, and a clean finish.  This one rated at 3.68 out of 5.  While it's not my favorite style of beer, it's one I'd probably order again when summer hits.  It's going to be a good one to enjoy this summer when the warm weather hits and we hit the lake or the river!



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