What type of beer is A Ship Full Of IPA ?
There is no prizes for guessing this is an IPA!
An IPA stands for India pale ale. They are hoppy and if alcoholic, high ABV beers. As there are an ale, they are top fermented at warm temperatures with ale yeast.
Brutal Brewing take the original 5.8% beer and use vacuum distillation to remove the alcohol. The dark malt helps create sweetness and body. Brutal then dry-hop again with Amarillo, Citra, Cascade, Ella, and Galaxy.
If you want to know more about how non alcoholic beers are made you can see my article on it here. Or to see why some beers are 0.5% and others are 0.0% you can read about it here
The Ingredients
I am a huge fan of less is more in beer ingredients and i know Brutal Brewing are too so i know what to expect here.
A Ship Full Of IPA includes…
- Water
- Barley malt
- Hops
Yep, if you add in yeast that is the big four ingredients to make most beers. In Germany they are the only four allowed under the Purity Law and i think they are all the better for it.
Is A Ship Full Of IPA really alcohol free?
A Shit Full Of IPA is indeed alcohol free. It has an alcohol content lower than 0.05% which allows it to be called alcohol free under the law.
Labelling in the non alcoholic and alcohol free world can be difficult to follow, with different countries having different laws.
You can read my entire article on how to tell how much alcohol is in a non alcoholic beer here.
The Nutrition
When a craft brewer goings down the 0.0% route, i get concerned that it will lead to a high sugar drink. I can be hard and expensive to vacuum distil to 0.0% and the beer can end up high in sugar.
| | Values per 100ml or 100g |
| Alcohol | 0.0% |
| Calories | 20kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 5.3g |
| Sugars | 0.5g |
Well played again from Brutal Brewing here. These numbers are close to what say Bitburger 0.0% has with a relatively high carb level but little to no sugar.
I would hope this will not be tasting too sweet with those numbers.
To read more about what isotonic is and how it affects beers, you can read about that here
The Look
A nautical theme with a ship on the label and in the name. I like a beer bottle when it is a bit different form the norm, it makes you do a second take.
The beer itself is a clear but dark amber or orange. If it was alcoholic you would be worried it was 7% ABV or something.
The Aroma
The smell is a lot lighter than the look. I get plenty of light, citrus and a hint of pine hops. It smells like the colour should be might lighter so it will be interesting to see if caramel and roasted malt comes through into the taste as I can’t smell much of it.
The Taste
You do indeed get some amber to dark ale flavours, in fact there are quite strong and I like it.
The first thing you taste is a big mouthful of bitter citrus and pine hops. There isn’t too much and it isn’t overly bitter, it is a great start. Most IPAs are happy with that and end on the same note but not here.
Once the initial hoppy bomb is dissipating, in steps a lovey deep malt and caramel flavour to see you through and past your gulp.
The lingering end is a mix of the roasted malt and citrus hops. I have to say it is a really pleasant mix.
There is a good amount of body from the carbs but as hardly any of it is in added sugar form, this doesn’t taste too sweet at all.
The Verdict
This is a clean and crisp IPA with the added benefit of the darker ale flavours. They mix well and the flavours balance beautifully.
The Score
8/10 – I might have scored it higher but after finishing the bottle a bit of a burnt caramel flavour still lingers and I would prefer something else to cleanse it now.
Find out where this beer ranks compared to all the beers i have reviewed on my updated “Best Non Alcoholic Beers” page
Where to buy?
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
*Affiliate Disclosure – if you click on the links and buy from these providers, i might receive a small commission*
Is A Ship Full Of IPA gluten free?
No, A Ship Full Of IPA is not gluten free.
I have an entire article on non alcoholic beers and gluten if you want more information.
Is A Ship Full Of IPA vegan?
Yes, A Ship Full Of IPA is vegan friendly
For more on vegan beers see my article on the matter. Why beers may or may not be and how to check.
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SUMMARY
I might have scored it higher but after finishing the bottle a bit of a burnt caramel flavour still lingers and I would prefer something else to cleanse it now. |
4.0
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