Review: Non-Alcoholic Beers of Bero, Complete Lineup
Review: Non-Alcoholic Beers of Bero, Complete Lineup
“Born in London, crafted in America, and enjoyed worldwide,” Bero hit the scene last year as a collaboration between longtime brewer John Herman and Spider-Man actor Tom Holland. The non-alcoholic beer operation launched with three expressions and quickly followed up by a fourth (more are on the way), all of which we review below.
Bero Noon Wheat – A solid base of lemon and gentle wheat begins the experience, coming across as a perfectly on-point rendition of a wheat beer. As the beer develops on the palate, few surprises await. Noon Wheat maintains a pleasant blend of sweetness and tart fruit, with a gentle, cereal-forward finish, steady as she goes throughout the drinking experience, even as the beer warms a bit. A-
Bero Double Tasty West Coast IPA – The latest edition in the Bero lineup is a classic style — boldly hoppy, west coast IPA. It’s a lot more lemon-forward than I expected (or is usual for the style), and the upfront citrus is followed by some exotic, herbaceous qualities that include notes of lemongrass, grains of paradise, and a grind of white pepper. Gently grassy rather than especially hoppy, it’s considerably gentler than the typical west coaster, which makes for a much more summery experience than the brooding, high-IBU experience that the style can often evoke. A-
Bero Coffee Draught – A limited edition N/A coffee stout made in collaboration with Robert Downey Jr. This one fires nicely, offering the gentle bitterness of mild-roast coffee alongside the toasty, lightly hopped, dark beer core. It’s really more of a rich bock than a creamy stout, which is perhaps why “stout” is not in the name of the product, but who’s keeping score? Drink this one quite cold, which helps the sweeter, vanilla-driven qualities along with a touch of fresh fig to add their complementary qualities more clearly, better highlighting the lightly bitter tones. A-
Bero Edge Hill Hazy IPA – A very pale yellow color surprises, as does a surprisingly thin body — considerably more watery than the comparably dynamic Noon Wheat. The good news is there’s a healthy hoppiness throughout, though it comes across as only lightly fruited, with notes of orange peel and some lemon zest, alongside a modest pineyness. The overall construction isn’t something I’d describe as hazy, but it is at least adjacent to an IPA, and, the weak body aside, it makes for an approachable, easygoing N/A brew. B
Bero Kingston Golden Pils – A surprisingly big and very malty pilsner, this brew overloads the senses with flavors of crackers and fresh bread. That makes for a pleasant enough but rather one-note experience that never really grew or evolved as I worked my way through the can. Here’s to keeping it simple: B
each $16 per six-pack of 12 oz cans
Bero Kingston Golden Pils
USD16
