Sober AF Reviews

  🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: Brewdog Lost AF Where: Ocado £££'s: £4.50 / 4 x 330ml cans Score: 🌟🌟 Brewdog - The ultimate bang-on-trend brand with more planet-first credentials than Sir David Attenborough. At the start of lockdown 1.0 I (like many others) got on board with Brewdog & set myself up an account to get carbon-negative beer delivered directly to my door. Overnight I became a craft beer aficionado! Or at least that's what I liked to think. The reality was somewhat different, however, it was easier to square it away in my conscience knowing I was drinking my way to saving the planet & hanging with the cool kids at the same time. Now I'm off the headache-inducing bevvies (and some of those craft beers can induce a headache) I thought I had better give some of the 'Dogs AF brews a try. First up is the Lost AF, the alcohol free version of Brewdogs 'Lost Lager'. The Gold, silver & black packaging is very similar to the regular ve...

  🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: Birra Moretti Zero Where: Ocado £££'s: £3.50 / 3 x 330ml bottles Score: 🌟🌟 🌟 🌟 I have been seeing the regular version of this brew popping up an increasing amount over the last couple of years in some of the more successful boozers locally to me. With its seductive Italian flair & attractive pint chalice, Birra Moretti has burst onto the scene with a distinctive flavour to match its premium allure. I'm pleased to say that this allure has transferred across to the Azzurro version of this beer very well. This Alcohol Free version is very similar to the more common Moretti. The pour is a lovely clear, light golden colour which leaves a good head that disappears quickly. Theres a slight lemony scent that comes from the glass which also comes out in the flavour. The mouthfeel is nice and smooth with good body & a very rounded taste with the lemon & maltiness with a slightly bitter finish. All in all, a nice & tasty lage...

  🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: Brewdog Nanny State Where: Ocado £££'s: £4.50 / 4 x 330ml cans Score: 🌟 Hot on the heels of my review for Brewdogs 'Lost AF' lager is my taste test & opinions of another of the 'Dogs AF offerings, 'Nanny State'. This time the packaging is very similar to that of Lost AF, except this time green is the differentiating colour, along with the silver & black writing. The pour for this self-professed Hoppy Ale is a much darker, almost chestnut coloured liquid which gives a good foamy head. As you take your first sip you get a sweet smell of the malt and strong pine aromas (maybe that's where the green branding idea comes from?). The beer itself is quite gassy & the pine scent continues through to the flavour & combines with the hops & leaves a very bitter & dry taste. Although there is a lot of flavour which stays in the mouth, much like the Brewdog AF lager it feels there is something missing fr...

I ordered this pack of FreeDamm from Ocado with the weekly shop, just as I have done with many other Alcohol Free beers during my early sobriety journey. There were just a couple of things that struck me about these that I wanted to highlight before the main review & taste test. The first thing to note that screams at you is the packaging - forget the attractive-looking cans for a minute, but gone is the wildlife destroying plastic 6-pack ring in place of this oh-so-simple, 100% biodegradable cardboard retainer. It just works!!! Brilliant. I know there is a growing movement to rid ourselves of plastic packaging & the plastic can ring is a well-documented example of the harm that can happen to wildlife & their habitats. (Did you know the plastic can ring has been around since the 1960's). The Alcohol-Free market seems to be ahead of the rest of the drinks industry in being more environmentally friendly, & this is the first time I have seen this simple but effective c...

  🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: Stella Artois Alcohol Free Where: Ocado £££'s: £3.50 / 4 x 330ml bottles Score: 🌟🌟 🌟 🌟 Is it 'ah' or is it 'Artois'? - That is the tagline that sticks in my mind when I think about Stella, along with a rather unsavoury nickname which the high-end advertising campaign is desperately trying to rid the brand of. No matter how many artistic TV adverts & associations with clean-cut tennis competitions (Wimbledon no less) Stella is always going to have a dodgy reputation in the UK for being a bit of a bar brawl inducing beverage. This is probably, in part due to the high ABV of 5.2% this beer used to carry. This has now been reduced to 4.8% No such problems here with the AF version. If AB In-Bev (the parent company) really wanted to clean up its reputation, then maybe they should concentrate more on promoting this AF variant which is made for people who want a beer for beers sake & aren't looking for a punch-up a...

These lovely beverages just arrived with the Ocado delivery. . Looking forward to trying them all to be honest. Have been a big fan of Brewdog & there values - just a shame much of it is based around a liquid that does so much damage. Lets hope there AF versions live up to the hype! . Someone told me that Freedam is the best AF beer  @leemackcomedian  has tried, & I think the guy is a legend anyway, so keen to try this one! . Full fat Peroni was the draught beer at a restaurant I used to work the bar at. As such I have drunk more than my fair share of the stuff. Will be interesting to see how this fares. One positive already is that I won't end up spending a night in the cells after drinking the AF version! . Reviews in full to follow.............

  🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: Becks Blue Where: Ocado £££'s: £3.30 / 6 x 275ml bottles Score: 🌟🌟 Becks Blue was an early adopter of the AF beers in the UK & as such is available in pub fridges up & down the country. In fact, it still accounts for 1/3rd of alcohol-free beers sold in the UK. Being a German beer, brewed in Bremen it is made under the famous German purity laws, meaning it can only contain hops, malt, barley & water. To make this alcohol free it is first brewed & then goes through a process to gently remove the alcohol. Although widespread in the UK, I really can't understand why? I've never been a fan of 'Becks' beer. I find both the aroma & taste as if something is a little past its best, & this AF version is no different. Purity law or not, this flavour just doesn't sit well with me & personally I feel there are much better places to spend you hard earnt than on this!. Would I buy it again? Plain & s...

🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: San Miguel 0.0 Where: Ocado £££'s: £3.50 / 4 x 330ml bottles Score: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 My village store sold some real moody versions of the regular San Mig (proper nasty 5.4% tackle), so in my drinking days, this was obviously a weekend favourite. Even normal San Miguel was considered a bit of a luxury as it was (in my untraveled eyes) exotic, being almost the national drink of Spain. HOWEVER it's only now that I am sober, despite the countless litres of the stuff that I have poured down my neck, that I have actually bothered to learn a little about it, & it's quite interesting! Fun Fact - San Miguel actually originated in Manilla, Philippines being first brewed there in 1890. It wasn't till 1957 that this most Spanish of Spanish drinks was first brewed in......Spain - Amazing what you can learn If you take time to find out! So what about this 0.0% version - What's it like? Well as I have found with these AF copies of a popular b...

  🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: Hoegaarden 0.0% Where: Ocado £££'s: £2.99 / 4 x 330ml cans Score: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 A very authentic Belgian wheat beer with a tradition dating back to 1445. Hoegaarden gets its name from the small town in Liege province from where it originates, where at one time there were over 50 breweries and only 2000 inhabitants. As a couple of my previous reviews, Hoegaarden is another cloudy, white beer (can you tell I like a wheat beer ?). However, somewhat unusually this one is brewed with coriander & orange peel added to give it its unique flavour. Often when served in a bar or restaurant Hoegarden comes in its distinctive hexagonal 'jam jar' glass with a slice of orange. The 'full fat' version of this Belgian beer was a firm favourite of mine, probably more for the fact that it came in 750ml bottles than anything else. Wheat beers I feel make a very good AF option as 1) they have a complex flavour that stands up in its own right as ...

  🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: Sainte Etienne 0% Where: Aldi £££'s: 89p / 500ml bottle Score: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 A visit to the land of cheap alcohol (Aldi) used to be an excuse to fill the trolly with cases of grog, so I think I surprised the checkout staff (I am a regular) as well as myself when I went looking for AF beer instead of Stella. I had never noticed any AF before, but there are a couple. This AF version of the original Sainte Etienne is identical to its stablemate except the branding is blue (the widely accepted AF livery) instead of the usual red. The opening aroma is pleasant & poured into a glass the beer has a light golden colour with a lively head, however, this quickly goes to leave what could be mistaken as a flat drink, although there are still tiny bubbles rising if you look closer. The flavour is that of a typical, premium french lager. All around a very reliable & clean malt flavour with an agreeable bitterness that is very easy to drink. Would ...

  🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: Bavaria 0.0% Original Where: Ocado £££'s: £4 / 8 x 330ml cans Score: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Following the last review of the excellent Bavaria Wit is this Original brew from the Swinkels family. Brewed using a 'secret' brewing method, this Pilsner is a rich golden colour with a flavorsome German & Czech brews. There is a definite malty aroma & taste with a slight sweetness, although not as sweet as its compatriot, Heineken 0.0% Would I buy it again? Yes I would. This is a good, clean & crisp version of a Pilsner & for £4 I could quite happily turn up at a BBQ with a pack of these. #robsreviews

  🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: Bavaria 0.0% Wit Where: Ocado £££'s: £3 / 6 x 330ml bottles Score: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 The Dutch Swinkels family has been independently brewing beer for over 300 years, so they know a thing or two about it! In fact, they claim to be the founder of the completely AF beer & have many other impressive credentials with Alcohol-Free offerings. They were the first to export 0.0% beer to the middle east in 1978, they were also the first to sell AF white beer in the Dutch market, & it's that beer on test here! As you may expect from the name, this 'Wit' beer is very light in colour, cloudy & has a mild wheat flavour mixed with fruity accents. The aroma is pleasant, as is the aftertaste. I really can't find anything to fault with this beer & strongly feel it is in no way compromised by being free of alcohol - Like everything in life it is actually made better by being alcohol-free. Would I buy it again? Most definitely. Argu...

  🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: Heineken 0.0% Where: Ocado £££'s: £4 / 6 x 330ml cans Score: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 The iconic Heineken brand, but in an AF version! This I had to try. Firstly, being a premium brand Heineken has usually been at the more expensive end of the market, so refreshing to see the AF variant is reasonably priced. Branding of the packaging (cans in my case) was instantly recognisable but clearly differentiated as AF by the blue accents. Pours just like a good dutch beer should. Clear & crisp with a nice head, although the foam quickly goes & the remaining glass can seem a little flat, although still 'feels' lively enough & like a lager in the mouth. This isn't designed to be a direct copy of the regular 'poisonous' version & that is obvious. Although the very same ingredients are used, the taste is a little sweeter, but not off-puttingly so. Heineken say "Aimed at men & women who like the taste of beer, but not the ...

  🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: Infinite Session IPA Where: www.infinitesession.com £££'s: £30.00 / 24 x 330ml cans (inc free delivery) Score: 🌟🌟🌟 I became a fan of IPA during lockdown 1.0, but thinking back on it now I think I was more a fan of the fact it was a) delivered & b) it was strong? Off the back of some good reviews, I ordered a case of this Infinite Session as its free delivery over £30 - Arrived the next day with the Amazon man interestingly, in one outer box containing 6 boxes of 4. As with any good craft beer, this IPA has a very hoppy flavour with definite citrus tones (sorry, its hard to say that without sounding like a complete tool). Infinite Session is very proud of their UK ingredients & a 'tweaked' brewing process to stay AF. Calories are also among the lowest out there at less than 40 per can. Overall, not a bad IPA, but one I have to be in the mood for as I can find it a bit perfumy and dare I say, watery. Would I buy it again?...

🎉🎉🎉 Robs AF Brews Reviews 🎉🎉🎉 What: Erdinger Alkoholfrei Where: Ocado £££'s: £1.30 / 500ml bottle Score: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 High hopes for this one & it didn't disappoint. Don't let the slightly cloudy finish put you off. This AF wheat beer is brewed in accordance with Bavarian Purity Law 👍 Refreshing, full of flavour, and with a body & depth that sometimes can be missing in alcohol-free brews. To be fair you would be hard pushed to tell this apart from its carcinogenic* sibling. Add Erdingers claims that this lager is a 'sporty thirst-quencher' due to containing Vit B12, Polyphenol & folic acid as well as being Isotonic AND low calorie it makes me wonder why I've not been drinking THIS for years. AF Beer doesn't have to be boring 😍 Would I buy it again? Definitely. This has become an instant favourite. Recommended for any newly soberistas to keep in the fridge for when those cravings kick in, or good to take to a social occasion. You may even ...