Well, I don’t know where to start with this other than saying that this low alcohol dark lager from Fungtional Brew Company is brewed using mushrooms……yes that’s right, mushrooms!
Nobody can deny that we at The Eternal Hoptimists are not up for a challenge, so as part of our October alcohol free/low alcohol specials we grabbed a bottle of this out of curiosity, and of course to inform our readers as to whether this is no more than a gimmick or if it proves to be a decent brew.
1. Name : Chaga Lager (0.4% ABV)
2. Brewery: Fungtn (Fungtional Brew Company), Kelsall. Brewed at The Great Yorkshire Brewery, Cropton.
3. Hops : Not specified
4. Grain : Barley, Malt, Wheat & Chaga mushrooms
5. Aroma : Slight malt, yet earthy aroma with a zesty hop bitterness at the back end
6. Appearance : Chestnut brown/mahogany with a dissipating 1 finger white head
7. Body : Light body with a pleasant mouthfeel
8. Taste : Has a very earthy taste leaving a lingering, yet refreshing hop bitterness on the pallet
I started this review by highlighting that this beer has been brewed with the addition of mushrooms. This might well put some people off buying or like me make you want to pick up a bottle out of curiosity, and you know what….it’s actually not too bad at all!
Dark lagers are not always the easiest beer style to obtain so it was refreshing to be able to pick a bottle of a low alcohol dark lager from a local food store, admittedly they had a shelf reduced to clear which helped me to make my decision as to whether to buy or not.
I’m not sure that this is one that I would pick regularly, particularly for its full retail price, but I actually quite enjoyed the overall experience. Whilst the beer may not look the most appealing in the glass it had a crisp, yet earthy aroma with an enjoyable earthy taste and lingering refreshing bitterness. The mushroom addition was certainly a novelty that added to the experience rather than sending my tastebuds into overdrive.
I would say that if you are looking for something a bit different from the low alcohol/alcohol free end of the market keep your eyes open for this. Whilst it may not suit everyone’s pallet, for many it might prove to be a pleasant surprise.
Our overall rating: 3.6/ 5.0
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