Another very low ABV beer from Sheep in Wolf’s clothing, at 0.5% so effectively alcohol free. This one being a Hefenweizen but with a bit of a twist, with a mandarin flavour rather than the more usual banana or clove notes. This is achieved by the addition of mandarin oil during the brewing process. So an alcohol free mandarin flavoured German style wheat beer, now that would be quite and achievement.
- Name : Easy Rinder
- Brewery: Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing Brewery, London
- Hops : Hallertauer Mittelfrueh
- Grain : Crystal and Munich malts, oats and wheat
- Aroma : Lightly citrus, orange and mandarin
- Appearance : Golden, some haze with a white head
- Body : Medium bodied, well carbonated but with poor head retention
- Taste : Wheaty and zesty with subtle citrus mandarin notes. Some dryness in the finish but little from the hops
The two factors that tend to put me off alcohol free beers are the thin body and often slightly sour edge. In this beer these appear to have been tackled in the brewing process. Body is created by the addition of rice maltodextrin and orange peel and mandarin oil impart a slight sweetness to the beer. Overall, a very drinkable low alcohol beer light years better than the early efforts of the 1980s and 90s. If I was driving and this beer was an option, it would be one I would happily take.
Our overall rating: 3.3/ 5.0
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