Sober Carpenter Irish Red ALE
DRINK SUMMARY
Name – Irish Red
Producer – Sober Carpenter
Type – non-alcoholic ale
Alcohol content – 0.5%
MyDryBar Rating – 67/100
Drink review – If you’re a fan of hearty malty ales that fill the mouth with a bunch of rich flavours then Sober Carpenter Irish Red Ale is going to be a great drink for you.
Surprisingly Sober Carpenter is the first Canadian alcohol-free brewer I have reviewed. They are a non-alcoholic brewery set up by two brothers who wanted to create a unique collection of beers. Well, the brothers worked hard and years later there are now five different alcohol-free beers to choose from including an IPA and a blonde beer and this time round I am reviewing their Irish alcohol-free red ale.
According to the Sober Carpenter site, this beer has been brewed in the ‘Irish’ style using Windsor yeast, which has a noticeable malty taste and aroma and creates a medium-bodied ale. They also use roasted barley which adds elements of coffee and caramel to the beer as well as East Kent Golding and Fuggle hops to create a unique aroma.
So is this award-winning Canadian beer worthy of a place in your pint glass? Well, you’ll just need to read my review below to find out.
Is Sober Carpenter Irish Red any good?
Taste
This alcohol-free beer had quite a unique taste and was a lot smokier than I expected. You certainly get a pretty punchy malt flavour that compliments the background smokiness. Other flavours that breakthrough include caramel, coffee and sweet bread notes with a subtle bitterness. The carbonation is spot on which helps to create a well-balanced alcohol-free Irish ale.
Aroma & Appearance
The aroma is more subtle than the flavour but you do get predominantly malty notes with dark caramel undertones. As you can see when poured into the glass it has an intense rich dark red colour and did produce a low head.
Bonus points
Sober beers are vegan friendly but not gluten-free. They are also pretty low on the calorie front at just 11 per 100 ml. I also like their marketing and branding with each beer type given a distinctive and impactful look. The one downside is that Sober Carpenter alcohol-free beers arent the easiest to locate but you can try different online specialists to see if they stock it.
Buy Sober Carpenter’s Red ale
At the time of writing, this was a tricky beer to hunt down especially if you are UK based. That said you can find it on Booze Free’s site or if you are US based check out Drizly and grab yourself a can.
Proof No More is a great new alcohol-free retailer that brings all the latest and greatest beers, spirits and more to your door. Check out their extensive collection of non-alcoholic drinks.
COST (at time of publication) – $10.99 x 4 PACK
Key information
per 100 ml serving
Type – red ale
Brewery – Sober Carpenter
Country – Canada
Alcohol content – 0.5%
Calories – 11
Ingredients – water, roasted barley, hops, spices
Vegan friendly? – yes
Gluten-free? – no
Availability UK / EU – hard
Availability US / CAN – medium
“Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness.”
-Seneca, AD 50 BC
