Hops are the #1 deficiency in nearly every crappy beer, especially mass market lagers (other than just bad fermentation practices). Normally, the alcohol volatilizes aromatics into the sinuses and makes the bouquet richer while drinking. Taking the alcohol out of a yellow beer really leaves nearly nothing to taste but wet barley residue, which is not so refreshing on its own. Hops serve a similar purpose, so when I first saw a dry-hopped non-alcoholic beer I thought it was a brilliant move. When I’m down for a crappy yellow lager I always go for Labatt because it is the only mass market AAL (CAL?) with even a hint of hops. Even though it swings into the plain old bitter end of the spectrum too hard, at least it’s something.
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