Review - Brulo
Brulo was founded in 2019 by James Brown and over the past five years has cemented itself as one of, if not the best non-alcoholic beer makers. Brewing the beers they love using modern techniques and experimenting with lesser-known yeast cultures and combinations their lineup is varied with a few that stand head and shoulders above the rest. It’s no secret that I love Brulo, their beers are a mainstay in my fridge and towards the top of my beer list but despite their talent, I have notes!
Brulo is best known for their Lust for Life (9.2), an ultra drinkable summer favourite of mine that I wish came in 500ml cans. Hazy and floral it ticks all my boxes of what an IPA should be without straying too far into experimental territory. The dry hopping process of adding more hops after boiling can be difficult to do well and often I find this adds flavours that don’t match the base liquid but here they bolster the fruit without making it taste like soap.
Sticking with the classics, Highway to Hell (9.1) couldn’t be much better. Other than some slightly vegetal notes on the nose that linger a little with your first sip this Lager is pretty much perfect. Super bright with an instant hit of honey that carries through without being sickly. The acidity and overall freshness of the beer are a true treat, this all flows into the finish where you are met with fresh bread and the urge to keep on drinking! This one I will need to drink again to check the nose as the score could go up?!?!
If you want something that is a little more fruit-forward and close to tipping the soap scale look no further than 7 Hop 7 Grain (8.5), its heavy body and mouth feel give it the creaminess of a nitro stout but with the acidity and punch of an IPA that I’ve come to adore. A beer that I wouldn’t drink more than two of in a night, it’s a treat to crack a can and experience white peach and lychee, like a tropical punch in the mouth. Sabro Galaxy (8.1) does a similar thing but with a berry flavour profile that presents as Ribbena and tiny tannins which make you want another sip, a touch on the sweeter side but only by a hair.
Next up is 5 Fruit Gose (7.4), Gose beers aren’t my favourite style due to the malty flavour of beer that I love being a little lost. The five fruits here are Mango, Passionfruit, Guava, Apricot, and Orange but thanks to fermentation and the beer-making process I got a completely different set of notes. Green grape and shandy stood out most to me and the additional tartness of the beer made me think of citrus like lemon and lime. A super refreshing variation but not for everyone.
If you look at my beer list you will see that the bottom half is where the stouts live and I’ve concluded that other than a certain nitro stout I don’t like them. This brings me to the one Brulo beer that I don’t like (so far), Cascadian Tides (3.4). On opening the can and pouring I was greeted with a strong skunky smell you might be more used to in Amsterdam accompanied by molasses, the nose was not unpleasant and gave me hope. On the palate, all I could taste was cold coffee and too much sweetness, like a mocha someone forgot about. This continued on the finish where instead of roast you just got burnt toast and an acidity that felt wasted.
Brulo is probably the best right now and I don’t think it’s very close. There are individual beers I enjoy more but as a collection, it can’t be beaten. They make a flavour for everyone and do it incredibly well, Brulo have managed to make more than one good product which in the No/Low category hasn’t been done by many others, especially in the beer category. I look forward as always to trying these again and again and for any new cans that come out. I implore you to try them as I’m confident you won’t regret it!
Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are my own and are in no way intended to harm or cause harm to the business. My taste is personal to me and I hope you also take the time to try all these beers and form your own ideas. This is here solely to help guide you and give you an idea of what you may experience when drinking these products
