Review: Non-Alcoholic Beers of Untitled Art

Wisconsin’s Untitled Art produces a dazzling array of non-alcoholic beers — more than 25 by my last count — and probably more every day. The samples we received — 8 in total – bore the N0N Alcoholic label, but that appears to have recently been switched to a new brand called FLVR!, presumably to distinguish them from the (alcoholic) beers the brand also makes.

Here’s our rundown on the octet we tasted, starting with the favorites.

Untitled Art Non-Alcoholic Juicy IPA – Looks the part, and tastes it too: This fruit-forward brew is ripe with notes of lemon, mandarin, red apple, and a bit of melon, making for a lively fruit salad up top. It’s balanced by enough hoppy bitterness to avoid becoming remotely sweet, however, its finish retreating to crisp cracker notes and a gentle hint of lemon pepper. A

Untitled Art Non-Alcoholic American Gold – A classic lager, and quite burly and well-rounded, with a lovely maltiness and just a hint of hoppiness on the back-end. An initial punch of mouth-filling, fresh grain takes a slightly acidic and overly lemony turn as the palate fades toward the finish, which is really the only off note in an otherwise perfectly approachable NA lager. A-

Untitled Art Non-Alcoholic Mango Dragonfruit Fruited Sour – A big slug of mango hits the nose with the first pour of this beer, which strikes the palate more like a fruit smoothie than a sour, reminding me a lot of the beers of Urban South HTX in Houston. Full of juice and just a touch of acidity, I would hesitate to call this a non-alcoholic beer and more of a beer-inspired fruit drink. I think it’s great. A-

Untitled Art Non-Alcoholic West Coast Style IPA – Extremely foamy, with an enduring head, this is the appropriately punchy, hop-forward counterpart to the Juicy IPA above. There’s no fruit here, but rather a gravely, earthy experience that feels like wandering the streets of San Francisco in the ’90s. Straightforward but brisk; drink it cold as, like many west coast IPAs, it starts to get a little acrid as it warms up. B+

Untitled Art Non-Alcoholic Italian-Style Pils – If Peroni tasted like this, I’d drink a lot more of it. The Italian-inspired beer (seriously!) is largely as familiar as any domestic pilsner, though it’s spiked with higher acidity and a grassy quality that does evoke the Italian style of beermaking, at least in passing. Slightly musty but never off-putting, the beer finishes up with a refreshing character that eventually speaks to grapefruit peel and a pinch of coriander. B+

Untitled Art Non-Alcoholic Grapefruit Radler – Sweeter than expected, with a pronounced grapefruit character that comes across a bit like a bottle of Squirt soda. Juicy and refreshing, the only sense of hops or malt can be encountered on the initially quite foamy head and the toasty aromatics it briefly generates. It’s one of the least overtly beer-like offerings in the lineup, but it is nonetheless a surprisingly enjoyable experience. B+

Untitled Art Non-Alcoholic Citra Haze – A non-alc hazy IPA made with Citra hops. A rush of orange on the nose feels like it’s going to provide an appropriately juicy/hazy IPA experience, but this fruit note is quite fleeting, replaced in short order by a burly and less distinct hoppiness, quite bitter as it builds on the palate. A bitter grapefruit peel quality and notes of coriander linger on the finish. Not bad but Untitled Art’s other IPAs are more inviting. B+

Untitled Art Non-Alcoholic Chocolate Dark Brew – This emulation of a chocolate stout is a bit blunt with the chocolate and mocha notes, offering a nose that is down-right dessert-like. That powerful (and rather sweet) rush of cocoa fades into a surprisingly perky midsection, which approximates the acidity of a porter and concludes with a very bitter finish. A slightly weird experience but not without its charms, especially if you’re sipping this after dinner. B

each $13 per six-pack / drinkuntitled.com

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