It goes without saying that 2020 has been one screwy year – remember when we were all desperate for 2019 to end so we could start afresh...? Within the beer world, while the ongoing daftness at the pointy end – the world of ridiculously hopped hazies, fruit and lactose-laden tooth-rotters and the like – was already gathering serious steam, the double whammy of seltzers and alcohol-free beers flying out of an ever-growing number of breweries might have been foreseen, but to this extent?
As the year draws to a close, Holgate have added their name to the producers of the latter (although there's no sign of them entering alcopop territory yet) with the release of Love All. So called in part due to the zero booze (under 0.5 percent ABV if we're being precise) and also in reference to brewery founder Paul Holgate's passion for tennis, it sits in English bitter / pale ale territory in terms of character. Pouring a deep copper colour, they've layered some floral and lightly fruity hop aromas alongside biscuity malts, while a building bitterness with a fair bit of resinous grip ensures that, while it might be booze free, it most definitely tastes like beer.
James Smith
Published November 2, 2020 2020-11-02 00:00:00