Sagres Zero

What do they mean, "Zero"? There’s 0.3% alcohol in this, which is just about enough to get a thirsty dipsomaniac camel tanked up if he saw off a case or three. The rest of us will need a boilermaker to get a kick out of this. It was a robust gold for the style but the head was grudging. The nose was peculiarly fruity - blackcurrants, lemon drops - with some rainwater, wort and negligible hops. Fizzy soft-drink carbonation. Tasted like soda, lemonade and a dash of lager. In fact, it tasted a lot like the soda water that my wife took back to the bar at the Bluetongue Cafe on the weekend because it tasted of swimming pool. Sweet and insubstantial. By no means the most awful low-alcohol beer out there. (330ml bottle from Petersham Cellars. BB Nov 08)

Bottle (thx to Papsoe). Pours a rather pale golden body with a small white head. Fruity, grainy nose, just like expected for a pale lager with a very low alcohol level. A bit lime-like. Very thin in the mouth, with lime, yellow apples, grains and a little hoppy bitterness. Thin and watery. Fruity, decently bitter finish. Far, far from a good beer, but on the other hand it can be drank as a limonade. Ticker-beer. (080330)

Really strange taste; talc power-like fragrance. At first I thought this was due to perhaps residue of some bottling process but I think it’s just a poor brew. If you’re gonna drink a Portuguese non-alc, make it Cheers.

33 cL bottle. Pours clear and pale yellow with a diminished white head. Grainy towards grassy and cardboard aroma. Flavour is cardboardish, dry and bland towards watery in the finish.