Brulo / Coast Beer Co Sabro IPA

In the 60+ reviews of non-alcoholic beers I’ve written here (at time of writing this one) I’ve explained a few acronyms that are often used by beer producers. In this review of Brulo / Coast Beer Co’s Sabro IPA I’ll be introducing you to another one – SHIPA.

A SHIPA is a Single Hop IPA. Whereas a typical IPA will get it’s aromas and flavours from a blend of hop varieties, with Citra and Mosaic being favourites, a SHIPA utilises only one hop variety during the numerous stages of the brewing process. This means that a talented brewer can really try and get the most out of a specific hop, hoping to showcase it’s numerous flavouring and aroma components and craft a brew to be proud of. Here, Coast Beer Co (now known as Brulo) is building their non-alcoholic IPA upon the shoulders of the Sabro hop.

Sabro is a relative newcomer to the hop world, produced in 2018 by crossbreeding with Neomexicanus hop varieties. It was initially pegged as a hop for use in the homebrewing world, but proved to be a hit, thanks to its wide-ranging fruity profile, and has been snapped up by craft brewers worldwide to flavour their latest and greatest ales. I’ve had AF beers that feature Sabro as part of their hop bill, but have never had the chance to try it’s delights on their own, so am looking forward to giving this a spin on the old palate!

Pouring from the can we get a pale golden liquid with a fair amount of haze, and a fluffy white head. It seems that Brulo’s offerings have a somewhat uniform appearance! The aroma is full of tropical and citrus fruits, pineapple, lychee and lemon dominant, with a whiff of coconut, and a background of caramel sweetness. The brewer’s other IPAs have been similarly juicy.

On tasting there is an initial sweetness, though this is less intense than Brulo’s other offerings. The taste quicky migrates to juicy pineapple and citrus flavours, adding some bitterness to the profile. Additional interest here comes from the coconut we encountered in the aroma, subtle but certainly a welcome taste here. The mouthfeel is again fantastic here, good body and carbonation making for a pleasing drink. We get a fruity, slightly sweet finish.

Brulo / Coast Beer Co certainly have this IPA brewing game down to a tee, and Sabro seems to be enough of a flavour beast to carry this beer solely on it’s own merits. But it’s still very similar to the brewer’s other IPAs, so whilst I’m not sure if I will be searching out for this brew in particular, anything with Coast on the can will probably end up in my basket.

Buy Brulo / Coast Beer Co Sabro IPA

You can buy Brulo Sabro IPA from various off-licenses and specialist shops, or online from the following drinks retailers:

Nutritional Information (per 100ml, taken from the side of the can)
ABV	0.0%
Energy	33 kcal
Fat	0g
Carbohydrates	7.9g
Sugar	3.8g
Protein	<1g
Ingredients
Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast
Additional Information
Country of Production	Belgium
Brewer	Brulo Beer – https://www.brulobeer.com/
Gluten Free?	No
Vegan Friendly?	Yes