Thornbridge Zero Five

Thornbridge are an award winning brewery, founded in 2005 in the grounds of the famous Thornbridge Hall near Bakewell in Derbyshire. Since 2012 they have been present in many World Beer Awards winners lists, with beers such as their Jaipur IPA and Kill Your Darlings lager grabbing top spots. Still retaining their independence in these times of multinational conglomerate breweries, Thornbridge have managed to grow a worldwide market for their offerings.

Despite the majority of their brews being north of the 5% ABV mark, and some such as Jaipur X and Bracia 10% ABV and higher, Thornbridge Brewery have also dipped their toe into the nolo beer scene. For a brewery famous for their inventive flavours, have they done us non-alcoholics proud?

Thornbridge Zero Five was originally christened ‘Big Easy’ when it launched in June 2018, but a trademark issue meant a trip to the deed poll office for it in October 2019. Zero Five certainly gets to the main point of this 0.5% ABV beer, but what about the important stuff, like flavour?

Pouring the bottle into a glass we get a clear rusty golden colour to the beer. We also get the Usain Bolt of beer heads – blink and you’ll miss it! On the nose we get bursts of hoppy goodness. Citrus, peach and some tropical fruits get in there, with a faint pine resin note in the background.

The good news is that the hop aromas continue into the taste. You get orange and lemon citrus, a touch of floral and some good bitterness to the brew. The bad new is, like it’s head, the taste vanishes a few moments after your mouthful, leaving no real aftertaste but a thin watery feel in your mouth. Come back please!

From the lovely aromas assaulting your nose, your tastebuds must be so eager to try Thornbridge Zero Five, and how disappointed must they be at the end result. This ale really falls short of greatness, but leaves me hungry (should that be thirsty?) for more alcohol-free pale ales.

Nutritional Information (per 100ml)

0.5% alcohol by volume
8 calories energy
<0.1g fat
0.8g carbohydrates
<0.1g sugar
0.1g protein

(taken from the side of the bottle)

Ingredients

Water, Barley, Wheat, Hops, Yeast, Orange Peel