Nirvana Classic IPA

Probably the least successful of London based brewers Nirvana’s excellent range of alcohol free pale ales, as if it’s trying just too hard to pack in flavour and not getting the balance wholly in sync. The pour is fine, the nose a promisingly lemony citrus, with the bubbling head falling away quickly above pale amber ale. If it tastes a little thin at first, it develops on the palate to deliver a citrus hop with promising earthy, spicy base notes, but there’s something flat and piney out to the side that doesn’t quite work, and as it goes down that’s what takes over, leaving an unappealing bitter aftertaste as an incongruous end note. On paper it should work, but the overall balance isn’t quite there. It is not at all unpleasant but given the craft quality and fulsome flavours of Nirvana’s other pale ale options, you might be better off going for one of them.