Review: Nanny State, by Brewdog
By Naomi Parkin-Tyrie
The upshot:
An alcohol-free hoppy ale from Scotland
A hefty kick of bitterness from North American hops
A good choice if you like an IPA-style beer
Scottish brewery BrewDog started out as a two-man craft-beer operation in 2007. Now they have bars and breweries across the globe, but they’re still keen to hang on to their anarchic “bad boys of brewing” image.
Unsurprising, then, that they’ve repeatedly broken the record for the world’s strongest beer, topping out at 57.8% ABV with Strength in Numbers (a collaboration with German brewery Schorsbräu).
But, luckily for us, BrewDog haven’t just created super-strength beers. The cheekily named Nanny State is one of three alcohol-free beers they make. And that’s what I’m tasting today.
Beer style: Brewdog Nanny State
Nanny State is described as a “hoppy ale”. Let’s unpack that.
The term “ale” basically refers to any beer that’s been fermented at a warm temperature using top-fermenting yeast. (That’s yeast that likes to hang out higher up in the fermenting container.) Beers brewed in this way include US IPAs (India pale ales), Belgian strong ales, and British stouts.
And “hoppy” just means that BrewDog have added a generous amount of hops to the brew. Hops are the flowers of the Humulus lupulus plant. They’re the ingredient that gives beer its bitterness, but also affects its taste and smell in other ways.
For example, Nanny State is crammed full of North American hops, including Amarillo, Cascade, and Simcoe. These are famous for adding certain flavours to beer, including pine needles and citrus (but what you’re really tasting are the essential oils from the hops).
Tasting the beer
Okay, that’s the background info done. Let’s pour the Nanny State and see what it tastes like.
Appearance of Nanny State
The beer has a reddish brown colour, a bit like toffee, and its pale head has a touch of caramel to it. The head does collapse quite quickly, but it reappears when I swirl the glass.
Smell and taste
When I smell the beer, the scent is quite piney and earthy. Not to get too poetic, but it really is something like walking through an evergreen forest after a rain shower. Very interesting. That’s the NA hops at work.
The taste of the beer doesn’t quite live up to the smell, though. Taking a sip, I get a burst of intense bitterness – and not too much else. I was expecting more of a citrus flavour from the hops, but it seems like the bitterness has swamped it.
On the plus side, that means the beer definitely isn’t too sweet. There’s a hint of a sweet biscuit-like taste from the amber malt (the malted and toasted barley used to make the beer), but that’s more than balanced out by the hops.
Mouthfeel and aftertaste
The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, leaving just a slightly sticky sensation. Not too syrupy though.
What’s most noticeable is how long the bitter taste lasts, staying on my tongue and at the back of my mouth for a good couple of minutes. The bitterness actually seems more intense without the slight sweetness of the liquid beer in the background.
Nanny State: The Verdict
Honestly, I don’t think I’d notice that Nanny State was an alcohol-free beer if no one told me. If you usually enjoy a full-strength British bitter or an IPA, the hoppiness of this beer is sure to appeal to you.
Nanny State definitely packs a punch.