For this installment of Tasting Notes, we wander into the world of non-alcoholic beer and get acquainted with Raspberry Gose from Bravus Brewing Company (Newport Beach, California).

One of the six Year-Round offerings in Bravus Brewing Company’s non-alcoholic lineup, Raspberry Gose is Near Beer take on the Gose style – “a sour style with some salt added (or historically, derived from local water sources).” This example utilizes a “very, very small amount of salt added with the intention of balancing some of the sweetness of the raspberries.” Coming in at less than 0.5% ABV, Raspberry Gose is “a super light and refreshing summer crusher with a wonderful raspberry tartness.”

Raspberry Gose is available Year-Round in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans. You can purchase this non-alcoholic brew online or at select craft beer-friendly establishments located within Bravus Brewing Company’s distribution footprint in Southern California. 

Now that the background information is out of the way, let’s crack open a can and see how this non-alcoholic brew measures up over some Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Raspberry Gose from Bravus Brewing Co.

Appearance: A gentle pour from a 12 oz. can produces a hazy, straw yellow-colored beer capped with a tight finger of bright white foam. When held to direct light, the color holds for the most part but the faintest of red tones does push through to add a bit of vibrancy. The beer is lightly cloudy, but a steady stream of carbonation bubbles can still be seen cascading within. Head retention is good, eventually falling to a scattered top cap that occasionally leaves behind wispy strings of lace on the glass.

Aroma: The raspberry is super forward, supplying plenty of juicy fruit and gently tart notes. There is also a lactobacillus-like mustiness here supporting and complementing the berries. A touch of salinity lingers in the background but does not really assert itself.

Taste: The raspberries dominate here as well, but they are offering more of a sweet and fruity character than tart. A light layer of wheat malt adds to this sweetness, while the mustiness found in the aroma returns to add some more dimension and draw attention to the beer’s gentle tartness that surfaces more in the finish. The salt is quite muted and nearly undetectable.

Mouthfeel: Light in body with a medium carbonation level, this beer has a soft weight to it on the palate and dries out nicely in due time. Although it is more sweet than tart, the overall experience is still nicely balanced and high in drinkability. The lack of alcohol does not take away from this Gose since the style tends to hide the ABV well. The aftertaste is a good amount of lingering raspberry.

Final Thoughts: Since the Gose style is typically very low in ABV, this goes a long way to help sell the illusion that Raspberry Gose is the real deal and not just a Near Beer. As a fruited Gose, the flavors are pretty spot on and it even gives you a bit of that lactobacillus character. The only gripe we could come up with is that it could definitely use some more salt but, to be fair, we pretty much say that about each and every Gose we come across. All in all, Raspberry Gose has the same feel, flavor and easy drinking nature you expect from a good Gose, and it should definitely be on your radar whenever you are after a non-alcoholic brew. Prost!