Pulling together this Heaps Normal Another Lager review was business as usual. Head online (I jumped to Craft Zero for this one) pick up two 4-packs & hope the postal service doesn’t lose it! But what I didn’t expect was to walk into a tiny surf coast liquor store to find the new Heaps Normal Lager perfectly cold – so I did what anybody would do, buy all their stock and drink it for 3 days straight! Let’s find out what it’s all about.
The Heaps Normal Another Lager scores a 9/10 due to its well-weighted body & mouthfeel that carries a craft lager profile built around a light lager base that is driven by citrus and resin-based hops that provide a clean, crisp and fresh take on traditional lager before transitioning to a lingering bitter finish.
Key Takeaways
|
Alcohol By Volume |
< 0.5% |
|
Style |
Beer: Lager |
|
Calories per 375ml serve |
71 calories |
|
Main Notes |
Citrus and Herbaceous Hops. |
|
Cost |
$14 – $16 / 4-pack |
|
Rating |
9 / 10 |
|
Drink Again? |
Yes |
|
Where to Buy |
READ THE FULL REVIEW DOWN BELOW
- Flavour: What does Heaps Normal Another Lager Taste Like?
- Stockists: Heaps Normal Another Lager Stockists?
- Nutrition: Heaps Normal Another Lager Calories
- Another Lager Rating Criteria
What does Heaps Normal Another Lager Taste Like?
I’ve enjoyed a wealth of beer in the last 12 months piecing together Tipple Zero, however, the Heaps Normal Another Lager was one that I had to really take my time with as there is so much going on that you’re absolutely going to love.
You’re going to find the deep golden and hazy Another Lager carries traits of the Heaps Normal Quiet XPA, there are notable hints of underpinning citrus and it is spritely and fresh like its older sibling. You’re also going to find some mild lager maltiness before picking up a rather unique hoppy profile.
While it does perfectly well being crushed (or enjoyed) out of a can, in each glass you’re going to find a profile that is built around a:
- Short opening notes of lager malts.
- clean and crisp hop profile that is citrus (think orange) and resin led (think crisp freshness) with some herbaceous hints (I kept coming back to the slightest notes of cardamon and coriander).
- Crisp and refreshing bitterness to finish each mouthful that I felt sharpens up with each mouthful.
- Brilliant body and mouthfeel (read more just down below).
Summing up the flavour profile, it is best described as being more pointed and fresh than heavy and round. As you’ve likely picked up this is due to the hop profiles lending themselves to a fresher and cleaner profile.
Put simply, if you love the Heaps Normal Quiet XPA I’m confident you’re going to love this as much as I do!
If you are looking for a more traditional and rounder profiled lager the Coopers Ultra Light is one to consider and you can read all about it here.
What are the Body and Mouthfeel Like?
With a fresh and bright taste profile, dialled in is the Heaps Normal Another Lager worth it from a body and mouthfeel perspective?
Thankfully, the Heaps Normal crew have developed their Another Lager with a body of vibrant carbonation and one of the best-weighted mouthfeels you’re likely to find for a lager. I’ve got through more than ten cans in two weeks and I’m becoming increasingly convinced this is stepping up the bar on what we can expect from Australian non-alcoholic lager in terms of body and mouthfeel.
If you’re looking to compare the taste, body and mouthfeel to other alternatives check out the few below:
- Coopers Ultra Light
- Weihenstephaner
- Tsingtao Lager
- Uwe Pils
- Big Drop Uptown Lager
- Carlton Zero (I’d personally suggest giving this a pass)
- Peroni Libera (much like the Carlton, maybe let it slide)
|
What I Like |
Things to Consider |
| The hop profile and bitterness that is unique, complex and well developed. | If you’re after a weighty and round malt led profile this might be lighter on the malts than other alternatives. |
| The mouthfeel! (I mean don’t take my word for it, buy it – drink it and experience it for yourself.) | If you’re looking for a low hop lager this may be hoppier than you’re expecting. |
Who is Heaps Normal Another Lager for?
You’ll find this non-alcoholic lager will be suited to anyone who:
- enjoys a well-hopped lager and doesn’t mind trading off some of the round malts;
- is looking for an alcohol-free lager that is bright, crisp and vibrant; and
- wants the Heaps Normal vibe without any sugar (each can has only 0.4 grams of sugar – more on that down below)
After reading that you’ve probably gathered that the fresh and bright profile of the non-alcoholic Heaps Normal lager means it is built for stiflingly hot days, mornings, afternoons and evenings on the beach as well as, according to Heaps Normal themselves, “to wash down a schnitty special – with chips – if you’re feeling cute”. What a vibe!
In the lead up to writing this review, I have been loving the alcohol free Another Lager on the beach to rehydrate after spending hours getting pummelled by waves in the surf or unwinding watching tennis.
Heaps Normal Another Lager Stockists.
The Heaps Normal distribution is far and wide in Australia, whether you’re looking to pick it up online at your favourite non-alcoholic store online like Craft Zero or through traditional retail like the small local retailers like Barwon Heads Winestore where I found it on release week!
No matter your commitment level, I’ve got you covered, 4-pack through to a slab, you can find links to where you can pick it up down below.
|
Country |
Retailer |
|
Australia |
Craft Zero |
| Heaps Normal Directly | |
| Amazon AU |
Calories in Heaps Normal Another Lager
The Heaps Normal Another Lager contains 71 calories per 375ml serve. This is made up of 0.4 grams of sugar and 14 grams of carbohydrate in each can. Pulling things back to a comparable per 100ml measure, the Another Lager contains just 19 calories, 0.1 grams of sugar and 3.8 grams of total carbohydrate in each can.
All you need to know about the calories in Heaps Normal Another Lager are down below in the full nutritional table.
|
Avg Quantity |
Avg Quantity |
|
| Energy |
300 kJ |
80 kJ |
| Protein |
0.4 g |
< 0.1 g |
| Fat, total |
< 0.4 g |
< 0.1 g |
|
— saturated |
< 0.4 g |
< 0.1 g |
| Carbohydrate |
14 g |
3.8 g |
| — sugars |
0.4 g |
0.1 g |
| Sodium |
< 18 mg |
< 5 mg |
Is Heaps Normal Another Lager Good?
If you’ve come this far, you know the flavour profile might be one that some of our herb avoiding friends may take a little time to warm to, which is why you’ll see the flavour and taste landing where it does.
So far as body goes this is a gem, it is weighted, viscous and to do so without residual sugar is thoroughly impressive. Overall, I’m a big fan and hope you’ve decided you need this beer in your life.
Flavour/Taste (40%) | | | | |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAW | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 36/40 |
| ADJUSTED | 3.2 | 4 | .9 | .9 | 9/10 |
The Round-Up: Final Thoughts
After spending eleven cans (I got through an extra one during this review!) with the Another Lager from the Heaps Normal crew I’m excited to start seeing it in people hands and helping get more people into the non-alcoholic drinks space.
With the review wrapped up and finalised, I’ve got another two new 4-packs sitting in my fridge to enjoy, the difficult part is going to become what am I going to bump out to keep this one front and centre!
You should absolutely pick up what the Heaps Normal team are putting down and grab a 4 pack or a slab from the links down below to experience it for yourself!
|
Country |
Retailer |
|
Australia |
Craft Zero |
| Heaps Normal Directly | |
| Amazon AU |
