Aside from limited-edition beers, we’ve tried just about every single non-alcoholic beer Athletic Brewing makes–aside from their Free Wave Hazy IPA.
That ends today, so join us as we try out this multi-award-winning NA beer. Read on for our tasting notes in this Athletic Brewing Free Wave review.
A Quick Look At Athletic Brewing Free Wave
Free Wave is a multiple award-winning non-alcoholic (<0.5% ABV) Hazy IPA from Athletic Brewing.
According to the brew notes, Free Wave has a soft and hazy wheat body that allows the Amarillo, Mosaic, and Chinook hops to shine through. Together, these hops add a juicy, floral, and citrus character to the beer.
Athletic Brewing Free Wave Review
Looks
Athletic Brewing Free Wave Hazy IPA pours an extremely hazy straw yellow color. The one-inch head was nice and foamy and had moderate retention lasting about 45 seconds. Seeing the number of bubbles was difficult with all the haze but it seemed pretty light.
Aroma
The aroma blew both of us away. We could smell the fruity citrus notes without even putting our noses in the glass. There are notes of grapefruit and ripe peaches, with some hints of white flowers and maybe just a touch of grass.
Both of us thought it was one of the best-smelling non-alcoholic beers we’ve encountered.
Taste
True to its 50 IBUs, Free Wave is extremely hoppy and bitter. The hop bitterness lingers on as an aftertaste too.
That said, the fruity citrus notes more than balance it out. As with the aroma, there are notes of malt, grapefruit and citrus orange in the flavor profile as well.
Both of us appreciated the medium body and the slightly sweet finish. Overall, the medium-bodied character and hoppy bitterness make Free Wave taste about as close to an alcoholic beer as you can get.
Customer Reviews
To get a better sampling of customer feedback, I went looking on Untappd and BeerAdvocate. Overall, Athletic Brewing Free Wave has a 3.46-out-of-5-star rating on Untappd and a 3.82-out-of-5-star rating on BeerAdvocate.
Athletic Brewing Free Wave Ingredients
Athletic Brewing Free Wave Hazy IPA contains a simple list of ingredients: water, malted barley, wheat, hops, and yeast. The hop blend is a mixture of Amarillo, Mosaic, and Chinook hops.
Athletic Brewing Free Wave Calories
A 12oz/355mL can of Free Wave Hazy IPA contains 70 calories, 16g of carbohydrates, 1g of protein, and 0g of fat.
The calorie count is a bit higher than we would like and based on that alone, Free Wave is more of a special occasion drink than a daily beverage (at least for us).
Similarly, the amount of carbs seems a bit high, but it is reassuring to know they come from malted barley and wheat rather than added sugars.
| Avg Quantity Per Serving (355ml/12oz) | |
|---|---|
| Calories | 70 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 16g |
| Protein | 1g |
| Fat | 0g |
Final Verdict Of Our Athletic Brewing Free Wave Review
We don’t want to beat around the bush, so we’ll just say that Free Wave is close to perfection. This is what non-alcoholic beer should taste like. It’s one of our favorite non-alcoholic beers and definitely our favorite from Athletic Brewing.
For starters, the aroma is out of this world–fragrant, citrusy, and captivating. Both of us were psyched to take a sip based on the aroma alone. The taste is complex and hoppy. That, paired with the full mouthfeel and slightly sweet finish made for a truly incredible drinking experience.
All of that said, Free Wave is BITTER. Like, really bitter. It’s probably a bit more than Audrey would usually go for and definitely very strong for Chrystabelle’s liking.
Still, this is an excellent NA take on a hazy IPA, so if that’s your jam, we can almost guarantee that you’ll love Free Wave.
Best For:
- If you love really hoppy IPAs
Not Recommended For:
- You prefer lighter and less bitter beers
Where to Buy Athletic Brewing Free Wave
Customers in the United States can purchase Free Wave from Proof No More. It’s available in singles, 4-packs, 6-packs, 12-packs, and 24-packs. We love Proof No More’s doorstep delivery and free shipping on orders of $99 or more.
Other Athletic Brewing Free Wave FAQs
Is Athletic Brewing Free Wave Gluten-Free?
Athletic Brewing Free Wave contains both wheat and malted barley, so it’s not a good option for those with Celiac Disease or other gluten intolerances.
If you want to try an Athletic Brewing near beer, we suggest Upside Dawn, a gluten-removed golden ale. We also encourage you to check out our Ultimate Guide To Gluten-Free Non-Alcoholic Beer for more recommendations.
Is Athletic Brewing Free Wave Alcohol-Free?
Athletic Brewing was founded with one goal in mind–create delicious alcohol-free beers as close to the real thing as possible. So, you can be sure that every single one of their offerings contains less than 0.5% ABV.
This is about the amount of alcohol you can find in kombucha, a ripe banana, or a glass of apple juice.
Is Athletic Brewing Free Wave Vegan?
Like all of Athletic Brewing’s beers, Free Wave is vegan. You can tell from the vegan symbol on the can.
Love this Athletic Brewing Free Wave review? Check out our other Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic beer reviews:
Have we found our favorite Hazy IPA? Possibly. This non-alcoholic Hazy IPA is heavy on the hop bitterness and citrus, with a nice body and finish.