I have reviewed a good many N/A beers here on the BSP blog and one of the key metrics that I used was, “Did it taste like a full normal beer?”
Now thanks to David Nilsen a prolific writer on both beer and chocolate, I have a different perspective. Nilsen writes that we shouldn’t expect N/A to taste the same as a regular beer. They can’t be because the process is so different to make them. He also makes good points as to which styles work better. Lighter beers and sour beers will be closer than higher ABV beers or ones that lean on fermentation more.
Check HERE for more of his N/A writing.