Free Spirits Zero Proof Bourbon Alternative, Whiskey Style Spirit, 750 mL

I gave it 1 star just to acknowledge the effort that went into creating this product. Look I’m not a guy who turns my nose up to non-alcoholic beverages. I can enjoy a Budweiser Zero or other non-alcoholic beer. So when I saw this product advertised, out of curiosity I bought a bottle. After all why not? Lemme tell you all about this. First off, as soon as you pull the cork out, the aroma is a slap in the face to all bourbons everywhere. It smells like the aftertaste of vomit in your mouth. So right out the gate things weren’t looking good. But I was committed to trying it out so I dug in and prepared myself. I put a large ball in my glass and poured this over it. I let it settle for a few minutes before taking a sip. Oh my god it was bad. I can’t put it any other way. It begins with a familiar oak taste but a second after hitting my tongue, there was that vomit taste again with a prune finish. I had to force it down because I didn’t want to be wasteful. A week later I thought I would give it another try. But after a few sips I gave up. I poured out the glass and poured the rest of the bottle down the sink. The whole kitchen smelled like vomit and prunes for about a half hour afterward. I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone. If you’re looking for a non-alcoholic bourbon, this ain’t it. In fact you may just have to face reality. Because I have zero faith in these products now. I’ll be sticking with the real thing and only the real thing from now on. I had hoped to dabble with creating a non-alcoholic Old Fashioned with this, but I think I’ll go back to experimenting with iced tea to find that proper fix. And I’ll stick with my Woodford, Buffalo Trace, and Bulleitt for myself. I normally don’t leave reviews for products on here. I just buy my stuff and mind my own business. But I can’t in good conscience stay silent. If you’re reading this, trust me. It’s not worth it. Find something else.

I love this stuff. I'm trying to drink less but I love sharing a cocktail with my husband in the evening and this product helps me do so with satisfaction. I fill an old fashioned glass with ice. I add about 2 oz of this product and also about 1/2 a teaspoon- 1 tsp of Bittermilk No.1 which adds a little sweetness. Ia gree with other reviewers that say this doesn't necessarily taste like my favorite whiskeys but it helps me make an old fashioned "like" cocktail that tastes great and also goes great with an ounce of dark chocolate for my favorite after dinner treat! I like to keep it low cal and low sugar and simple, but the other recipes by Free Spirit sound good to try as well.

I can only say that this purchase was a massive disappointment. I am an occasional bourbon drinker and my usual brand for mixing is Jim Beam. Nothing fancy. I have a friend who is big into non-alcoholic options and he used to like a proper Old Fashioned so I had high hopes of sharing a proper NA Old Fashioned with him. This is nothing even close to Beam, or Bulleit, or a Woodford. It's aroma is chemically, it's mouth feel is watery, and the aftertaste is lingering, strong, and unpleasant. It has a slightly "whiskey" kind of burn but everything else about this is off putting and very non-bourbon. Think Pine-Sol with a jalapeno kick and a B vitamin scent (it has B12 in it). I tried it neat, on the rocks, and in an Old Fashioned mix and tried to doctor it to something palatable but was unable to, so, I dumped the whole bottle down the kitchen sink. If you like bourbon don't buy this. You WILL be disappointed. If you might by this to try something that tastes like bourbon, don't, it's not an accurate representation of bourbon. If you want to see someone gag and shoot a video to post of them tasting it then THIS is for you! I don't like posting negative things but this is not good.

I got this because I have been meaning to try na spirits and love bourbon. I did some research and this was recommended for those who like to drink bourbon neat or on the rocks. This is a swing and a miss of you want a glass of bourbon on the rocks. I do want to try it with cocktails still, but I would say ot almost tastes like a cocktail on its own. The burn is a bit different, but not bad. I probabaly won't buy it again, but I will still make the most of the rest of the bottle.

This is my second time at buying this product. I loved the first bottle I bought of this "whiskey". I was disappointed when Amazon was out-of-stock and excited when they were carrying this again. However, the second bottle (and I even ordered a third) is only vaguely similar to the first. The first bottle was not very sweet, which is good - so many non-alcoholic bourbons are too sweet - but this bottle is very sweet. The first had a good pouring consistency - not too thin but not very thick - this bottle is almost gelatinous it is so thick. Another taste that manufacturers add to non-alcoholic bourbon is a peppery taste to give the burn in the back of the throat. Few, in my experience, get it right. The first bottle was perfect. Not too much, just a little bit. This bottle is very peppery. Too much so. The flavors of this bottle are similar to the first bottle but the overwhelming flavor and texture because of all the other factors is mildly unpleasant. Whatever the manufacturer has done to change the recipe, I wish they would change it back to the way it was. Until then, I won't buy this again.

To be honest I was not overly impressed with this spirit. I read several reviews and was looking forward to trying this pour. I found it to be lacking in flavor and heavily peppered to simulate the alcohol burn. Best drinkable with lemon/lime as a mix, definitely not acceptable neat or on the rocks. Disappointing for sure.

I have only tried Free Spirits and Lyre’s NA Bourbon. I like the flavor of Lyre’s a little better. But I like the strength of flavor and mouth sensation of the Free Spirits. Lyre’s is way too watery. As for the Free Spirits. I might be able to learn to love it. I had to stop drinking alcohol for health reasons and I miss it especially as a part of socializing. Free Spirits is SPICY. I guess they add that sensation to mimic the alcohol burn. This one caught me off guard. But the bourbon notes are there. A burn substitute is there. But there’s something in there that isn’t quite right. Almost like a plastic chemical taste that I don’t like. It’s not bad on ice. And I’m going to try it in a NA Old Fashioned next. I think it might work out. Overall, this is not bourbon. But this is an ok substitute. I can’t wait until these companies perfect the flavor and the mouth feel of actual bourbon. I feel like they are getting close.

I was never much of a cocktail guy when I was able to drink alcohol, but now that I am booze-free, I figured I'd take a shot with some "virgin" old fashioneds (a cocktail I did drink occassionally). Haven't been able to compare this with other brands, but I found it had a great taste that closely mimicked the real thing. Went very well with bitters and just simply syrup over a huge ice ball - just what I wanted in a drink I could have a few rounds of in one evening.

Estoy en abstinencia forzada por tres meses. Pensé que este producto sabría, aunque fuera remotamente, como un verdadero whiskey. Horrible! No sabe nada parecido a un whiskey de ningúna procedencia. Al contrario parece que lo condimentaron con salsa Tabasco. No lo recomiendo.