Green's Discovery - Green's Gluten Free Beers

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev +36.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Beer review from BA Mag Sep 2007.

A new line of gluten-free beers are being unleashed into the US market as we write this. We have a few friends that suffer from a gluten intolerance, so to see different flavors is very exciting for all.

No worries about the head: Right out of the gate there are three fingers of foam that don't want to budge. Hazy rusty-brown color glows a bit in the light. Semi-pungent grainy aromas of raw sugar cane, tart cherry and lemon rind. Very smooth with a trained crispness that hugs the medium body. Curious grain flavors emerge with layers of complex flavors: Rice and millet give nearly neutral flavors, while the buckwheat and sorghum stomp over the taste buds with their noticeably unconventional characteristics. Nuances of ripe cherry and lemon peel from the fermentation add to the complexity. Finishes a bit on the sweet side with a lingering sorghum aftertaste.

Now we're talking. Bursting with flavor and so complex, we nearly forgot it was gluten-free. Well that might be pushing the truth a bit--either way it's a beer every beer geek should try at least once.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2010 00:05:39 | More by BeerAdvocate

spycow

Illinois

1.75/5  rDev -26.5%

03-10-2013 20:19:32 | More by spycow

AlMarzo

Michigan

2.5/5  rDev +5%

12-12-2012 02:04:24 | More by AlMarzo

Danobold

Texas

2.75/5  rDev +15.5%

10-27-2012 00:37:42 | More by Danobold

Dave1999

Virginia

2.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This pours cloudy red in colour with a huge white foamy head which I've found to be distinctive of the Green gluten free beers.

Smells a little hoppy but also a bit like dish water.

Tastes quite bitter for an amber ale. Has hops along with a bit of yeast and malt.

Feels decent enough on the tongue if not a bit thin.

Overall a pretty bad beer gluten free or not.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 16:50:10 | More by Dave1999

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

2.63/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

500ml bottle.

This beer pours a clear medium copper/amber hue, with one finger of somewhat rocky, foamy off-white head, which leaves a decent landscape of lace around the glass as it duly recedes. It smells of a pale, quite thinly rendered malt, fruity vinous notes, and some rank grassy hops. The taste is sweet, fruity, musty, earthy, but overall thin malt - no barley, no love. A bit of drying, kind of metallic hops try their best to balance out a no-win situation. The carbonation is moderate, with a little spiking zing here and there, the body medium weight on the back of a sugary, tempered cloyingness. It finishes still kind of sweet, in a musty, ill-kept fruity manner.

I try, and I try, but I cannot find a reasonable answer for those hypoglycemic beer-swillin' Albertans out there. A whole different beast, are these particular offerings, and despite what it says on the label, barely resemble anything else reminiscent of any Belgian brewery that I've come across in the gluten-tolerant world. I just can't imagine being shuttered into this market segment.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 02:45:40 | More by biboergosum

breberle

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +87.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

As this is a gluten-free beer, I am rating as compared to others in the style.

Has a nice, dense head that retains body remarkably well. Taste is complex and different than expected, a nice interplay of hoppy bitterness and sweetness in the finish.

Best gluten free beer out there in my opinion. Unfortunately that isn't saying a whole lot, but this one still holds its own regardless. C to C+ if this was not gluten free.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 20:36:48 | More by breberle

generallee

New York

2.25/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 500ml bottle into Imperial glass.

Appearance: The body has a deep brownish or prune like color with dark reddish highlights coming through a very murky haze. On top I got a tall quick fading off white head. It fades out completely leaving just a little light lacing at the top of the glass.

Smell: There is a light roasted sweetness with some odd fruity wine like notes. This is backed up with some mild herbal and somewhat musty hop character. Overall it’s just odd.

Taste/Palate: From the odd aroma to the odd flavor it brings some light roasted and dark grain sweets to the forefront. From there a dry and slightly tart grape or wine like character moves in with a light herbal tea like hop presence. The palate feels about medium with light carbonation.

Notes: For me this beer just does not blend together well in my opinion and I would defiantly not recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 22:13:35 | More by generallee

maddogruss

New Jersey

2.8/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Got a bottle of this from the Cloverleaf Tavern.

A: Pours a dark brown body with slight reddish hues. A decent, off-white head with fairly decent retention and lacing until the finish.

S: A sweet, toasted malt smell; slight roasted toffee notes, but also some slight sour and winey notes that were not that pleasant, but nothing too overbearing.

T: A bittersweet, slight roasted toffee and malty taste. A slightly earthy aftertaste that was meant to balance but almost seemed like a slightly different beer in the aftertaste.

M: A fairly smooth mouthfeel; slightly overcarbonated, but nothing overbearing on the overall experience; could have been a little bit smoother.

D: A decent mouthfeel and taste combination; nothing really substitutes the experience of a sweet, barley backed pale ale, but this one some close. Overall. fairly drinkable, but I'm not sure if the gluten-free ingredients quite get you to the desired style.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 18:54:24 | More by maddogruss

speter

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev +51.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Freshness-dated bottle now identifies it as Amber Ale.

A: Pours a deep tawny amber with a two-finger tan head that clings to the side of the glass. Some lacing, but the foam shimmers as it goes down the side of the glass after each sip.

S: Rather sweet, with the yeast and millet being most prominent. I'd like to have more hops, personally.

T: This is the second Green's product I've had, and I like it better than the first. The taste is clearly not barley malt, but to my mind, it's no odder than some of the products out of Dogfish Head (Midas Touch, Theobroma, etc.), and millet and sorghum beer is a legitimate category. In spite of the complex grain bill (millet, buckwheat, rice and sorghum), the taste is a rather uncomplex sweet from front to finish. The hops make their presence known only in the finish, which is refreshingly dry. The aftertaste is almost malt-like, and this seems to be the case moreso as the beer warms up.

M: Light body and heavily carbonated. Even after this had been in my glass for some time, I could easily raise at least a finger of foam.

D: If you've got celiac disease, or have a friend who does (as is my case---I keep buying these for my friend, who fails to show up to the party), this is a great gluten-free beer. If you don't have celiac disease, but you're a true BA, you ought to try it, but keep things like Midas Touch or Chateau Jiahu in mind when you evaluate it.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2010 22:32:35 | More by speter

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

2/5  rDev -16%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Got this 500mL bottle for $5.98... I think it came from Johnstown Beverage in Johnstown NY. Best Before date 05JAU2012. Nutrition info on the label as well... not sure I've seen that before, very interesting (I wish more brewers would do that, maybe it'll catch on). Served cold in a chilled pint glass. The label assures me that this contains no eggs or crustaceans (among other things) and that is a relief.

This semi-hazy umber brew gives a fizzy white head of large airy bubbles that settles fairly quickly to a minimal layer. Smell is very unique, tannins, ginger?, juniper berries?, semi-sweet, herby, earthy... reminds me a lot of the Lammin Kataja Olut Sahti I had a few weeks ago. Mouthfeel is thin with a sugary viscosity and bubbly rolling carbonation. Taste is bitter dry tannins balanced by an unidentified sweetness, flavors same as the smell. Like a fizzy Sahti. Holy crap there's a ton of flaky sludge at the bottom of the glass.

Appearance, mouthfeel, sweetness are clearly more like soda pop than beer. This is a strange brew. Not bad if you're looking for something weird, but no good at all if you're a no-glut person jonesin' for a real beer. More like a root beer than an English Strong Ale.

For all you high school kids studying SAT questions at home, here's an analogy for you: This stuff is to beer as tofu is to steak. I will avoid it in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 01:17:51 | More by BeerNinja007

dwarvenfriend

Montana

1.93/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

A-Very dark caramel with a lot of cloudiness. Lots of lacing on a big head.

S-Lots of Sorghum with a little hops. Can smell the rice on this.

T-Unpleasant bitterness and malt that does nothing for me.

M-Unwanted bitterness lingers and continues to stay with me.

D-I could continue to drink but there are other things that I would much rather drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 02:53:04 | More by dwarvenfriend

Sjokvistarn

Sweden

2.25/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: Pours medium dark brown into the glass with a small lingering head, pretty hard to see through and you can almost "see" the acid.

S: Pretty interesting smell with loads of yeast and dried grapes that almost gives you a sense that it's champagne in the glass in front of you.

T: Can't really live up to the smell, or perhaps it lives up to it a bit too well? Very bitter with heavy tastes of yeast, dried fruits, peach and prunes. In my opinion this tastes more like a cider than a beer?

Not to impressed with this really, I was hoping for more as I have heard good things of it, but it really tasted and felt like a cider to me. Sorry, not for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 12:50:35 | More by Sjokvistarn

americanbeerbuzz

New York

3.65/5  rDev +53.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewing this beer in lieu of other gluten free beers and not as compared to a beer with Gluten.

It has style. The nose is good. The foamy head and clamoring lace is not what I am used to seeing, but again this is a different beer.

The flavor is distinct and reminiscent of a Belgian style sour ale. It is not overtly sweet and definitely not tasteless. I would say this is a great alternative beer.

Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2009 19:53:38 | More by americanbeerbuzz

DannyS

New York

2.73/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a pint bottle into a pint glass. Must be Pint day today.

A - Murky, rusty brown with a head that starts off big and frothy, but peters out into a little island of foam on top.

S - Smells almost like wine more than beer, with a slightly grainy, grape, musty backing. I'd probably mistake this for mediocre chardonnay if I were blindfolded.

T - A bit of sour taste in its absent malt profile, slightly sweet backing, and no hop bitterness. Tastes like a failed lambic mixed with half-fermented wort. Funky aftertaste.

M - Watery, with medium-low carbonation. Also not very filling.

D - The ABV is a tad high, but if this is the kind of brew that you have to drink for health reasons, it's palatable enough for a bottle. Probably not more than that though.

Overall - It's an admirable effort, and I admit that with my total lack of food allergies I'm not the target market. If you're like me and can enjoy standard beers without runing your intestines, steer clear. And hell, even a celiac friend of mine was told by her doctor that Bud and Bud Light were fine for her to drink, so one's best bet would be to ask your doctor.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2009 22:23:47 | More by DannyS

TheEremite

California

1.25/5  rDev -47.5%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

I previously thought Caoina light was the worst beer in the world. I was way off. This "beer" tastes like a bad lambic blended with dish water. This is a total dumper. It was a gift and I didn't even have the stomach to finish it in front of him. At least it was free.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 01:55:31 | More by TheEremite

uwmgdman

Wisconsin

3.08/5  rDev +29.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This brew pours a hazy/slightly chunky amber/light brown with a bit of a white head. The aroma is grainy and a bit sweet, nothing special. The flavor is sweet, yet has enough hop bitterness to balance, along with a bit of a carbonic bite. Overall this beer wasn't too bad, I wouldn't buy it again, but if I couldn't have barley or wheat this would do the trick.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2009 17:29:00 | More by uwmgdman

cdizinno

South Carolina

2.6/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

500ml brown bottle with expiration date of 05/04/09

A: Cloudy dark mahogony and slight head

S: Very medicinal and a bit like apple cider

T: Apples amid slight citrus flavor. Very bland.

M: Light bodied and it does remind me of a decent cider.

Notes: It's decent but I wouldn't get another for the price.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2009 23:35:38 | More by cdizinno

bbarrows

District of Columbia

2.42/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Served from bottle into a wine glass at ~45 degrees.

Appearance- Dark brown and cloudy, no head

Smell- Reminds me of apple cider

Taste- Very light sour apple, no other distinctive flavors

Mouthfeel- Thin, little carbonation

Drinkability- I wouldn't want another

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2009 02:52:12 | More by bbarrows

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev +34.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottle: Poured a deep amber and slightly hazy ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of dry fruits such as figs and raisins, some sweet malt but alcohol ester. Taste is also dominated by some dry fruits characteristics and some sweet malt but is just too boozy at the end of the day. Body is somewhat too thin for the style with good carbonation too much alcohol was apparent.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2009 03:49:35 | More by Phyl21ca

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

2.33/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Burnt orange and brick red. So far, there's no hint of the haziness that is supposed to be the result of natural clearing methods (tannins rather than isinglass or other gelatins). The beige crown is impressively attractive. It has a wonderful texture and is gracing the glass with quite a bit of lace. Since subsequent pours absolutely plaster the glass with chunks of foam, consider the score bumped.

Steely caramel dominates the nose. Also present are a musky, earthy, overripe fruitiness and something that can only be described as lacquer-like. It doesn't make me want to dive right in, but I'm not disgusted either. This might be decent beer, especially given the circumstances.

Discovery almost pulls it off. The start of each mouthful is acceptable... and then things head downhill in a hurry. It's the height of irony that a brewery whose modus operandi is 100% natural ingredients can create an ale that tastes so artificial. It's good to know that no celery, peanuts, crustaceans, eggs or sesame seeds have been used during brewing.

How about... spicy rye bread soaked in turpentine, mushy apples covered in caramel, bitter orange marmalade and a handful of roasted peanuts (sorry... this is peanut-free beer). It's hard to get the description exactly right when the flavor profile is so bizarre. This is one case where a less aggressive beer would have been a better beer.

What limited ingredients Green's GFB allow themselves to use aren't conducive to a good mouthfeel. Not only is it thin for the style and the ABV, it isn't expansive or creamy in the least. A few more bubbles probably would have helped.

It's too bad that those who are intolerant of gluten are unable to enjoy beer like the rest of us. Some of them might enjoy Green's Discovery, but I'd think that most would make an attempt to discover other, more drinkable options.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2008 14:05:49 | More by BuckeyeNation

thekevlarkid

Maryland

1.68/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Purchased this while working a bad shift at a bad place. And drank it for lunch. Because I'm classy like that. Out of the bottle this beer was a chestnut brown color with an off-white head. The aroma astringent, yeast and sour fruit. Very odd. The flavors were no better, bitter and sour at the same time. Hints of generic fruit sweetness at first quickly followed by a strong herbal/medicinal note and then a bitter grainy finish. The mouthfeel was thin, the carbonation medium. Had trouble sucking this one down and would never recommend it even to a Gluten-free dieter.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2008 11:00:23 | More by thekevlarkid

froghop

Washington

2.3/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

pours a cloudy dark amber with a small light biege head, good lacing.

smell is alcohol, malt, touch of caramel, and some hops.

taste is thick, funky, and malt, with a strange aftertaste.

overall i would stay away from this one. i am not impressed at all.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2008 14:53:59 | More by froghop

Cyberkedi

Georgia

2.35/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Aroma is weak but does have a tasty malt component and a hint of brandy. It pours a dark brownish amber with a thick but not persistent head. Flavor is more like cider than beer, mainly apply and rather on the thin side. Texture is fairly smooth and a little jazzy.

I guess ya gotsta have barley or wheat to make a truly flavorsome beer. Still, they get an A for effort.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2008 01:19:01 | More by Cyberkedi

birchstick

Missouri

1.8/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

A - poured brown with way too much head
S - smells almost like wine. A lot of dark, sweet fruit
T - this was very unlike any other beer I have tried. It started with a little sweetness, which was soon followed by an awful blend of spices and odd tastes. It left a very bad aftertaste as well.
MF - went down quickly without much carbonation
D - I am very open minded and try to give beers and styles a benefit of the doubt if I don't like it at first, but this one I couldn't even finish. If I could only drink gluten-free beers, I might consider it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2008 02:11:33 | More by birchstick