American Pale Ale - Brasseurs Sans Gluten

Serge

Alberta (Canada)

2.9/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

341ml bottle pours a golden orange color with a quick dissipating 2 finger white head that leaves no lacing behind. Aroma is mostly citrus and some light grains. Taste is sweet with a balance of citrusy hops and not much else. Light bodied with weak carbonation. As far as gluten free goes, this is not a bad offering.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 01:44:17 | More by Serge

Ivanhoes_Backpack

New Brunswick (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev +3.2%

02-23-2013 06:44:45 | More by Ivanhoes_Backpack

Molson2000

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +19%

12-19-2012 01:51:15 | More by Molson2000

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.28/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

341ml bottle, part of the latest gluten-free beer lineup to hit Alberta store shelves. It's still strange to me to see nutritional information on a craft-beer-esque looking label.

This beer pours a clear, medium golden amber colour, with a single, very skinny finger of loosely foamy off-white head, which dissipates quite quickly, leaving some string bean islet lace around the glass in its feeble wake.

It smells of somewhat sweet tropical, and bitter citrus hops, thin brown sugar, a soft spicy graininess, and an earthy leafiness. The taste is sharp, spicy grain, kind of metallic, gritty, and musty, but generally held together by some additional weighty dark sugar essences, some ethereal black pepper notes, and a decent leafy, muted citrus hop bitterness.

The bubbles are a bit frothy, and generally well behaved, the body a commendable no-frills medium weight, and more or less smooth. It finishes just off-dry, the hops persisting in their support of the sassy non-barley malt.

Interesting. At first gulp, I was almost repulsed. However, after a few more tentative acclimatization steps, I was settled in. This is fairly reminiscent of a sweet rye ale, and a well hopped one at that. The various alterna-grains, so saddening in my previous beer-based exposure to them, are brought together here to create something at least a bit more tasty and challenging than the average pale ale out there. The various unusual flavours can't be discounted, but they are far from unpleasant, making this a keeper. If I was a celiac - had to be said.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 01:30:01 | More by biboergosum

fostachild

Ontario (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -20.6%

04-06-2012 03:29:05 | More by fostachild

eat

Quebec (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Gluten free grains used: millet, buckwheat, corn and quinoa. Candy syrup and demerara also compensate for lack of malt. Barely any head results from a hard pour, completely disappearing a few seconds later. Clear golden body.

Nice citrus, lemon, grapefruit, candy sugar, caramel and tropical fruit (guava, papaya) on the nose. Good, actually.

The hops here seem pretty nice; well-within the style of American pale ale and almost leaning toward an American IPA (along with bitterness which seems higher than the 35 IBU stated). Lots of citrus and tropical fruit with earthy pine and grapefruit pith on the finish. Malt character is barely there at all, with sugar and syrup filling in for the sweetness. Strange aftertaste.

Very thin bodied. I imagine it's difficult to get a good body out of alternative grain sources. Moderate carbonation. Drying finish.

I'm going to give this one bonus points here since it's probably the best gluten-free beer I've tried but it's not something I'd drink given the choice, though I'd call it drinkable for sure. If you know someone with a gluten sensitivity I would recommend this beer to them; otherwise, as a drinker of beers brewed with barley, you probably won't be interested.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 01:52:05 | More by eat