Celia Saison - The Alchemist

Amalak

New York

3.73/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A. Bronze color, completely opaque, with a big bubbly white head, and some lacing.

S. Very rich wheat scent...for a gluten free beer. Sweet.

T. Very nice and smooth, with a good lemony and wheat tingle. Some passion fruit taste to it.

M. It's carbonated, with a sourish aftertaste.

O. Not too bold or tart.Flavorful and refreshing. Surprisingly good for a gluten free beer. In a one off it is good.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 17:21:18 | More by Amalak

davey101

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I'll preface this by saying that I have tried quite a few gluten free beers on the market. Green's, Bards, Red Bridge, New Planet, T'weason'ale, New Grist, Daura, etc. This is the best one I have tried hands down. As a gluten free beer its excellent. As a saison...well....its average.

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Contract brewed in Ipswich, MA. Fancy! The label is lacking the words "Gluten Free" as well as the required nutritional facts.

A - Hazy burnt orange body with a very thin edging of bone-white foam. Lacing is on the thin side. The head is almost non-existent, but the beer itself looks amazing.

S - An odd, but somewhat pleasant aroma that is also hard to describe. It smells almost wheaty, but there obviously isn't any grain in here. Its somewhat grassy and sweet, almost syrupy. Finishes lightly spicy with a touch of dried orange peel.

T - Very neutral. The strong sorghum spice that I normally associate with gluten free beers is missing. Instead its a boring take on a saison. Sweet grass, light coriander, black pepper and orange peel. Finish is cereal like. Its tasty though. Mouth feel is probably a bit on the thin side but its very well carbonated. Drinkability is high.

O - Well it certainly can't compete with a beer like Fantome, but when compared against other gluten free beers its a clear winner. The sorghum is barely present and it has a nice and refreshing flavor with some light spice and sweetness. Very well made beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 02:43:35 | More by davey101

jondeelee

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Celia opens with a lovely Saison aroma, full of musty fruits, breads, and spices. Especially noticeable are the pineapple, banana, and cherry fruit esters, backed by lighter touches of orange and peach, and the floury rye bread toast crust, which adds a layer of pepper and earthy dough. There is, however, still a strong remnant of the sorghum used to make gluten-free beers, adding an acrid-sweet burnt sugar and molasses overtone to everything, which doesn’t mingle very well with the sweet esters and lovely breads, and in fact comes across smelling slightly like bicycle inner tube. As a whole, the Saison aromas in here are lovely, and perfect for the style but the sorghum doesn’t quite mix, providing a strange and slightly off-putting counter.

On the tongue, the beer presents much the same problem. The Saison aromas are full and lovely, with musty pineapple, cherry, and banana notes mixing with floury bread dough, and bits of sour apple cider floating through everything and mingling with pink grapefruit and touches of pine resin. But again, the sorghum adds an acrid-sweet burnt sugar and molasses layer that makes it seem like the mash was somehow overcooked, much the way slightly-burnt garlic still tastes like garlic, but also like charcoal and ash. The effect does slightly meld with the sour and musty Saison notes, but not completely, and the result is strange. The aftertaste is a continuation of these main notes, with slightly less emphasis on the sorghum, and lingers for a good while on the tongue. Mouthfeel is medium-light to medium, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, and recognizing that this is a problem I have with all sorghum-based beers, I found the sorghum flavors simply too overwhelming, and not able to blend well with the other textures. Having said that, Celia does qualify as one of the more flavorful and enjoyable of the gluten-free beers I’ve had, and I can see why it won a gold medal in its category. But for someone who doesn’t regularly encounter sorghum flavors in beer, the result is still strange and overly reminiscent of burnt sugar.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 20:39:47 | More by jondeelee

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

1.43/5  rDev -54.9%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Sorry but this was horrid, and it's not that I've never had a gluten free beer before either. Poured a half inch off-white soap suds head which faded fast. The body is a hazy apple cider color with no effervescence left in it. It smells weird, hard to describe, yet I do smell the citrus and spice. The taste is heavy on the spice, which I guess I understand considering without the spice it's a weird sour unpleasant taste, but really this comes across kind of like one of those overspiced pumpkin beers (without the pumpkin of course). Long finish but not of a taste I wanted to stick around. 90% of this bottle got poured down the drain. I guess I should just feel lucky I don't have celiac disease. But then again I've had gluten free beers I did think were OK.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 10:56:31 | More by MoreThanWine

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.15/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into my New Belgium globe. Pours an orangey haze with lots of bubbley head. Belgian dry yeast aromas, but very veg like...its unique but weird and not in a good way. Taste is very dry and vegteble like..I taste tomato, herbs, some hops, but mostly veg...its the V8 of beer for me. Its way overly carbonated, champagne like with no real body. Overall, its probably one of the worst saisons I ever had, but I guess its unique and good to expand on the gluten free category...just not sure why they chose to go from Heady to this....

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 00:44:29 | More by DrinkSlurm

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Its missing some body, being gluten free, still drinkable. Spicy Vegetable, herbal tea like tulsi with red mango, something I would be Ok with health food, buckwheat and chia seeds. Pronounced orange peel is a nice touch.Dry finish, carbonation is above average. I would be OK cooking with this or using in place of...balsamic vinegar? Saison yeast in aftertaste. Medium yellow, fairly clear, a foamer with a touch of lace.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 02:55:30 | More by northyorksammy

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.1/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle served in a tulip glass.

L - hazed brassy color with a white head that just thinned to a ring.

S - sweet floral aroma with a citrus background.

T - sweet clementine upfront with a little too much citrus rind bitterness on the finish.

F - medium bodied with fizzy carbonation.

O - It's ok but I'm glad I can tolerate gluten!

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 01:45:59 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

NardiByNature

Massachusetts

1.88/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Unfamiliar with gluten-free brew.

A: Hazy orangey body, with a white head that sticks around.

S: At first the typical powdery phenolic/sweet saison smell, but there's a really odd smell here: raw and bitter unlike anything i've smelled in a beer - raw vegetable?

T: Vegetables: bitter and dry and tastes like i bit into a raw gourd.

M: Drying with a lingering bitter aftertaste.

O: Pass.

If this represents beer sans gluten, I'll pass on the lot. I can respect the emergence of gluten free, though, because I'm sure plenty out there appreciate it.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 00:07:55 | More by NardiByNature

CHADMC3

Connecticut

4.2/5  rDev +32.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light copper body beneath he vanilla colored head packed loosely with foamy bubbles of carbonation which patiently froth away to faint traces of lacing.

Pleasant aromas of pepper, coriander and fruity zest float from the glass.

The flavor also offers hints of pepper but is more focused on yeast and lightly tart fruit like green apples in the finish.

The mouthfeel is medium in body with generous carbonation and Drying champagne like finish.

Certainly not a mirror of some of the style staples like Hennepin but certainly an excellent example and the shift towards a drying tart finish is nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 01:18:06 | More by CHADMC3

Gmann

New York

3.63/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dirty golden straw color with an airy puffy white head. Definitely a couple of shades darker than a traditional saison.

The aroma is floral and sugary sweet. Big clove and candi sugar presence with some flower and bubblegum notes. Some white pepper and light grass/hay. Its a nice aroma a bit aggressive for the style.

The taste is not as bold and more to the style. The malt is a little dirty but has a dry pils character. The hops are subtle and grassy. The yeast provides some floral notes and hay, not much clove or bubblegum. Light orange peel provides a nice fruity note. I am glad they didn't overdo the orange. It has a dry and lightly bitter finish which hits the style points.

The feel is light and dry. Good balance between sweet and bitter.

A very respectable saison and props for it being gluten free. No off flavors, perhaps a tad bitter with the orange peel and hops.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 21:18:12 | More by Gmann

merc7186

New York

3.08/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I had this beer poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Hazy Golden Straw Hue, Passes Most Light, No Head

S: Orange, Mild Sorghum, Mild Corrainder

T: Orange, Mild Sorghum

M: Poor Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Bright, Mildly Bitter

Overall, one of the better gluten free beers I've had but still just a very weak, bitter taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 00:43:30 | More by merc7186

harrymel

Washington

1.55/5  rDev -51.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Gluten Free, made with sorghum. I'm excited for this given the advance of some sorghum beers lately (Widmer really did it right IMO)
Bottled: unk

Muddled apricot color with a fine light cream sheet of foam. Nice cloudy lace. Smells of flowers, coriander, clay, udder hand lotion, a hint of butter and some orange peel. The yeast is pretty intense in the nose. Flavor is heavily yeasty and has an almost mushy consistency for me, hard for me to get past the yeast here. Some medicinal character and black olive juice flavors. Boom, just realized why I dislike this beer - the yeast reminds me of Unibroue - nasty. Full thickness and slippery with a longer than desired finish for me. I am thankful to have had this, I am thankful to never likely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 07:06:14 | More by harrymel

Bendurgin

Maine

3.15/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip. This pours a slightly dark golden color with a thin cap of white head that fades to nothing relatively quick.

Lots of sweet orange aromas up front with a little bit of bubblegum in the background. This smells sweet. A bit of a musty flavor with some candied orange in the finish. A bit of a bitter hop finish lingers.

The body is medium and somewhat sticks to the pallet. Soft carbonation. Overall this isn't bad. That being said I'm glad I can have gluten in my diet. However, for those who can't this is a nice option.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 03:42:35 | More by Bendurgin

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

an orange/amber pour, light in color but opaque. 2 fingers of white head dissipated quickly, great retention. smells of oranges, very citrusy, floral, black pepper, bready yeast. a very fresh smelling saison.

the taste is a spicy bitterness up front, followed up by the taste of apples, then oranges, then back to being bitter. spicy breadyness throughout, thanks to the yeast. and a funky mold taste that leaves an earthy after taste. not too impressed.. it's pretty good, but i've heard SO much about heady topper, that i had way higher expectations about this.

medium body, medium carbonation, slight creaminess.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 17:29:59 | More by facundoCNB

cosmicevan

New York

2.48/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Picked this one up locally...just couldn't resist checking out something from the alchemist. enjoyed from my HF tulipy wine glass.

a - brew poured a murky orange with a foamy head and visible carbonation. the head fizzled away quick, but left a thin skin of bubbles.

s - sweet coriander and orange peel. some grassiness and a bit of bubble gum.

t - at first a burst of coriander, orange peel and bubblegum sweetness which is almost immediately overtaken by some weird off spiciness. each successive sip boasts more of this almost moldy flavor. not really digging it.

m - prickly but leaves an off aftertaste. the orange peel is there, but the forefront of the beer is just like an odd pepper dominant thing that i don't love.

o - overall, i figured anything alchemist is a safe bet. i have a few friends who are gluten free and as a beer geek i feel it is my responsibility to help show them that you can still have cool beer even if you are gluten free. as such, i've had a few gluten free beers and it is cool to see folks experimenting with various styles for gluten free beers, but all i can say is that i'm glad i'm not restricted to these types of beers as some friends of mine are. everyone's palate is different so i might pass one of these along to my gluten free friends, but this is not one for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 01:47:03 | More by cosmicevan

dmgnyc

New York

2.73/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I figured if anyone could make a palatable gluten-free beer it'd be The Alchemist. Given the constraints, this is a pretty good beer, but I still wouldn't ever choose it to the exclusion of those with a traditional malt bill.

Cloudy orange beer with minimal head and lacing, nose of sour orange. And bitter orange peel is the overriding flavor here. Finishes more than a little bitter and metallic...the orange peel makes its presence felt a bit too much.

All that said, actually improves as it warms, and the 6.5 abv provides a nice little buzz without being too present. Still, probably a one and done for me, unless I was drinking it out of necessity.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 20:41:38 | More by dmgnyc

brystmar

New York

3.18/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle courtesy of blatantdream. A gluten free saison? Hmmmm.

Looks like apple juice: no head, no ring up top, nothing. C'mon guys, this is unacceptable. Yeast, slightly sweet/wheaty nose. Disappointing.

Taste is actually decent given the gluten-free constraint. Kinda musty, kinda sweet, not particularly good. Bitter, spinach-y aftertaste. Rounding up because of the constraint.

Not awful, not good. Wish John's wife could somehow overcome her gluten intolerance so they could get back to making good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 03:57:09 | More by brystmar

SpeedwayJim

New York

2.5/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Thanks to Eric for this one. 12oz. bottle into a Duvel artist tulip.

Pours a 1 finger foamy white head with moderate retention. Beer is semi-cloudy dull orange. Lacing is spotty and sparse with little cling. Slightly below average for the style.

Nose is coriander, citrus peel, some soapiness, mild sweetness, and a sprinkling of other spices. Decent.

Opens medicinal. Some spiciness upfront but big ethanol notes towards the middle with only a hint of citrus to smooth things out at the back. Spicy finish with a mild hop bitterness in the aftertaste. Not very good.

Light bodied with high carbonation. Prickly and lively in the mouth but goes down abrasive and boozy and slightly dry. Aftertaste is dry and lingering. Lacking the quenching, refreshing body I want from the style.

For a brewery that put out Heretic, Luscious, and Heady Topper, I'm sorely disappointed by this one. This is my first gluten-free beer and likely my last if this is what they taste like. A good effort, but this beer isn't a good representation of the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 22:27:24 | More by SpeedwayJim

ehammond1

California

2.53/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Bottle (2012)

Acquired via trade
Thanks, whartontallboy!

Hazed dark orange with a small off-white head that doesn't leave much in the way of stick down the glass. Appropriate for the style.

The aroma is easily the best aspect of this beer. It's actually quite nice, and does nothing to warn the sorry drinker who's about to put it to his lips. There's nice floral and citrus elements, along with some bread, and a hint of barnyard. Quite nice.

The flavor, however, is a different story. It's overly bitter, and none of the floral and citrus elements present in the nose appear in the flavor. There's some chemical flavor in sip, swallow, and finish, with an astringent alcohol tone as well. Not good.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. This is not where this beer falls apart.

I didn't notice it at first, but this is a gluten-free beer. I believe it is my first, and, this one did nothing to get me excited to try my second. I'm either going to continue smelling this or drainpour it--I haven't decided yet.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 01:38:22 | More by ehammond1

mocktm

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Stumbled upon this rather randomly at the bottle shop. Bought it for two reasons: A. I love Saisons; B. It's brewed by Alchemist, who are supposed to be pretty kick-ass according to their IPA reputation. I'd also like to mention that this is right up there with HopSlam in my favorite labels contest.

Golden, glowing orange hue, decent lacing and a semi frothy white head. Eh...nothing spectacular, but nothing horrendous either.

Loads of citrus fruit, mainly that of orange. Some spiciness as well, but I don't get that funk kick that I love out of my Saisons.

Taste is rather more complex than the nose. That fruitiness hinted at is very present, a bit of candied malt, mild spiciness and a lingering hop bite at the conclusion. Mild alcohol presence. Not bad, not bad at all.

A bit off in consistency; feels a bit flat and no where near as effervescent as I like my Farmhouse brews. Still drinks rather easily though.

Overall, not bad, but I was expecting big things because of the brewery on the label. Still a interesting brew to try. I sent out a few as extras recently so I'll have to see what they think. Really need to track down some Heady...

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 23:44:46 | More by mocktm

DrJay

Massachusetts

2.65/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Hazy straw yellow with a thin skim of whitish bubbles. Decent retention. Strange aroma, bananas and a bit of citrus, with a pronounced sweat sock character, a bit spicy. Lemony and citrus bitterness with fruity sweetness and a spicy, salty finish. Light bodied with moderate carbonation, a bit dry. This just didn't work for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 01:18:47 | More by DrJay

steve8robin

Massachusetts

2.83/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Glad to see this one at a local beer store. I have only tried Heady from Alchemist and that is my favorite DIPA! Let's see how they do on a saison. 12oz bottle...

A: A clear golden color with a lot of carbonated bubble action. A small which head hangs around at the top of the brew. Decent.

M: I get some belgian candi sugar and bubble gum up front with some orange peel quickly following. Definitely smells like a saison. Good.

T: I get a strange pepper taste upfront with an almost slight meat / bacon taste. I get a thick bubble gum towards the back. The beer really fell short with this brew. Could've been so much more. Eh.

M: Very carbonated. Over-carbonated IMO. A full thick peppery bubble gum on the back. Eh.

O: This one started well but ended on a bad tone. As soon as you take a sip it's all downhill from there. Alchemist needs to work with this recipe a bit more. It started amazing on the appearance and smell, but fell short everywhere else.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 02:50:11 | More by steve8robin

jermar

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +33.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I have celiac disease and non-barley, non-wheat, non-rye based beers are very rare and generally taste like crap. This one, although it does exhibit the odd (unmalt-like) sorghum aftertaste, is formulated so that the Saison-style tastes dominate, rewarding the drinker with the tasty by-products of fermentation by Belgian yeast and hops and masking, to a large degree, its sorghum-ness. Of course, one needs to be a fan of the Saison style to truly appreciate this "beer", but it is certainly a remarkable brewing accomplishment. It has a beautiful, orangey, head-retentive appearance as well. My only complaints are the price tag, which can reach $66 a case, and its limited availability.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 01:14:56 | More by jermar

Duhast500

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got this while on a trip to VT.

Poured from a 12.oz bottle into a La Fin Du Monde tulip glass.

The color is a slightly hazy orange with a finger of foamy head with little lacing sticky to the glass.

The smell is fruity with orange peel and a touch of apricots. There is a nice earthy tone o the aroma that does say "farmhouse" a bit with a slightly hoppy aroma in the back.

The taste is sweet at first with the citrus hitting the tongue then there is a strange bland flavor where the malt should be. Not quite giving this beer enough of a sweetness that I expected. The orange rind flavor does come forward and saves this beer. There is a clay like aftertaste that does have a good slight sweetness with it so it does not become too much to handle.

The feel of this beer is light and goes down easy. There is a decent amount of carbonation in this beer that does wash off some of the aftertaste. Not bad for a gluten free beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 02:43:29 | More by Duhast500

lnashsig

Texas

2.55/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

#BOTG 73! Thanks to Eric for the chance to taste this. Very interesting- a gluten free beer. I look at this pretty skeptically, almost like looking at fat free cheese. Poured from bottle into Brooklyn Tulip- pours a cloudy dark orange color. A little head retention. Decent looking beer. Smell- definitely orange peel as advertised, also a vinous aroma. Not a huge fan of what I'm getting here. Taste- hmm. bitterness, somewhat slick orangey mouthfeel. It's lacking carbonation, and the malt (sorghum) used leaves a lot to be desired. Yuck. Drainpour, will try something else now.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 23:13:48 | More by lnashsig