Beer # 285 Mongozo Premium Pilsner Gluten Free

Beer # 285 Mongozo Gluten Free

Mongozo BV

Melle Belguim
Independent
Gluten Free Pilsner 
5.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 330 ml.
$3.15 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: N/A

Lurr, Ruler of the Planet Omicron Persei 8
doesn't like this beer either

So I like to try and give a chance to gluten free beers even though I don't like them, and think they are just a marketing stunt trying to wedge open an unnecessary niche. But, this beer... Wow, this beer both confuses and infuriates me; Just like my friend Lurr of the Planet Omicron Persei 8. It starts life as a lager... with gluten, then they do something to it... (no doubt unspeakably horrible) and suddenly it has no gluten left. But actually... it may, as it comes with a WARNING, that this product MAY CONTAIN GLUTEN. To distract you from this fact, the product is certified Fair Trade, and Organic. Now to deepen the confusion this beer has won multiple gold medals at the world beer stage. Which either tells you there is no competition at the world stage for this crap; or these beers really ARE THAT BAD... I'll leave that distinction to you. But if it were me and I was Celiac and it came down to drinking this beer or gluten filled beer; I would take the regular beer every time. My stomach would not like it, but my taste buds would not believe I hated them.

As always, I am not a doctor... I just play one in chat rooms. If you suspect you have Celiac's disease PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, consult an Immunologist who has experience with the disease. Have your family physician recommend one, or go through one of the Celiac Websites:

Canada:  www.celiac.ca

USA:      www.celiac.org

UK         www.coeliac.org.uk

Remember Celiac's is an autoimmune disease akin to Lupus. It is not a weight loss programme, or a "cleansing diet." The concept of "gluten sensitivity" has been scientifically proven false. Please use with caution.

Onto the "beer" (if we can call it that...)

Pours a brassy gold colour with a flat skiff of a head made up of odd sized bubbles. The nose is wet dog and chemical. light hints of grain and citrus. First sip is flat and watery like soda that has been left open. Light grain, some bread, and touches of citrus. Hints of pepper on the end of the tongue. Overwhelming taste of soda water, touches of minerals. Aeration brings out some green hops.

 Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 0/6 FAIL
Re-Order:  0/6  FAIL
Experience: 0/6 FAIL



Final Thoughts:


I cannot describe how much I hated this agglomeration of ingredients that made up something resembling an alcoholic beverage. This was pure trash in a bottle designed to separate the gullible from their money. This "beer" makes me long for something with more flavour... like Coor's Light.

I need a shower and to scrub my tongue off. I give this "beer" the un-coveted #DrainAward. Avoid this, like you would your crazy ex, wielding a chainsaw.

  
Cheers

CJT

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Estrella Damm Daura Gluten Reduced Lager

Beer # 228

 Estrella Damm Daura Gluten Reduced Lager

S.A Damm Brewery
Barcelona, Spain

Independent Large Scale Brewery
Gluten Reduced lager
5.4 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 330 ml
$2.17 (Canadian) At LCBO ($13.00 for a six pack)

Twitter: @dauradamm


I was intrigued when this new "gluten free" beer showed up in the local LCBO. Especially since it was touted to be the best gluten free beer in the world. Produced by S.A. Damm, the brewers responsible for Estrella Damm among other notable beers, Daura Damm has won awards 11 awards between 2008 and 2013. Unlike other gluten free beers which try to create a beer like flavour using grains or other fermentables that do not contain gluten, Daura uses rice and barley malt and then "removes" the gluten in some unexplained process. They claim the finished product contains about 3 PPM of gluten and anything under 20 PPM is considered gluten free by international standards.

Onto our beer...

Pours a crystal clear light gold with a thin off-white head made of small bubbles. Nose is flat and off putting, slightly chemical some wet dog and sulphur. Thin bodied with a washed out malt background, very chemical tasting with an acute bitterness that takes over in the middle of the beer and does not let your tongue go. The finish is pungent, skunky, and astringent not unlike biting into a bitter green weed.
Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 1/6 FAIL
Re-Order:  1/6  FAIL
Experience:  1/6 FAIL

Final Thoughts:

In the interest of keeping an open mind I have always tried to openly and honestly taste  gluten free beers, and I have found more than one that is quite good and very drinkable. This is not one of those. Not by a long shot. Their claims of this being the best gluten free beer in the world makes me wonder if they invited anyone else to try out. This is an ugly beer and does not deserve any of the recognition it seems to have garnered... Avoid this beer.

If you believe you have Celiac's disease, please contact a immunologist in your area familiar with the disease and have yourself tested before attempting a gluten free diet on your own. You may also contact your local Celiac's Society for information on being tested. 

Canada  http://www.celiac.ca/

UK   https://www.coeliac.org.uk/home/

USA   http://celiac.org/

CheersCJT



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Beer # 146 Bard's Gold Gluten Free

Bard's Gold Gluten Free

Bard's Tale Beer Company

Utica, New York, USA
Independent
Gluten Free Golden Lager 4.7 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 355 ml.
$2.22 (Canadian) At LCBO ($13.30 for a six pack)
Twitter: @Bardsbeer

Tonight's beer is one that rides in the grey area of malted alcoholic beverages. Which leads us to ask: what is beer really? The short answer is an alcoholic beverage made from malted wheat, rye, or barley. In the USA, they have laws that state beer must be made with at least 25% barley. Most large American Macro Brews contain high amounts of rice and or corn (adjuncts) but must maintain that 25% barley to legally use the term "beer." However, outside of that, is something that has no grain in it beer? Well yes, and no. The lines are still being drawn and I'm sure infighting amongst the Beerluminati will continue for some time. But the category that is getting the most attention and which will probably be classed as a beer soonest, is Gluten Free. 1 in 1000 people have the auto-immune disease called Celiac's. It is a ailment that prevents the proper absorption of nutrients in the intestines caused by the gluten in grains. Gluten is the protein that makes your bread rise, your pizza dough stretchy and thickens your sauces. It also can confuse the immune system in a person with celiac's disease and make it attack their intestinal lining. Now I said it affects 1 in 1000 people, which doesn't sound like much, but when you consider that in Canada that equals 35,000 people and in the USA over 3.5 Million. (and most are undiagnosed. Some sources also say the figure could be 1 in a 100, but that has not been proven yet). So that leaves us with almost 4 million people in North America who can not enjoy a cold beer on a hot day. Enter Craig Belser and Kevin Seplowitz of Utica, New York. Both diagnosed celiacs and beer lovers, they decided they needed to open a craft brewery dedicated to people like them. Tonight's beer is the result of their efforts.

If you believe you have Celiac's Disease it is VERY IMPORTANT, that you seek out a Doctor trained in autoimmune diseases who can properly diagnose you. Entering into a very restrictive diet such as gluten free is very difficult and potentially dangerous to your health if you are not a celiac. For more information go here in Canada, here in The USA, here in the UK.

Onto our Tasting.

Light gold in colour, thin white head that disperses quickly. Nose is sweet grain, apple and citrus. First taste is thin, sweet, and slightly medicinal. Apples and grapes, some tartaric acid, tangy. Slightly watery. Has a club soda, or tonic water feel in the mouth. Lightly chemical, quinine, slightly flinty and mineral. Aeration brings out more of a medicinal chemical taste.



Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  3/6 SO-SO
Experience:  4/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

Very wine like, very gassy. It felt like a "Beer and Tonic." Not unpleasant, I would certainly drink it as a non-celiac. It did indeed make me think I was drinking a beer. If you are a celiac, or just curious about GF beers it is a must try.

Cheers

CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 8 Sir Perry Pear Cider

Sir Perry

Gaymer's Cider

Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom

Owned by C&C Group PLC

Adjunct Hard Pear Cider 6.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml.

$3.00 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: Not found

Last one of the week and sadly probably the worst. Doesn't taste much like anything but alcoholic water filled with citric acid. (Sad Monkey again) Anyway Tonight we get back on track and start up with some really great beers to make up for a few misses we had here on Cider week. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the change and I would like to do it again. I think I will do more research next time and I'll stock up some good ciders. Perry is an Old England term for a pear cider. 

Onto the (last... for now) Cider Week tasting.

Clear green gold with a white head that disperses quickly. Aroma is wet dog and earth. Very sweet, some pear. Citric and absorbic acid make it very tart and sour. Syrupy and sweet. Aeration gives ups pear and coffee. finish is mild spice.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 4/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 2/6 SO-SO

Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO
Experience:  2/6 SO-SO

Final Thoughts:

Truly bad. this one is another in the "avoid" category.

Cheers

CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 7 Blackthorn Cider

Blackthorn Cider

Gaymer Cider Company
Sommerset, England, United Kingdom
Owned by C&C Group PLC
Adjunct Hard Apple Cider 6.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml.
$3.15 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @BlackthornCider

Second to last cider, and apparently I didn't save the best for last. The two English ciders I have left are adjunct ciders and are not very good. (Sad Monkey). 

Anyway onto the tasting.

Light coppery gold in colour with a white head that disperses quickly Nose is wine like, very bready and yeasty, some apple. First sip is tart and sugary, some sulphur in the background. Citric,and malic acid are prominent. slightly chemical. Apple is almost background. Alcohol is quite evident. Aeration is malic acid... it is so strong it dries out my teeth and gums.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 2/6 SO-SO
Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO
Experience:  2/6 SO-SO

Final Thoughts:
Overly tart, overly sweet, overly chemical. Slide this one over into the "avoid" category.

Cheers

CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 6 Thornbury Premium Apple Cider

Premium Apple Cider

Thornbury Village Cidery
Thornbury, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Hard Apple Cider 5.3 % ABV Aluminium Can 473 ml.
$2.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @ThornburyCider

Premium Apple cider is the re-branding of an older product called "Peeler's Apple Cider." It was also produced by Thornbury Village Cidery, in Thornbury, Ontario. I am not sure of the reason for the re-brand, but I would think that since "Peeler" is a term now more often connected with exotic dancers in Ontario, we won't have to strain too hard to think of a reason. The updated packaging is certainly classy and stylish evoking the apple processing history of the area. Apples have been commercially grown around Thornbury since the 1880's, and and in 1932 John Mitchell, of Mitchell brand apple products, built one of the first large-scale apple processing facilities in Canada and the building he built is now home to the cidery. Painstakingly restored and updated the cidery is one of the most efficient and modern cideries in Ontario. They source their locally grown apples from 7,500 acres of orchards within mere miles of the cidery.

Enough with the backstory... onto the tasting.


Light gold in colour with a hint of green. White head disappears quickly. Bright fresh apples on the nose. Cinnamon and allspice.Tart, crisp apple flavour. Some spiciness, nutmeg, cardamom finishing with a slight green apple sour. Slightly under ripe. aeration gives us a taste of the alcohol and accentuates the cinnamon finish is similar to mulled apple cider.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

This is what cider should taste like. Tart spicy crisp clean, All natural.And to top it off one of the best values on cider around. I for one am glad they re-branded, this is a seriously good product, people should take it seriously, ( and you should seriously try it!).


Cheers

CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 5 Alexander Keith's Original Cider

Original Cider

Alexander Keith's Brewing Company

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Owned by Labatt Brewing Company a Subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev LTD
Adjunct Cider 5.5 % ABV Aluminum Can 473 ml
$3.05 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: @alexanderkeiths

It's getting near the end of cider week and I am hurrying to get all of the ciders done because I have some big, BIG, beers waiting in the fridge of fame to be tasted. Tonight we are trying The Keith's version of "Original" cider. It is another adjunct cider. I am mystified as to why multinationals need to use so much chemicals. I can get over a little Malic Acid as it actually comes from apples. it's that green apple snappy taste you get when you bite into a Granny Smith, or a perfectly ripe MacIntosh. However, in this they use extra sugars, colour, and flavour. Let the apples speak.

Onto the tasting.


Very clear gold with a hint of green. White head that is short lived. Nose is candy and sugar some artificial apple. First sip is very sweet.Tart, candies, malic acid, green apple, light spice.Aeration is sour and tart, malic acid is strong, and artificial apple.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 3/6 SO-SO
Re-Order:  3/6 SO-SO
Experience:  3/6 SO-SO

Final Thoughts:

Another just average cider. Too much artificial flavours going on in it. But, it is still drinkable, especially if you poured it over ice as they recommend (seriously don't ever do that!). Of the adjunct ciders I have done this week this is probably the best so far.

Cheers

CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 4 Crémant St. Nicholas

Crémant
Cidrerie St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas, Quebec. CanadaIndependent
Sparkling Apple Cider 2.8 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml. Cork stoppered.
$12.00 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: None found

This Cidery has no website or twitter feed so I can't garner much information about them. Situated on the south side of the St. Lawrence just a little upriver from Quebec City, St. Nicholas one of the oldest parishes in Quebec, dating back to 1694. Tonight's cider is the lowest in alcohol this week (2.8%) and the most expensive ($12.00)

Enough scrounging for facts... onto the tasting.


Very clear green and gold in colour. Head disperses immediately leaving no trace. plenty of bubbles breaking the surface though. Nose is fresh spy and russet apples with plenty of cinnamon. First sip is spicy, honey, tart, crisp, fresh pressed apple. A true, natural cider taste. Very fizzy. Bubbles like champagne in my mouth. Sweet but not cloying, very clean, sharp enough to wake up the palate. Could conceivably drink this on a patio all afternoon.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

An excellent cider. Too expensive for everyday drinking but a nice bottle to share with someone special.

Cheers

CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 3 Magners Irish Cider

Magners Irish Cider

HP Bulmers Cider
Clonmel, Tipperary, Republic of Ireland
Owned by C&C Group PLC
Adjunct Hard Apple Cider 5.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml.
$3.15 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @MagnersCanada

Magners is the name of the cider that is marketed outside of Ireland. Inside Ireland this same product is called Bulmers. Naming rights for the product only extended to the borders of the country so a new name had to be chosen. In 1935 the orchard when the company was started was owned by William Magner. He produced Magners cider for 2 years until he sold a half share of the companyy to English cider maker HP. Bulmer. Bulmer bought the remaining 50% after the war and changed the name to Bulmers. Bulmers was eventually sold to Guinness and then to its current owner C&C Group. Magners has been receiving a growing market share in Canada for the last 15 years and is still doing well they currently produce 4 flavours of cider: original, light, berry, and pear..

Enough history... onto the tasting.

Dark orange with hints of a peach colour as it pours. Head disperses quickly leaving no trace. Aroma is candy-like with hints of cinnamon and clove. There is a definite woodiness to it. First sip is tart and very effervescent. Bubbles across the tongue like champagne. Citric acid is very evident. very tart, tangy, slightly chemical. It does not taste like fresh apples, it tastes more like a juice made from concentrate or very processed. This product has has sugar, colour, sulfites, and citric acid added to it, so while we are still in the realm of cider... we are leaning more to the alcoholic beverage side. There is a light smokiness which I think has been added. The draught version of this product was supposed to be oak aged. I think that feeling has been added chemically in the canned version.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 2/6 SO-SO
Cider Style: 3/6 SO-SO
Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO
Experience:  3/6 SO-SO

Final Thoughts:

Huh. Very disappointed. I remember when I lived in the Beach in Toronto, I used to enjoy a Magners on draught and one of the local bars called Murphy's Law. And I seem to remember this cider being much, much better than this. The colour is unnatural, and the taste is very chemical. I will have to try this on draught again to see if it has changed too. Sadly, chalk this one up to the "Avoid" side.

P.S. I got through the whole post with out making a "Tipperary" joke... uh... almost.

Cheers

CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 2 Molson Canadian Cider

Molson Canadian Cider

MolsonCoors LTD

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Canadian Branch)
Denver, Colorado, USA (World Headquarters)
Multinational Corporation
Adjunct Hard Apple Cider 5.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml.
$2.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @MolsonCoors

This one stood out in the crowd for me. It seemed very odd when I saw it. But it is beginning to dawn on me that the prevalence of ciders is due to the Gluten Free fad diet craze. This is obviously and attempt by MolsonCoors to retain brand-loyal market share among people who have adopted the GF lifestyle. "If I can't have my Molson Canadian because I'm GF now I can have Molson Canadian Cider." Well I'm not here to advocate or denounce any diet I'm just here for the beer... or the cider as the case may be.

Onto the tasting.

Light gold in colour very similar to apple juice. Thin head that disappears quickly leaving a skim of foam around the edge of the glass. Aroma is fresh apple juice and slightly winey. I also get some hints of wood. First sip is very sweet, and tastes of fresh pressed apple juice. Very carbonated, two sips in I got burpy. Slight tartness, a little chemical. I suspect that Malic acid has been added to fortify the "appley-ness." Finish is bruised apple, a little raisin and a chemical woodiness like fake oak or wood chips. Aeration gives off a citrus, green apple taste of malic acid and possibly citric acid.  They said on the can that this product contains sulfites... And boy they weren't kidding. After I had tasted this and the flavours had settled in my mouth, I began to get sulfur breath and a slight headache. Be warned if you can't handle sulfites.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO
Experience:  3/6 SO-SO

Final Thoughts:

Sheer morbid curiosity drove me to try this product. And, I will say it is drinkable (certainly not something that can be said about the other alcoholic beverage that bears this name). Is it a cider? Well technically, but there have been tweaks to make it more mass-pleasing (and probably more uniform, apple cider flavours can vary largely from batch to batch). Would I drink it again? Sure, if someone else bought it (even though it is very reasonably priced). Should you try it? That is up to you. If you would like a slightly more chemical version of an Allen's Apple juice, with 5 % alcohol in it... go for it. But, I am sure you can find better places to drop $3.00. This is merely a cider version of it's namesake beer. A cheap, flavourless alcohol delivery device.

Cheers

CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 1 Duke's Cider Tree Brewing

Duke's Cider

Tree Brewing Company

Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
Dry Hard Apple Cider 5.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml.
$2.75 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @TreeBrewing

Tree brewing offers this product as a gluten free alternative beverage in their line up of beers. Tree is from Kelowna a beautiful little town on the southern shore of Lake Okanagan in the interior of B.C. Kelowna is actually wine country nowadays, but it's history, like Niagara's in Ontario, is growing fruit. And boy do good apples grow in the Okanagan. Grapes, stone fruit, like cherries, and plums, plus pears and apples are all plentiful in this long valley that cuts a swathe through the province. One other thing, when you are entering Kelowna you will be greeted with this sight:

That's Ogopogo. Canada's Loch Ness Monster. Kelowna is his official home. So if you are in Kelowna look up Tree Brewing. If you partake in the right amount of beverages... you may meet the town's most famous resident.

Enough with the cryptids... on with the tasting.


Colour is a light clear gold that pours with a hint of green. A brief fizzy white head disappears almost instantly leaving virtually no trace. Aroma is fresh cut apples and cinnamon, with some clove and allspice. It smells like a pie that is unbaked yet ready to go in the oven. First sip is tart and sugary and slightly sour. Not unlike an apple sour candy. Still spicy through the taste, and the alcohol is quite warming for only 5%. Very simple and clean. I find my mouth refreshed after each sip and wanting more. An excellent aperitif... (it's actually making me very hungry!) Finish is candy like, and aeration gives us very ripe slightly bruised apples.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:

Wow. What a way to start Cider week off with a bang! This is a fantastic cider. Apples are the star of this drink. It is amazing the level of complexity that can be brought out in a beverage that essentially has two ingredients. This is the liquor form of fresh apple pie. warm fruity and a little spicy. Delicious guys! Keep up the good work!

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 111 St. Peter's G-Free

G-Free


St. Peter's Brewery

Bungay, Suffolk, England
Independent
Strong Ale 4.2% ABV Green Glass Bottle 500 ml
$4.00 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @StPetersBrewery

These days is seems as everyone is rushing to put out their own gluten free "beer." I put beer in quotation marks because, the definition of beer does not include sorghum in the accepted ingredients list, it is still a bit of an outlander. This will of course be changed in due course. I outlined in another Gluten free beer post some of the difficulties one American brewer had trying to produce a gluten free drink. Due to strict US law saying there must be a minimum percentage of barley in every beer produced in the US for it to be called beer. Read about how Lakefront Brewery's overcame these issues HERE. Until legislation changes most gluten free "beers" are still being labeled as "Alcoholic Beverages," and tonight's beer is no exception. Plus, once we are allowed to call this product a beer, there will need to be some guidelines on gluten free styles. and it may come down to ingredients (I.E. sorghum, grape must, fruit juices, teff, etc.) and other adjuncts. It will be a process. Then, there will be an inevitable diversification until we get stouts and lagers and Belgian trippels. Until then we have this smattering of gluten free beers.

St. Peter's is an English brewery with a difference. Founded in 1996 It is best known for its bottle shape... reminiscent of a 19th century bottle. The brewery has made s commitment to preserving the "old ways" of brewing beer. Working with flavours that have fallen out of favour, or regular use by brewers, and a few styles that haven't necessarily been seen lately. Tonight's beer was first 

introduced in August of 2007 and has won several medals and commendations around the world....

Enough background. .. let's get on with the (gluten free) tasting. 

 

Light gold in colour with a frothy white head of little substance comprised mainly of medium to large bubbles. Head disapears almost completely before first sip. Carbonation is high, bubbles cling to the side of the glass not unlike a carbonated soft drink. Aroma is sweet, apple, citrus, and hops. Light scent of flowers and herbs. First sip gives us jumbo citrus flavour, lots of orange, and zest. There is a light taste of green apple from the sorgham. Slight medicinal orange taste from the amarillo hops, and the aftertaste is bitter orange peel. Aeration brings out the green apple.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional

Cost: 6/5 PASS

Colour: 6/5 PASS

Beer Style: N/A 

Re-Order:  6/5 PASS

Experience:  6/5 PASS

Final Thoughts

Of all the Gluten free "Beer" (alcoholic beverages), this is by far the one that tastes most like beer. There is hops and good fruity flavour. However I do find it slightly out of balance, and the pithy bitter orange peel at the end can sometimes sour the taste. Good for gin, but not always a good match for beer. Still very high marks from a great brewery, please do try.

Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 72 Crabbie's Ginger Beer

Crabbie's Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer

John Crabbie and Company
Glasgow, Scotland
Independent
Ginger Beer 4.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 500 ml.
$3.65 (Canadian) At LCBO.

Working off of the fringe definitions of "beer" again tonight. We travel to Scotland to taste a childhood favourite if mine: Ginger Beer. Well not the same ginger beer I had as a child... This one has alcohol in it! Ginger Ale and Ginger Beer share a similar ancestry, ginger was brought back to Britain from Asia and was touted as a medicine (it is excellent for settling your stomach and we had all had ginger ale when we were sick as kids). Eventually it made it's way into the fermenter's hand and became ginger beer. Therein also lies the difference between ginger ale and ginger beer. Ginger ale is a syrup made of sugar and flavoured with ginger that is added to carbonated water, soda-style. In ginger beer, a mash of sugars, fermentables, water and ginger is fermented with yeast and something called "Ginger Beer Plant" or GBP. This GBP is a symbiotic colony of yeasts and bacteria that aid the yeast in fermentation. The result is a smooth flavourful low alcohol beverage. Most Ginger beer's alcohol contents are so low they don't even count as alcohol, countries that sell ginger beer market them as soft drinks with alcohol contents of 0.5% or less often 0.0%.


So a question arises. Is this a beer? Well the answer is a little yes, and a lot of no. Most countries have defined beer as something that contains a malted grain. Some have even specified it further (Such as the USA) to say that beer "must" contain a certain percentage of barley malt. This has led to all sorts of problems regarding wheat beers and gluten free beers. (See my post on Lakefront Brewery's New Grist Gluten Free Beer ) However, ginger beer retains it's name from years ago, when the definition of beer was far more loosely interpreted. So for tradition's sake it earns itself a spot here at Pint Jockey Online.

Note about tonight's tasting. While Crabbie's is made with grape must instead of barley malt, the label does state that it contains wheat, so it is not gluten free!


Onto tonight's offering:


Light gold in colour, with a small frothy head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is ginger, floral, cinnamon, clove, slightly medicinal with a tinge of alcohol based perfume. First taste is strong with sugars and grape, followed immediatey by a rich ginger taste. Not as "hot" or "spicy" as other ginger beers I have tasted, but mellow and flavourful. Hints of cough medicine and stone fruits pop up at different times during the taste. Flavour reminds me of wine gums and Christmas candy. Aeration gives the sensation of "Picpoul" or the pricking of the lips one often finds in the French wine of the same name. It also enhances the ginger and warms the mouth.
Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional                                   



Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  6/6 Exceptional  
Experience:   6/6  Exceptional


Final Thoughts:


A very good drink, one that I will purchase again. I am entertaining thoughts of making a nice shandy with this in the summer. So it may have a permanent home here at Pint Jockey Headquarters.


Cheers
CJT