Glutenberg Brewery - IPA

With the number of alcohol-free and gluten-free beers on the rise, I will say it again, this is not some fad that will fade away anytime soon. And with great brewing minds on the task, we can be sure to find some great gluten-free beers on our shelves.

Enter, the Glutenberg IPA. Glutenberg is a dedicated gluten-free brewery out of Quebec (That’s in Canada. I had to look it up.). And Glutenberg is also dedicated to bringing craft brewing hits like blondes, pale ales, reds, stouts, and double IPAs, and they are doing it very well.

Their IPA rings in at a perfect 6% ABV and 76 IBUs (Their double IPA is 99 IBUs, for those daring drinkers), and it is brewed with millet, buckwheat, and corn. A gluten-free drink with some thought, Glutenberg says their IPA offers citrus aromas, and apricot and sweet caramel flavors.

It’s well known we love a good IPA, so let’s see how it fares in our first impressions.

First Impressions:

• On the Eyes--It is (appropriately) corn-yellow, hazy, and topped with a cream-colored head.

• On the Nose--I certainly get the citrus (grapefruit and orange, to me) and just the slightest floral note. It is enticingly aromatic, as a good IPA should be, so let’s see how this gluten-free classic splashes across the palate.

• On the Palate--Apricot for sure (maybe from Amarillo hops?), with some classic IPA bitterness to follow. I also get a lemon citrus squeeze and a pleasant floral buzz (also Amarillo characteristics) that lingers with the bitterness. It is very smooth, medium-bodied, and dry at the finish, giving it some of the finer qualities we like to see in any beer, gluten-free or not. It has a similar flavor and finish to Redbridge lager, likely due to the use of millet, of which sorghum is a type, and I get just a hint of nutty buckwheat flavor at the tail end that makes me nostalgic for my mother’s buckwheat pancakes.

Verdict:

Nostalgia aside, I say that this is a pretty damn good IPA. It is attractive to look at, aromatic, very smooth, and bitter at the finish, with the perfect amount of alcohol to make you happy but to also give you the opportunity to have more than one. I missed the sweet caramel notes that Glutenberg alludes to, but you may not. Overall, it is quite a robust IPA with lots of citrus, floral, and sweet fruit aromas and flavors. Since this is my first experience with Glutenberg, I’m excited to try what else they have to offer.

Cheers!

Mr. Brew