Whoa, this beer doesn't have such a strong sorghum-y finish! What am I talking about? A new regional brew out of Vermont, the Alchemist Brewery's Celia Saison. Formally only offered in their pub, this beer is now in limited distribution in New England. The pizza place near me that offers gluten-free crusts recently started carrying Celia Saison in addition to Bard's - Clearly since I had never seen this before, I had to try it. Also, TWO GF BEERS IN ONE PLACE AND PIZZA??? I'M NEVER MOVING!
I'll begin my review with some comical beer reviews from non-glutards who are clearly comparing it to glutenous beers and not gluten-free beers: Beer Advocate Reviews.
Have all the children and gluten-beer drinkers left? Good. Cuz here's an opinion from someone who doesn't have barley beer fresh in her memory as a comparison.
Pros: Celia Saison is a light-ish, citrusy beer. (Can you tell that I'm a real technical beer aficionado?) I think it is made from sorghum, but I honestly can't remember. This beer starts nicely and has a nice mouthfeel (is that a thing?), but I think its greatest strength lies in the finish. Unlike most gluten-free beers which end on notes of moldy grass (aka sorghum), or hot rusty pipe water, Celia Saison finishes pretty crisp. In case you're a slow beer drinker like me, I'll also mention that Celia Saison maintains its charm as it warms up.
Cons: Hard to find, but worth the effort.
Overall: All-in-all, a welcome addition to the New England glutard beer scene. Hopefully they'll continue to grow so that they can begin distributing this elsewhere, too.
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