A Year of Craft Beer, Vol. 75, New Planet 3R Raspberry Ale (Gluten Free)

Hey, hey!  We have another addition to Gluten Free Week.  After this one there will be just one more from the big boys AB.  Tonight we have another sorghum and corn based beer from New Planet which is completely gluten free.

Beer Advocate has this listed as a fruit/veggie beer which in their description is a beer with added fruits or veggies.  This is not a beer in the way that beer is brewed with barley.  This is brewed with sorghum and corn, so it is not going to be the same.  It's tough to judge it in this category, but the beer holds up a little.  

Check out the new beer Glass from up and coming Saint Benjamin Brewing Company here in South Kensington, Philly.  Check them out this summer at 5th and Cecil B. Moore!

The beer pours a cross between thin amber color and pink.  It appears diluted as many sorghum beers do.  The head starts out white and wispy then fades to a thin ring, and almost completely disappears midway through the drink.  Lacing is one notch above non-existant.

The aroma DrewCapzz on Beer Advocate nailed.  I'm glad I read his review.  It's like raspberry jam and buttered toast notes.  It is actually overly raspberry in aroma and syrupy.  No hop detected.

The taste is thin creamy raspberry througout the sip.  Sweet a bit up front and tart a bit on the back on the way down.  I'm not picking up much else other than a lingering astringency that is a bit like witch hazel.  Not too bad.  There is mediocre dry finish with miniscule bitter from hops.

There is a thin mouthfeel that is pretty lively with carbonation and leads to a slimy feeling on the tongue which is akin to the sorghum style.  The alcohol content becomes a little more noticeable as the beer warms up.

All in all, for a sorghum beer in the gluten free realm I think this is better than average.  I, personally, would seek it out again as I can not drink many real beers in one sitting without getting glutarded.  If you are comparing it to real beer than it is average at best.

Celiacs (I think I like the sound of Glutard better than sounding like a Sleastack from Land of the Lost) should seek this out as it is a pretty good fruit beer alternative.  Beer drinkers in general probably won't like it, but you know, life is too short to not take a chance and try something different!  Enjoy!

-Wiss