Greens Supreme Golden Ale

Supreme Golden Ale

Greens Supreme Golden Ale, a rather extravagant name for a golden ale. This is one of two  Green beers i found all over Dublin from bars to restaurants. This ale however is rather lacking, it has a sweet taste to begin with followed by a malty after taste but its very light in what flavor it has and comes across rather watery. All in all this beer is rather forgettable, not much in the way of taste and supremely watery.

Outside Dublin have a look in your local supermarket not counting, Asda and Waitros they tend to stock Daura and nothing else. Outside the UK id do some searching. It seems like Greens Beers are pretty well spread out, looking at other beer blogs  it seems they also supply to USA. 

Alc: 4.8

Ingredients: Water, Hops , Yeast and De-glutenised sweet mash

My rating: 3/10

Greens Dry Hopped Lager

Dry Hopped Lager

 

The first Dry hopped lager that i have reviewed so far and hopefully not the last. I don't know if there was any elder flower used in the brewing process or whether im just that poor at taking in beer aroma but that's the smell i was first greeted with. The beers taste was malty at first with a rather sweet flavour. Happily the beer also had some really nice lingering hoppy tones that really bring the flavour home. In a word, moreish.

Out of all the beers Ive tasted thus far i can say that this one really took me by surprise having had mixed results with lager and pilsners in the past i was pleasantly surprised with this addition. Dry hopped is something that Ive experienced once before and that beer contained gluten, this one really stuck with me. As mentioned its one beer that i dont know much about and with only one prior example to go on so I maybe being a little kind with my score but still im left wanting more and i think that's worth a good rating. 

Alc: 4

Ingredients: Water , MIllet, Sorghum, Buckwheat, hops and non GMO yeast. 

My rating: 8/10

Greens Premium Pilsner

Premium Pilsner

Upon opening this pilsner i was greeted with a nice lager hoppy aroma that  I was hoping for. The initial taste is rather sharp which i like and expect in some pilsners. However after the initial pleasantries i found the beer rather lacking in flavor and again like some of the gluten free lagers before it i am left disappointed in how watery it tastes and how flat the flavor is. 

Similar to Daura in that after an initial kick there really isn't much to it. If I am drinking a pilsner i am looking for two things a earthy taste, sometimes even a little spicy or tangy. Second i want the flavor to linger after the initial kick which don't get me wrong this beer has that initial sharpness, but sadly no follow through.

Alc: 4.5

Ingredients: Water, Hops, Yeast, De-glutenised Sweet Mash

My rating: 4/10

The Green Invasion

Greens Gluten Free Beer

Instead of doing my usual little factoid paragraph for each gluten free beer i have decided that a summary of Greens brewery would be a better idea. 

Greens brewery was a collaboration of sorts between Derek Green and  a Belgium Professor. Their goal being to produce a variety of gluten free beers. In 2004 they made their first beer called, Discovery.

Since then they have created a variety of gluten free beers that range from dark ale to a premium pilsner. They source these beers out all over the world, such as Canada, Usa and parts of Europe. That said like most gluten free beers they are rather niche, speaking with some pub goers and even a brewer from Kirkstall they couldn't recall ever hearing of Greens gluten free beer. However, while on a short break to Dublin i found Greens beers all over, from the Against the Grain bar to Pizza Express ( who do gluten free pizzas).They certainly seem to be one if not they biggest gluten free beer provider ive come across and looking through their beer selection there is sure to be somthing for everyone whos interested in trying a variety of gluten free beers. 

Link:

http://glutenfreebeers.co.uk/en/page/index.html

Is Gluten Free Beer Really Gluten Free?

Is gluten free beer really gluten free? well technically no, the content is however so low that many celiacs can tolerate it. However there are  those who cant tolerate even the smallest amount of barley and barley malt, the latter being in most gluten free beer.

This is more of a concern if you have a sensitivity and bad reaction to even the most light in gluten content foods and drinks. I count myself lucky in that while i am a celiac i only have a bad reaction when tasting things such as bread and most wheat based products. Of course i am no doctor or dietitian but i do advise that if you've had bad reactions to gluten or barley in the past that you either consult your GP/ Dietitian or avoid the risk of further health complications. 

Personally i have talked with doctors on the subject of Celiac disease and while i have been told that severe reactions are rare their is still the danger of having an intolerance to more then just gluten. 

This isn't me handing out ticking clocks or don't eat this don't eat that!!!.  Eat and drink what you want just be careful if you think you maybe intolerant schedule an appointment with your doctor and get yourself checked, if you've been drinking gluten free beers and find your having stomach or other internal issues talk to your doctor. Again its rare to have such severe intolerance but it does happen. 

Lastly, Ive recently tasted some American Omission Gluten free beers!!! and most of Greens Gluten free beers! so i will be posting their reviews very soon. Forgive my slackness, i recently went to Ireland and found a host of gluten free shops and bars so stay tuned for my little guide to Dublin!!!

Scarborough Fair IPA

Scarborough Fair IPA- Wold Top 

Wold tops  Scarborough Fair IPA. Brewed with pale Wold grown malt base, its a heavily hopped beer and a the first IPA Ive reviewed so far. highly commended in the Gluten Free Beer category at the prestigious FreeFrom Food Awards 2013. 

Upon pouring the golden colored ale i was greeted with pleasant aromas of elderflower, there's a lightness to the smell that's appealing. First taste its quite fruity with a bit of  hoppy kick, the after taste is very bitter in contrast. I found it rather jarring at first to have such a pleasant sweet start, then to be met with a heavy bitter after taste. In some ways it may turn some people off but i found it actually very enjoyable, its a beer to be enjoyed over time, at 6% you'd be wise to do just that. 

This IPA has a lot going for it in my opinion as a IPA it may not stand out amongst some of its gluten based competitors but as a gluten free beer its highly commendable. 

If you live in the UK this is not a hard beer to get hold of, find it in farm shops, Sainsbury,  booths and online at these sites. 

http://www.woldtopbrewery.co.uk/tag/scarborough-fair-ipa/

http://www.gluten-freeshop.co.uk/

 

Alc: 6

Ingredients: Water, Barley Malt, Maize, Hops, Yeast

My rating: 8/10

Mongozo

Mongozo - Pilsner

Mongozo, a African word that means cheers in the  Chokwe language. The brewery focuses on exotic flavors such as coconut and banana in their beers. Based in Belgium they import their beers all over the world, from the USA to Australia. 

The Mongozo premium pilsner is the winner of multiple converted beer awards, such as  coming first in the Worlds Best Beer Awards.Its also fair trade and brewed with organic ingredients.

Upon opening the bottle there was little to no aroma, the taste however initally made up for that with a sharp kick. The after taste had bitter maltiness going for it. However like the other lagers/Pilsners mentioned before its rather watery and a bit light on flavour. Its a shame because the initial flavor had something going for it. Still, as beers go its by no means the worst beer in the world.

Alc: 5%

Ingredients: Water, Barley malt, rice , yeast, hops.

My rating: 5/10