Bard's Gold
Bard's Tale Beer Company

 

Date: 2/16/21; I am not seeking a gluten-free beer. However, having a family member who cannot drink beer because of gluten; having produced sorghum from sugar cane in a previous job; and knowing that sorghum has a smell and viscosity similar to canned malt from previous brews, this beer piqued my interest. When pouring from the can, I was surprised by the light color since sorghum has a dark amber hue. I was disappointed with the head, which quickly disappeared (apparently a trait of malt-free beverages). I began to think I was drinking a Bud-light. I was wrong. The smell had a hint of sorghum, nothing powerful since there was no head to capture it. The taste was subtle, but having a palate for IPA's, this is what I expected. First sip to last, I enjoyed this beer. The second can was as good as the first. I imagine I would enjoy it more on a warm summer day after cutting the lawn.

Tonight I had my first Bard's Gold and I am pleasantly surprised. My first thought is this is exactly what Michelob Light or Bud Light should taste like and if I remember, both beers used to taste better, but now taste like water especially Bud Light. It had a nice bold taste, good flavor, and sits well with my dinner. This is a new beer at my liquor store and I'll be buying it again.

 

DATE: March 28, 2020.... OCCASION: two weeks into the COVID-19 quarantine, still (mostly) gluten-free, I measure a beer shared by my Coors Light-loving friend Billy... GLASSWARE: 22oz. pilsner... pours a tawny, sallow, champagne-tinged body with active effervescence... its head does the usual malt-free disappearing act, though its bubbles continue to rise and disperse at the weight of air... really not appealing in this light... immediate sorghum, hard fruits like apple, banana and pear, candied sugars, cosmetic counter perfume overload and a base solvency... nothing really alluring here, unless you dig cider or sorghum... its first sip is dry, thin, nearly lifeless (watery) and without fanfare... a late bubble in the throat may suggest its intentions, but it doesn't muster much beyond a thin rinse... I turn to Billy, and his reaction suggest Coors Light has not been approximated... the flavor is constantly ebbing, with faint hints of berry, apple, sorghum, cheerio, and bubblegum fluttering in and out of the picture, elusively if not frustratingly so... its singular profile doesn't leave much else to say, so I end with a simple disclaimer: if you have already enjoyed malted beer in any form, there's no need to dance with this one.... if you are a Celiac sufferer, maybe these will grow on you... all the same, cider might be a better option...

The smell reminds me of a gluten beer I had many years ago, but really can't put my finger on it - an amber ale or an english, or Epic Pale Ale? The mouthfeel and actual taste are not very beer-like overall. Candy syrup, possibly molasses, but not much flavour. The telltale sorghum astringency is there which slowly builds up as I drink. You'd probably get used to this overall if you drank it a lot.

For a sorghum beer, the sorghum is pretty well masked. Drinking multiple beers in a single session is the real test, but not sure I'll be up for the challenge. This is probably preferable to cider, but overall feels like a weird soft drink. As I live in Australia, I had to buy a whole box to get my hands on this. Hmm.

 

Well as other reviewers have stated, it just doesn’t taste like beer. How do you make beer without wheat, barley, rye or oats? Obviously, you can’t, if this is the only answer. Not my cup of tea... or beer.

 

 

I recently tasted Bard's Gold, a lager. I'm an avid beer drinker and have been trying to reduce the amount of gluten in my diet so I did a taste test of all the gluten-free beers on the market. Bards was the best of the lot. It is important to note that many of the competitors in the "gluten free" space are not truly gluten-free...they have "warning labels" that say they have been brewed to remove gluten...after a bit of research it appears that these beers use an enzyme to break down the gluten protein so the gluten can't be found in a test...but the gluten parts are still in the beer. I don't fully understand the science, but if there are parts of gluten present, it seems like misrepresented marketing to me??? Bards is made with malted sorghum (which doesn't contain gluten) and not wheat or barley (which contain gluten) like many beers. Looks like AB has a gluten-free sorghum beer too but it is made with a syrup and not the malted grain...we all know how important malting is to the beer's taste!

My body feels so much healthier as I eliminate and reduce the gluten in my diet and am glad that I found Bards. I'm looking forward to drinking more Bards in the near future!

 

 

 

 

 

Bard's Gold | Bard's Tale Beer Company. Poured from the bottle into a pint glass, this beer has a two finger thick head, with spotty lacing, and a goldish/copper body.

Smells like hearty grains, actually.

It has a decent lager flavor, but I can tell something is missing.

The mouthfeel is light with medium carbonation.

Overall, I'll rate Bard's Gold | Bard's Tale Beer Company with a solid 4.

 

This beer has a funky taste to it, It's bland and what flavor is there isn't very enjoyable. There's better gluten-free beers out there than this stuff.

Bard's Gold brewed by Bard's Tale Beer Company, with an ABV of 4.60% This brew brew pours out a nice brown color with a small white head. The head to this brew is small, and goes away fast. I really like the color of this brew . The smell of Bard's Gold, is rich with sweetness. You pick up on roasted grians and malts. There is also a hit of hops in the smell of this brew. The smell of this brew is really inviting. Now for the taste, it is nice with flavors and sweetness. There are mild notes of grins and malts. I really like how smooth this brew goes down. Now , Bard's Gold , has a real nice balance to it, there is nothing overpowering about this brew. I like how this brew ends with the sweetness. This is a fine drinking brew. The mouthfeel of Bard's Gold is rich, clean, smooth and refreshing. I can't get over how smooth this brew is. Overall I'm going Bard's Gold a 4 out of 5. I thought this brew would be a bit more bolder, however it is a nice drinking brew. I would buy this brew again. Bard's Tale Beer Company, did a nice job with this one.