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Vagabond Pale Ale
BrewDog
- From:
- BrewDog
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Style:
- American Pale Ale
Ranked #821 - ABV:
- 4.5%
- Score:
- 85
Ranked #21,911 - Avg:
- 3.75 | pDev: 9.6%
- Reviews:
- 19
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 11, 2023
- Added:
- Feb 11, 2015
- Wants:
- 6
- Gots:
- 18
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good
Vagabond is something brand new for BrewDog – our first gluten-free beer. Brews for people who turn away from gluten have often had very little else to offer other than mere acceptability. Vagabond however shows, once and for all, that a lack of this one element does not equate to a lack of taste, or body. Brewed at 4.5% abv but with an IBU-count that would gratify an IPA (see below), Vagabond has a rioting backdrop of citrus from the Centennial and Amarillo, and could be (if selected) a ground-breaking gluten-free brew.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
3.07/5 rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
3.07/5 rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
June 2017: 330 ml bottle, as BrewDog Vagabond Gluten Free American Pale Ale, from a grocery store. ABV is 4.5%. Deep golden to orange colour, moderate to small white head. Nice initial aroma of fruity American hops, notes of tropical fruits and citrus, the aroma seems to die out quickly, leaving some stale and dusty notes. Dry flavour, dusty and stale hops, thin mouthfeel. Not much to write home about. Won’t buy again.
Mar 11, 2023
Reviewed by Act25 from New Jersey
3.83/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.83/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
18th review, enjoyed on tap in flight at BrewDog Marais, Paris, a great pub. Order the cheese plate please!
As good a Gluten Free - APA - (my fave style) as you'll find, has the key orchard /apricot fruit of great APAs, like Dales , tempered by bright hops and mid-sweet malts.
a) Copper orange body with thin head and wispy lace.
s/t) Temperate apricot and citrus, some pine, caramel malt, smooths out as it warms.
f) mid to light body, low carbonation, good first beer of evening, fresh, aperitif.
o) If you must gluten free then this is a best path to APA.
Mar 01, 2020As good a Gluten Free - APA - (my fave style) as you'll find, has the key orchard /apricot fruit of great APAs, like Dales , tempered by bright hops and mid-sweet malts.
a) Copper orange body with thin head and wispy lace.
s/t) Temperate apricot and citrus, some pine, caramel malt, smooths out as it warms.
f) mid to light body, low carbonation, good first beer of evening, fresh, aperitif.
o) If you must gluten free then this is a best path to APA.
Reviewed by fumobici from Washington
3.17/5 rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.17/5 rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
L: Hazy copper/amber, moderate head quickly settling, some lacing.
S: Dank American-style hops forward, reminds of a restrained West Coast IPA with a little soap thrown in.
T: Surprisingly mild considering the hoppy aroma. A bit like a milder but typical Boneyard IPA with a notably lingering bitterness.
F: Lacking body, carbonation doesn't persist.
O: Okay. I don't give two about gluten-free; I didn't even know barley had gluten. Probably explains the thin mouthfeel. I want to downgrade this to a three just for the trendy "gluten free" labeling, but will resist.
Dec 03, 2018S: Dank American-style hops forward, reminds of a restrained West Coast IPA with a little soap thrown in.
T: Surprisingly mild considering the hoppy aroma. A bit like a milder but typical Boneyard IPA with a notably lingering bitterness.
F: Lacking body, carbonation doesn't persist.
O: Okay. I don't give two about gluten-free; I didn't even know barley had gluten. Probably explains the thin mouthfeel. I want to downgrade this to a three just for the trendy "gluten free" labeling, but will resist.
Reviewed by monkist from Hungary
4.54/5 rDev +21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.54/5 rDev +21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Had this at Brickmakers in Vienna on a bright sunny summer day after the rain. The vivid amber color of the beer matched the weather perfectly and the tropical fruitiness! was just amazing. Both in the aroma and the taste. I chose it as a light starter but was almost like a full-on main course. No surprise, for me Brewdog just can't go wrong.
A great, fruity American Pale for any occassion.
Aug 11, 2018A great, fruity American Pale for any occassion.
Reviewed by joaopmgoncalves from Portugal
3.75/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured to a Ora et Labora taster.
A: The body is orange, a mid-way between the yellowish and coppery hues intended here. The head is one finger thick showing below nominal retention and no lacing. Color is great but anything else is not that great.
S: Nose is weird. This either has some upfront grapefruit flavour or it's just an APA that has passed on my shelf. BBD says 11th March of 2018 though.
T: Taste, after all, starts off with a grapefruity and citrusy pleasant taste. The end of the beer is incredibly smooth with no bitterness AT ALL, or maybe, again, it's just a passed bottle which, in that case, shouldn't be reviewed.
M: Body is low. Carbonation is low. Bitterness is non-existent and alcohol is unnoticeable.
O: Not sure if this bottle is in good conditions but I'll try to be good to it in terms of rating until I get another sip of this.
Nov 02, 2017A: The body is orange, a mid-way between the yellowish and coppery hues intended here. The head is one finger thick showing below nominal retention and no lacing. Color is great but anything else is not that great.
S: Nose is weird. This either has some upfront grapefruit flavour or it's just an APA that has passed on my shelf. BBD says 11th March of 2018 though.
T: Taste, after all, starts off with a grapefruity and citrusy pleasant taste. The end of the beer is incredibly smooth with no bitterness AT ALL, or maybe, again, it's just a passed bottle which, in that case, shouldn't be reviewed.
M: Body is low. Carbonation is low. Bitterness is non-existent and alcohol is unnoticeable.
O: Not sure if this bottle is in good conditions but I'll try to be good to it in terms of rating until I get another sip of this.
Reviewed by Shanex from France
3.59/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.59/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a pale Golden body with a big boisterous head that soon becomes a surface donut of tiny white bubbles
Quite a nice citrus aroma, kind of like a good quality Lime bodywash
tastes like a lime wine gum with not enough sugar
It is a bit thin
It's really good for a Gluten free beer
but as a pale ale
just ever so slightly better than supermarket fare
Nov 01, 2017Quite a nice citrus aroma, kind of like a good quality Lime bodywash
tastes like a lime wine gum with not enough sugar
It is a bit thin
It's really good for a Gluten free beer
but as a pale ale
just ever so slightly better than supermarket fare
Reviewed by FLima from Brazil
3.25/5 rDev -13.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.25/5 rDev -13.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Amber color with a thin head with short retention.
Mild aroma with notes of malt juice and pineapple.
Flavor with notes of pine, malt juice, lemongrass, gingerbread and grapefruit. Dry aftertaste with a decent bitterness.
Light to watery body with good carbonation. Alcohol feels even lower than its already low 4.5% abv.
Not bad for a gluten free beer, though still feels a bit like watery non-alcoholic brews.
Oct 31, 2017Mild aroma with notes of malt juice and pineapple.
Flavor with notes of pine, malt juice, lemongrass, gingerbread and grapefruit. Dry aftertaste with a decent bitterness.
Light to watery body with good carbonation. Alcohol feels even lower than its already low 4.5% abv.
Not bad for a gluten free beer, though still feels a bit like watery non-alcoholic brews.
Reviewed by jazzyjeff13 from England
3.65/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.65/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A 330ml bottle with a BB of Nov 2017. Purchased a while back from the Brewdog webshop. Their version of a gluten-free pale ale.
A: Poured into a tulip. A rich orange-amber hue with light carbonation and faint haze. Produces a decent head of frothy white foam that lasts for a couple of minutes before dissipating completely.
S: Aroma of resinous hops with hints of pine, weed, citrus peel, subtle grapefruit, caramel malt and ale yeast. Satisfyingly hoppy.
T: Tastes of bitter aromatic hops with notes of pine resin, weed, citrus peel, grapefruit, ale yeast, caramel malt and a touch of earthiness in the background. A robust bitterness upon swallowing.
M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with soft carbonation and decent body. Would benefit from a tad more texture. Aftertaste of bitter resinous hops, caramel malt and yeast.
O: A decent pale ale - certainly a cut above most gluten-free beers in terms of character. Lacklustre looks, though the aroma and flavour are pleasantly hoppy. Body is OK. Let down by the lack of head retention and low carbonation. That said, it goes down readily enough. Worth sampling.
Jul 23, 2017A: Poured into a tulip. A rich orange-amber hue with light carbonation and faint haze. Produces a decent head of frothy white foam that lasts for a couple of minutes before dissipating completely.
S: Aroma of resinous hops with hints of pine, weed, citrus peel, subtle grapefruit, caramel malt and ale yeast. Satisfyingly hoppy.
T: Tastes of bitter aromatic hops with notes of pine resin, weed, citrus peel, grapefruit, ale yeast, caramel malt and a touch of earthiness in the background. A robust bitterness upon swallowing.
M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with soft carbonation and decent body. Would benefit from a tad more texture. Aftertaste of bitter resinous hops, caramel malt and yeast.
O: A decent pale ale - certainly a cut above most gluten-free beers in terms of character. Lacklustre looks, though the aroma and flavour are pleasantly hoppy. Body is OK. Let down by the lack of head retention and low carbonation. That said, it goes down readily enough. Worth sampling.
Vagabond Pale Ale from BrewDog
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
70 ratings
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