Go Big Or Go Home
Departed Soles Brewing Co.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a medium golden orange with a slight head that dissipates to a ring around the glass. Aroma of dry caramel malt, dried light stone fruit, apple and a touch of coriander. Flavor is unrecognizable grain malt (I know its millet and quinoa, but not familiar with the taste of these malted) with a dry caramel taste, coriander, dried stone fruit, candi sugar and apple; coriander bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Didn't realize this was a gluten free brew when I got it, but its been a while since I tried one and was interested to see how it turned out. It's a pretty good ersatz tripel with good fruity notes, coriander for spice and bitterness and some Belgian style candi flavor. It's hard to review these to style, since gluten is at the heart of most beer, but this does a good job of providing the look and feel of style with a flavor that nice, but not quite to style. It's probably the best gf beer I've had, pleasant to drink and with good character. I've often debated if I would even drink beer if I was gluten intolerant; I'd definitely drink this one. I'm impressed enough to want to try a standard brew from them if the opportunity arose. Rated mostly to drinkability, and not so much to style.

DATE: May 30, 2022... OCCASION: extending the beautiful Memorial Day with another DS offering... GLASSWARE: Affligem chalice... this one pours a sizzling eruption of teaming bubbles that sloughs off to a thin ring... its caramel orange body is nearly opaque but affords some light... apple, banana, sweet millet, tea, candied syrup and a bit of pepper--the yeast isn't pronounced... its draw is puckering, sharp and confident, with a bitterness at the teeth and thin to medium-bodied weight as it progresses through the mouth... a dry, flat finish in a brutish fashion.... big, but without pushing its warmth or ABV on you... apple, pastry, hard candy (think Jolly Rancher sweetness), molasses, cherry, pepper and pear provide a fruity, yeasty, sweet experience that doesn't rival its cleaner glutenous predecessors but does bless the GF drinker with a bigger, bolder ale than what has been available... becoming more impressed with Departed Soles with every new beer they roll out--keep them coming, gents!

A: The beer is clear light amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with just a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of millet are present in the nose along with notes of candi sugar syrup.
T: The taste follows the smell, except that the flavors of candi sugar syrup seem to be a little stronger, particularly in the finish.
M: It feels nearly medium-bodied on the palate and has a low amount of carbonation.
O: This tripel has more of a molasses-like smell and taste instead of the candi sugars that you normally get from beers of this style, but it's not that bad for a gluten-free beer and definitely make for an interesting change of pace if you are limited to gluten-free offerings. It also hides its alcohol rather well.

Serving type: can

A - Dark gold color with nice clarity and dense, thin white lacing.

S - Candied pear, cotton candy, and some sweet malt.

T - Pear, sweet malt, and some peppery spiciness.

M - Thick mouthfeel with pricklies on the palate and ends very dry.

O - Not much personality to this one.