Crystal Weiss
Deschutes Brewery

This was a gluten-free weiss brewed at the Portland public house. I'm guessing at the style based on the name, but overall I'd say it defied style definition.

I expected this to be a one-way trip to blandville, as the lack of traditional grains leaves little for unfermented sugars and body. And without residual sugars nothing can balance hop bitterness either, right? So bring on the nothing!

On the other hand, this is pretty good. According to Deschutes, Crystal Weiss is made with sorghum, brown rice, maple syrup, and molasses. It is bittered with Perle, and has Spalter and Hersbrucker hops for aroma.

As expected, it is pale and light bodied with subtle aroma. Honestly, it won't hold a candle to barley beer, but if sorghum made great beer everyone would aready be using it. Crystal Weiss had an almost watery mouthfeel, but its flavor and aroma were well done. Deschutes did a good job of building flavor and complexity within the limits of gluten-free. And they even achieved enough residual sweetness to take some hop bittering. For those with gluten allergies, this could be the gates of opening up - or at least cracking and letting some of the splendid light out.