Green's Quest Tripel Blonde Beer

Brand: Green's

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Product Name: Quest Tripel Blonde Beer

Location Purchased: Liquor Mart (a local Boulder liquor store)

Cost: $6 for one large bottle

Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Beer Taste Test! See the results!

Total From A to Z: 2.5 Stars

A's Review: * * *
This beer has a darker taste and really reminds me of sake. It was my third favorite of the blind taste test.

Z's Review: * *
This beer has a weird rice-y taste. It reminds me more of grain alcohol or sake than beer. Also, it is really expensive. It was my least favorite of the blind taste test.

Anheuser-Busch's Redbridge

Brand: Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

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Product Name: Redbridge

Location Purchased: Liquor Mart (a local Boulder liquor store)

Cost: $8.49 for a six pack


Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Beer Taste Test! See the results!

Total From A to Z: 5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *

It's sort of bitter...roughly along the same lines as Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It has a slightly sweet aftertaste, but all in all, a good beer. It was sort of hoppy and my favorite of the blind taste test.

Z's Review: * * * * *
I would say that this is more of a reddish beer. It reminded me of what I remember Killian's tasting like, only this beer is made from sorghum. However, I think of you handed someone this beer and just said it was a red beer, they wouldn't have any idea that it was gluten-free. It tasted like beer - and that's a good thing! I think this one was less bitter than some of the other gluten-free beers. It was my favorite of the blind taste test.

Lakefront Brewery's New Grist Beer

Brand: Lakefront Brewery, Inc.
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Product Name: New Grist Beer

Location Purchased: Liquor Mart (a local Boulder liquor store)

Cost: $8.79 for a six pack


Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Beer Taste Test! See the results!

Total From A to Z: 3.5 Stars

A's Review: * * *

This beer had a subtle taste and looked like white wine. It was my least favorite of the blind taste test.

Z's Review: * * * *
This beer had a robust taste but not too much of an aftertaste. I want to say that it tasted "malty," but honestly I'm not sure what exactly that word means! In any event, it was cold and tasted good with my dinner and I really enjoyed it. I've never been overly fond of beer, but I have to admit that sometimes a beer just tastes really good with your food, so it's nice to still have that option! Of the four in the taste test, this one was lightest in color. It looked like white whine and had a light taste too. It was my second favorite of the taste test.

Bard's The Original Sorghum Malt Beer

Brand: Bard's
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Product Name: The Original Sorghum Malt Beer

Location Purchased: Liquor Mart (a local Boulder liquor store)

Cost: $8.99 for a six pack

Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Beer Taste Test! See the results!

Total From A to Z: 3.5 Stars

A's Review: * * * *

Very smooth, with a golden color. Bight with a citrus and a rice flavor. Best when very cold. My second favorite of the blind taste test.

Z's Review: * * *
I think this beer was a little bit more bitter than the other gluten-free beers I have tried so far. It had a little bit more of an aftertaste. I think that's what they call a "hoppy" flavor? I do think that this beer tasted better with food and it was good and cold and satisfying, though sort of bitter. It was my third favorite of the blind taste test.

Blind Taste Test #6: Gluten-Free Beer

Z's Blind Taste Tests are a monthly feature on Gluten-Free from A to Z!

Z's Blind Taste Test #6: Gluten-Free Beer!!

How It Works: Z will cook/bake/prepare four different versions of the same gluten-free product and randomly label each version with a number. Then A and friends will try all four versions and rank them from most favorite to least favorite. The results will allow us to see exactly how different brands of gluten-free products compare to each other!

The Contenders:

1. Bard's The Original Sorghum Malt Beer
2. Lakefront Brewery's New Grist Beer
3. Anheuser-Busch's Redbridge
4. Green's Quest Tripel Blonde Beer

The Final Results:

• Most Favorite: Redbridge (4 of 5 votes!)
  
• 2nd Favorite: Bard's (3 of 5 votes)
  
• 3rd Favorite: New Grist (1 of 5 votes)
  
• Least Favorite: Green's (3 of 5 votes)
  

A's Blind Rankings:
(For A's comments on each beer, please see the individual A-Z reviews - coming soon!)

• Most Favorite: Redbridge
  
• 2nd Favorite: Bard's
  
• 3rd Favorite: Green's
  
• Least Favorite: New Grist
  

Our Friend MS's Blind Rankings:

• Most Favorite: Redbridge - "Smooth, slight bitter, a bit of a hop-like flavor"
  
• 2nd Favorite: Bard's - "Slightly sweet, very smooth, sharp, bitter but not overbearing."
  
• 3rd Favorite: New Grist - "Very smooth finish, slight fruits. A bit chewy and sweet. Not really beer-like. Closer to cider."
  
• Least Favorite: Green's - "Sweet aroma, fruity flavor, slightly bitter. Almost like a cider/beer mix. Almost like a bubbling wine."
  

Our Friend RK's Blind Rankings:

• Most Favorite: New Grist - "very light, almost like wine. Soft without a bitter note anywhere. Very mild and not very beer-y."
  
• 2nd Favorite: Bard's - "More malty, not much bitterness"
  
• 3rd Favorite: Redbridge - "Malty, bite to finish"
  
• Least Favorite: Green's - "light, fruity head with slightly bitter end"
  

Our Friend GW's Blind Rankings:

• Most Favorite: Redbridge - "In terns of comparing this to regular beer, this one is my favorite. Slightly fruity but smooth and mellow. Nice aroma and not to sugary."
  
• 2nd Favorite: New Grist - "Kind of fruity but nice. More like a cider than a beer, but good and not too sugary."
  
• 3rd Favorite: Green's - "Not bad but not something I'd go out of my way for. Too fruity and too citric, but I'm not a big fan of cider and that was my first thought."
  
• Least Favorite: Bard's - "Kind of like fruity water. Not very tasteful and kind of bland."
  

Z's Not Blind Rankings:
(For Z's comments on each beer, please see the individual A-Z reviews - coming soon!)

• Most Favorite: Redbridge
  
• 2nd Favorite: New Grist
  
• 3rd Favorite: Bard's
  
• Least Favorite: Green's
  

Woodchuck's Raspberry Cider

Brand: Woodchuck
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Product Name: Raspberry Cider

Location Purchased: Liquor Mart (a local Boulder liquor store)

Cost: $6.99 for six pack

Total From A to Z: 4 Stars

A's Review: * * * *

The raspberry cider sits between the pear cider and the granny smith cider on the Woodchuck sweetness scale. Sweeter than I would prefer generally, but I think this could be awesome when paired with the right food.

Z's Review: * * * *
Since being gluten-free eliminates most types of beers, cider can be an awesome alternative drink. This raspberry cider has a crisp berry flavor. I feel like it got sweeter as I drank it, though I don't think it was ever too sweet. Of all the Woodchuck ciders we have tried, I think this one would be my second favorite (with pear as my favorite.)

On a weird side note: I really used to love raspberry wheat beer, which I can obviously no longer drink. I am actually thinking about mixing this cider with a gluten-free beer to see if I can get something similar to the raspberry wheat beer taste. If I come up with a good recipe, I'll let you know!! If it turns out really gross, I guess I'll keep it to myself!!

Woodchuck's Pear Cider

Brand: Woodchuck
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Product Name: Pear Cider

Location Purchased: Liquor Mart (a local Boulder liquor store)

Cost: We paid $16.49 for a 12-variety-pack that included 3 Granny Smith Ciders, 3 Amber Ciders, 3 Pear Ciders, and 3 802 Dark & Dry Ciders.

Total From A to Z: 4.5 Stars

A's Review: * * * *

Not too sweet, not too dry. A very nice drink if you don't want apple cider or beer. A flavor that does not show up very often in alcoholic beverages.

Z's Review: * * * * *
Since being gluten-free eliminates most types of beers, cider makes an excellent alternative. I really like this pear cider because it's light and fresh and not too sweet. The pear flavor gives the cider an interesting kick that a regular apple-based cider doesn't have. But, at the same time, the flavor is also a bit subtle, which made me want to keep taking another sip to taste it again until the bottle was totally empty! Of all the Woodchuck cider's we have tried (amber, 802, granny smith, raspberry) this one is my favorite.

Woodchuck's Granny Smith Cider

Brand: Woodchuck
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Product Name: Granny Smith Cider

Location Purchased: Petty John's (a local Boulder liquor store)

Cost: We paid $16.49 for a 12-variety-pack that included 3 Granny Smith Ciders, 3 Amber Ciders, 3 Pear Ciders, and 3 802 Dark & Dry Ciders.

Total From A to Z: 3 Stars

A's Review: * * *

This cider is a bit more sweet than some of the other Woodchuck offerings, tasting a lot like an alcoholic melted apple Jolly Rancher. The taste is not bad by any measure, it's just not my favorite. I prefer drier cider, but if you are looking for something a bit sweeter, definitely give this a try.

Z's Review: * * *
Since being gluten-free eliminates most types of beers, cider can be an awesome alternative drink. Although I am not huge on apple-flavored things, I actually liked this cider better than the Woodchuck Amber Cider. The Amber Cider had more of a traditional apple cider flavor, while the Granny Smith Cider is a bit more of a sour apple flavor. The Granny Smith is sweet but not overly so, although I have to admit that it sort of reminded me of a liquid jolly rancher. Again, I think a person who liked apple-flavored things would be really happy with this cider.

Woodchuck's Amber Cider

Brand: Woodchuck
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Product Name: Amber Cider

Location Purchased: Liquor Mart (a local Boulder liquor store)

Cost: We paid $16.49 for a 12-variety-pack that included 3 Granny Smith Ciders, 3 Amber Ciders, 3 Pear Ciders, and 3 802 Dark & Dry Ciders.

Total From A to Z: 3 Stars

A's Review: * * * *

This is the most cider-like of the Woodchuck line, like non-alcoholic cider that was left to ferment a bit too long. I liked the flavor a lot and the carbonation is a good addition, but it is pretty sweet, for better or worse.

Z's Review: * *

Since being gluten-free eliminates most types of beers, cider can be an excellent alternative drink. However, I think this particular flavor is a little bit too apple-y for me. It also has a pretty intense cider flavor, but I'm not exactly sure how to explain that. Like over-cooked apples, I guess? I wasn't all that fond of the taste. But, I have to admit that apple has never been my favorite flavor. I think that a person who liked apple juice and other kinds of non-alcoholic apple cider more than I do would probably really enjoy this flavor.

Woodchuck's 802 Dark & Dry Cider

Brand: Woodchuck
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Product Name: 802 Dark & Dry Cider

Location Purchased: Liquor Mart (a local Boulder liquor store)

Cost: We paid $16.49 for a 12-variety-pack that included 3 Granny Smith Ciders, 3 Amber Ciders, 3 Pear Ciders, and 3 802 Dark & Dry Ciders.

Total From A to Z: 4.5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *

I love this drink. There are beers out there that are sweeter than this cider. Very dry, rich flavor. A treat for someone looking for a crisp, bubbly beverage without the sweetness usually found in cider.

Z's Review: * * * *
Since being gluten-free eliminates most types of beers, cider is an excellent alternative drink. This particular cider is definately on the dry side. It doesn't even taste that apple-y, which I think is a good thing. It has almost a bitter taste but at the same time is pleasantly a little bit sweet, though certainly less sweet than the other Woodchuck ciders we have tried. It actually sort of reminded me of the way sweeter beers taste. I liked it a lot and would certainly enjoy it again in the future.