Burning Brothers Pyro American Pale Ale

Pyro American Pale Ale by Burning Brothers

Dedicated Gluten Free, Brewed In Minnesota

I haven’t held a Burning Brothers Brewing beer for a long time! But today is the day I release an updated pour and review for the Pyro American Pale Ale, brewed by Burning Brothers in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

This is a sorghum-based beer that has been a flagship at this dedicated gluten free brewery since the beginning. If you scroll down, you’ll find an old review, written back before they redesigned all their labels. 

Burning Brothers is Minnesota’s only dedicated gluten free brewery, and the surrounding states are pretty lacking in the gluten free beer category (apart from Wisconsin), so Burning Brothers is basically a haven for gluten free Minnesotans.

They’ve been around since the early days of Best Gluten Free Beers and I am so excited to bring you some fresh pours for their flagship line!

The Taste Test

Pyro American Pale Ale

This Pyro American Pale Ale pours beautifully with a fiery bronze color and a short head that doesn’t rush away. It’s clarity and color are incredible, a huge compliment to the visual presentation of this pale ale. 

The aroma is more malty than hoppy. It has a caramel character to it, but not in a syrupy kind of way. This makes the taste a refreshing surprise…as I take my first sip, I immediately think “There’s all the hops!” What I couldn’t smell in the aroma was waiting for me on the palate.

While hoppy, the beer isn’t very bitter. It’s a nice medium-bodied pale ale with lots of caramel malt on the nose and flavor, but when you take a sip, you’re met with a punch of pine and the texture treat from the gentle bitterness. 

If you’ve forgotten, this is a sorghum-only beer when it comes to the grain profile, which leads me to assume that’s where the caramel notes are coming from. The beer is crisp, clear, and easy drinking, with simple and enjoyable hop characteristics. 

The Pyro American Pale Ale is more malty and less hoppy than most PNW pales I get my hand on. It’s a special treat! I have many more updated reviews coming your way for Burning Brothers Brewing including the Strong Ale, the Irish Red, and the West Coast IPA. Stay tuned! 

The Original (Older) Pyro APA Review

The First Review I Ever Published For Burning Brothers Beer!

This our first beer review of Burning Brothers Brewing, a dedicated gluten free brewery based in St. Paul, Minnesota. I’m happy to have finally gotten my hands on a few of their beers (Yep! That means there’s more to come…) because I’ve heard some pretty great things about their brews.

The most exciting part about Burning Brothers Brewing is that their beer is brewed in a 100% gluten free facility, making it as safe as it gets for Celiacs. There’s a lot of gluten free (and gluten reduced) beers out there these days–but only a select few original from a brewery that can confidently say that there is no chance of contamination.

Burning Brothers Brewing is one of those breweries. So let’s get on to this week’s beer, shall we? Tonight we will be tasting their flagship ale, the Pyro American Pale Ale.

The Taste Test

Pyro American Pale Ale by Burning Brothers Brewing

This naturally gluten free beer pours a lovely toasted orange color with a very generous carbonation level. There is no issue getting this ale to foam…must pour gently. ;) The aroma is hoppy, and the texture is crisp and perfectly clear. I can read this exact text straight through the glass when holding it up to my computer screen.

The Pyro American Pale Ale is a bubbly bitter delight. It has a slightly tart citrusy profile, with a sharp dose of bittering hops. Burning Brothers boasts this ale as “an American twist on an English bitter”. I would have to agree. It’s lighter on the body and heavy on the hops with that sour quality that is common in English brews.

I like this American Pale a lot. But if you have an aversion to bitter…this beer may be too much for you. The hop profile lingers long, which keeps the sorghum notes from taking over. Yes, this beer does contain sorghum. Which typically tends to impart a not-so-pleasant aftertaste, but this one doesn’t seem to bother me.

The current Burning Brothers Brewing website doesn’t identify the IBU content of this ale. However, I found an old flyer online that advertises it as 37 IBU. This seems shockingly low to me (given the taste), so it has me wondering if they’ve changed their recipe since originally introducing this American Pale Ale to market.

This beer can be purchased in stores in pint-sized cans, typically packaged in a 4-pack. I do prefer these 16 oz. cans to the 12 oz. ones sported by some other breweries. The 12 ounce ones seem to just go too fast, whereas a full pint really gives you some time to enjoy it. ;)

So far, I really like what I’m tasting from Burning Brothers. I’m looking forward to tasting more.

Cheers!

P.S. Like what I do for the gluten free beer community? Consider buying me a beer for my efforts! ;)