Ghostfish Brewing Salty Starfish Coconut Brown Ale

The Salty Starfish: Gluten Free Coconut Brown Ale

Coconut Brown Ale by Ghostfish Brewing

A unique creation from Ghostfish Brewing today…it’s called the Salty Starfish Coconut Brown Ale. This is a limited release gluten free brown ale, brewed in a dedicated gluten free brewery in Seattle, Washington. I don’t know about you, but I don’t come across many GF brown ales, so I’m excited to share this one with you.

I believe the Salty Starfish rests at 12 IBU, with a 5.2% ABV. It’s brewed on a base of millet and rice and aged on toasted coconut flakes. Ghostfish has a knack for releasing experimental gems like this one, but I believe this is the first brown ale of theirs I’ve reviewed. It is packaged in 16 ounce cans and available at the tap room. Not sure if this one will come around again, but if you want to hear what I think of it, then keep reading!

But first, let’s take a look at how this Salty Starfish looks in a glass. Following is the beer pour for this gluten free brown ale, and you’ll find my full review just below it. As I mentioned before, I haven’t found many gluten free browns, but I will link the other(s) I’ve tasted at the end of this article.

The Taste Test

Salty Starfish Coconut Brown Ale

The Salty Starfish Coconut Brown Ale pours a beautiful amber brown with a very slight head that doesn’t stick around for the photos, but you can see it in the beer pour video. It smells like a mildly sweet chocolate biscotti. This brown ale is also crystal clear and glows red when held in front of light. While the head faded fast, there is still a healthy carbonation pushing tiny bubbles to the circumference of the glass. 

This brown ale drinks very chocolaty, but it doesn’t have a heavy mouthfeel. There’s a smoothness…almost a creaminess to it. The initial tasting experience has a lot going on. I have to be honest, I have never tasted a salty brown ale before, so I have nothing to compare it to. It’s a little salty, but not as salty as I expected it to be. It does have a very rich carmely sweetness.

The roasty characteristic is powerful in the flavor profile. It demands your attention while the coconut sits gently in the background. The carbonation is right on in my opinion. It’s very enjoyable. There’s still an audible fountain of bubbles coming up the center a good 15 minutes after the pour. I’m finding a bit of bitterness in the brew too. Not on the front, but on the back end of the tasting experience. That’s where it lingers.

Overall, I tend to be pretty unexcited by browns, but I will say that the Salty Starfish is an interesting beer. It’s a little on the sweet side for my personal preference, but the saltiness helps to balance that a bit on the palate. 

If you are partial to brown ales, I’d love to know what your favorite go-to is! Comment your thoughts below. If you want to browse another gluten free brown ale review, check out the Bierly Brewing Brown Ale.

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