Glutenberg Blonde Ale

Canadian Gluten Free Blonde Ale

Brewed by Glutenberg in Montreal

I was surprised to find a new color on the shelf when I went in to my local store a couple weeks ago. The yellow label means Glutenberg Blonde Ale is on the tasting table today! I think they only brought in one case of it because I haven’t seen it on the shelf since, so I’m glad I went in there when I did.

The Glutenberg Blonde Ale comes in a 16 ounce can and is brewed on a base of millet and corn. I’ve noticed Glutenberg uses corn in several of their beers. This stands out from the west coast breweries that tend to pass on corn ingredients. The Blonde Ale’s ABV is 4.5% and it has an IBU of 15.

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I’m actually pretty excited to pop open this Blonde. I’ve had a good streak of Blonde’s lately on the blog. That along with this smokey 90 degree weather has me craving those crisper, lighter beers these days.  Don’t worry, it won’t last long. Summers are short in Bend. 

The Taste Test

Glutenberg Blonde Ale

The Glutenberg Blonde Ale has a pale yellow, crystal clear color. It’s so clear that I can read text right through it. It foams well too, as you can see in the beer pour video on Instagram. It smells lightly of fruit, and my nose is picking up on some floral texture–yes, I said texture. Perhaps that’s a weird thing to say, but that’s how it feels for me. It also has a light wafty sweetness that reminds me of tea.

The taste is sweet and simple. It’s not particularly complex on my palate. I actually taste the corn quite a bit. It reminds me of chicha, a corn-based beer brewed widely in Central and South America. This blonde has a light body, but the sweetness sticks with you. It’s marketed as a dry blonde, but it doesn’t taste particularly dry to me. It is pretty easy drinking though.

There’s no bitterness, no strong flavors jumping out at you. But it’s not so light that it doesn’t taste like beer, the way that some light ales can be. It’s still beer. To be honest, this blonde is a little on the sweet side for my person preference. I’d prefer it to be a bit drier and crisper.

I have really liked Glutenberg’s beers so far. In fact, their seasonal Gose (which replaced this Blonde on the shelf at my local market) won me over this year. But I can’t say that this Blonde Ale is my favorite of their line up. It’s probably rather far down the list. But don’t take my word for it! If you can get your hands on it, let me know what you thought. I’d love to hear from some blonde lovers specifically…let me know what you think about this beer.

Glutenberg is brewed in Canada and is distributed down both the east and west coasts of the U.S. Their distribution network seems to be quite strong, and growing quickly. Be sure to ask your local stores if they have access to it, because it’s surprising me how far their reach is crawling. Let me know where you found it near you. Cheers!

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