Gluten free foods are taking the nation by storm and they are certainly a godsend for those who suffer from celiac disease or have other health concerns requiring gluten free foods. Foods are only the beginning, however- there are also several beverages that contain gluten and one of them is beer. Breweries have answered the gluten free call as of late and one of the better gluten free beer options is Omission India Pale Ale, a product of Widmer Brothers Brewing.
Beer Bio
Beer Style: India Pale Ale
Calories: 195 per 12 oz. serving
Carbs: 14.5 grams per 12 oz. serving
Alcohol Level: 6.7 percent by volume
Bitterness Rating: 65 IBU
Omission IPA pours to a dark golden color with a perfectly clear body. A moderate pour produces a nice head of foam and it leaves some lacing as you consume. The nose on this gluten- free beer is one of citrus and pine.
As for the taste, Omission IPA taste the way an IPA should. Brewed with Cascade and Summit hops, the beer offers pine, citrus, and grapefruit flavors with a pale malt/caramel malt base that, while taking a back seat to the taste of hops, is still good as a foundation for the main show. The beer is crisp and nicely balanced for a beer of this style.
Omission IPA follows in the footsteps of Omission’s other gluten free beers and is one of the few, if only, gluten- free IPA on the market. Omission is brewed and fermented like any other beer, but it undergoes a special process by which Brewer’s Clarex is added to the beer, breaking down the gluten protein chains. The beer is then tested to ensure that its gluten content is below the CODEX standard of 20 ppm. Those who require a gluten- free diet have nothing to worry about when they drink Omission IPA. They can enjoy the great taste of an authentic India Pale Ale and know that the gluten has been removed to a more than satisfactory level.
Omission IPA isn’t a huge, full- flavored IPA like some of the west coast IPA are known to be, but it is still a very good product. One quality that really stands out is its clean flavor profile. It has a clarity like few IPA I have ever consumed and because it is brewed using barley malt (as opposed to other substitutes, as often the practice when attempting to make gluten free beer) and other standard ingredients, it tastes the way a beer should taste. Its IBU level and other factors are at a good level for an IPA and most drinkers (extreme hopheads excluded) will find the bitterness rating just about right.
I don’t suffer from celiac disease, but I am still willing to try gluten free beverages and foods and have found most of them good- tasting substitutes for the real thing. Omission IPA is a very good effort on the part of Widmer to produce a product that is gluten free and just as good tasting as a regular IPA. If it didn’t already say gluten free on the label, I would never guess that this product was different in any way. Try a bottle or two yourself, and enjoy the authentic India Pale Ale flavor of Omission IPA. It’s a pleasant surprise and one I recommend.
Rating: 7 Cheers out of 10
This beer is the bomb. I was a New castle drinker, for years. Apparently it’s the worst beer for you. Please sell this in at least 12 packs, case would be better.