How to do a Beer Tasting

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We came across this great overview of how to do a Beer Tasting from the Beer Advocate we wanted to share with you. Please click here to view the original post.

How To Do A Beer Tasting

When analyzing a beer, you can’t just swill it down, burp and say “it’s great” or “it’s crap.” And, even though tasting is an individual art, there are a few steps, which if followed, will take your beer tasting to a blissful level.

Look
Take pause and marvel at its greatness before you partake of it. Raise the beer in front of you, but don’t hold your beer to direct light as this will dilute its true color. Describe its color, its head and its consistency.

Agitate
Swirl your beer, gently in the glass. This will pull out aromas, slight nuances, loosen & stimulate carbonation and test head retention.

Smell
90-95% of what you experience is through you sense of smell. Breathe through your nose with two quick sniffs, then with your mouth open, then through your mouth only (nose and mouth are connected in the experience). Let olfaction guide you. Agitate again if need be and ensure that you are in an area that has no overpowering aromas. Enjoy its bouquet.

Taste
Now sip the beer. Resist swallowing immediately. Let it wander and explore your entire palate. Let your taste buds speak. Note the mouthfeel, the consistency of the liquid’s body, and breath out during the process of tasting. This process of exhaling is called “retro-olfaction” and will release retained stimulations at the mucus and mouthfeel level but at a higher temperature. At times this will be the same as the olfactory process if not different and complimentary. Try to detect any sweetness, salty flavors, acids and general bitterness. Explain what they are or what they are similar to.

Also, try tasting the beer after it warms a bit (just a bit mind you). Really cold beer tends to mask some of the flavors. As a beer warms, its true flavors will pull through, become more pronounced.

Amaze your friends with your beer tasting knowledge the next time you are out together and enjoy our New Planet Beers with a whole new sense of being

August 23, 2016/0 Comments/by GFBeer

Beer Nutrition Facts

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“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
–Benjamin Franklin (maybe)

While the veracity of the above quote cannot be 100% confirmed to belong to Benjamin Franklin, one thing we can all agree on as Americans is that a crisp beer at the end of a long day is basically one of the best things out there. So, while we can’t be sure that Mr. Franklin is the person to thank for the above, we can certainly raise a glass to the sentiment.

Beer is the beverage of choice for most Americans. Despite our love affair with whiskey, our summertime flings with tequila, beer is our rock, our “one and only.” And let’s be honest, at New Planet, we love that. Its why we do what we do. But,we digress…

Today’s consumer, both for food and libations, is more informed. They are more concerned with where and how their products are produced than ever before. So, it should come as no surprise that 72% of consumers tell Neilsen that they want more information about what they’re consuming.

In order to bring more transparency to beer drinkers in the US, the Beer Institute, a trade group that represents companies which produce and import beer sold in the United States, reported that 4 of the largest brewing conglomerates, including Constellation Brands (think Corona), Heineken USA, MillerCoors and Anheuser-Beusch-InBev, have all agreed to start labelling their beers with nutrition facts.

Considering that these brands represent 80% of beer sales in America, this may seem like a huge revolution….

You’re waiting for the other shoe to drop, right?

Well, sorry to disappoint you. But here at New Planet Beer, we’ve been transparent about what goes into our beer since Day 1. Unlike the “Big Four” mega-breweries, we’ve always known that the folks who drink our beer care about what we put in it. That’s why we started out as a gluten-free beer company. We have since expanded our market to meet the demand for people seeking gluten-reduced beer.

Ingredients are still what make us, “Us.” So, while the FDA may begin asking (and, perhaps, someday require) all ingredients be listed on cans and bottles, we’ll still be doing business as usual, because what goes into our beer becomes who we are.

August 8, 2016/0 Comments/by GFBeer

Seclusion IPA

Blog, Gluten-Free Beer

New Planet Beer’s Seclusion IPA

Colorado is widely recognized as the Mecca of the craft brew industry. It leads the nation in terms of innovation and taste. One particular area in craft beer that people are noticing is that there is the lack of gluten-free or gluten-reduced options available in the market.

A large segment of the population is intolerant to gluten or is trying to reduce the amount of gluten in their diet. As a result, they avoid drinking beer that contains gluten. The good news is that New Planet Beer is offering both gluten-free and gluten-reduced beer, and seclusion IPA is the latter.

It is certainly not an easy task to brew gluten-free beer. What’s equally challenging is to produce gluten-free or gluten reduced beer that is the same malty, carbonated beverage Americans have come to love. New Planet Beer is passionate about providing everyone with a good brew whether they are gluten sensitive or not.

New Planet Brewery entered Seclusion IPA into the Denver International Beer Competition in 2015where it won a gold medal in the Gluten-Reduced Category.

Seclusion IPA is brewed with barley which does contain gluten. New Planet Beer uses a special process to remove the vast majority of gluten from the finished product, while still retaining its beer character.

The taste and mouthful is where Seclusion IPA really excels. It has a light breadiness balanced with tropical fruit, citrus and floral character. It is robust and aromatic with just the right amount of bitterness. The color is a light copper and has the perfect level of carbonation to aerate those complex flavors and aromas which it contains. It has a light and fluffy white head that persists to the end.

Because of Seclusion’s bold and complex nature, it is best paired with foods such as grilled steak with a caramelized crust, salty or fried snacks, Mexican fajitas or Indian curries.

June 20, 2016/0 Comments/by GFBeer

Are Hops Gluten Free round 2

Blog, Gluten-Free Beer

Are Hops Gluten Free?

Are hops gluten free? We will answer that question in a moment.

A lot of people may think that there isn’t anything special about a hop plant. It doesn’t have a lot of uses, it only pops out valuable flowers once a year and is susceptible to pests and diseases.

It turns out, this plant possesses many health benefits. It is used as an aid for insomnia, anxiety and other sleep disorders. Because of its antibacterial properties, they are also used in skin creams and lotions. Most importantly, hops play a huge role in the production of one of America’s well-loved beverage . . .beer.

What are hops?

Hops are the cone-like flowers of a female climbing plant in the cannabis family. At the base of the petals, you’ll find a gland that produces tiny yellow globules called lupulins. These contain the resins and essential oils that are so prized by brewers.

Hops are one of the basic ingredients in beer. Beer wouldn’t be beer without hops. They are extensively used in brewing due to the bitterness, flavor and aroma they impart with in the beer. It balances the sweetness of malt with bitterness and provides complex flavors and a refreshing finish.

During the 18^th century, brewers began transporting ales to India. After fermentation, hops were added directly to the cask to preserve the beer and keep it fresh over the several months of voyage to India. By the end of the journey, the beer had acquired the flavor and aroma of hops. This was how the India Pale Ale was developed.

Are Hops Gluten Free?

Beer is made using yeast, grain, water and hops. In case you’re wondering, yes, hops are gluten free. The gluten in most beers usually comes from grains that are used in the brewing process such as barley, wheat and rye.

Gluten free beer is relatively new in the world of brewing. In fact, only a handful of brewers from around the world are producing 100% gluten-free beer – New Planet Beer being one of them.

June 13, 2016/0 Comments/by GFBeer

Double Seclusion IPA

Blog, Gluten-Free Beer

Double Seclusion IPA

Tapping this Friday at 3PM:

Double Seclusion IPA: Seclusion’s BIG Brother; 80 IBU and 7.7% ABV!

You asked for it and now we have it on tap!

BIG hoppy aromas and nice and smooth!

May 18, 2016/0 Comments/by GFBeer

Beer and Food Pairing Guide

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Beer and Food Pairing Guide

Beer tastes even better when you pair it with good food. In fact, we think beer is actually more food-friendly than wine. This is because of its ability to interact with many food flavors and the complexity of its flavors.

Not sure what type of beer to serve with your meal? Read on and we’ll tell you which brews will go well with your favorite meals.

Grilled food

Grilling season is upon us. Whether you’re making grilled salmon, bratwurst or grilled eggplant, you want to make sure that you stock up on some beers that are well suited for your grilled feast.

Grilled foods are complex. You have char bitterness, dripping fattiness and caramel roastiness. When pairing grilled food with beer, you can never go wrong with brown ale. You want to find a perfectly balanced black or brown ale – nothing too malty, too hoppy or too bitter such as our Gluten Free Brown Ale available on tap. Lagers or refreshingly balanced ale such as New Planet’s Tread Lightly Ale is great paired with pork and red meat burgers.

Pizza

Could there be any better beer and food pairing in the nation besides beer and pizza? If you ordered a large pepperoni pizza, then be sure to have a well hopped ale ready when the delivery guy shows up at your front door or the pizza comes out of the oven. Seclusion IPA is a balanced session IPA with both citrus and tropical notes. New Planet’s Gluten Free Pale Ale with its bright citrusy character would be another good choice.

Oysters

Oysters and stouts have been consumed together for a very long time. Brewers and beer drinkers have discovered that beer is a perfect accompaniment to oysters. It is a match made in heaven. The silky, salty, tender oyster is perfect with the pleasantly smooth balanced black beer. Our Oatmeal Stout on tap and available to take home in one of our mason jars or your personal growler would be a perfect match.

Cheese plates

You can’t just pair any beer with any cheese and expect bliss. Aged Gouda and our Imperial Red Gin Ale (on Tap in our Tap Room) pair well thanks to the Imperials deep caramel flavors, dried dark fruit character and rich malt. Tread Lightly Ale or our Gluten Free Blonde Ale is a great accompaniment if you want to sample a selection of fine fromage and mild cheeses, thanks to its palate-cleansing qualities.