Post-gluten

It's another Post Card post, concerning beers brewed in Kildare but named after places in Dublin. Both of today's are gluten free, a new move for the brand.

First it's a lager, called Samuel Beckett Bridge. It's in the Helles style and is a little dark on it, shading towards amber with a bit of a haze. It makes sense that this gives it a certain richness, particularly on the nose: an aroma of biscuits and bread. In the flavour that's how it begins, before adding a grassy green bitterness in the finish. The two aspects don't really balance each other out, keeping apart from each other, but that's OK. It's a clean-drinking job with just enough distinctive character to be interesting, in an unfussy way.

And speaking of unfussy, it's an Irish red next: Dublin Castle. It may be a mainstream style but "intriguing hop additions" are promised on the label. It pours very murky, and is paler than red -- more an orange shade. What they mean by the hop comment is immediately apparent on tasting: there's a bright and very new-world fruit foretaste, suggesting satsuma and mango. That's fun, and almost distracted me from the fact that none of red ale's more orthodox features appear: no caramel, no roast, nothing malt-forward. As a pale ale, it's not bad, but I can't imagine any red ale purists will be happy with it.

Not exactly stellar work by Post Card here, but gluten-free beer has come a long way. These didn't taste in any way compromised.