New Planet is one of the longer-running dedicated gluten-free breweries in the US, and its Belgian-Style Ale is the most ambitious beer in this roundup, aiming for a spiced Belgian blonde rather than a straightforward lager. It leans on sorghum and brown rice for its base, with honey, orange peel, cinnamon and vanilla added for the Belgian character.
Check Availability on Saucey →New Planet Belgian-Style Ale Review at a Glance
| Brewery | New Planet Beer Company, Boulder, Colorado, USA |
| Style | Belgian-style blonde ale, gluten-free |
| ABV | 6.8% |
| IBU | 26 |
| Base ingredients | Water, sorghum and brown rice extract, honey, orange peel, cinnamon, vanilla extract, Sterling hops, yeast |
| Gluten-free or gluten-removed | Gluten-free from the grain bill, brewed with sorghum and brown rice rather than barley or wheat |
How It Tastes
It pours a hazy gold with a light head. The nose carries a noticeable cider-like sweetness alongside fruity ester notes, closer to a pear and apple character than the classic Belgian spice profile. On the palate the yeast character comes through strongly, at times overshadowing the orange peel and cinnamon that are meant to be the beer’s signature. It is an ambitious recipe that does not fully deliver the promised spice, but it is more interesting than a plain gluten-free lager.
It is trying to be a Belgian blonde and gets partway there. The ambition is worth crediting even where the execution falls short.
- Genuinely gluten-free, brewed from sorghum and brown rice rather than treated barley
- More ambitious flavor profile than most gluten-free beers, aiming for a real Belgian style
- Reasonably higher ABV (6.8%) for drinkers who want more than a light session beer
- One of the more established dedicated gluten-free breweries in the US
- The advertised orange, cinnamon and vanilla notes are subtle to the point of being hard to detect
- Yeast character can dominate and read as overly cidery to some drinkers
- Less consistently stocked than Redbridge or Omission
Who It’s For
Worth trying for a gluten-free drinker who wants something more adventurous than a lager, but go in expecting a yeasty, cider-adjacent ale rather than a dead ringer for a Belgian blonde.
FAQs
Is New Planet Belgian Ale gluten-free?
Yes. It is brewed from sorghum and brown rice extract rather than barley or wheat, so it is gluten-free from the ingredients up.
What does New Planet Belgian Ale taste like?
A hazy gold ale with cider-like sweetness, fruity pear and apple esters, and a yeast character that can overshadow the orange peel, cinnamon and vanilla listed in the recipe.
What is the ABV of New Planet Belgian Ale?
6.8% ABV with 26 IBU, higher in alcohol than most gluten-free session beers on this list.
Where can I buy New Planet Belgian Ale?
Through craft beer retailers including Saucey, plus select stores that carry the New Planet lineup.
