Friday, August 8, 2014

Carlsberg

Carlsberg gluten free low celiac lager beer Danish bier pilsner bottle test resultsBeer: Carlsberg
Style: Pale Lager
Brewing location: Fredericia, Denmark
Originating country: Denmark
Alcohol by Volume: 5% 
Ingredients: water, barley malt, rice, hops, and yeast. 
Format tested: 330ml bottle purchased in Los Angeles, CA
Beeradvocate rating: 70/100
Ratebeer rating: 8/100
Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

  • The Art Nouveau logo was created in 1904 by Thorvald Bindesboll and has been nearly unmodified ever since
  • J.C Jacobsen’s the founded the company at age 24 and named the flagship brand  after his son Carl
  • Famous for the TV ad tagline "Probably the best lager in the world" voiced by Orson Welles. It ran from 1973 to 2011.
  • In 2008, Carlsberg Group, together with Heineken, bought Scottish & Newcastle, the largest brewer in the UK, for GBP 7.8 billion (U.S. $15.3 billion).

Test result photo

Carlsberg gluten free low celiac lager beer Danish bier pilsner bottle test results





















Test result

Less than 20 parts per million (ppm).  Though standards vary from country to country, according to the FDA, "In order to use the term 'gluten free' on its label a food must meet all the requirements of the definition, including that the food must contain less than 20 ppm gluten." It is said that products with a gluten content below 20 ppm are suitable for people with celiac disease.

My experience drinking Carlsberg

Definitely one of those unremarkable industrial Euro-lagers. It bubbles on the roof of the mouth and immediately falls flat with a sour metallic aftertaste. Any flavor it once possessed has been completely processed out of it. But I guess we should be grateful it scored under 20 ppm. Still not widely distributed in the US but you'll find it everywhere in Europe, so given this result, it's a good choice when traveling.

I am not sure where I fall in the gluten tolerance spectrum; I am gluten intolerant but not celiac. I definitely know what it feels like to be “glutened” i.e. gluten exposure, but I have not deliberately pushed my gluten consumption limits with any food or beer. I consumed this 330ml bottle in 30 minutes and felt no noticeable gluten-type reaction. And recently I had a couple of draft pints consumed over 2 hours with no ill effects.