Element Brewing Co. Plasma

Plasma is a gluten-free beer brewed with brown rice, malted millet, malted buckwheat and Aramis hops.

ABV: 9.3  

ABW: 7.4  

COLOR: 7  

BITTERNESS: 64  

ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1079

Brewed in: Millers Falls, MA

Where to Find This Beer: MA, ME, MN

Well, this wasn’t what I expected at all. Actually, I am not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this. It pours a beautiful straw gold with a touch of haze and a sturdy ecru head that hints at the effervescence to come. Not a lot in the nose, but first sip brings a cacophony of flavors: a slightly grainy sweetness that fades to a dry, crackerlike middle and then explodes into a spicy-citrus finish. Bubbles prickle the palate while a rice-wine alcohol warmth lingers in the olfactory glands. A relatively clean finish leaves you wanting more. And sushi.
- Lisa Morrison

I poured this beer, got a whiff of the aroma and quickly got out my phone to look it up. What was this thing? The beer looked normal, aside from an almost translucent lacy foam. But the aroma, an odd blend of fruity esters and hops, was way out there. Of course, it turned out there was a good reason. The hop attack is aggressive but well-focused, leading onto a gently fruity center that shows body, but no actual malt flavor. The finish is long, clean and lingeringly bitter. This is the best gluten-free beer I’ve had, and if that sounds like faint praise, it’s not meant to. It’s fascinating.
- Garrett Oliver

Lisa Morrison
Lisa Morrison, aka the Beer Goddess, talks beer every day at her beer store and taproom, Belmont Station, and on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.

Garrett Oliver
Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery, the Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Companion to Beer, the author of The Brewmaster’s Table, and the veteran host of more than 900 beer dinners in 15 countries.