Day 21, 1.21.11, Bard's Gluten Free

I have a few friends who have gluten sensitivities, have celiacs, or are otherwise

gluten intolerant. I've always been curious if any of the gluten-free beers on the market are any good, so I picked up Bard's at Whole Foods and took it aboard the M/V Vallejo on my cruise home from work.
Instead of using the gluten packed barley for this beer, Bard's uses sorghum, a species of grass native to Africa and cultivated in many places with tropical climates. Apparently, the African peoples have been using sorghum in brewing for hundreds of years. So it's gotta be good right?
Eh... It's not too bad considering. It's a very light pilsner-esque beer. It's got a very subtle hop component, and a inkling of citrus character. On the mid palate is a strong sour tinge, which I am told is a common characteristic in sorghum malt beers.
But I think best word I can use to describe this beer is 'muted'. There is simply not much going on. It's fairly bland, but has a strange dry, nearly astringent finish.
It's drinkable; it's not awful. But it's also not a great beer. I think if could no longer stomach the gluten I might grab a bottle of Bard's, but I'd be more likely to reach for a good hard cider. 4 out of 10.


PS. It really got me thinking though, I bet I could make a damn good gluten-free beer. Maybe add a decent amount of hops, and some darker, richer malts... Coming soon folks. :)