HBW: Millet Beer Tasting

Several weeks ago, BCS brewed a millet beer. This recreation follows a description in Strabo about an Ethiopian millet drink. The wort has since fermented, the beer bottle-conditioned, and the suds consumed. Now, time for the review:

Prior to bottle-conditioning:
There is the classic cidery, bread yeast aroma. The flavor is unobtrusive and unremarkable for a beer. However, I did detect a (perhaps, phantom) enhanced sweetness. Is this the millet?

Final tasting:
The beer comes out crystal clear, with the lightest straw hue. With the initial pour, the head asserts itself but quickly fades to a bubbly appearance. This “bubbly” character is noticeably clearer and less robust than other beers.

The taste is surprisingly similar to a certain, popular macro lager, but the millet does offer a slightly elevated biscuit flavor. There is also a slight crackery and raw grain taste that lingers on the back-end palate.

Perhaps, the most prominent difference in the millet beer is that it left a drying, cottony sensation in the mouth. I had read earlier about millet’s potential for this. It was not off-putting, but certainly strange for a beer.

Verdict:
Millet doesn’t add much for this modern beer lover’s drinking experience. It would certainly make a reasonable substitute if it is widely available, but I still prefer my barley.