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Ground Breaker Dark Ale

Glass and bottle of Ground Breaker Dark Ale gluten free beerThe bold, dark flavor of this beer took me back a moment. Is this a new flavor? No, I’ve tasted and enjoyed beer this dark before, but it’s been so long (12 years) I had forgotten the taste! I’ve had a handful of dark gluten-free beers, but none that had hit those right notes that instantly reminded me of my early experiences with dark beers.

Back when I was in my twenty’s I used to love dark beer. But the lack of available dark gluten-free beer has left a “void” in my beer drinker’s palate. Luckily Ground Breaker Dark has come through for me and filled up that deficit today.

One really interesting thing that Ground Breaker does with this beer is the way it treats sorghum. Many gluten free beers mistakenly have sorghum as the dominant flavor. Several others do well to mask the unmistakable taste. What Ground Breaker seems to do is to use sorghum as a complimentary flavor to the roasted chestnut. Whatever they do, they do it well. And don’t just take my word for it. This beer actually won the 2016 gold medal Great American Beer Festival.

Tasting Notes:

Look: Dark chocolate brown with very thin, whispy headSingle Bottle of Ground Breaker GlutenFree Dark Ale

Smell: Chocolate, roasted coffee, roasted vegetables,

Body: creamy body with light carbonation and decent retention

Taste: very earthy, dark licorice , almost like taking a tree (if you can imagine that). Full flavor up front with a smooth finish that leaves a deep earthy, chestnut aftertaste.

Overall: Rich and dark, Dark and tasty, Ground

 

One note about availability. Ground Breaker beers are currently brewed and served in Portland, Oregon. It is also available in Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, but not many other places.

 

Ground Breaker Website

Brewed with dark roasted chestnuts and lentils
4.5% alcohol by volume
Certified Gluten Free
Ingredients: Sorghum, chestnuts, organic tapioca maltodextrin, organic lentils, Belgian-style candi syrup, cane sugar and hops.
Brewed and bottled by Ground Breaker, Portland Oregon, (formally Harvester Brewing)

Awards: Winner, gold medal 2016 Great American Beer Festival

Disclosure: I received this beer free from Ground Breaker Brewing, but I did not let this fact influence my review.

Nov 23, 2016Jeff
Great Dark Ale from Ground Breaker
  • Look
  • Smell
  • Body
  • Taste
  • Overall
4.4

Summary

Well-made, excellent dark taste.

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User Review
5 (1 vote)
Glutenberg American Pale AleGround Breaker Squash Ale
Comments: 2
  1. David
    December 7, 2016 at 11:51 pm

    Are you sure it’s available in Delware?

    ReplyCancel
    • Jeff
      December 8, 2016 at 3:02 am

      I believe that the website said Deleware before, but I could be mistaken. I looked again and the Ground Breaker website now lists the following: “Our beer can be found in OR, WA, CA, ID, MA, ME, VT, RI, BC and AB Canada, and Japan.”

      ReplyCancel

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Recent Reviews
  • Ghostfish Vanishing Point Pale Ale April 30, 2017
  • Uinta Free Form IPA March 20, 2017
  • Ground Breaker Squash Ale December 24, 2016
  • Ground Breaker Dark Ale November 23, 2016
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  • Craft Beer (26)
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  • Specialty Beer (2)
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