Ground Breaker Brewing Amber Lager

“An American Tribute To Bavarian Lagers”

Today’s review is for a wonderful spin on two classics, the gluten free Amber Lager brewed by Ground Breaker Brewing. This Amber Lager is made in a dedicated gluten free brewery in Portland, Oregon. This is a new-ish offering from Ground Breaker, and this review has been updated with my latest tasting experience.

It’s packaged in a 16 ounce can that proudly states its an “American Tribute to Bavarian Lagers”. This Amber Lager has a 5% ABV and is brewed on millet, rice, sorghum, and buckwheat. It also contains one of Ground Breaker’s signature ingredients, chestnuts, but no lentils.

I’ve noticed lately that Ground Breaker has begun incorporating more alternative grains into their beer recipes. From what I remember, their earlier recipes seemed to rely more heavily on sorghum, whereas now, sorghum tends to be the second or third ingredient listed, often surrounded by others like millet, buckwheat, and rice.

Here is the beer pour for Ground Breaker’s Amber Lager. You can find additional footage on the blog’s Instagram @glutenfreebeers.

The Taste Test

Gluten Free Amber Lager

This gluten free lager pours with an absolutely stunning amber orange color that’s crystal clear from the moment it hits the glass. It forms a substantial head–no matter how it’s poured, and the carbonation combined with the clarity gives this Amber Lager a really strong visual appeal.

The aroma is malt forward and wafts earthy carmel notes. After the head bubbles away–which takes ages, by the way–it leaves a patchy layer of mini bubbles in its wake. My first sip reveals a light bodied, crisp lager with a heavy malt presentation on the palate. It has the flavor of an amber ale on the body of a lager, which is a bit suprising, and very delicious!

It is very light and clean, with no hop bitterness and very little sweetness. This Amber Lager has a gentle dryness that almost seems to come more from the flavor profile than any bitterness of the hops.

When you first sip, you are met with the gentle bite of the carbonation, and light faintly-sweet body. By the time this lager moves to mid-palate, you are experiencing the range of flavors born from the variety of malts (millet, rice, sorghum, buckwheat). The malt flavors linger after the swallow, coating the mouth and throat the way hops might with an IPA.

The absolute best part is the texture of the head as you sip. It’s sooooo frothy and creamy. It gives this amber lager such a wonderful mouthfeel. My second favorite thing is still its visual appearance. It’s the most gorgeous shade of amber and it’s clarity is off the charts.

This is a very unique and easy drinking gluten free lager. I’m loving the style blend that leaves you with a light–yet flavorful beer that I think a wide range of beer preferences would enjoy. It stays dynamic after the head is fully gone, by leaving a ring around the side of the glass. Bubbles still dancing to the top, which is easy to see thanks to the clarity.

I am really enjoying the incorporation of more millet and buckwheat into the malt bill. Ground Breaker has always had their own style with their use of chestnuts and lentils, but the added variety offers a lot of subtle flavor additions to the beer’s overall presentation…and I like it. This may even be one of my favorite lighter-drinking beers from Ground Breaker.

Have you had the opportunity to try this gluten free Amber Lager yet? If so, let me know what you thought of it in the comments below or drop me a note on social.

Cheers!

P.S. Like what I do for the gluten free beer community? Consider buying me a beer for my efforts! ;)

Ground Breaker Brewing Amber Lager