Today’s review is for Ground Breaker Brewing’s spiritual successor to the gluten free IPA No. 4…the Front Loader IPA! This beer is packaged in 16 ounce cans and is an early summer release brewed in Portland. This Ground Breaker beer is 100% gluten free, as always at Ground Breaker.
Apart of the Ephemeral Series, the Front Loader IPA is brewed on a long grain bill including sorghum, buckwheat, quinoa, rice, and millet. It features a ton of Crystal and Chinook hops and holds a 7.4% ABV.
Below you will find the beer pour for the Front Loader IPA. Keep scrolling to learn what it smells and tastes like! At the end of the review, you’ll find some links to more Ground Breaker IPA reviews!
The Taste Test
Front Loader India Pale Ale
The Front Loader IPA gave me one hell of a beautiful pour. It has a rich sunset orange color, fairly high clarity, and a rocky head that still sits on the glass. It looks like the perfect choice for this hot summer night.
The aroma is both fruity and woodsy. I’m ready for a bitter bomb. As mentioned earlier, this recipe features both Crystal and Chinook hops–which may I say–are just as potent in flavor as they are in taste! The Front Loader IPA has a medium body and a heavy presence of hops.
When the Front Loader hits your lips, you’re met with a bright and faintly fruity brew that moves through the first half of the palate with relative ease. Then the hops explode on the back taste buds, launching a bitter dryness that lingers long after the swallow.
Hel-lo Pacific Northwest dryness. I’m not sure which is drier, my mouth or this tinderbox forest we’re surrounded by! The intensity of the hops is well balanced by the texture of the carbonation and clean body. This is not a beer for those who are hop-averse.
For those of you who like your beers to hop punch you in the tongue, step on up…this one is made for you. It’s worth noting that there is no sweetness to speak of, and very little fruit flavor left behind on the palate. Mostly just bitter pine. (Which I love.)
I love the heavy bitterness of this IPA, but also appreciate the way its mouthfeel still feels light. This gives it a powerful, yet refreshing quality. It’s not boring—that’s for sure! I’m not sure what the IBU is, but my money is on HIGH.
Overall, this IPA is bright and earthy. It rocks your taste buds and is bitter enough to make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth a bit. If that sounds like your jam, go snag yourself one of these gluten free Front Loader IPAs and if you’re lucky enough to taste it on tap, come back here and tell me how it was!
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