Ground Breaker Route 20 New Englandized Hazy IPA

Ground Breaker Brewing Route 20 New Englandized Hazy IPA

Gluten Free Hazy IPA

This is a review for the Ground Breaker Brewing 2020 release of the Route 20 IPA. (One of them, at least!) This year it’s a hazy New Englandized IPA double dry-hopped with Santiam hops in a 100% dedicated gluten free facility.  

Route 20 was released in 16 ounce cans this year, and because there are two editions of it, I decided to publish a new review for each, as opposed to updating the old Route 20 review, as I usually do with seasonal releases.

The Route 20 New Englandized Hazy IPA is a 6% ABV beer brewed on sorghum, rice and buckwheat. It’s IBU is 30 and it is a Fall-time limited release. To see the beer poured, check out the video below. (And be sure to follow us on Instagram @glutenfreebeers, as I always post the speed videos there when I drop a new review!)

The Taste Test

Route 20 New Englandized Hazy IPA

This Route 20 Hazy IPA pours with the most gorgeous citrus orange color and a beautiful head to match. I don’t think I agitated the can enough before I poured because the first 2/3 of the can produced a very light haze, but once I added the rest, the haze was in full force. 

The head bubbles away slowly, and begins to climb the edges of the glass a bit too. The floral aroma also wafts fruity and herbal notes. The taste is both refreshing and complex. Route 20 has medium carbonation that perfectly supports—but doesn’t over-power—the complexity of the flavor profile. 

When you first sip, you’re met with a metric ton of flowers and a zing of texture from the carbonation. The hops continue to soak up the spotlight through the entire ride, bittering slightly towards the back of the palate, and lingering strongly after the swallow. This double dry-hopped IPA finishes dry, and earthy. 

I’m in love. What a treat to have a non-citrus heavy IPA in the middle of fresh hop season in the PNW! I’m more impressed than ever with the Route 20. It is a solid—yet complex beer. Very balanced (hop leaning, of course), great mouthfeel, and I enjoy how much the hops resonate on the palate throughout consumption. Just YUM.

Stay tuned for two more seasonals coming down the line from Ground Breaker. I believe the other two are both fresh hops! One is a Fresh Hop version of the Route 20, and the other is their annual release of the Epoch IPA! Can’t wait. :)

Cheers!

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