Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA
Racer 5 India Pale Ale, 7% ABV, $1.99 for a 12oz bottle.
bearrepublic.com
“Keep cold, respect life, don’t D & D, real ale is alive, yeast is good, serve at 45-50 degrees F.”
Normally, I wouldn’t put an IPA in a Pilsner glass, but the glasses are new… I couldn’t resist.
The glass did its job and created a 2” foamy, off-white head on top of this copper hued IPA. There’s minimal carbonation, but there are a lot of particles floating around.
The smell is excellent- lots of hops along with pineapple and mango fruit notes. It doesn’t smell like it would be bitter, but we’ll see…
The flavor is mostly fruit notes, with a dry, bitter finish. There is also a bit of malt in the flavor, but just a bit. A true IPA. Alcohol is present in the flavor and it does seem to leave a bit of an aftertaste, in addition to some heat.
The mouth feel is great, with more body than a normal IPA. As a comparison, it’s definitely thicker than your average Lager.
The beer continues to develop with each sip. Different flavor notes arise as it warms up… nice! (Possibly some apricot?)
Racer 5 is a good IPA. I wish the alcohol was a bit more subtle; not necessarily less, just a bit more elusive.
Racer 5 gets a B+.
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