Rare beer Friday, or rareish beer Friday! I was able to get my hands on some Racer 5 from Bear Republic this weekend and gave it a shot. Before I get started with the review a few housekeeping notes. I will be reviewing a Coffee porter as requested this weekend, and I will type up my notes from Heavy Seas Greater Pumpkin ale. Look for both reviews next week. I will also submit the results of the stout tasting with some highlights and low lights as well as where to pick up these brews if you are interested in trying them yourself.
Racer 5 is an American style IPA that is not distributed in the state (yet.) Savannah Distribution is working on getting the Bear Republic line up and fingers crossed should have it sometime this year.
The beer pours with a huge white foamy head and crystal clear golden color; very similar to a standard pilsner. The retention in the glass is amazing with some nice lacing throughout when rocked gently. The nose is very floral with pine, grapefruit, orange and grassy hops to balance.
The first taste was very bitter but quickly mellowed out with some pleasant carbonation and full velvety mouthfeel. Taste is very comparable to nose. Racer 5 has tons of citrus flavors running together with some grassy hops and light bread/cracker malts to round it out. As this beer warms the bitterness tends to diminish and it becomes a very easy to glug IPA. The 5 has a sticky dry smack begging your mouth for another pull.
This beer has a fairly lofty abv of 7% for being just a standard IPA it drinks very full bodied. Very solid flagship IPA for Bear Republic, and I can’t wait to get some more of this stuff. If you get an opportunity to taste this bad boy at Porter Beer bar or the Brick Store in Decatur I suggest you jump. Very solid drinkable IPA.
Cheers!
Ryan
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