Beer Advent: Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA

[octothorpe]

I forgot I had a bomber of Racer 5 in the fridge. Nice!

Racer 5 is prettymuch an A#1 American IPA. It's got a great hazy copper colour, a crisp smell of hops, and a flavour that's nice enough on its own, but also pairs well with heartier proteins. I rather enjoy this with a burger, or sushi (blue fin, salmon, and eel mostly… some of the lighter fish get overpowered). For those who don't eat meat, it's also *amazing* when paired with either my lentil stew, or my yellow split-pea soup.

There is a really good balance of a hoppy/citrus (although NOT like Ruby)/floral quality with a hint of peat. It's also got a good alcohol content at 7%, so you can have a few without getting totally hammered. Just be sure to take your time.

Like most IPAs, I prefer this on the warmer side, so I set this out after removing it from my fridge. If you're lucky enough to find this on draught, wrap your hands around the glass awhile after getting served (I've found most US bars serve their beer a bit too cold).

If you like beers like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, this is *vastly* superior in every conceivable way. Try it, if you haven't. I was able to find it at the Whole Foods near my office in NYC.

Comments

[theotherqpc.livejournal.com]

oh, fond memories. when i worked at Incanto, Racer 5s were the default brew to celebrate a good night or to gift the crew if you came in for dinner on your day off. one of our servers was also a homebrewer and did an incredible IPA based off of Racer 5. we did a side-by-side, and it was an astonishingly accurate reproduction, though his had a very nice lychee scent on the finish.

[theotherqpc.livejournal.com]

and, for the record, i actually prefer to drink most of my beers on the warmer side, sometimes even near room temp.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's pretty cool! So how did your co-worker get the lychee scent in the mix? Actual lychees?

[theotherqpc.livejournal.com]

it was actually rather subtle. i think it was just the variety of hops he used.

[bikerbaer.livejournal.com]

I gotta agree with you — this is an excellent IPA.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

You're alive!!

Sorry I missed you when I was in SF the other week. Are you well (I hope so)?

[dac.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! I learned so much from this one entry. I love IPAs.