1001 Beers

Beer No: 57
Page No: 155
Category: Amber

Try as I might, I just can't seem to get caught up on my beer reviews.  It's tough to do one a day - especially when real life gets in the way.  But, it's still American Craft Beer Week, so I decided to revisit Bear Republic Brewing Company as their Racer 5 was one of the first beers reviewed in this long journey.  The Racer 5 IPA which I loved, but not as much as some other IPAs I regularly drink.  However, this Hop Rod Rye, being a Double IPA brewed with 20% rye malts blew me away.  The hops are definitely out in force with this DIPA, but the rye malts really seem to bring it back to ground and balance it perfectly.  1001 Beers notes that brewing with rye is especially difficult because it has no husk and can turn rock hard during mashing if not careful, but the folks up in Northern California at Bear Republic have it down.  This was a treat and there's truly a reason it's #21 on the list of top 50 Imperial/Double IPAs.  However, it being one spot ahead of Avery's The Maharaja is pretty crazy.  The Maharaja still stands as one of my all time favorites.  But with a rating of 4.2, the Hop Rod Rye is definitely not far behind.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye Ale from Bear Republic Brewing Company

Aroma: 9/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 17/20

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

Had from 22oz. bottle from BevMo. Pours dark brown/amber with good head and ample lacing. Aroma is heavy hops and rye bread with good citrus and caramel undertones. Flavor is heavily hopped with a nice balance of rye and barley malts. I wasn’t really expecting to like this one as much as I did. A wonderful IIPA with the rye malts really adding to the complexity. Finishes with a sweet, dry taste. Absolutely wonderful.

Beer No: 3/1001
Page No: 471
Category: Blond

Yesterday, we focused on a pale ale (Sierra Nevada) - in my review of the beer, I lamented the fact that the hops were "a bit too disguised within the malts," but then went on to laud the balance between hops and malts.  Any pale ale should be a good balance, while any IPA should definitely be more hops than malt, and the Racer 5 from Bear Republic Brewing is definitely a hop-first beer.

Up front, I stated that my favorite beer styles are those of lambics and gueuzes - I love the sourness of the beers, the wild fermentation, the unpredictability of a perfectly brewed beer.  My second favorite beer is definitely the IPA - be it your standard India Pale Ale, a double IPA, or even a triple IPA.  I just love my hops - which is a stark, and somewhat odd contrast to that of sour beers, but there's just something about the citrus flavors, the pine aromas, and the bitter finish of a hoppy beer that gets my taste buds cheering.

The Racer 5 is one of the two Bear Republic beers in the listing of 1001, the other being a Hop Rod Rye - so it's quite clear that the fine brewers up in northern California love their hops.  A family owned brewery, the Norgroves know their beer, having been named Small Brewing Company of the Year on their 10th anniversary and having won multiple medals at the Great American Beer Festival.  Though 1001 Beers states that the Rocket Red Ale was the original flagship beer of the company, it has quickly been replaced by the Racer 5.  Blending Northwest American hops - Cascade, Columbus, and Chinook - this hoppy beer clocks in at 84 IBUs and is a striking example of what an IPA should be.

As a side note, I used to collect pint glasses and now have a couple hundred of them in storage.  I probably have a Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA glass somewhere in a box and it's a shame I couldn't taste this from the one pint glass made for this beer.  Perhaps a quick run to my storage locker is in order to see if I can pull out a few boxes of pint glasses and match them to upcoming beers...

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Bear Republic Racer 5 from Bear Republic Brewing Co.

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 3/5
Flavor: 8/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 16/20

Rating: 3.7 / 5.0

Had from 750ml bottle. Pours a beautiful clear orange hue with a substantial white head which dissipates slowly and leaves behind ample lacing. Aromas of citrus and pine, definitely a hoppy beer. Taste is all hops - bitter, piney, and floral. A wonderful IPA which finishes slightly bitter and without any alcohol aftertaste.

And, just for fun, my original rating of Racer 5 from March 20th, 2003 (almost exactly 7 years ago):

The beer pours with a nice amber/brown appearance and has a great smell of hops and a slight sweetness. The initial taste is hops, hops and more hops - but damn, is it good. A slightly bitter/acidic aftertaste, but nothing bad at all. A great, hoppy beer. Recommended.

I originally rated the beer a 3.6 / 5.0 over 7 years ago, but updated my rating and bumped the aroma up from a 6/10 to 7/10, resulting in the 3.7 / 5.0 rating that it currently holds.