Red Racer IPA (India Pale Ale) - Central City Brewing

RicePatchAbbot

Texas

4.01/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: A clear dark copper bronze colour, very little head is present, on top of that lacing is very thick.
S: The aroma of this beer, gives off a very citrusy orange scent, a very sweet scent I must say.
T: A very sensational hop piney taste with every sip. Carbonation is perfect for this beer, as it enhances the citrusy after taste.
M: As mentioned before the carbonation, which is mild, does add a sweet citrusy mouthful experience. Medium to heavy body, not as smooth as I would have liked.

Overall: I have drank many quality IPAs, surprisingly this IPA is quite decent, and I would recommend this to many IPA drinkers.

Shout out to fellow advocate, abbbp!

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2013 21:12:34 | More by RicePatchAbbot

patre_tim

China

4.69/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

A: Copper Brown, slight orange colour. Little apparent carbonation, thin white head becomes a film. Chunky lacing.

S: Fruity citra tropical hops scream from the can as you open it. So fruity. Tropical pineapple and papaya and mangos. Spice and pine on the end. I think of yellow jello in smell. Floral. Wow. My first this strong.

T: Again wow. Its not as strong as I was expecting from the smell, but the flavours all come through with a nice sweetness that is not overwealming but rather subdued. There’s not the overburn of say the Flying Monkey’s Atomic one, making it more drinkable and palatable and delicious. I am getting fruitloops in the mouth as an aftertaste. Bitterness is of course there in the mouth afterward, but the sweetness and balance made me not even realize this at first until I payed attention.

M: Low carbonation, medium to heavy body that is moderately syrupy.

O: Awesome. Liking it. Its up there for me.

Serving type: can

05-14-2013 12:41:50 | More by patre_tim

IdeaSpeeder

Ontario (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4.5

Serving Type - 355ml can, poured into a glass

Appearance - Not much of a head. What is there disappears pretty quickly. No matter, the beer is a gorgeous light copper colour. Minimal lacing on the sides.

Smell - Overwhelming citrus and pine sent. if there is anything else there, and there very well may be, this overpowers it.

Taste - Citrus and pine again. Citrus and pine. You can really taste those centennial hops.

Mouthfeel - Medium to light body with pretty low carbonation. An unsatisfactory finish to an otherwise fantastic brew.

Overall - 4.5

Serving type: can

05-03-2013 04:00:24 | More by IdeaSpeeder

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Re-Review of a fresher can

Appearance: It has a nice hazy golden/orange color to it. It has a nice off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves some nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of citrus, grapefruit, piney resins and sweet bready/caramelly malts .

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a some citrus and grapefruit along with resiny pine hops and sweet bready/caramelly malts.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas. Solid IPA, definitely one of the best in Canada.

Serving type: can

04-17-2013 21:28:45 | More by SebD

ChrisCorbin

Massachusetts

4.89/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is my favorite brew, a ranking which I base on overall quality and availability. There may be better IPAs, but not ones on which I can consistently purchase. The crisp taste that lingers on the palate tastes of citrus and piney notes, and the there is no concept of diminishing returns with this beer, I find I can enjoy them all night.

Serving type: can

04-17-2013 02:22:57 | More by ChrisCorbin

1hotdr

Alberta (Canada)

4.84/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Very flavorful. It is a complex flavor though. Not the hoppiest, but still very hoppy. Not a great choice for your first IPA or to give to others who don't drink a lot of IPA's. It is a bit expensive, ~$3 per can where I shop so I don't drink a ton of it but for special occasions I like it a lot.

Serving type: can

04-09-2013 03:45:31 | More by 1hotdr

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.76/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Good ipa color here, amber, orange and yellow. Nice 3/4" head on it, doesn't stick around too long, its somewhere between white and off white.

Aroma was hoppy, not proprietary hoppy, but just run of the mill C hop hoppy, and enjoyable. Maybe there was Simcoe, it was a little bit piney.

Taste, solid, not a heavy malt bill, but neither too light, minimal caramel, the hopping was solid, again, not too exotic, pretty straight up enjoyable. Peppery at times, but far from overly. Considerable bitterness that isn't a chore, because of the other flavors going on.

Grassy mouthfeel to the hops. Good stuff. Good, not great. Check it out if reasonably priced. But there's hundreds of 'em out there.

Serving type: can

03-28-2013 22:55:20 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Omnium

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Can > Pint Glass
A - Pours a really nice golden color, thick foamy two finger head, great lacing.
S - Nice aroma, assorted citrus aromas, fresh hops, some pine and spices.
T - A nice bite of citrus hops, and bitterness, a lighter sweet malt, some yeast, and some dry pine. Some wheatish flavor and bitter barley at the end.
M - Medium feel, but I'm not liking the aftertaste all that well.
O - This is a good IPA right out of the can, do I think its stellar? not really, but if found at a reasonable price, definitely worth getting.

Serving type: can

03-23-2013 20:43:52 | More by Omnium

maximum12

Minnesota

4.65/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks to Rutager for dropping this 12 oz. can as an extra into a recent box. Had this on tap during trips to Vancouver years ago & really enjoyed it, so very happy to have a few sips in the comfort of my own pig sty. Best by 5/2/13 stamped on the bottom, whatever that means.

The pour is non-stop orange, clear as a bell (sound-wise, not sight-wise), with a nice white cap if that's your thing. Actually reminds me a bit of champagne. Nose consists of citrus, pine, bitterness, & a bit of sweet, malt-dipped bread.

Red Racer could be used as a defibrillator. This patient has had too many barrel aged stouts, quick, grab the Red Racer....wham! Beep beep beep. Over-the-top hops start with tongue-fired bitterness before opening the trench coat to reveal drippy, thick pine sap. Faint light fruits, but their overwhelmed by the bitterness. Mid-palate come a few dry, crumbling flowers along with burnt caramel. Bitterness reasserts itself on the end, & I do believe the top of my mouth is actually a little singed & tender. Very syrupy for a good IPA, which I find unusual - usually syrupy = over malty. I could drink this until the Twins won another World Series.

Well, I do believe this doesn't suck. If you like your IPAs with balance, stay away. If you like your IPAs like they should be, drink this. Excellent with undertones of wonderful: a top-shelf IPA.

Serving type: can

03-15-2013 02:11:08 | More by maximum12

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

(Served in a globe glass)
A- This beer pours a very murky deep copper orange body with a thin beige foam that is supported by strands of microbubbles that appear close to the glass.

S- The green hop hint finishes with a strong pecan nut aroma. There is some green woody aromas to the hops that turn into endive as it opens but they stay soft.

T- The full taste of butter pecans leads to a watery taste and a faint pungent woody bitterness lingers in the finish.

M- the medium mouthfeel has a gentle fizz and no astringency or alcohol heat noticed

O- This beer is very odd but not bad. I was hoping for and IPA but there was really no hops noted at all. The butter pecan flavor was one of the best nut flavors I have tasted in a beer. I which this was dated cause I have no idea if this was the intended flavor or the aged flavor?

Serving type: can

01-30-2013 14:59:05 | More by rhoadsrage

Muhly

Alberta (Canada)

4.09/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

355 ml can poured into nonic pint glass.

A-Pours a clear red-copper. About three fingers of white head with good staying power. Powdery white chunks of lacing stick to the glass.

S-Lots of grapefruit. Some bitter aromas from the hops.

T-Hoppy, hoppy, hoppy. citrusy hops with a bit of pine. Also get malt sweet finish, but I'm not sure if this isn't just something else from the hops.

M-a full bodied IPA with moderate carbonation.

O-a hoppy, but multi-faceted IPA. Each new sip brings something slightly different. I immensely enjoyed this beer and glad I have five more in the fridge. Will be a go to for IPA drinking.

Serving type: can

01-25-2013 04:38:21 | More by Muhly

MaxwellSchaefer

4.46/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

appearance: Very pretty burnt orange color, with excellent head and good lacing. It's a mighty fine looking beer, crisp and not cloudy.

Smell: Piney hop aromas with a certain sweetness to it. The smell makes you want to drink it.

Taste: Wonderful hoppy character with a sweet delicious malt backbone. It's piney with a resinous after taste but finishes clean on the pallette. The carbonation level gives it a nice bite and the mouthfeel is pleasantly on the oily side.

Overall: Wow, what a great beer. I wish I had bought more than just the single can for this review. What really shines is the clean finish and the hops to malt balance. It all seems so wonderfully thought out.

Serving type: can

01-12-2013 03:09:19 | More by MaxwellSchaefer

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A delightful, flavourful beer.

Pours a good-sized head that is fairly long lasting. Settles to a thin film that gives up some good lace. Rich looking amber coloured brew.

Nice fruity aroma, lots of citrus hops over sweet malts, quite appetizing. Solid mouthful, good presence. Pleasantly bitter flavours of pine, grapefruit overlaid on caramel malt. Nicely evenhanded, 6.5% alcohol fits in well and doesn't distract. Lingering bitter finish. A treat to drink.

Flavour rules! Definitely worth a try (or two).

Serving type: can

12-03-2012 03:02:45 | More by TerryW

Dools9

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Can into a SA Perfect Pint. BB 2/12/13.

A: Pours a gorgeous orange amber color, lots of carbonation rising. Two finger egg shell head retains well and laces very nicely.

S: Blend of sweet caramel malts, resiny pine, and light citrus fruits. Not the in your face aroma I was expecting as it is a bit subdued.

T: Right off the bat your hit with a combo of fresh resinous, sprucey pine (think Christmas tree) and a smack of tropical citrus and grapefruit. Hops are pretty dominant but there is a bit of caramel malt sweetness to offset the bitterness and they work well off each other. Dry, lingering hop finish, very clean.

M: Medium bodied, smooth carbonation, very easily drinkable.

O: Blends fresh pine, citrus, and malty sweetness together nicely. The nose was a bit of a let down, but besides that, its a very solid IPA. Would like to know exactly how old the can was and will look for this in the future to compare. Having this super fresh would probably be amazing.

Serving type: can

11-17-2012 00:06:55 | More by Dools9

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Slightly hazy caramel/tan hue with a thin soapy off-white head.

Aroma: Grapefruit juice with a little orange. Some caramel/crystal malt in the background to fill it out a little more. Like a Midwest IPA.

Taste: Lots of flavorful bitterness throughout and it lingers quite nicely. Pine/grapefruit/citrus hop profiles, in that order. Not too heavy on the malt which is good. The intense bitterness tends to override the actual flavor at times but that's not exactly uncalled in this one. The finish is dry and the lingering bitterness attaches itself to your palate. There are moments when I taste more depth that lead me to believe a fresh can would really show off how good this beer could be. Pretty robust for 6.5% ABV but not a huge surprise with the amount of hops that must be in this.

Mouthfeel: Near tongue splitting bitterness at first but the palate is quick to adjust. Medium bodied with average drinkability.

Final Thoughts: As an appetizer this beer would be a wise choice. Lots of bitterness and good flavor. Would I drink it again? Sure.

Serving type: can

11-16-2012 05:18:19 | More by JamesMN

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Golden orange colour. Pours a nice frothy white head that keeps and the lacing continues for a long time during consumption.

S: Grapefruit on the nose, some hints of caramel malts

T: Grapefruit flavours with caramel/toffee flavours. Hints of apricots develop as the beer warm up.

M: Med-hi carbonation, light-med bodied, bitterness start to finish and then keep on. There is a bitter puckishness that occurs later after the sip.

O: A great beer and if you are a true IPA fan, you need these in your fridge.

Serving type: can

10-23-2012 01:52:23 | More by Kremlock

Beelzebeer

Newfoundland (Canada)

4.73/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

355ml can, served in Bellwoods tulip

A - Billowy head, sticks around for a bit, a little lacing. Red/golden yellow body

S - Citrus, a little bread, some pine/resin

T - Beautiful. Body wise, it's somewhere between an regular and an imperial. Nice crystal malts, with citrus hops, but not over-powering. No citra, I think. My can is a little old, but it had more sharpness to it before. It's mellowed well. Nice alcohol taste.

M - Medium-heavy. Medium carbonation, goes down extremely well.

O - Dangerous brew. Keep up the good work.

Serving type: can

09-30-2012 00:13:04 | More by Beelzebeer

SamJory

United Kingdom (England)

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

355ml can poured into a Leffe Tulip.

Pours a hazy amber with a rocky off-white head which recedes to some small lacing.

Big hit of earthy, piney hops on the nose and a hint of pineapple.

Taste matches the smell, although the pine and hop bitterness dominates, leaving only a trace of tropical fruit aromas. Really earthy.

Smooth mouthfeel and a long, bitter finish. One of the better IPAs from BC.

Serving type: can

09-21-2012 18:01:40 | More by SamJory

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this one at the LCBO while at home last summer.

From a 355ml can into a snifter

APPEARANCE: Pours a two finger, medium looking, fluffy, off-white head with good retention. Head fades slowly to a splotchy wisp and ring. Clear burnt orange in color with a few floaties and no carbonation evident. A splotchy wisp remains leaving some dots of lacing down the glass. Same as their ESB really.

SMELL: Lots of pale malts, caramel and honeydew melon, with nice notes of grapefruit. Very nice citrus aromas and bold enough as well.

TASE: Pale malts, caramel malts, with lots of bitter floral hops and pine notes at the swallow. Bold and lingering finish with lots of bitter floral hops and pine flavors, then just a hint of caramel sweetness as balance. Nice stuff, though the flavor is a little more one dimensional than the nose. Caramel and floral, piney hops.

PALATE: Lighter body and higher levels of carbonation. Light on the palate, too light really, a bit airy going down, and finishes a touch dry on the palate. Too light and carbonated for the style. Same as their ESB, though a touch oilier perhaps.

OVERALL: The palate is a little too weak in my book and the hop profile is not exactly my style, but I can see how this one gets so much praise, as it is definitely a well-made beer. For my tastes, I'll take Nickelbrook's Headstock IPA while at home, but it doesn't surprise me that this one is so popular. Worth checking out for sure. Recommended.

Serving type: can

09-20-2012 07:22:53 | More by Jeffo

badandy

Ontario (Canada)

4.93/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Bright, brilliant copper. Medium head retention, nice lacing. A beautiful beer.

S: Grapefruit, sweet pine, hints of earthyness. Very intriguing and unique! 90% hops with a tiny bit of malt background. Glade needs to make a fragrance that resembles this!

T: It's like a pine tree and a grapefruit tree made sweet sweet love and this is their love child. Brilliant aroma hops perfectly balanced with just the right amount of bittering additions. Spot-fuckin-on!

M: Perfectly to style. Medium body with just enough character to make it stand up on its own.

This is one of my favourites! My goto beer at the LCBO.... wonderfully unique and bold, but I could put away 2 or 3 or these a night no problem. Don't pass this one up!

Serving type: can

09-19-2012 01:19:16 | More by badandy

mintjellie

Ontario (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep golden orange colour. Thick off-white head shows decent retention but little lace. Big aromatic notes of mango, ripe juicy peaches, and flowers. The aroma is just outrageous. If this were a perfume, I'd give it to my girlfriend on her birthday. Bold juicy mango and toasted grain flavours to start, transitioning to white grapefruit before finishing with firm pithy bitterness. Just malty enough for you to notice something other than the hops. Lingering evergreen aftertaste. Just short of medium-bodied with low carbonation. Feels smooth and light. Oily, resinous sensation left on the palate between mouthfuls. A very, very tasty IPA. Bold flavours and a simple flavour profile that puts tropical and citrus fruit at center stage make this a real winner for my palate. Good linger to the bitterness as well.

Serving type: can

09-11-2012 01:42:49 | More by mintjellie

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.93/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into a pint glass:

A: clear golden amber colored body leaving a nice spider web ringy lacing appears over top of a foamy white two finger head. The head lasts the entire time. No carbonation is seen rising.

S: pine and hops in front with some light breadiness in the background.

T: bittersweet - basically the same. The aftertaste and finish are dry.

M: light with nothing harsh on the tongue, sessionable

O: this is a decent beer that I would come back to.

Serving type: can

09-10-2012 13:47:30 | More by kangarooAdam59

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(4.5) A: Very pleasing clear amber colour with a tall and billowy head that leaves patches of clinging lace as it slowly recedes. Great stuff.

(4.5) S: Wet pine, not overly strong grapefruit aroma, ripe banana, hearty baked bread, and faint nutmeg spice. There’s a level of general damp and earthyness to this. Very good complexity with a general sense of togetherness.

(4.5) T: A very nicely proportioned hop/malt element to this. Wet woody character, subdued grapefruit, lighter grainy-seedy bread quality, and definitely a bit of spice on the backend (ginger & nutmeg). Very tasty.

(4.0) M: Medium bodied with a moderate/prickly carbonation. Good oily texture with some lasting bitterness that leaves mouth feeling slightly dry.

(4.5) D: This is a very delicious IPA, and one that I hope to continue seeing in the LCBO. It’s nice to see an option in the small can (355 ml) format as sometimes you might just want a smaller portion, as opposed to the tall can.

Serving type: can

09-07-2012 00:49:43 | More by Digimaika2

GodOfBeer

Ontario (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear amber/orange with a thick white head, some retention.

Strong aroma of flowery hops, grapefruit, strawberries, tropical fruit.

Tastes of fruity/flowery hops, sweet honey, syrupy malty grains, caramel, strawberries and a nice bitterness to finish it off.

Wonderfully velvet mouthfeel that goes down smooth, easily one of the best Canadian beers, well done!

Serving type: can

08-06-2012 21:08:48 | More by GodOfBeer

harrymel

Washington

1.55/5  rDev -63.6%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Canned: unk

Pours copper with a good two fingers of light taupe foam that falls to a sizable quilt. Lots of lace - good looker. Smells of weed, plastic, harsh chemicals and some grass; reminds me of beer made with untreated Spokane water. Not appealing nose. Flavor is bitter with a metallic character and some herbal and almost lemon tea flavors. Again, not impressive, not good. Medium bodied with moderate leaning toward hi carb and an off dry finish. I'm really surprised at the ratings on this beer. It's nothing as I had anticipated. Then again, I can't tell when this was canned.

Serving type: can

08-02-2012 06:26:45 | More by harrymel