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

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

Wyoming

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

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Clear amber with a dense white head. Leaves nice rings of lace.

S - Pungent grapefruit hops. Hints of orange, pine and honey.

T - Big hoppiness and a well-balanced sweet malty backbone. Lots of grapefruit pith and a lingering aftertaste.

M - Slick, oily body. Moderate-light carbonation. Very smooth.

D - Good straight-up, hoppy IPA. Tasty and drinkable.

Serving type: can

07-19-2012 03:07:45 | More by allergictomacros

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured a sluggish, clear amber color with good carbonation and a moderate dirty white cap

S: Mainly pine and bread with some residual sweetness and light booze

T: Immediate bittering hops with chewy malt bckboine of toasted malt and oerhaos some caramel. Pine resin and orange peel poretty much dominate the flavors.

M: Light to medium bodied, sticky, not so refreshing and it felt a bit heavy and sweet on the palate for a 6.5er

O: Glad I was able to try this but not so sure I wuld be going back to this one.

Serving type: can

07-08-2012 16:23:30 | More by barleywinefiend

Dope

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a hazy amber with a good sized fluffy white head. Fades slowly with great retention but the lacing is so-so.

S: Wonderfully sharp tropical fruit aroma. Pineapple and mango mixes with a nice grapefruit. Very nice sweet caramel malt helps balance it out.

T: Tastes follow the nose. Tropical fruit up front with the pineapple and mango primarily. Maybe a hint of tangerine? There is some bitter grapefruit and maybe just a hint of pine. Mild caramel malt helps balance a bit but overall it's quite hop-forward and bitter. Quite drying in the aftertaste with a bit of pine and resin.

M: Medium bodied, smooth and a little drying.

O: A very nice IPA that I had never even heard of before until I stumbled upon it by accident. Great hop variety, sharp bitterness and some caramel to smooth it all out.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 04:36:12 | More by Dope

Canslammer

California

3.4/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This IPA tasted really FLAT! The date on the can said "10/02/2012" I think all of the positive reviews must have come from Canadians, because this is not a good IPA! The warmer it gets, the worse it tastes. I spent $14 Canadian for a 6 pack and it was not worth it!

Serving type: can

06-29-2012 22:30:58 | More by Canslammer

Yeoman9459

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - very pale orange, little bit of white head, with quite a bit of head lacing.

Smell - citrus hops, heavy in the grapefruit and pineapple.

Taste - very floral hops, just enough malt, very tasty. Absolutely no alcohol taste.

Mouthfeel - light to medium feel.

Overall - big fan of a lot of the ipa's from B.C and this is one of my faavorites.

Serving type: can

06-10-2012 07:12:06 | More by Yeoman9459

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: Philly Beer Scene Tasting panel with Matt Falco at Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA

I was privileged enough to be on the tasting panel for PBS Magazine, along with Bill Covaleski of Victory and Greg Ramirez of Exton Beverage. This was one of 21 beers we sampled during the session.

At least an extra 0.5 on the appearance because I love the artwork on the can! Who drew my wife on there?!?! Clear amber pour with a small white head that retained and laced well. Crisp hop aroma, lemon and apple skins. More citrus hops in the taste, with the malts taking a seat far in the back. Tasty, but lacks complexity. Light-medium body, and a very nice drink overall.

Serving type: can

05-26-2012 02:54:09 | More by Rifugium

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from can into pint glass. Pours a hazy golden color with a huge creamy orange-white head that lingered and left incredible lacing throughout. The aroma was tangy and sweetish with moderate pine, resin and faint pineapple. The flavor was tangy pine, resin, malty, and sour caramel. There were faint undertones of grapefruit and pineapple. The finish was long and tangy with lingering caramel and pine. Moderate mouthfeel and good carbonation throughout. A very nice IPA!

Serving type: can

05-16-2012 18:13:30 | More by CuriousMonk

mountdew1

New Hampshire

3.35/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an imperial pint glass. Had a generous 3 finger frothy head that lingered for a bit, and left off white lacings on the glass. Beer was a slightly darker golden amber with plenty of carbonation rising from the bottom. Smell started off slightly herby and then shifted to an orangey citrus aroma. Small hints of sweet and flowers rounded it out. Flavor started off with plenty of hops, but then shifted to a slightly offputting acidic flavor before changing back to a bit more of bitterness from the hops. Felt strange in the mouth, almost dried out the inside which was a unique feeling to have immediately after consuming a liquid. Overall not a bad IPA, but the strange taste in the middle coupled with the funny mouthfeel took it down a bit.

Serving type: can

05-10-2012 22:05:11 | More by mountdew1

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

4.55/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

355ml can poured into a 16oz pint glass.

A - Pours a vibrant amber glow with moderate haze in the body, and a frothy, cream head that clings to the glass as it dissipates after the initial pour. The lacing isn't quite what I expected, but there's certainly some sticky foam coating the glass as this one goes down.

S - A salvo of tropical fruit hops upfront. Pineapple, mango, sweet oranges, passion fruit, grapefruit and just a touch of cucumber. Sweet caramel malt backbone that compliments the hop profile beautifully. This is everything I want to smell in an IPA. So good.

T - Fruity hops abound in this one. All the fruits from the aroma are here in spades, with juicy pineapple and mango notes upfront, bittering grapefruit and pine, and subtle passion fruit. Malty undertones are just right, giving just the right balance but still showcasing the hop profile perfectly. As much as I know cucumber isn't really a traditional Pacific NW flavor in an IPA, it's undeniably here and works flawlessly with the other flavors. Aftertaste leaves moderate bitterness, with just the right amount of bite. Overall, this is stupidly easy to drink, and I can't picture it being any better.

M - The 6.5% ABV shows up here in the body, helping thicken it up just enough. Medium bodied feel with low carbonation that just prickles the tongue. I will admit, it's slightly oily and could use a touch more carbonation; and I do also get some subtle heat from the aforementioned alcohol content. Really, this is the only weak point of this beer, and even then it's way above average.

D - I really can't ask for a better beer here. This IPA packs everything I want in the style into readily available 6-packs for a more than reasonable price tag. Crafted remarkably in all departments, resulting in an IPA so drinkable that I finished drinking it before I finished the review. I was slightly skeptical this brew would live up to the hype, but it blew my expectations out of the water. It's easy to see now why this is such a revered beer here in Canada.

Serving type: can

05-06-2012 23:02:14 | More by Converge

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Pours a warm orange-amber hue with a finger width of white bubbly head. Slightly cloudy and bubbly.

Smell - Citrus/grapefruit, robust hops, passion fruit - overall, a light, crisp, and fruity scent.

Taste - Starts with a light citrus flavour, then hits you with a gentle kick of hops. Leaves a nice bitter and citrusy aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Light-to-Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. A touch of fluffiness to the feel. Very refreshing on the palate.

Overall - A great, well-crafted IPA by Central City Brewing. There are some wonderful aromas and the taste remains true to the IPA style. Definitely a must try.

Serving type: can

04-08-2012 23:33:08 | More by leaddog

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Didn't produce more then a layer of bubbles, but somehow managed to still leave good lacing. The body boasts high carbonation to go with it's slightly cloudy orange colour.

Smell: A powerful floral and citrus aroma on this one as the hops make their obvious appearance, with notes of pine. Didn't need any warming, although no noticeable malt and I know it's going to be too hoppy for my tastes.

Taste: Hey, this one's a lot better then I'd thought it would be. It starts with a caramel malt that has only the barest herbal and floral hop notes that builds slightly and then gets annihilated by the explosion of citrus, pine and earthy hops that disagree with me and grow harsher as the beer progresses.

Mouthfeel: I'd have liked a slower buildup to the hop annihilation. However the carbonation is good at holding it in check. Still, the hop oil doesn't know when it's overstayed it's welcome and it seems the nicer herbal and floral hops are drowned out by the pine and earthy ones. It also seems to get harsher and harsher the closer to the bottom you get.

Drinkability: It was doing so well up until about the 1/4 mark, at which point my stomach seemed to reject it, which is a shame. The carbonation was good, but I just don't see myself wanting to put this back with anything but maybe some really spicy food.

Final Thoughts: Well Red Racer, you have fared far better then most IPAs do, so take that in stride. It's one of the top beer in Canada so I had to review it, but like all but the most tamest of IPA's it's not for me.

Serving type: can

04-08-2012 00:13:51 | More by TheHammer

SawDog505

New Hampshire

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

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass, best by 07/05/12. Pours a clear orange red, with a one inch white that leaves plenty of lacing. Smell is tangerine, grass, pine, carmel, and apricot. Taste is lots of citrus up front and bitter pine and grapefruit in the finish. Body is medium, plenty of life, a dry finish, and very drinkable. This is a nice IPA.

Serving type: can

04-07-2012 18:21:05 | More by SawDog505

BigCheese

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Now Called "Red Betty", guess Bear Republic got mad. 1 month old, should be good, cool can design.

A: Pours a clear, golden/pale amber, thin head. Quickly dissipates. A bit of lacing but not much.

S: Boom, a rich citrus based hop flavor, red grapefruit, blood orange, also some caramel/molasses sweetness. smell delicous.

T: Big hop flavors, pineapple/mango? citrus hops up front, a smooth but subdued maple/oak malt flavor, punch, piney after that. Lingers with a "wet" bitterness that is mainly piney and floral. Not overly complex, but whatever hop bill is I dig it. Seem to be butter flavors too as it warms.

M: High carbonation (maybe cuz head was small), pretty creamy, with a lightish oil viscosity, medium bodied. Abv isnt surprising.

O: Definitely a solid IPA, at one month old it smells fantastic, could look better but can pours are unreliable. Price point was high so I was expecting something unique, its good, but rather simple straightforward. For ABV big flavors. A notch below the the Union Jack/Racer 5/Hop Devil, but quite tasty.

Serving type: can

04-07-2012 01:26:11 | More by BigCheese

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

BC sure has some great IPAs, and this is one of their best. The hop character of this beer is extraordinary, very citrusy and some nice complex piney notes mixing with other fruity characters. The body is great, and unlike many American IPAs, the malt bill plays a significant role in the character of this ale. To top this all off, it is served in a can, so I can bring it to a park when I go camping with my buddies. One great IPA.

Serving type: can

03-20-2012 03:51:37 | More by Siriusfisherman

Brewsky29

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a deep orange with an inch of fluffy head that hangs out for the weekend and lacing is excellent.

The beer is very aromatic nice piney and floral with a little bit of malty nose.

The floral and citrus flavor here is fantastic with just enough malt backbone and nice hoppy zip that stays for a little while.

Very smooth and drinkable no boozy feel just right.

Overall I think that this is one of my favorite IPA's if not my favorite. This is a great beer.

Serving type: can

03-19-2012 19:02:50 | More by Brewsky29

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: clear deep amber, similar to that of high quality polished amber set in jewellery. Delicate lacy trim around the glass.

S: Strong scent of orange flower water with a chaser of grapefruit rind. A mix of fresh pine needles round out the scent.

T: Hoppy bitterness pops in the front followed with the acrid pairing of grapefruit rind and fresh pine. The alcohol is nearly undetectable, despite being 6.5%.

M: mouthfeel is fairly thin - which pairs well with the bold smell and flavour, too long on the tongue and this would overwhelm the tastebud with bitter.

D: I find this beer best drank with a meal, particularly something spicy and capable to balance out the bitter. I choose to match this with Pad Thai, the earthiness of the peanut sauce, heat from the chilies, hits of sweet of the tamarid and pineapple play off the bitter hops. That said, I'd definitely drink this on the patio mid summer for a refresher, excellent replacement for lemonade.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 07:31:36 | More by FondueVoodoo

B33R501

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

pretty damn good ipa, had several this year that remind me of my favorite celebration, including this one. picked up 3 singles for $6 whole foods devon pa, good call.

pours nice brassy amber, good head, retension, lace. smells just ok, little citrus, some piney hops. tastes better, big citrus, piney, earthy herbal hop blast on a nice malt background. said this alot lately, balanced and very drinkable. then again, with the exception of port high tide, this is exactly how i like my ipas, balanced.

just for kicks ill list (by preference) this years ipas similar to celebration (but not quite as good) ...

central city red racer 4.28
thomas hooker hop meadow 4.13
sierra nevada torpedo 3.90
sly fox route 113 ipa 3.90

if you enjoy celebration, you cant go wrong with any of these 4 ipas.

Serving type: can

03-09-2012 17:02:14 | More by B33R501

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

Paid 3 dollars for a can of this at the House of 1,000 beers. Was told this is the best IPA Canada has to offer.

A - Well appearance is good a nice clear amber color with an impressive explosion of over two inches of head out of the can into my pint glass. Takes a while to settle.

S - Smells sweet and balanced with crystal and bread malts and an attractive mango or pineapple like hop bitterness.

T - Taste is a touch more English at first with an herbal minty like hop character but it's quickly covered with sweet pineapple hops and a bready finish. Hops do linger on the palate after each sip but it never really gets too bitter. Not bad.

M - Nothing bad to say about the mouthfeel drinks with a light to medium body.

Overall not sure I would agree with the scores it is quite good but not near world class status. Not sure how old it is either and can only find it at one shop so that limits my score a tad.

Serving type: can

03-05-2012 00:21:06 | More by DrDemento456

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a shaker pint: Medium golden-orange body, hazy, with straw highlights under mega-head: 4 fingers below the rim of the glass, 2 fingers above the rim with lumps like a souffle. Crazy.

Strong, fresh grapefruit & pith smell with a fruity, leafy quality like walking through a strawberry patch. Mild fruit candy like chewable vitamins.

Sweeter, lemon custard at first in the taste, followed quickly by a pithy bitterness & rounding off with a mild sweetness like ginger ale that picks up after each sip.

Active, medium-bodied that goes from a little sharp to smooth & creamy with a balancing dryness.

Good overall, delivers in the hoppiness but with a sweetness that's not overdone. Really like the ginger note.

Serving type: can

03-04-2012 18:06:14 | More by OneDropSoup

jmerloni

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Golden orange, translucent, big white bubbly head that laces like a mofo.

S - Beery, citrus, hops. Yeasty. Smells a lot like a Belgian Pale.

T - Has a weird undertone of really cheap beer on one side and has a really nice Belgian hop profile on the other. I don't know what to make of this, honestly. It tastes like two beers were mixed together. The aftertaste is that of the former. A very disheveled taste.

M - Light, watery'ish at places during each full sip. Eh.

D - Drinkable but not necessarily all that pleasant. It kind of tastes like pennies had fermented in carbonated water for 10 years. Wouldn't get this again.

Serving type: can

02-25-2012 03:33:03 | More by jmerloni