Racer 5 India Pale Ale - Bear Republic Brewing Co.

scootny

New York

4.4/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I am stunned that this is not a top ten AIPA. Gorgeous in the glass. Two finger head that stays for what seems like a forever. Lots of lace. Beer stays covered all the way down. Fluid is a hazy stained oak color. Microfine carbonation continuously streaming up give a portent of the lovely feel. Smell is lightly bready with a mild caramel sweetness. Firm yeasty component is blanketed in hops. A citrus tinged light tropical fruit aroma as well. A dry graininess with a touch of sourness. Taste follows the nose. Light pale ale flavors are wrapped in a dry hoppiness. Pale malt and yeasty light bread. Dry grains and a faint orange flavor. Bit of biscuit. Dry hoppiness is tinged with both earth and citrus. Lovely dry finish leaves a trace of hop oil. Feel is crisp and light while not actually being a light beer. Dry and quenching with a perfect carbonation that lens itself to sessioning and refreshment. Wonderful drinkability that has you gulping the deliciousness. A superior American IPA. It just is and that's the way this beer hits me.

Serving type: growler

12-03-2012 06:03:33 | More by scootny

morimech

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear golden color with one finger of head that had good retention. The head settles to a thin cap. Heavy lacing is left down the glass.

Citrus hop aroma, hints of orange and pineapple. Pithy and aggressive. Just a slight hint of sweet malt.

Not surprising hop forward flavor in the west coast style. Not much flavor from the malt. Hop flavors include citrus with subtle hints of grass and mint. Bitter finish. The flavor is just not that complex or interesting.

Not abuntantly carbonated but that was probably because of a day in a growler. Medium bodied.

No doubt a well made beer that perhaps did not show its best to this drinker. Just not enough complexity to excite.

Serving type: growler

09-05-2011 22:24:32 | More by morimech

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a nice gold color with small thin white head.

S: Nose was floral, citrus and well hopped

T: Taste followed the nose very well. No surprises. Lots of caramel malt, more malts than hops I thought, floral notes mainly with citrus notes.

M: Finished slightly bitter but smooth. The hops blast was late and good.

D: Good

Serving type: growler

04-04-2011 00:29:01 | More by barleywinefiend

Rhettroactive

Virginia

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

From growler to pint glass on 3/21/11
*From notes

A: A good, somewhat cloudy 24k gold. It's got a nice 1.25 finger head, followed by high quality lacing.

S: Pine needles attack the nostrils. If I wasn't aware before, I am now: this is a west coast IPA all the way.

T: A good dose of breadiness hits first, but it's merely a formality as the sweet and citrusy hops overwhelm the palate from the mid to finish.

M: Pretty killer - this one feels like it belongs. Good weight and creaminess that tends to be found in the upper echelon of the style.

O: I've been meaning to review this one for a while, and what better way then a growler!

Bear Republic's Racer 5 is one of the top AIPA's for a reason, and is a cornerstone of the style. I have returned to this time and time again, and will continue to for years to come. This one borders pretty close to perfection.

Serving type: growler

03-24-2011 18:07:42 | More by Rhettroactive

welldigger888

South Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from growler to form a nice fluffy head that laced well, Good orange hue with maybe a touch of gold luster.
Ahhh the american IPA, nice malty tones that are complimentary of the american citrusy piney hops.If there is no AIPA in heaven, I do not want to go!
Resonous piney hop forward with smooth interplaying malt sweet bready. The lingering peppery finish drys just right.
Excellant carbonation and a nice creaminess.
The last time I had this I went late into the night in old sac town! Much to the chigrin of my wife, as she left me to stagger back to the motel, LOL. Good stuff here, seek and drink!

Serving type: growler

02-27-2011 01:51:22 | More by welldigger888

jtd1969

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Simply the best IPA on the planet. I have had so many, but yet, this one is still my favorite. The clean coudy harvest tone look, awesome. The head is usually thin in length but dense thickness.(if that makes any sense) Tons of citrus tones in smell. Awesome hop smell with floral with light fruit, slight pine. Fruity/floral big hop upfront with a clean finish. So easy to toss them back as the hops never overbear you. So tasty... If you enjoy IPAs, try one ASAP

Serving type: growler

02-20-2011 01:13:26 | More by jtd1969

aerozeppl

New York

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I don't think I have had this beer since my review in 2007. Been a while and it was on for growler fills.

A: Fairly clear light copper color. Poured with a finger of billowy white head with excellent lacing. A great lookiing IPA.

S: The nose lacks a little. Little bit of a piney citrus note. The malt is there as well but a bit subdued. I remember having this years ago and thinking it was super fragrant.

T: Very well balanced. Not that much bitterness. Not that much else besides just a touch of a piney hop note. Finishes super clean.

M: Nice light mouthfeel. Lacks that slightly syrupy quality I look for in a IPA. A touch creamy. Great carbonation for a growler.

D: This is a classic. Something I would get on tap at home for a daily drinker. Really nice. Not quite sessionable but I would session it.

Serving type: growler

05-29-2010 21:54:48 | More by aerozeppl

haddon

Kentucky

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

picked up a growler at The Lodge in Hilton Head Island. they even threw in a Racer 5 pint glass to go with it!

A- pours golden amber with a nice frothy head. good lacing down the pint glass

S- pine, sweet citrus that's heavy on the grapefruit side. does have a malty backbone. nice balance, nice smell.

T- lemon, pine, orange & hops. good malty undertone. this is a great beer. had a couple with seafood last night... very nice.

M- medium body with adequate carbonation

D- scary drinkable. at 7% abv, I could easily have a few pints on a hot Summer's eve. enjoy!

Serving type: growler

05-26-2010 18:28:16 | More by haddon

cbaird2

Nebraska

4.47/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I bought a bomber at Gomer's in midtown Kansas City. $4.50 for a 22oz bomber.

A - bright, light amber color, with a small head that dissolved quickly

S - big citrus aromas, very very hoppy

T - Slammed with hops right away, just like the smell. Well balanced bitterness, just tastes like a good IPA.

M - light to medium carbonation, goes down great.

D - great drinkability, easily could have had 2 or 3 bombers. I would seek this beer out. It's a well done IPA for sure.

Serving type: growler

08-08-2009 20:33:19 | More by cbaird2

DrMalt

Saskatchewan (Canada)

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

A) Pours a deep golden with a frothy white thick head.

S) Lots of hop aroma eminating from pint glass.

T) Lots of hoppy, grassy, piney, grapefruit with hints of fruit.

M) Excellent mouthfeel.

D) This is a beer is very sessionable to me. Loved its tase, mouthfeel. A very drinkable IPA.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: growler

04-30-2009 04:08:22 | More by DrMalt

LennyV

New York

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Purchased a growler at Halftime. Pours a golden yellow into my Duvel glass with a 3 finger head a fantactic lacing

Smells of alcohol and hops

Tastes is a wonderful balance of hops and sweet malt. Very smooth.

Full bodied beer feels nice and thick in the mouth

I am not a fan of ipas but this one hits it perfect. It is not a hop bomb like some other ipas.

Serving type: growler

12-30-2008 03:38:19 | More by LennyV

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.9/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed on 5/9/08. Bottle. Pours a slightly cloudy orange with a foamy white head. Aroma and flavor of citrus and piney hop, some corn, sweet malt. Very drinkable, especially when cold. A little heavy mouthfeel for a single IPA, not that I minded necessarily....an awesome beer with hop deliciousness.

Update 9/14/08: Thought I'd revist this tasty IPA...Growler from Bellport Beer. Aroma of luscious pine and faint citrus. Flavor of lots of citrus (orange peel) with bitter piney hops in the finish. Quite sweet. Nicely balanced, although more on the hoppier side. Just as tasty as before! (No change in my rate).
7/4/8/4/16 (3.9/5)

Serving type: growler

12-02-2008 21:47:55 | More by LilBeerDoctor

mobud

Delaware

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served into pint glass from growler.

A- This beer is light copper in color and is a little cloudy. Light head with active carbonation.

S- Boy, do I love hops! The hop explosion waiting for me is beyond explaining here. Sweetness and floral notes from the hops grab from the start.

T- Not the overwelming hop bomb I felt I had. It is big on hops, but also has a nice malt undertone that helps to level the floral goodness left by the hops.

M- The best part about the hops remains and there does not seem to be any bitter aftertaste.

D- I have had a lot of HopBombs and this is one of the best. Some leave too much resin and no sweetness to balance out the beer. This one is great and would have it again and again.

Serving type: growler

02-03-2007 02:18:00 | More by mobud

bambam2517

Arizona

3.61/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass after dinner, served at 45F.

A - Flat golden-blonde pour leaves almost nothing up top, looks lethargic and watery honestly. Lots of snowy unfiltered goodness though.

S - Mostly floral, some caramel sugar, a little hop pineyness.

T -Sweet honey citrus backed up by some hop bitterness.

M - Not at all unpleasant but pretty unremarkable. It just one of those.

O - Dialed back in every respect from my experiences in IPAs, I think that is exactly against the grain of West Coast IPAs in general. Not a fan. Heres one for people who say "I love IPAS, just dont like the hoppy tasting ones". What?

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 04:35:18 | More by bambam2517

socon67

New York

4.13/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Orange pour with a tan foam head that retained. Some csrbonation is visibile. Sticky lacing runs down the glass.

S - Scents of tangerine and mango plus a floral blend of hops. There is a slight smell of pine cones.

T - A rather complex IPA with a clean taste. Done very traditional in the "west coast" style with strong notes of citrus fruits and a sharp bitterness that finishes much smoother than you'd think. Mellow hop resin and gentle grain notes.

M - Balance is noce on this. Easy finish and very drinkable. Tartness and bitter notes to do overwhelm the palate and transition nicely.

O - Really classic take on the style and hard ot go wrong with one. I paired this with a peppery griled steak and it enhanced the experience.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 17:04:17 | More by socon67

snaotheus

Washington

4.06/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a large mug. One of those beers that I've had many times, but never reviewed. The fact that I've had it many times says more about it than my review will.

Pours golden with an orange tinge, respectable pale head, clear, fair amount of carbonation. Smell is powerful, sweet and floral, smellable from arm's reach. Honey and citrus.

Taste is refreshing, not overpowering in any given direction. Some pine bitterness. More of the honeysuckle.

Mouthfeel is slightly dry, smooth. Overall, this is a quite good beer, which should only be turned down if there's an excellent option.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 03:38:56 | More by snaotheus

earthling

California

4.71/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Racer 5 must be consumed as fresh as possible. It's a classic dry-hopped California IPA with loads of citrus hop aroma. It has a strong bitterness, though it's well balanced with a pretty heavy malt. It's at hoppier end of IPAs, though it isn't going to blow your head off. A great regular drinker.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2013 18:36:21 | More by earthling

Benish

Wisconsin

4.11/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into snifter glass. It presented a light amber color with a quarter inch thick white head. Did not dissipate quickly. Moderate lacings around the glass.

Aroma: It smelled primarily pine and mango immediately after pouring. I covered the glass and just swirled lightly. The smell of pine greatly amplified! Also some notes of pineapple.

Taste: Tangy at first, I tasted pine, citrus, orange rind, and some subtle spiciness. It started out sweet and finished with some bitterness. This beer was not overpowering and is very easy drinking. While the beer start to reach room temperature (I can't drink a bomber that fast) it became a bit more mellow and maybe tad bit lighter on the flavor. Best to drink chilled.

Overall a great beer. I think I had my expectations a little too high considering the ratings it received on BA. However I'm glad to try this. Each IPA is often different in its own way, just like this one is different. This is worth trying BUT if it's not distributed to your state, there are plenty of other IPA's just as good if not better. If you do have one, pop open the bottle, relax, and enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 02:53:50 | More by Benish

RickS95

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22 ounce bomber

A bit lighter than I expected and clearer than I thought it would be. Apricot colored pour with a smallish head. Still enough goodness that light doesn't shine right through, but lacking in head. Slight, thin lace.

Very pleasant West Coast smell. Lots of citrus, peach and pineapple, and a bit of pine. Fairly classic for the style.

Taste follows the lead of the smell with peach, pineapple and pine having a party. A biscuit backdrop.

A quick shot of sweet followed by acidic citrus and bitter hops. Medium bodied, the fairly moderate alcohol is muted by everything else going on. A bitter, citric, oily finish.

I'm really happy with this. We don't get Bear Republic anywhere near home and this didn't disappoint my excitement. An easy drinker for the style, good taste and nice alcohol. A very solid American IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 03:16:34 | More by RickS95

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

22 oz bomber pours a hazed gold color with a stubborn white head that sticks around for a long while and leaves sheets of lace. I cant believe I have not reviewed this one before.

Nose is piney hops and bready, crackery malt. More of an 'old school' hop aroma than the newer, tropical IPAs. Still smells like a beer that can stand the test of time.

Ohhh, yea...thats nice. This beer never fails to impress. Soft malts are so understated and just honeyed graham cracker deliciousness. Hops have a modest bitterness but plenty of leafy-pine hoppiness. BR did this one up right when they designed this recipe. Solid IPA that is drinkable by the gallon.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 02:14:45 | More by twiggamortis420

tectactoe

Michigan

4.31/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This one has eluded me for a long time, mainly because I couldn't find a fresh bottle. Finally got one last week, looking forward to finally trying this one. Pours almost a completely opaque, bright amber and light copper color. Big eggshell head builds up nice and foamy-like, leaving lots of chunky lace on the glass nearly all the way down. Awesome looking IPA.

The nose is quiet at first, but I believe I served this one to myself a little too cold. Once it warmed up, the aroma came out strong; big-time citric hops immediately send your senses into a frenzy. Plentiful grapefruit and dense orange peel, thick layers of pine needles, with a light perfume-like characteristic that lingers about. The citrus is sweet, mildly bitter, and potent; the hops are humongous in character - sticky, oily, and brash... this is one goddamn wet and hoppy IPA. Not quite reaching "dank" status, but the piney hops have a largely resinous aroma.

Malt? Not too much. It's certainly underplayed on the nose, but that's to be expected. I take one sip and I'm strapped in for the hop-coaster. Big, wet, pine-encrusted hops glide across my palate and smack my taste buds - powerful and bitter without being too harsh or abrasive. Large, white-pepper sprinkled grapefruit peels and other various citrus rinds coat every corner of my mouth. Couple that with the thick and dense resins and hop oils, you've got yourself a sticky-delicious IPA.

Lots of pine in the finish with a nudge of bitterness that grazes the palate without completely raping it. It's actually quite mellow, really, and becomes even more mellow with time. Warming also brings out a large floral and perfume character that wasn't as evident before. Just like with many other IPAs, the malts coming in much more handy in the flavor than the aroma - biscuity and bready, the malts here perform a very nice balancing act with the aggressive hop profile, something I love to see. Fresh aftertaste with pines, oils, bread, and orange peels. The mouth feel is slick, clean, snappy, and lively; medium bodied with plenty of carbonation.

Wow, I can't believe this stuff went under my nose for such a long time, it really is a delicious IPA. Very good perception of extreme hoppiness while maintaining a great balance with the malt that keeps this beer drinkable as all hell. Goes down like a champ - and it helps that the 7% ABV goes primarily unnoticed. Delicious stuff, no joke.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 16:11:58 | More by tectactoe

Schoonerorlater

California

4.65/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

a- a cloudy, orange golden brown. nice head with a lovely trail of lace

s- citrus and pine. vanilla and caramel. hint of clove

t-hop bomber! starts off with the grapefruit and lime, pine. Heads for the sweet flavors of vanilla and caramel and finishes off with a nicey bready malt backbone.

m- medium feel. refreshing and crisp.

o- the hops have risen!! hallelujah! seriously fantastic IPA, inspiring and a "I'll be back for another" type of beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 02:11:07 | More by Schoonerorlater

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.21/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from bottle into a snifter glass

Appearance – The beer pours a medium golden amber color with a mall white head. The head has a decent level of retention, fading over time to leave a nice level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma of the brew is good with a nice mix of caramel malt and some lighter sweet fruit aromas. Mixed with these are some smells of a resinous pine and citrus hop giving it a west coast IPA nose.

Taste – The taste begins with flavors of some tropical fruits mixed with a caramel malt and bready backbone. As the flavors advance, the tongue is initially meet with some flavors of a grapefruit hop nature. These hit fairly strong and abruptly giving a hopped citrusy taste to the brew even with the sweeter fruit and malty flavors. With the advent of a sudden resinous pine hop taste and a bit of earthy hop also coming to the tongue later in the taste, when all is said and done a bitter hopped up flavor is left to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel- The body of the beer is smooth and creamy with a carbonation level that is on the higher side. The medium body baths the tongue in all the hop and malt flavors really allowing them to be sensed by the taste buds. The carbonation level being slightly high adds a good exciting tingling feel to counterbalance some of the bitter that the hop leaves, making for a rather enjoyable feel overall.

Overall – This was a nice smooth but yet still well hoped brew. A good go to.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 06:06:07 | More by Darkmagus82

tjsdomer2

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Sudsy soapy foam. Golden in color. Very nice lacing and foam.

Smell: Floral soap...a bit too soapy, but still enjoyable.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Medicinal hops and chamomile. A very subdued DIPA flavor, but quite enjoyable. Goes down clean like a lager, making this easy to drink.

Overall Drinkability: One of the strangest DIPAs I've ever had, but I look forward to having it again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2013 00:51:27 | More by tjsdomer2

BeerWizard

Colorado

4.44/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a Chimay goblet. Nice carmel-gold color, thin band of bubbles just around the rim, and visible yeast suspension in the body. Looks slightly syrupy and not a lot of effervescence. Thin film of very fine bubbles floating in the middle of the glass. Pretty color and love to see that sediment in there.

Nose has a cidery-apple aroma. Also peaches and apricot. Smell some sweetness as well as the hops, but I get more fruit. Flavor is very forward, malty, hoppy, nice bracing from the alcohol, and a clean finish. Mouthfeel is nice, syrupy, big but focused. Nice!

Overall, this beer is friggin' killer. Nice and balanced but a nice edge from the hops. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 01:37:11 | More by BeerWizard