Café Racer 15 - Bear Republic Brewing Co.

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.54/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Lord Hobo in Cambridge.

Golden-yellow and super hazy. Big fluffy white head that leaves behind tons of lacing and good retention. Big bright citrusy nose complemented by piney hop aromas. Super sticky and resiny with plenty of dry citrus such as grapefruit and some mango. Some booze in there as well. The finish is all hops. Dry, pungent, bitter, delicious hops. With each sip, I'm reminded of biting from a fresh grapefruit. It's that dry and bitter. A hint of malt tries to sneak its way through the hop deluge but this is an onslaught. Everything a hop bomb should be. This is a West Coast DIPA that I remember from my Arizona days. Great stuff. But be warned..if you're not a hop head, this might not be for you.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2013 01:07:13 | More by Gatch

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.89/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

64oz growler
Filled, 4/25/13. Drank, 5/2/13

A: Pours our clear bright orange color. Layer of bright white. Fades to nothing pretty quickly. Doesn't leave a ton of lacing. Still good carbonation though, tiny bubbles coming up from the bottom.

S: Nice nose here. Some tropical fruits: Mango, Papaya and Apricot. There is some sweet slightly bready malt behind it too. Sort of smells like Russian River IPAs, but not quite as good.

T: Creamy hop bitterness on tip of tongue. Fruitiness. Lots of mango and papaya. There are some malts that shine through in the mid palate. The flavor on this is good, but the nose is better. A mild let down. Dry finish with lingering bitterness.

M: Medium bodied.

Serving type: growler

05-03-2013 14:52:05 | More by inlimbo77

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Any time I see a Bear Republic beer that is new, I am ready and willing to try it.

The sweet tone on this is odd to me. Seems way overstated with the hop character adding an uneventful spiced tone. It's...not what I would expect from Bear Republic. Or, hope to get from them. Oh well. On to the next I suppose.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2013 09:48:39 | More by RblWthACoz

dar482

New York

4.74/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This has a brilliant aroma. So fresh and bright of hops. The taste has a punch of hops without the booziness of some double IPAs. It's bitter, but has a fresh taste that I love from IPAs. The good amount of carbonation helps uplift it as well.

As compared to Racer 5 or Hop Red Rye, this blows the two away.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2013 23:21:53 | More by dar482

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.54/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: A deep deep golden color with a slight amber tint to it. The body itself is very transparent. The bubbles are light but they are definitely there. Head comes off easy, off-white maybe 1/3" with a hard pour.

Smell: Light citrus mostly grapefruit, you take a sniff its ok...I want you to take another sniff it just hits you like oh my god. The scent it slightly light but its strong off the each whiff. A wet hopped scent which is incredibly pleasant.

Taste: Strong and bitter first words coming out my mouth, this brew is already on top of the one of the best period. With strong, floral feel and the grapefruit skin its feels like biting into a raw piece of grapefruit. it has that bitter sweet that has a sound that is close to perfect.

Mouth: With a medium carbonation, and it's smoothness you honestly have yourself a winner.

Overall: I am beyond impressed what quality that is presented to you. With quality like this that screams flavor, taste and body alone you have yourself a quality brew. I will be at the Superstar Beverage next week and will gladly pour myself another with no argument as long as it is available. Don't hesitate and just drink, Salud!

Serving type: growler

02-13-2013 06:54:39 | More by BlurryVisi0n

denver10

Colorado

4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a golden orange with a white head. Aroma is hoppy and malty; juicy tropical fruits, some florals and a malty foundation of some biscuit. Flavor was similar with a big malt foundation providing some buttery biscuit, the hops offered tropical fruit, and some florals. I didn't get too much bitterness from it. A medium bodied, active mouthfeel. Overall, not my favorite style of beer but definitely enjoyed this. I still prefer their Hop Rod Rye to this (for a BR offering), but would be happy to drink this again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2013 02:17:27 | More by denver10

Chelsea1905

Washington

4.11/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Had a pint at O'Brian's in San Diego.

Nice copper colour with a small head that left spider web lacing.

Nose of hops piney, and malty biscuit backbone

Initial taste was kind of boozy, but the malt washed over that, and then the hops lingered on the tongue.

Very nice pint.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2013 23:00:06 | More by Chelsea1905

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.34/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured on-tap and served in a tulip, the beer is a hazed orange-copper coloring with a small bubbled, off-white, clingy head. Nose of tropical fruit, with a heavy dose of mango and grapefruit. Slight bitterness to the hops character, too. Flavors of biscuit/toast in the backbone, with a citrusy and floral hops overtone. Spicy, green highlights, with touches of caramel sweetness underlying. Smooth, spiced aftertaste that is resiny and bitter. Very smooth bodied, with a clean, bitter finish. Very tasty brew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2013 02:19:27 | More by GarthDanielson

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance. Pours a clear, rich amber-gold with a finger of thick off-white head.

Smell. Piney floral hops with a little citrus and some sweet caramel malts.

Taste. Big piney, floral hops with some bitter citrus rinds and a fairly sweet caramel malt base.

Mouthfeel. Medium body, medium+ carbonation.

Overall. A nice big ipa, but I wish I tried this before the hop venom, probably would have rated it higher...

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2013 20:48:03 | More by Rutager

elNopalero

Texas

4.6/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

This pours an orange tinted amber. Its aroma is wonderfully hoppy and sweet. The flavor is sweetly hoppy, with some orange peel & a piney bittering. Has an absolutely great finish to it. Hop forward with a light body. And are those Citra hops I detect? Delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2013 08:12:17 | More by elNopalero

Halcyondays

California

4.09/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours a translucent goldenrod to yellow orange with a full creamy white head, nice thick lace.

S: Very nice, with notes of grapefruit and pineapple, pungent, sticky West Coast feel.

T: The taste rains it in. Solid malt flavour with a hint of ethanol. White grapefruit, melon rind, passion fruit form the hop flavours. Tasty, but not as good as I expected with the nose.

M: Medium to full-bodied, resiny, big hop character, slick at times.

O: A well made Double IPA, not surprised since this is Bear Republic whe're taking about here. Well worth a try for fans of the West Coast style.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2013 22:49:16 | More by Halcyondays

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.39/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A-Pours a semi-hazed glowing marmalade color. Pretty easy to see through. Mild head. Head leaves speckles of lace around the glass.

S-Juicy, wet hops. Not super intense but intense enough to warrant some merit. Tropical and citrusy with a load of dried grass. Citra all the way.

T-Tropical fruits are citrus flesh. Grapefruit transforms into bitter grass. Malt bows down to the hoppiness. The hop expression is quite memorable.

M-Resinous and bitter. Medium/full in body. Dry. Booze hidden well.

O/D-Great beer. I can definitely lump this into the same quality category as their Racer 5 and Racer X. Love them Citra hops.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2013 18:40:17 | More by VelvetExtract

mdfb79

New York

4.2/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 01/06/12 notes. Had this on tap at Pony Bar in NYC on the UES. 8 oz. pour.

a - Pours a clear orange-amber color with one inch of bright white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of tropical fruits, grapefruit, citrus hops, pine hops, fruity malts, and some lemon. lots of hops and tropical fruits; loving the nose.

t - Tastes of tropical fruits, citrus hops, grapefruit, pine hops, floral hops, lemon zest, fruity malts, and some pineapple. Taste is lightly bitter but not a ton. Quite nice.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Light bitter bite but not much at all, especially for 9% ABV.

o - Overall a really nice DIPA and another good beer from BR. I think I actually like this more than Racer 5 and X. Tons of tropical fruits and citrus hops, with little bitterness. Would love to have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2013 17:25:00 | More by mdfb79

TheBrewo

Michigan

4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew was poured from the tap at Rattle N’ Hum in New York, NY. It arrived in a high stemmed pilsner glass glowing a golden, pale brown coloring. It held a two finger head of creamy white bubbles, showing great retention. This left thick sheets of lacing down the sides of the glass, making everything look very frothy. There was a chill haze, no sediment, and light carbonation. The aroma was of light grain of pale malt, with a toast, and some yeasty metallics. Warmed fruity hops, with pear pineapple, and mango came next, with hearty no-nonsense grapefruit hops, and grassy funk with warmth. Our first impression was that it tasted like a heavy IPA, lacking the overdone roast and caramel to the malts that has become some common for DIPAs. The flavoring opened with hops like crazy. They were sticky sweet, like a nectary citric syrup with pine cones floating in it. A light grumble of gritty, dirty pale malts came to backup for the balance and pull us to the peak. Here there was more toast of grain, huge bitterness of citric hop and rind, with an added sweetness of raw honey, and syrupy fig pulp. The finish was bitter of pine and citric rind, metallics to pucker, and a final wash of malts, with grain bite and sweetness to ease any residual bitterness. The aftertaste breathed of clean, bittering hops of soap and pine, big booze, and that same fruity, syrupy sweetness from the center. The body was medium, and the carbonation was medium. There was a thick, sticky coating at first, but bitterness pulled a final pucker. There was good slurp, smack, cream, and glug, with ultimate dryness. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank easily, being slowed only by the bitterness.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the robust but easy flavoring, and the soft drinkability. The bitterness through the mouth may be off-putting for some, but the sweetness and grain to blend nicely towards the end, making for a tasty, easy-drinking offering.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2012 15:39:36 | More by TheBrewo

jtd1969

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Golden with fairly good clarity. Lots of lacing

S -Tropical awesomeness Pineapple, Mango, citrus with some sweet bread

T - Lite caramel, Malt is overpowered by hops, but in a a good crisp clean way. (If that makes sense) lots of citrus hops with a smooth finish

M - Medium bodied with good carbonation, nice hop finish, doesn't linger

O - WOW , had it a Dog Street Pub in Williamsburg, Va. Such a delight.. ABV well hidden, Wish I could have convinced my group to stay there all day and I would have been in beer heaven!!

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2012 23:55:12 | More by jtd1969

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at the Meridian Pint the other day.

The beer pours a light golden amber color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is all west coast hoppy goodness, showcasing considerable orange citrus and pine, but with little malty sweetness. Consequently, I was a bit surprised by what I tasted, as this beer had a considerable sweet malt base, along with the considerable hoppy bitterness. It's still a fine tasting beer, but I found the alcohol to be a bit more prominent than I expected. Mouthfeel was otherwise medium bodied, with a long, bitter, alcoholic finish.

A nice enough beer, and I'm wondering if freshness might have been something of a problem here. I think the beer had been on tap for a while at the MP, and that may have contributed to the excessive sweet malt and noticeable alcohol. Still a nice beer, and one I hope to try again from a fresher keg.

Edit from 2/4/13. Happened to be in Healdsburg on Saturday, and so got my wish to sample a fresher version of this beer. The difference was dramatic. At the brewpub, this beer has a wonderful nose of tropical fruit, pine and dry citrus. This smells like a hophead's dream, and the flavor profile didn't disappoint. It replicates the nose, but the mouthfeel is fairly light and lean for such a big beer, but I think that works well in this DIPA. Otherwise, the moderate sweetness in the mid palate is gently pushed aside, leading to a long, bitter, hop infused finish. Alcohol is well integrated into the flavor profile, with no noticeable heat on the finish. Just delicious. Still would have preferred the Racer X (which they were out of), but this wasn't a bad substitute.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2012 13:16:40 | More by johnmichaelsen

ArrogantB

Colorado

4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Hops and Pie. Orange-yellow color, soapy head. Strong aroma of hops, citrus, pine, touch of malt. Flavor was more citrus hops with a decent malt backbone. I'm not sure if this is an amped up Racer 5 but it was a pretty good DIPA. I'd definitely order this again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2012 22:06:25 | More by ArrogantB

UCLABrewN84

California

4.05/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap for the 4th Annual LA Beer Week Beer Festival at Union Station in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a clear honey orange with a foamy tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus fruit, citrus zest, and some slight tropical fruit aromas. Taste is much the same with a medium hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with a great smell and a nice hoppy flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2012 03:23:57 | More by UCLABrewN84

macrosmatic

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to eyebereej for this one! Reviewed from notes. Poured from Bear Republic growler into TBBC pint glass.

A: Completely clear luminous gold, forms a thin white head with a good amount of visible carbonation. Decent lacing on the glass.

S: You smell this stuff as soon as you open the bottle, and it's awesome. Fruity - citrus, oranges tropical, mango and pineapple - with pine, resin, grassy hops also; all with a background of sweet caramel malt.

T: Follows the nose, and it's really tasty. The hop profile is complex, although I found it to be a bit less fruity and a bit more caramel aspect than the smell. There's also some booziness that I didn't pick up in the nose.

M: Medium weight to the body. The carbonation is on the low side which leads to an almost creamy mouthfeel. The alcohol is noticeable but doesn't detract.

O: Really good. While the growler was very fresh, I wonder it some of the carbonation & mouthfeel would have been different if it was drank fresh on-tap. Either way, I'm very impressed with this one, and would run to the store for more, were it to be found there. Highly recommended.

Serving type: growler

09-21-2012 00:31:36 | More by macrosmatic

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on-tap @ american craft, brookline MA, 7/22/11.
(review from notes)

pours a slightly hazy golden/orange tone while yielding a good 1" head, moderate retention and lacing. nose is good, though not mind-blowing: big hoppy notes (citrus, a bit of pine), with a light malty presence in the background.

taste is also quite nice. the citrus (grapefruit) and pine are there, along with a floral element, though more subtle on that count. packs a sturdy malt backbone. very tasty, though nothing transcendent. medium bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation. well-hidden alcohol presence.

overall this is a damn good beer. lacks that intangible wow factor, but i still really enjoyed it. worth a try if you should run into it.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2012 22:24:38 | More by BostonHops

Kooz

New York

4.03/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap as a cask beer at a Hell's Kitchen pub. Orange and slightly cloudy; somewhat appetizing. Two distinct smells came from this beer: yeast and strong citrus. I couldn't wait to jump in! Tasted sour and slightly citrusy with a nice bitter aftertaste. There wasn't a lot of body, but I wanted something more on the refreshing side, so the lightness was perfect. Overall, this beer was excellent, and but for the price, I would have drank it all night.

Serving type: cask

06-10-2012 04:32:35 | More by Kooz

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brew pub.

Orange amber small white head. Full on citrus and hop resin. Flavors match the nose. Loads of grapefruit and bitter orange zest. Sticky and lightly carbonated. This was the first hop bomb I'd had in awhile and it woke me up for sure. Never had Racer X but I imagine this is a solid replacement.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 06:14:02 | More by beerwolf77

largadeer

California

4.38/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Draft at Rose and Crown. Clear amber body topped by a finger of head that recedes to a thin collar.

Tangerine, orange, sugar cookie aroma. Bit of tropical fruit, more citrus dominant. Bright and juicy, superior to Racer X.

Palate is resiny with juicy citrus notes. Orange, pineapple, herbal astringency. Faint sweetness from the malt integrates well with the citrusy hop profile. Body is medium-light, and the finish is pleasantly bitter with mild drying astringency. Really nice stuff, about as good as the better batches of Racer X.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 04:06:51 | More by largadeer

flexabull

California

4.03/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the local Alehouse.

Pours a bright gold color with a nice white head.

Aromas are very hoppy. Very resiny, with notes of pine, also quite floral with mixed citrus notes. There is also a distinct hard candy like smell too, almost like peppermint.

Taste is similar to the nose. Really hoppy up front. Bitter and biting upon first sip. Pine like, resiny, with some lemon zest, tangerine, and mangos. Underlying beer has some creamy and hard candy like sweetness, but it's a bit fainter than something like Racer X which seems to balance the sweetness and bitterness a bit better than this one. Still nice flavors going on here.

Mouthfeel is full, crisp, with snappy carbonation.

Overall, a solid DIPA. Lacks some balance though, comes off really flavorfull and hoppy beer, with some pretty strong bitterness though, definitely not for the faint of heart.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2011 16:20:53 | More by flexabull

jslot38

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Lord Hobo in Cambridge MA. A very interesting find.

12oz pour into a bulb glass. Body is a light copper, touch of amber. Translucent with a white head that fades to a top covering. Leaves some intense lacing.

Aroma is straight hop vine, great mix of pine, floral resins, citrus, grapefruit etc...

Taste is more of the same but balanced out with a sweet malt backbone. Has the great hop character of racer 5 and 10 but adds some biscuit and caramel too. Still the great pine grass hope notes are the primary flavor.

Slick hop oils balanced with nice carbonation. Another great ipa from bear republic, but a little less west coast than I was expecting.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2011 00:49:54 | More by jslot38