Black Racer - Bear Republic Brewing Co.

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.24/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a DFH signature glass. About six weeks old?

A: Moderately creamy/sparse head atop a black beer that is immune to light.

S: Hops! And nutty, smoky scents.

T: Beautifully balanced and well-made. Roasted malts are hugely dominant, especially on the lingeringly bitter aftertaste, but aside from the charred, roasty flavours, there is a subversive American hop element injecting a disconcerting citrus into the mix. Overall, it's really great.

M: Creamy and robust. I'm a big fan.

O: A wonderful beer that comes highly recommended. Interesting, drinkable, and -- most importantly -- tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:01:48 | More by AgentMunky

gpogo

California

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A- Black. Tan head that drops to a foam ring.

A- Sweet citrus hops, orange, mango. Some weird smell I can't place smokey sortof. When it was cooler I got some roasty malt smells, but the hops have taken hold as it warmed.

T- Initial bitterness on the draw, piney citrus hop flavors. Some roast malt flavors. The bitterness sticks around into the aftertaste with some slight chocolate. Some light grassy vegetable hop flavor with a spicy hit in the aftertaste. Slight alcohol warmth.

M- Medium full and super smooth. Not crisp, chalky, but smooth. Medium carbonation that you know is there.

D- Super enjoyable brew, maybe not the best hot weather beer, but enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 01:46:36 | More by gpogo

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.61/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark brown to black, but with some opacity when held up to light. Full finger of head and some lacing on the glass.

S: Hoppy, yet malty.

T: Crisp hops up front give way to a full malt flavor towards the back. Mocha flavoring comes through nicely. Well balanced and very enjoyable.

M: Generous hopping keep it somewhat lighter but this is still a very full bodied beer.

O: Really nice and hope to see this one more.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 22:45:11 | More by Oakenator

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pretty simple and straight forward color: Brown. Most beers are tough to throw into just one color as they may have different hues etc but not this one, just plain and simple brown. I like the simplicity of it. A mousse like two finger tan head sits on top of that brown base and makes for a very classy looking beer that laces well. Great retention as well.

The first impression of the nose is sweetness, mostly toffee. There is an element of roasted malt characteristic behind that but also additional citrus fruits like orange, mango, and perhaps some pear. Those sweeter fruits blend nicely with the sweet malt aroma and roasted (hints of coffee) backbone.

The taste is very similar to the aroma but to me it is bigger, bolder, and a tad more sweet. The orange and pear notes really come out as that additional sweetness seems to highlight those esters and gives them the proper stage to be presented on. All of that up front sweet fruity/toffee flavor gives way to a dry, crisp, roasted (coffee-like) finish that allows this to be a very sessionable beer as the sweetness is not given the chance to overpower you.

The mouthfeel is about what would be expected given the aroma and appearance. It is a pleasantly smooth beer that finishes crisp and dry so as to wipe away the initial sweetness in the flavor.

All in all this is a very good beer overall but nothing that stands out as overly amazing. I personally think it is a very good example of the style and appreciate that it wasn't just a typical PA that had some black patent thrown in to darken up the color. It leaves a beer that is both bold and complex in the sense that it is a pairing of flavors that are unexpected yet all work very well together.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 13:11:03 | More by ElderPuma

TheSixthRing

California

3.71/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours near black that turns a deep, dark, brilliant ruby when held up to light. The head is light tan and a finger in thickness with good retention. Strong lacing with great stick.

Smell - A strong mix of roasted malt and a citrus/pine hop character. Light cocoa notes. Traces of smoke.

Taste - Fair balance of light roast coffee and bittersweet citrus. Orange pith. touches of toffee and pine. While both the roasted malt and the hoppy citrus play prominent roles, I feel both come across as fairly bland; moreso the malt side, especially at warmer temps. The flavor struggles to find a real identity. It's delicious, but not ideal.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Semi-dry finish.

Overall - It seems this is a style that will promise forever, and never deliver. I'm always looking for that strong hop punch combined with a solid, well developed roasted malt backbone. I've yet to find it, and frankly I don't know that I ever will. I don't know that it's possible for those two extremes to cohabitate in the same beer. This one had the right balance, but missed the ideal strength of either end. It's not bad, but it's fairly muddled. I don't know that I'd give this one another go.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 06:54:12 | More by TheSixthRing

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

(on tap at Monk's Kettle, SF)

A: dark brown hue....voluminous, sudsy-loose head, lots o lace

S: toasted cookie, sweetish roasted grains, and refreshing herbal/piney hops

T: bittersweet treacle-ish and a mellow bitter/spicy, citrus hop flavor.... tasty residual malt sweetness - leans more toward a rich malt flavor than most black IPAs.... mild-moderate floral-alcohol finish/aftertaste

M: remarkably clean after all.... attacks the palate initially with a semi-sharp hop bitterness, but washes out with a mildly-dextrinous residual finish

O: as far as "American Black Ale"s go, this is one of the more enjoyable I've had... much more malt-forward (which I love) but with more than enough hops to balance yet not go overboard

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2013 20:47:14 | More by Bouleboubier

scottfrie

California

4.43/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle into SN ipa glass.

A: Pours a dark cola brown with a large three finger, rocky, light tan head that took forever to fade into thick chunky film leaving streaks of sticky lace down glass.
S: In your face bright hoppiness. I get pine, grapefruit pith and slight mint.
T: Follows the nose, super fresh and bitter pine, leafy grass and citrus with a minty finish. Aftertaste sweet with fruit nectar and a tiny bit of deep dark roasted grain.
M: Medium body, clean, bitter, slick and oily mouthfeel, soft even carbonation. Drinks well.
O: One of the best most hop forward black ipas I've had. Could hardly tell this wasn't a normal dipa.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 01:01:15 | More by scottfrie

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Not a bad price $7.99 for the bomber from Halftime beverage.

A - Well it's pitch black that's for sure with a 1/2 inch of fairly deep mocha head. If I didn't know any better I would think this is a stout.
S - Citrus and tropical hop sweetness mixed with some mild roasts and some cocoa poweder. It doesn't smell too roasty which is a surprise.
T - Balanced is the best way to describe it. Some citrus and piney hops, somewhat resinous clinging to the palate after each sip with a mild bit of chalky yeasts and a touch of roast. If anything I would say it could use more roast balance and give it more complexity but it's kind of good the way it is.
M -Smooth, hides the ABV well, a very well crafted Black IPA.

Overall it's a shame this is a limited thing it's a very smooth IPA with some roasty compliment taste. Nothing offense, or light about it just a damn good beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 03:58:50 | More by DrDemento456

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22oz bottle $6.99? Dark brown that is almost black but not quite. Aroma of dark malts, bit of citrus. Flavor is more dark malts and slight bit of orange, hops, meh. This sort of reminds me of the collaboration they did with Stone. I honestly expect more considering this is themed like Racer 5. Racer 5 is much better.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 03:57:31 | More by ArrogantB

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.64/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

650ml bottle purchased from BevMo in Sunnyvale, CA. I take it this is either new, or is seasonal in a season I've never been in California before, because I can't believe I've not had it otherwise.

Pours a deep dark nondescript colour somewhere between brown and black, with tinges of ruby at the edges. Head is wonderful: fine, mild and creamy in colour, pocked with bubbles that give it a liveliness. Body looks pretty tame for 8.1% ABV: quite light and very fast moving. We'll see how it holds up.

Nose is lively at first, with a strong, pungent citrus aroma permeating everything. This settles down once it's been swirled a bit, with the volatiles dematerialising quickly. There's still a dusky orange character, backed up with some faint nutty grain characters, and perhaps a little spiciness, although it may just be that zesty orange rind character. It was powerful when first opened, after it settles, it's decent, but it's not wowing me.

Taste is again, decent enough, but a little by the book. Mild entry with some hop presence running from front to back: but it's generic hoppiness, some bitterness, some citric bite and it doesn't develop as it goes along. In the end the hops just drop out, leaving an empty graininess standing awkwardly by itself. I think it's a little embarrassed.

Feel is fine. Light, but with some support.

Overall, it's a decent beer, really. But I was expecting something so much better from Bear Republic. Really, this should be setting the standard for a West Coast IBA, but it really feels like this is a phoned-in effort, and much more of a follower than a leader.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 03:09:28 | More by lacqueredmouse

SHODriver

California

3.89/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: poured into a nonic pint to a deep black with a finger of dense light tan head that retains well with good lacing
S: smells of citrus, pine and earthy hops with the faintest hint of roasted malt
T: citrusy hops with grapefruit and orange flavor with a bit of roasted malt profile. slight pineyness and a touch earthy. swallow brings a blast of oily and resinous hop flavor with a bit more roasted malt and a slight coffee/chocolate
M: lighter side of medium on the palate with slightly prickly carbonation. a bit dry on the finish but the oily hops coat the palate as well. interesting
O: looks good, tastes good and smells good. this beer is a real winner with a lot of hop flavor but the dark malts could have stood to bring more flavor into the mix than just performing a color shift.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 04:13:32 | More by SHODriver

draheim

Washington

3.79/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

22oz into a tulip. Pours a deep coffee brown/black w/ a big tan head, good uniform lacing.

Aroma is lots of pine and citrus with just a hint of roasty and chocolatey malt. Relatively subdued.

Taste is more pronounced, but not much better defined. Orange, grapefruit and piney hops serve as a counterweight to a fairly neutral dark malt base. There's just a touch of chocolate and roast, but it doesn't stand out as it does with some other ABAs. If I close my eyes it almost tastes like a regular IPA.

Mouthfeel is balanced and medium-bodied.

Overall a good enough beer but not in the same league with some of the better American black ales out there.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 05:25:39 | More by draheim

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: black, tan colored head, plenty lace.

S: some pine, citrus, roast and chocolate.

T: pine and bitterness, mild citrus, chocolate, roasted malts, coffee and flowers.

M: medium body, low carbonation.

O: nice ABA with pleasurable pine notes. Original racer definitely better, but this is good.

Thanks Alex!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 21:00:39 | More by EgadBananas

HalfFull

California

3.6/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz, bomber poured into a large wine glass, the Black Racer pours dark and with ruby highlights. Offers a decent cap of foam and some muddled piney notes on the nose along with some light chocolate notes.

Taste and body are a bit thin given the expectations of the pour. Touch of light chocolate, slightly coarse in nature though not overpowering. Feel is a bit chalky but balanced with a touch of sweetness.

Offers a nice deep hop aroma but is profundly lacking in bitterness in my view. A hoppy black ale indeed nonetheless. Quite solid and worth a visit,

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 03:55:07 | More by HalfFull

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: Completely dark brown, some might say black. The head an easy tan color rose to maybe 1/2" off the body. Settles real quick after just the first sip. Sticky lacing on the wall of the glass.

Smell:You smell and you would definitely like the light sugar-caramel scent. Comes off a little piney.

Taste: Definitely has IPA qualities, floral and gently bitter. malty and has a smoothness to it that is just awesome. Has a sweetness to it feels of light molasses and little bit of citrus.

Mouth: What lingers really is a roasted maltiness, the glass down and only thing that can tame the taste is a slice of cheddar.

Overall: I bought this on chance and definitely money well spent. Thank you Mike at Superstar Beers, until next time. Salud!

Serving type: growler

04-29-2013 04:54:04 | More by BlurryVisi0n

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

bomber into SAVOR snifter. cant find a bottled on date.

A: very dark brown body. head is off-white and frothy. good retention. great lacing.

S: fantastically fresh American hop aroma works with a rich malt presence. dark malt.

T: roasty. a little astringent. tobacco and a bit of smoke in the middle of the drink. much more malt here than indicated in the aroma.

M: mild carb on a medium/full body.

D: very tasty Black IPA. get it fresh.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 03:26:31 | More by Jimmys

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

22oz bomber, bottled Jan 21, 2013. Muchas gracias to doktorzee for carting this back from Cali for me.

This beer pours a very dark mahogany-tinted brown colour, with three fingers of puffy, rocky, and creamy beige head, which leaves some lovely dense treeline lace around the glass as it slowly melts away.

It smells of roasted, somewhat charred caramel malt, bittersweet chalky cocoa, aged citrus rind, vegetal pine hops, and some mild spicy pepper notes - which make it hard to shake the idea of mole sauce. The taste is medium baker's chocolate, toasted dark bread, kind of musty, fruity citrus, last autumn's fallen pine combs, a twinge of cold coffee, and loitering vegetable greens. No earthly sign of that 8 points and change ABV.

The carbonation is lightly frothy up front, and quickly settles to a pleasant lilt, the body a sturdy medium-heavy weight, the dark ale really delivering here, and mostly smooth amongst a wee clamminess. It finishes quite off-dry, the judicious chocolate malt kind of throwing its heft around, while the hops maintain their pithy holding position.

A surprisingly malt-forward example of an ABA, especially coming from this brewery. Not a bad thing per se, but I was kind of hoping to see how these guys approach this hybrid style with their usual arsenal of hopitude. In the end, a decent, mildly hoppy dark ale, with a boozy punch that you sure don't see coming.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 02:20:26 | More by biboergosum

inlimbo77

Delaware

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz, March '13 release
5oz mini snifter

A: Pours a nice dark brown color. Layer of tan head. Some lacing sheeting. Pretty BIPA.

S: Roast. Chocolate. Hops. Mostly pulling piney earthy hops over the really juicy fruit ones.

T: This is really good stuff here. Up front you get nice pine like hop character. Bitterness isn't too aggressive. Then you get the meshing of the chocolate and roast character. The malt bill isn't too thick and still lets this drink like an IPA more than a hoppy porter. Dry finish.

M: Medium bodied.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 15:22:56 | More by inlimbo77

lsummers

California

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

Poured on tap a pitch black with a two finger light tan head. Sticky lacing that clings.

Smell is pretty well balanced with some nice roasted grain and piney citric hops. Baked goods and fresh grassy notes.

Taste is roasted oats and nutty brown bread with that piney hop forward bitterness. Ends on a burnt brown sugar sweetness.

Mouthfeel is fairy round and sticky, still light enough to not weigh it down to much.

Overall this is a great example of a black ipa. Reminds me of some great porter qualities mixed with that hop sweet bitterness we all love. The blend of qualities is very well balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2013 22:51:31 | More by lsummers

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a brown black with garnet highlights if you hold it to a light. the head is beige and a bit small but it lingers on for quite a while and leaves generous amounts of lacing as it fades.
The aroma is fantastic. Richly aromatic with grapefruit and citrus hops. Floral hops add depth to the aroma which can be detected far from your glass.
The strong hop bouquet pairs well with the taste. It tastes as it smell with a rich and deep hop character. Citrusy hops and floral hops make for a fantastic taste and malts which played a minor roll in the nose are up front and in your face.
malts had a rich roasted taste with hints of molasses and licorise.
The feel is thick on the palate and slick and syrupy, I didn't dig that part. It's only mildly bitter which makes for an easy drink.
A well made well balanced beer thats easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 11:40:50 | More by micromaniac129

mactrail

California

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

The aroma is really appealing and different. It even smells dark, with the burnt sugar scent mixed with piney hop aromas. It makes me think of roast pumpkin and vanilla. I like this for being less hop-dominant. They call it an IPA, but I think it's correctly categorized as a Black Ale that happens to be pretty hoppy.

Quite dark, of course, with a handsome beige head. Pleasantly sudsy in the mouth. A little sharp and slightly slick. Huge nose of flowery and piney hops. Somewhat fruity, but no single flavor stands out. A little on the dank side but a more open and clean flavor for the most part. The touches of toffee, charred grain, and pineapple upside-down cake add to the complexity. Substantial bitter aftertaste, finally. From the 22 oz bottle for $6.59 at Baron's Marketplace, Point Loma Blvd.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 06:29:04 | More by mactrail

nmann08

Maryland

3.84/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served from a 22oz bottle.

Pours a dark brown, almost black with an off-white thick head, great head retention.

Smell wise, pulling out molasses, some fruit, pine smell from the hops. There is an interesting smoke smell that is coming through, which I usually enjoy, but this seems misplaced.

It starts with malts, almost sweet, then turns into a bitter piney taste leaving a lingering smoke aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is fine.

Overall, this is an OK representation of the style. Its good, but so many better examples of better American Black Ales out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 00:43:47 | More by nmann08

Dope

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No bottle date but released fairly recently.

A: Pours a very dark brown, almost black pour. Big, fluffy light brown head. Head fades slowly with great retention. Almost solid walls of lacing left behind. Excellent.

S: Lots of pine and grapefruit with a bit of resin. A hint of chocolate but the hops rule here.

T: Again with the pine, resin, and bitter grapefruit. Roasted malt is more noticeable here but still mostly obscured. A little bit of chocolate and char tries to battle it out with the bitterness. Wave of bitterness in the finish. More pine and resin mainly with some cocoa. Lingering resinous hops in the aftertaste.

M: Medium bodied, unremarkable.

O: Nice black IPA. A lot more balanced than your average Racer 5 or Racer X but still the roasted malt barely has a chance to get going. At the same time, doesn't have quite the sharpness and quality of flavors that I get from something like a Racer 5. Not very bitter either. Good but not great. Feel like it's missing something. I still enjoyed it plenty, it's just hard to follow up the act of their other hoppy beers I think.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 04:33:42 | More by Dope

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.96/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a shaker pint, the beer is a very dark, almost black coloring with ruby highlights around the very edges and a thin, filmy, light tan coating of surface head. Aromas of roasted hops, resiny and slightly charred, and a touch of tropical fruit sweetness. Flavors of dark, sweet malt in the backbone, both fruity and a touch of molasses, with a resiny, bitter, slightly fruity hops overlay and a kiss of smoke and roast. Very balanced, on a full, smooth body. Tasty brew. The aftertaste has smoke, bitter hops, and roast, as well as a touch of chocolate. Very layered and dynamic. Slightly bitter, roasty finish that lingers long enough to entice more drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 22:04:47 | More by GarthDanielson

flexabull

California

3.79/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a deep dark black color with a very nice light tan colored head.

Aromas are of roasted malts and hints of pine needles.

Taste is malty up front, roasted malts, cocoa beans, and light coffee. Finish is lightly bitter, with pine needles, and mineral hoppiness.

Mouthfeel is crisp and clean, with decent body.

Overall, a pretty nice Cascadian Ale, but I'd like too see more hop flavors. Good beer, but second tier compared to others in the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 19:45:36 | More by flexabull