Racer X Double IPA - Bear Republic Brewing Co.

HopLuva

Massachusetts

4.99/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I had this on tap at The PourFarm Tavern in New Bedford Mass. Poured a hazy red orange with a nice creamlike head .Citrus aromas hit you immediately at first smell...Wonderful! Taste is medium full body with a nice hoppy feel and some malt. This is a class A IPA

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2013 16:24:05 | More by HopLuva

smakawhat

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured on tap at Churchkey DC, into a pint glass.

A real nice golden amber, slightly hazy and orange, but fairly clear with some small rising tiny carbonation. Head is off white and presented small, but coats with lots of ring like lacing.

Nose is a classic hop front, but it seems thick and juicy. Hints of chewy green leaf and mild apricot fruit. Orange citrus and juicy pulp warm up, with some time. Hop angle coats real nicely, with a bit of sweetness and mild quick zesty bitter. The most impressive is the full rich juicy palate which coats everywhere with a solid malt backbone. Peppery finish of hop lots of tingling feel and taste. It does come off a little hot though, and just a little boozy.

Overall though real fun and still easy to drink but it is noticeably big. I think though i prefer other favorites but this can stand with the best of them.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2012 00:33:03 | More by smakawhat

TheBrewo

Michigan

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

This beer was served from the tap at The Blind Tiger in New York, NY. It arrived in a generic tulip glass, glowing a golden red coloring. It held a one and a half finger head of creamy tan bubbles, leaving sticky lacing as it slowly receded. There was no haze or sediment noted, and carbonation appeared average. The aroma showed caramel malts, passion fruit and strawberry sugars, limey bite, grapefruit and herbal hops, dill, oregano, and light bubbles gum esters. Our first impression was that there was nicely robust strawberry and grapefruit hop sweetness. The flavoring opened with stark warmth of spice and sweetness of melon and passion fruit. The peak came with bitter, herbal hops, bite and bitterness of blackened malts, and bright and sweet citric and nectary hops. The finish gave a renewed bittering metallic bite of pale, toasted grain, big grapefruity hops, and herbal dill qualities. The aftertaste breathed of the entire blend, with more sugars of caramel and pale malt dextrins, raw honey, and the bite of citric hoppy goodness. The body was soft, and the carbonation was active. Each sip gave a nice creamy slurp, soft froth, and hearty cream mustache. The mouth was coated with syrupy slickness, and light sugary stickiness, with little drying to the palate. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank very easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the overt sourness of grain, and big bite of hop through the taste. There is also a surprising strength to the fruit qualities in the flavoring, adding a serious depth and complexity. The caramel maltiness also adds to this, making for a nicely well-rounded mouth. This, coupled with the soft and highly creamy and frothy feel, makes for a very tasty offering, and something to be proud of for the “Racer” series.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2012 23:22:02 | More by TheBrewo

LubricatedWisdom76

4.35/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Excited to try this newer release from one of the best hop forward beer breweries around. A fantastic beer!

A: Poured deep orange/amber with a great billowy head

S: Smells earthy and piney with a hint of caramel malts and sweetness. Like rolling around in a forest. With bread dough.

T: Lots of balance as it warms up. Hop profile on the front end is more earth, pine, and dankness than citrus. Great malt balance with sweet caramel to balance out the floral bitterness. Aftertaste finishes with some lingering grapefruit.

M: Drinkable with food or without, with a smooth character that doesn't show the 8+ % ABV

O: A great balanced DIPA, other reviewers have said they can taste the "English-ness" of it but I think it's simply more balanced if anything and doesn't punch you in the face with puckering salted lemon flavors like some one dimensional DIPA's out there. This is more well-rounded with plenty of dank American hops.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2012 16:27:33 | More by LubricatedWisdom76

elNopalero

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This was a good one. Pours an auburn-tan color. I get lots of citrus aroma—orange juice and orange peel, some orange pith, really just layers of different variations of orange. Flavor has a good dose of orange bitterness. Orange bitters, orange zest, orange blossom, orange peel. If I’m not mistaken this has an English ale yeast which lends it some interesting contrasts to the typical West Coast IPA/DIPAs you tend to get around these parts.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2012 19:36:28 | More by elNopalero

WeedKing4

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at City beer store in SF. pours a hazy, dark orange. Tastes slightly citrusy with a strong malt backbone. Crisp bitterness and it drinks down really easily. Glad I finally got to try this one. Another good offering from Bear Republic.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2012 03:29:39 | More by WeedKing4

sentomaster

Connecticut

3.8/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Great looking pour of dark orange with a thick off white head of foam.

S- Lots of fantastic orange like citrus notes with a touch of pine and grass, and juicy delight. Malt is pronounced in the nose, lots of caramel and toasted bread underneath the hops.

T/M- This is a very malty DIPA. not what I was expecting, even with the sweetness from the nose. The orange citrus from before is definitely there, but holy cow is this one malty SOB. This is more like a barleywine -which I would rate it very highly as- but not a DIPA.

O- Great beer but I like my DIPA to be a little less malty than this one. Balance is always a good thing to me, but this ventures to far towards the malt for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2012 17:25:59 | More by sentomaster

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A-This beer pours nearly headless. Color of the body is quite pretty. A hazy burnt orange color. Hard to see through the body. Minimal head leaves mild lacing rings.

S-The nose really lets you know this beer means business. Packed full of super ripe, and super juicy fruit-forward hops. Citrus is the most dominant aroma here and I am more than happy with such a characteristic. Plenty of pine behind the citrus. Also a hefty malt backbone. However, this beer smells much more hop-forward than balanced.

T-The taste is exquisite. I can really detect the English origins because the malt is fairly robust and well-crafted. Yet, this beer is hop-laden to say the least. Like the nose, there is just an awesome amount of citrus and other assorted tropical fruits. Pine really plants itself into the discussion, especially within the first few sips. Plenty of hops, but the malt is there as a solid backup as well. Alcohol swings through too.

M-Resiny and fairly creamy. Carbonation is mild-to-moderate. Lasting bitterness, but not overpowering. Nice feel.

O/D-This truly is Racer 5's big brother. This is a masterfully brewed DIPA. I love the fruity hop-explosion. Great balance but plenty of hop-derived intensity to keep more much more than satisfied. Very happy to have had this, especially on tap. Bear Republic further proves they are masters at crafting hoppy brews.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2012 21:00:32 | More by VelvetExtract

NWer

Washington

4.88/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On tap at the brewery last month during their brewery only release.
PtY one day, X the next. Life doesn't get any better than that.
Pours nice golden in a tulip glass. Tight foamy head retains well. Flowery. Well balanced. Very flavorful. Finish is smooth and very enjoyable.
On of the great West Coast IPA's.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2012 00:05:23 | More by NWer

mkotsayfan

California

4.7/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Rubicon Brewing Company. Pours a dark orange/copper color with a nice one finger of off-white head. The aroma is strong with nice pine and citrus notes, along with a stronger than expected malt presence. This malt presence is really accentuated in the taste, as it matches the massive hops you get. The taste is truly fantastic and blew me away, usually a strong malt presence isn't welcomed in a double IPA (IMO) but this really worked. The mouthfeel is medium-light bodied with good carbonation, and a rich and smooth finish with the right amount of bitterness, and the alcohol is well hidden.

Wow, this is right up there with Pliny the Younger for me...this is one amazing DIPA. Would love to get a hold of more of this.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2012 09:27:42 | More by mkotsayfan

57md

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is copper in color with little head, but some lacing. The nose is reminiscent of grapefruits. The flavor profile of this offering works out very well with a malty front-end matched with a hop bitter finish. An excellent example of a DIPA
.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2012 07:49:49 | More by 57md

Rinkor16

California

4.4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought a pint on tap and then bought a few bombers to go.

A: A very nice orange color, a little on the darker side. Clear and lots of lacing.

S: Smells great. Lots of grapefruit and other citrus. A hint of pine.

T: Grapefruit and other citrus. Then the hops and a little bit of sweet alcohol. Tastes great.

M: Medium body and moderate carbonation. Smooth.

O: I'm glad I drove up to Healdsburg and had it on tap. Definitely an excellent DIPA. Not my favorite, but it is really good. I wish they would make it year round.... I would definitely buy it again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2012 04:50:11 | More by Rinkor16

williamjbauer

West Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap served in a pint glass

A - Awesome deep clear copper with one finger off-white head with good head retention and good lacing.

S - Rich aroma with primarily citrus hop notes and some sweet malts.

T - Almost perfect balance of hops and alcohol. This is one amazing Imperial IPA. Very complex and satisfying.

O - One of the best IPAs in California and one of the best Imperials I have had.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2012 17:24:24 | More by williamjbauer

HopNelius

New York

4.88/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

served on tap at Coles, had in a Tulip glass.
Appearance-golden orange, medium carbonation.
Smell-wonderful notes of citrus and pine.
Taste-heavy notes of grapefruit, tangerine, orange, followed with light pine notes and with a slight alcohol kick on the finish.
Mouthfeel-lovely,not too much carbonation, a nice citrus hop taste lingers.
Overall-I have to admit I have been waiting to try this beer for awhile, and I was not disapointed, I actually said to my wife, this could be my new favorite beer. If you are a fan of Imperial IPA's or IPA's seek this beer out, excellent, very nicely balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2012 01:24:02 | More by HopNelius

rand

California

4.53/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Tiger! Tiger!, poured into Uinta pint glass

A: Apricot-orange in color, clear and sudsy. Lots of lacing as I twirl the glass.

S: Citrus and line bouquet, strong. Lots of orange zest, blending nicely with wafts of caramelly sweet bread. Plenty of alcohol volatiles propel the aromas.

T: Crisp floral hops rush the palate, citrusy and fresh; oily and resinous as well. The malt-backbone yields enough support, exposing notes of honey and toffee. The alcohol isn't masked, but held in check by the huge palate - the brew isn't boozy at all. Finishy perfectly bitter-sweet.

M: Rich and oily. Seeps into every crevice of your mouth...in a good way.

Bear Republic is arguably the Godfather brewery of the West Coast IPA, so it's no surprise that their big hoppy IIPA is a standard-bearer. Anytime I see this on tap it's my first order.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 06:39:15 | More by rand

Corkpuller

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My favorite Double IPA (or any IPA).

Orange with some rust.

The nose is tropical with dank underbrush aromas and a slight herbs de provence. Alcohol is totally buried by aromatics.

The palate enters slighty sweet and then quickly dries out and feels much more attenuated than it must be. The hops are rich and considerable but not particularly resiny. The firm dry texture is offset by a surprisingly creamy carbonation and a complex and ever changing rush of flavors. The palate is so complete and balanced it's almost ridiculous.

There is no hope of me accurately describing this beer. It is a masterpiece. Thank you bear republic. Awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2012 21:10:33 | More by Corkpuller

Phelps

Arizona

3.98/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed in a shaker pint at Tops.

Shiny as a gold brick, with just a little haze. The airy head of light tan quickly fizzles away to nothingness.

Dank, tropical and pine in the nose. A good amount of caramel and torched sugar sweetness mixes with mango, pine needles and pineapple.

The flavor gives off hints of mint. Tropical notes are here as well, backed by sticky weed. Pine needles are just a bit more prominent than mango and guava, and the hops are all backed by big caramel and sugars. Fairly sweet, like candied citrus peel.

Smooth, velvety medium body. Gentle massaging carbonation, holds together well. Not much showing from the booze.

To my palate, Racer X isn’t much different from Racer 5. It’s less spicy and more fruity and tropical, but it’s not that huge an improvement.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2012 05:23:32 | More by Phelps

UpToMeBeer

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Fresh Craft in Denver.

A: Mostly clear copper color with an average head and minimal lacing.
S: Smells like a west-coast DIPA-- zesty citrus, orange and tangerine. Hint of grapefruit.
T: Very solid. It delivers what you expect. Citrus. Well-balanced. Hint of caramel.
M: Medium. Very slight stickiness.

O: Solid. If you like Racer 5 (as I do), then the Racer X is about what you'd expect. Not overly-aggressive, but I'm fine with that. Drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2011 17:21:13 | More by UpToMeBeer

merc7186

New York

4.4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer on tap at Ballatines in Willoughby, OH poured in a snifter glass.

A: Orange/Golden Straw Hue, Passes Through Some Light, Thick White Head, Great Lacing

S: Piney, Tropical Fruits

T: Piney, Tropical Fruits, Malty

M: Great Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Oily, Bitter Sweet

Overall, a great blend yet not over powering DIPA, has the piney taste with a nice tropical fruit blend on the back end, solid.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2011 01:35:37 | More by merc7186

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

13oz pour into tulip

Off white head over deep opaque gold to orange body. Tons of lacing.

Solid DIPA aromas - full of citrus hops and sweet caramel malt.

Oily on the palate. Flavors are prominently of navel orange peel, accompanied by some northwestern pine, coconut and caramel sweetness, and just a hint of alcohol warmth.

Fairly low carbonation makes for rich and sticky mouthfeel. Not to a cloying level though.

Been a while since I've had the Racer X and really wished that I had reviewed a bottle a few hrs ago, as I'm not sure this is all I remember. A great beer, and easy drinking for a 9% DIPA, don't get me wrong.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2011 20:45:55 | More by BeerImmediately

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at Capone's into a tulip

A- pours a cloudy shade of orange with a one finger white head. Looks about standard for a DIPA

S- very strong citrus aroma. Really nice

T- the tropical fruits are pouring out of this one, and they are very strong and very awesome. Love it

M- medium bodied, on the thick side. Not syrupy though...phew

O- awesome beer. Maybe a little too sweet. Kind of like an amped up Racer 5, and that's not a bad thing at all

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2011 02:26:29 | More by bigfnjoe

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Capone's on Black Friday.

A - Pours copper orange with a small one finger tall white head leaving small streaks of lace down the glass.

S - Smells of citric hops, pine resin, tropical fruits, and plenty of sweet caramel malt. It didn't smell too bad but it didn't smell great either.

T - Starts off with a big dose of pungent citric hops quickly giving way to a mix of sweet caramel malt, sticky pine resin, and dulled tropical fruits. The sweetness only grows as the beer warms up. The finish is a mix of sweetness and dulled hop bitterness, lingering on the pallet for quite awhile.

M - Medium body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Sweet, hoppy, feel that clings to the pallet long after each sip.

O - I had this one right away so it had to have been near the top of the keg, yet it just didn't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, it was still a good beer, but not as good as I was hoping it would be.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2011 04:35:57 | More by orangesol

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap at Canal St. Pub, poured into a miniature goblet.

A: Cloudy copper/orange colored body with a very rich and creamy looking slightly off-white head. Tons of sticky patchy lace clings to the walls and it retains the head throughout nicely. Really quite a good looking beer here.

S: Overripe citrus fruits, orange and lemon peels, hop resin, sap and pine. Very oily and juicy smelling though the slightly earthy nature of the beer compliments it well. Not as citrusy, fruity and juicy as other examples in the style but it's good.

T: Lots of bitterness at the front of the palate, with more hop oil and resin coming through. Bitter citrus peel undertones are next, along with hints of pine and grass. The finish is extremely dry and a bit sticky. OK, not the greatest in terms of diversity. It seems like a very one dimensional bitter bomb.

M: Good amount of carbonation, not overly done nor underdone keeping things lively. Sticky and dry in the finish makes this a bit of a chore.

I had expected a lot more, but that's not to say this one wasn't good. It was but it became a nuisance after a while to finish. Enjoyable but for me the drink-ablility on a style I love was too low.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2011 16:17:31 | More by ShanePB

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

On tap at Capone's Black Friday. This poured out as a nice looking copper color with a minimal amount of head on top by the time it got to me. The smell of the beer has a very nice piney aroma to it. Really hoppy and has a very inviting aroma. The taste is spot on, I really enjoyed the fruity pine bitterness this one had. The mouthfeel was oily and semi-thick. Overall I am really happy with this brew, I loved Racer 5 and this one is even better yet I think. Really good stuff here.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2011 07:03:03 | More by Knapp85

oline73

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on-tap during the Capone's black friday event. Poured into a goblet.

Appearance: Pours a slightly cloudy reddish amber with a half finger of off white head and a decent amount of lacing.v

Smell: Sweet citrus peel hops with some bready malt and mild fruity notes. The hops smell very fresh.

Taste: Strong hop notes that have some citrus peel and pine like flavors. Sweet malt with citrus peel hop bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a slick finish.

Overall: This was a really good beer. I've been looking for it for quite a while, and I'm really glad I got to try it. Would definitely have another.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2011 02:49:26 | More by oline73