Racer X Double IPA - Bear Republic Brewing Co.

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.45/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler filled at Big Z Beverage in Huntington, NY on 9/25/10, served in a tulip glass.

L - not quite clear copper color with a big foamy white head that hung around as a layer leaving parfait-like lacing.

S - wonderful aroma, tropical fruit and piney hop resins.

T - delicious brew, tropical fruitiness and bittering pine with enough malt to hold things together, hiding the alcohol very well.

F - medium bodied with mild carbonation.

D - it's good and drinkable but the 9% abv will make me drink this in moderation.

Serving type: growler

09-26-2010 00:49:01 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

tr4nc3d

Kansas

3.88/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Huge thanks to thagr81us for the growler

64oz growler poured into my pint glass

Appearance is a semi dark orange with ruby mix. Huge three inch off-white frothy head. Good head retention that subsides slowly leaving scattered lacing clinging to the sides of my glass.

Nice aroma of citrus flavors with mango, grapefruit, pineapple, and mandarin oranges. Very good aroma of ripe fruit I must say. I do not detect much malts except a little bit of caramel.

Upfront taste is a smack to the face with a very sharp bitterness that leads way into a semi grapefruit citrus flavor with some tangerine. Following is a bit of caramel and bread like finish with the alcohol pretty detectable and is not too much masked.

Mouthfeel is bitter and dry with high carbonation. Alcohol taste is very present in the finish and aftertaste making it feel a little boozy.

Overall a good beer but I expected more. My only complaint was it needed more balance and tasted too boozy, which it shouldn't haved. I Still recommend to try this

Serving type: growler

09-15-2010 16:47:37 | More by tr4nc3d

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served from growler into an Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale shaker. Pours a clear red-orange with a one finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout. The aroma was comprised of malt, hops, and pine resin. The flavor was of malt, hops, and citrus. It had a medium feel on the palate with mild carbonation. Overall this was quite an excellent IIPA. Not one of the best IIPAs that I have had, but definitely in the Top 10 for sure. This one could use a little more complexity in the aroma to be great and a little more in the flavor as well. Just seems to be generic IIPA flavors without anything extra to set it apart from the rest. Worth trying for sure if you can get you hands on it.

Serving type: growler

09-10-2010 12:44:27 | More by thagr81us

steelerguy

New York

4.13/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Very clear amber, nice big and sticky white head, plenty of lacing. Low carbonation like most DIPA but this was a growler so up to the distributor.

S - Lots of citrus and pine on the nose with an underlying malt sweetness...wonderful.

T - Citrus hops dominate up front with pine on the finish. Some light honey like sweetness from the light crystal malts, with a little bread to make it interesting. Finishes bitter with a little too much alcohol taste.

M - Not chewy but definitely some body there, there is a creaminess with a light coating of the mouth. A touch more carbonation would be good to help clean it up. Again, this was a growler, not sure they had enough C02 in there.

D - Sipping beer, lots of flavors, lots to enjoy between each sip. Slight workout for the mouth (not in a dirty way haha) one or two is enough...not even close to a session brew.

Serving type: growler

08-26-2010 01:11:02 | More by steelerguy

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a tulip.

Pours 1/2 finger of white head. Color is an orange hued dark copper.

Aroma: Big amount of pine hops with a bunch of caramel malt followed bu grapefruit citrus. Way too much malt.

Taste: Again, way to much malt up front and all around. Caramel and bready malt flavors.Pines hops with a citrus blend. Grapefruit sticks out the most.

Mouthfeel: Bitter, but creamy with some booze showing. Medium to full bodied with a low to medium amount of carbonation. Ends sticky with alcohol in the aftertaste.

Overall, I was pretty excited to try this one, but it just didn't live up to the other great west coast dipas I have had. Too much malt, not very drinkable.

Serving type: growler

08-26-2010 00:40:06 | More by mothman

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Growler shared by Mothman. Pours a clear reddish mahogany copper color with a slight head that forms a nice collar around the glass. Citrus hops in the nose but more malty smelling than anything. Malty start then the hops kick in with a bitter ending. Very citrus rind hop flavor. Medium mouthfeel. Sort of a dissappointment in my opinion. I would have thought this would have been more hop forward than malt forward. Not bad by any means but just not as good as I wanted it to be.

Serving type: growler

08-22-2010 21:17:05 | More by kbutler1

billab914

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a growler into my Sierra Nevada shaped pint glass. Poured a beautiful dark amber, almost copper in color. It started with a foamy white head filling the top inch of the glass. The head faded after a minute or so but it left some great lacing on the glass as I drank it.

The aroma has a very nice and intense floral, citrusy and tropical hoppiness to it with some grapefruit, pineapple and pine all coming through. Excellent hoppy aroma overall, one of the best.

The taste is also not surprisingly hoppy. It has some great tropical citrus flavors to it along with a bitter grapefruit, pine flavor. It was sweet and fruity up front with a strong bitterness coming in the finish and lingering for a while. Excellent range of hoppy, sweet and bitter flavors going on.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and carbonation is moderate. Drinkability is very good, it's an excellent hoppy beer. It's definitely one of the best DIPA's I've had. It had a great range of flavors and really showed off the hops very well.

Serving type: growler

08-15-2010 22:40:21 | More by billab914

DNICE555

Connecticut

4.93/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Filled up a growler at Diciccio's on a trip with Jlynn. Got the last fill - kicked at about a 60 oz pour. Enjoyed some in the parking lot and then some at the days in. Still very nicely carbonated.

Very cloudy unfiltered orangey yellow body with an off white head. This beer smells incredible. A floral boquet with a fruit arrangement and boatload of hops. This one hit my lips with a much anticipated hoppy explosion. Very nicely balanced with a citrusy malt backbone and very nice grapefruit notes. Exactly what I want this big mysterious sexy long awaited gem to taste like. I was so pleased to find this and get the last bit. Mouthfeel was exquisite. Very nice carbonation level and ohhhh so smooth. I drank about a pint today on the first day of ownership of the growler. I wish this bad boy was available year round. One of the best ipa's I've had to date.

Serving type: growler

08-15-2010 02:05:17 | More by DNICE555

Gfunk720

Connecticut

4.45/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

After looking for this one for a while, was able to get a couple growlers of Racer X locally. Thanks to DeCicco's as always. Consumed from my Weyerbacher tulip.

A- Pours with a healthy White/Tan head. Vigorous pouring on the first glass yielded serious head. Normally pour resulted in 2 fingers or so, and laced the glass nicely. It is a deep golden/orange/amber and is nearly perfectly clear.

S- Like sticking your nose in a bag of fresh hops. Piney and hoppy, some notes of citrus and grapefruit. Some slight malty/carmel sweetness.

T- The initial flavor is much like the smell, tastes of fresh hops. I get some hints of orange rind, and some grapefruit as well. The back end is mostly toffee/malt, with almost no hop aftertaste.

M- Perfect balance to me. No overboard hoppy bitterness, and a nice full bodied DIPA. It is able to be complex, while not going overboard like many other DIPAs. So nice and smooth on the tongue.

D- Easily housed 2 glasses, and wanted to keep drinking more. Much easier to consume than other DIPA's I've had recently, which could be because it was on tap.

I'd definetely buy this one again in a heart beat. Probably one of my top 5 DIPA's, and I've had most of the best. Gonna go home tonight and polish of the growler

-GFunk

Serving type: growler

08-12-2010 19:12:05 | More by Gfunk720

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.65/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A recent batch of this just flooded Maryland, so I picked up a growler about an hour ago at Staples Corner.

Pours a clear, bright copper and with a vigorous pour produces a bubbly, thin, quickly dissipating stark white head with some streaky webs of lacing. As I remember from other encounters with this beer, the nose is my favorite part and the standout of this dominated by grapefruit citrus hops and a strong caramel malt presence. However the flavor from this sample is lacking a strong hop presence and is dominated by a caramel malt, sweet body with mild grapefruit and orange notes, but very little presence or bitterness. Mouthfeel is thick and smooth, with late arriving fine carbonation. Alcohol is well hidden, but there is a persistent cloying sweetness and disappointing lack of hops. While this growler is an hour old, I'm left wondering how old this keg is/was.

Serving type: growler

08-06-2010 02:31:53 | More by yourefragile

drabmuh

Maryland

4.4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler shared by Paul at a small recent tasting. Thanks Paul. This has been a long time want of mine and I am very thrilled to be splitting this growler three ways. YIPPEE!

Beer served in a tulip. Beer is amber and clear. Off white head of small bubbles. Carbonation appears to be a little low but this could be from the growler conditions. The head falls away under lack of carbonation support but it leaves some nice lacing on the glass. Looks good, really good.

Aroma is piny with a malt backbone. Its a little sweeter than I expected and has almost no fruit character. This is a classic big IPA smell though. Almost a double simcoe kind of aroma. Very good.

Beer is medium bodied, almost a chewiness to it. Very nice in the mouth. Bitterness start off light and builds the more you drink. Tasted side by side with Dreadnaught from FFF, they are comparable, in the same ball park in my opinion. Dreadnaught edges it out though. There is a maltiness to this IPA, more than I expected. I respect Racer 5 as one of my favorite IPAs of all time, this is a good double using that as a jumping off point. Highly drinkable, great mouthfeel. I would have more (and will soon).

Serving type: growler

07-12-2010 18:22:59 | More by drabmuh

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A huge thanks to Paul for sharing this at his tasting last night.

Review #200

Racer X appears a slightly darker shade of orange. The beer is mostly clear, has a good-sized head and a fair amount of lacing. Grandiose aromas of hops and pine fill the nose. This beer tastes great. The pine and hop flavors really come through strongly, and comprise the bulk of the aromas and tastes. The feel is great, the alcohol is disguised very well, and the beer is very drinkable. It's easy to forget that you are drinking a double IPA until you stand up. This is potent elixir, and very delicious. Highly recommended.

Serving type: growler

07-11-2010 02:38:50 | More by Huhzubendah

cdizinno

South Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation: Poured into a Duvel tulip glass from a growler purchased from Green's at Piney Grove in Columbia, SC.

A: Hazy dark amber color with a nice off-white head. Moderate lacing.

S: Citrus/floral fruit aromas from the hops. Nice mildly sweet fragrant smell.

T&M Beautifully smooth and balanced beer. Complex flavors start with mildly sweet pine and citrus hops that transform to a floral, mildly sweet taste that ends with a nice bitter hop/malty taste. Some chalkiness on the end. Medium to full bodied with well hidden alcohol.

This is very similar to the Apex, probably a slight bit more hoppy bitterness in this Racer X though. Definitely a quality product. Very drinkable!

Serving type: growler

06-25-2010 18:20:57 | More by cdizinno

khiasmus

South Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I suppose I'll write you a love note since I wish you were here beside me, sharing this moment.

The heat outside is unbearable, so it's in here amidst the laughter and vocabulary questions, in here where i dream of you and miss you, as always, but not for too much longer...
I hope this will be one of your favorites. It has all the trappings of the stuff that you love... a burnt orange colour and lace, a wistful clarity of softness with just the hint of a fog, such as the nights by the river, hand in hand, laughter and tears, the stuff life is made of, of course.
And the usuals come in on the tongue, a prickly pineapple and sappy resin, a light bitterness that neatly overrides the hint of biscuit or honey-rolls, but it's the balance of the thing, the give and take, the realization that no one side needs to ultimately triumph because they're in this together, it can only be perfect if neither overwhelms it. The bitterness is there, to be sure, but the beauty is in the combination. Just the bitter, like just me, and there would be nothing to speak of. It's the sweetness, it's you, that makes the whole thing possible.
Silky, of course, and clean, though an almost coca-cola feeling lingers at the back of the throat... that distinct acidic dryness that's peculiar to that beverage, and why I prefer the other, though I opt for beer over soda any way, as you know.
The fact is, the balance is what really makes this great. The way the parts comprise the whole. The way in which the unique elements bring their own twist, their own flavor, to create a masterpiece. The way that it just gets better and better. Every sip, every moment, every new challenge and compromise.

Here's to it.

Serving type: growler

06-25-2010 02:24:24 | More by khiasmus

jpmclaug

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into a tulip. (Growler from Piney Grove Green's)

A - Amber-orange almost ruby colored with a fluffy off white head.

S - Very nice smelling DIPA. Strong hoppy aroma's bring orange citrus and resiny hop notes to bear. A subtle hint of sweet malt lies in the background but this one is all about the hops. One of the best smelling DIPA's around.

T - Once again the hops dominate. A bit of piney hop flavor up front followed by the sweet malts mixed with a citrusy fruity hop flavor. This thing finishes with a lingering piney bitterness that warms my belly a bit. Definitely is one of the more bitter hop bombs I've had.

M - Medium body with a sticky texture. Pretty well carbonated.

D - Really bitter beer so it makes it a bit tough to down but not in a bad way. I wouldn't mind drinking this again but wouldn't go nuts trying to seek it out. Kinda surprised it has the trade value that it does.

Serving type: growler

06-24-2010 23:56:20 | More by jpmclaug

hoppymcgee

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 32oz. growler purchased at New Beer in NYC into a big-ass mug.

A: Impressive. Pours with a nice frothy 3-finger head. This beer is so sticky that it literally leaves your glass "ribbed" as you sip (or gulp) it down. Honey amber color, similar to that of a maple leaf.

S: I wish I knew what each different hop smelled like, but these are ideal. It's more of a rustic aroma rather than a piny aroma. Also get a kick of honey and tree sap. Really nice aroma dissimilar to that of Sculpin or Pliny.

T: Earthy, rich, caramelly flavor that finishes with just the right amount of bitterness. Almost tastes oak-aged but not quite that woody/boozy.

M: Average. It doesn't add to the beer nor does it take away. It's not sticky or chewy like other DIPA's but rather thin. It sure helped me finish the 32oz. growler myself though!

D: Would pair well with many dinners. I had no problem taking this growler down alone.

Overall, a great score at the oh-so-esoteric New Beer. Bear Republic is at the top of my list for IPA's.

Serving type: growler

03-19-2010 01:09:36 | More by hoppymcgee

Biggness

New York

4.53/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a very dark amber with a light white head and some lacing. The aroma is big on citrus hops and a slight hint of caramel. The flavor at first is big on the malt and caramel flavors and the you get slammed with the wonderful grapefruit/orange flavors, extremely nicely balance. Low carbonation due to the serving type and a highly drinkable for a DIPA

Serving type: growler

02-02-2010 02:53:12 | More by Biggness

JohnQVegas

Tennessee

4.53/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. counter-pressure filled Bierkraft bomber into red wine glass.

Pours a lightly hazy dark amber, with a sparse off-white head, but excellent lacing. What little head shows up stays around the whole glass.

Nose is pure west coast hop madness - an intermingling of super-dry but vibrant pine, mango, orange zest, and grapefruit,all wrapping around a sweet caramel note that's all foundation, barely showing through in the melange of beautiful hop aromas.

Taste follows suit. Dry and prickley, but with absolutely no harsh astringency. Big notes of tingley pine and a mix of tropical and citrus fruit sit on top of a malt body that's big and slightly sweet, maybe even a bit toasty, but entirely wrapped up in the juicy hop oils. Not at all overly bitter, though there is a nice, satisfying cotton-like dryness that just sits on the back of the tongue. A fantastic example of the right way to brew a DIPA.

Mouthfeel is oily, tingly carbonation and a hop bite in the back of the throat, perfectly balanced. Very well done - it's like this beer is just swimming in hop oil.

Drinkability is scary, actually. Huge flavor, but somehow light on the palate. No real alcohol presence. Beautiful beer.

Serving type: growler

12-31-2009 02:23:32 | More by JohnQVegas

jera1350

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours an amber color with tight one finger head that leaves some lacing on the glass.

Fresh citrus, pineapple and some grass. Sweet and delightful.

Big and fresh citrus hop taste, but with a solid and sweet malt backbone that makes this well balanced. Some caramel and toffee with the pineapple and citrus flavors as well. Definitely can taste the BR influence in this.

Somewhere between medium and full bodied. Soft and smooth. Warming sensation from the alcohol.

Awesome drinkability, I had an entire bomber of this. An all around great beer that goes down way too easy. So glad I had the opportunity to drink this one. Thanks to SpeedwayJim for this one!

Serving type: growler

12-28-2009 04:05:53 | More by jera1350

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another bottle/growler of awesomeness unveiled at our Rush Hour Tasting, thanks again to mikey711 for this one.

A: Bright golden orange with slight haze. A slight head which is decent for being shoved into a growler, shipped 1000 miles, sat in a fridge for a couple weeks, then drove in a car for 2 days.

N: Tons of hops, the way a strong DIPA should be. Lots of pine, citrus, grapefruit, and aromatic hops. Its a hop bomb. Aroma of 200 IBUs.

T: Hits you with a fresh hop bite. Earthy musty fresh hops. Lots of pine, citrus, grapefruit, and chewy hops really hit first. They never really fade either. A nice thick malty sweetness runs around in the background but never really comes to the front as it can't get past the hops. The very bright hop character changes slightly to a chewy, earthy, almost spicy hop character as it grows, then back to more pine and citrus.

M: A nice body with lower carbonation, but that can be expected.

F: Super bitter and dries off a bit, probably because of the crazy bitterness more than actual drying. Again the pine, citrus, and grapefruit seem to linger for a bit. The grapefruit is a lower character than the rest. They very slowly fade to a lingering memory, but your mouth never really forgets them. Thanks again Mikey for being able to experience this awesomeness.

Serving type: growler

12-22-2009 18:29:37 | More by jlindros

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.68/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed on 10/9/2009. Growler from Bellport Beer&Soda. Pours a clear deep amber/orange with a thick creamy off-white head. Aroma of citrus, grassy hops. Flavor of sticky, sweet caramel malt and citrusy hops. A little heavier than I would have wanted from a 7.8% beer. A little disappointing as I was expecting more of a hops presence as opposed to a malt presence.

Serving type: growler

12-19-2009 03:07:57 | More by LilBeerDoctor

CHickman

New York

4.6/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours hazy amber with a small light tan head; smells very hoppy, floral hops, piney hops and some citrus (lemon zest, orange peel); very pungent floral hop aroma that is just inviting a delicious. Good lacing that sticks to the glass with the very strong hoppy odor, which again smells great.

Tastes like it smells: lots of hops, floral hops, piney hops, sweet malt, citrus (lemon or grapefruit), a little caramel and some more hops; complex hop combo that has a lot of tasty flavor that's explosive in the flavor combo. The brew is light and crisp, might even say leaning towards medium bodied, with a slick oliy resin that lingers in a good way on the tongue with sweet malt and hops flavor which finishes on the dry and bitter side. The alcohol peeks through behind the hops which dominate the taste, but keep this a very drinkable beer. As a hop-head I love the flavor and hop attack from start to finish.

A great hoppy DIPA that has strong tasty hop flavor throughout and is very smooth considering the hop taste that never let's off. A great beer!

Serving type: growler

12-14-2009 00:46:26 | More by CHickman

rfgetz

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice orangy copper color, full frothy and fluffy white head, diminishes quickly but leaves good lacing. Smell is of citrus (mostly grapefruit, some tangerine) and floral hops with a presence of pine in the rear. Sweet malt comes through behind the hops. Taste follows scent with the citrusy (grapefruit & tangerine) hops the star, followed nicely by piney and spicy hops. Good sweet carmely malt backbone that does not interefere and compliments the hops very well. Medium bodied, good carbonation, slightly dry to the palate. Very good dIPA, not a hop bomb, but not overloaded with malty sweetness either... very good balance.

Serving type: growler

11-25-2009 16:02:40 | More by rfgetz

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter. Big thanks to nyrangerfan for hooking me up.

4.0 A: Clear dark orange amber color. Two and 1/2 fingers of frothy creamy head that retains well and leaves lots of lacing.

5.0 S: Awesome aroma. Lots of pine and grapefruity citrus from the start. Though the hops aren't particularly complex, its simple aroma is strong and wonderful. Malts take a backseat, but add a layer of complexity with a soft caramel aroma.

5.0 T: The hop flavor is massive. Completely overwhelmed. Strong piney backbone again with softer citrus notes including mandarin and regular orange. Lemony grassiness to an extent. Malts lend caramel and a slight biscuity flavor.

4.0 M: Medium body. Good carbonation. Creamy, but could be creamier. Dry on finish with a pleasant bitter aftertaste.

4.5 D: Awesome beer. I'd love to get a growler of this once a year (or more!). Tons of hop flavor and an excellent IPA overall.

Serving type: growler

11-25-2009 02:51:11 | More by DavoleBomb

koopa

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance:
Transparent copper body with a 1 finger khaki crown that shows a touch of retention and moderate lace.

Smell: Beautiful nose....Lively and pungent floral hops, citrus hops (grapefruit and orange), sugar, and sweet malt.

Taste: Same as nose. Really works well but it is just too sugary for my personal preference. Small touch of alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Could use a touch more carbonation, but still a nice chewy med-thick body.

Drinkability: the sugar is what keeps me from scoring this one higher, but besides that it is delicious.

Serving type: growler

11-21-2009 00:40:48 | More by koopa