Racer X Double IPA - Bear Republic Brewing Co.

spoony

Colorado

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a 22 oz bottle into a tulip. 2012 vintage.

A-Deep amber and golden brew. Mostly clear with little carbonation. I did not get much head, maybe a finger of off-white, short-lasting foam. There was considerable lacing, however, left on the glass.

S-I smelled some caramel, hints of vanilla, a little pepper, and orange. There was some hoppy character, but I was surprised by the lack of floral or pine notes. Not bad smelling by any means, just not what I was expecting.

T-Taste follows the smell pretty closely. Light malted caramel flavor combined with some bitter, mild (relatively speaking...this was still an IIPA) hop flavors to produce a pleasing, and slightly different style. There were still some citrus flavors, but they were pretty muted. Alcohol was very well-integrated.

M-Nicely balanced. A little syrupy feeling at times, but still medium-bodied.

O-I liked this beer and thought it made a nice fall IIPA. As I mentioned above, the smell and flavor were not the flower/citrus bomb that you might expect from a California IIPA, but it was nevertheless a pretty complex and tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 18:41:04 | More by spoony

Treebs

Illinois

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

22 oz. bottle (2012 vintage) served in a Westbrook tulip. Huge thanks to mfavoino (Matt) for hitting this long time want!

A: Pours a dark amber with a yellowed head forming on the pour. It recedes to a bubbly ring that leaves some soapy, sticky lace as it goes down the glass.

S: Sticky orange citrus with some candied grapefruit. A little booze with some nice caramel malt sweetness.

T: Sticky grapefruit just like the nose with a little bit of smooth booze. Light bitter pine with some citrus zest and honey sweetness. Very clean throughout with nice residual hop oils sticking to the tongue. As the beer warms the caramel malt from the nose really comes out.

M: Medium bodied with a little stick to it. Finishes clean and surprisingly light. Medium carbonation level.

O: Nicely balanced and I really enjoyed the subtle nuances of this beer. Sweet, sticky and bitter, this beer hits all levels a hop head would want.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 14:54:56 | More by Treebs

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage 2012

Large lumpy head. As it recedes, it leaves a web of chunky lace. Rich amber color and clear.

Strong floral aroma from the hops. Lots of prickly pine.

Starts with a strong, crystal malted initial sip. This fades quickly and the expected, nearly over-the-top of bittering hop. Deceptively easy to drink. Appropriate body and carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 22:05:34 | More by smcolw

tut2528

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

first and foremost, a big thank you to Beachstrength49 for this one. Greatly appreciate it man.

A pours an awesome bright rust color which is barely transparent, with about 1 fingers worth slightly off-white head formation. 4.5

S: I pick up on a strong malt backbone, with grapefruit, orange peel, floral hops and a slight pine touch.

T: Much sweeter than I expected. Again, this is similar to the nose, with a strong maltiness, some caramel sweetness, grapefruit, and some moderate amounts of orange peel. The hops create a strong bitter finish that complements the a slight creaminess that is also present.

M: medium bodied, decent carbonation, leaves a nice bitterness on the palate with just the right amount of sweetness for this brew.

O: a solid DIPA offering by Bear Republic. i enjoy the maltiness (which was expected), but at the same time I wish there was a bit more to the nose and more fruit profile in the taste. the alcohol is extremely well hidden behind the massive malt.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 18:48:25 | More by tut2528

Philousa

California

3.43/5  rDev -20%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

This pours a dark, clear amber. Lots of crystal malt. Eggshell colored head is dense and irregular. What's there laces well. Aroma is sweet from hops. Blueberry, raspberry, and strawberry with some pine behind. As it warms the pine takes over and gets pretty potent. Curls the nose hairs. There is some nuttiness and a little bit of alcohol aroma as well. Mild maple syrup reflects what I can only assume will be a somewhat thick mouthfeel. Taste starts nutty and somewhat fruity with malt and hops. The hops are the showcase of the taste as well, as they transition to a peanut like savory flavor and then it gets bitter. The sweet citrus starts the bitterness but it ends up being more of a piney, syrupy, resinous flavor. Feel is slightly viscous with a dry finish.

This one was actually more interesting cold. The abrasive nature of the hop oils came out as it warmed and it turned out to be too much for me. Still a good beer, but with it being a specialty brew, I can find better year round DIPAs in NorCal.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 17:39:18 | More by Philousa

DovaliHops

California

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

Had this at 2012 Bistro IPA fest...now reviewing from bottle. 2012 Vintage. Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a medium-large off-white head. Scent is very inviting. Great hop profile in the aroma. Tropical fruit hop aromas with just a dash of citrus. Mangos, pineapple, and oranges linger in the nostrils. Some sweet malt aromas as well. Mellow pine...this is one good-smelling beer. Taste is just as good, Initially, you get some malt, which would normally through me off...however, it works for this beer. The malt is present, but the west-coast hop profile balances it out, making it quite the balanced DIPA. Sweet malt blends well with pine, hop resin, mango, pineapple, lemon, grapefruit...this beer has a lot going on. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, crisp and a little sticky. Drinkability is high, as the ABV is hidden very well. Overall, this beer is fantastic! I had it at the Bistro IPA fest, but tasted it after a bunch of "triple IPAs" so my palate was worn by hops. It tasted good then, and it tastes great now.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 06:42:05 | More by DovaliHops

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 10.22.12.
2012 Batch

A - Pours a clear, dark orange-red with a two inch foamy, light tan head with great retention.

S - Grass, pine, citrus, and some alcohol.

T - Sweet orange citrus, pine with a alcohol warming finish.

D - Good carbonation with a sticky body and a sweet-alcohol finish.

O - Citrus, pine and alcohol, great DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 04:35:05 | More by HuskyinPDX

Pelican5

California

4.28/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber |

A : clear, reddish orange, 2 finger head, nice lacing/legs

S : big orange peel, pineapple, some sweet pine, mango

T : follows nose, orange marmelade, lemon zest, resinous, slight dank hopiness, sweet toffee malt, sweet pine.

Overall : Very nice. Super balanced DIPA, orangey dank pine mixed with a solid malt backbone. Light bitter finish.

Cheers ~

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 04:14:56 | More by Pelican5

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Lost Abbey chalice.

A- Pours a translucent copper with a 2 finger off-white head. Big trails and cliffs of lacing remain on the glass.

S- Caramel, biscuit, pine, and nice floral notes.

T- caramel, bitter pine, some citrus (almost berry-like) flavors, and more pine/grassy bitterness. Bitterness is there but this beer is very malt forward.

M- Medium body and carbonation. A little thin for the style but it has a nice slick/syrup feel.

O- Nice dipa, with floral and pine bitterness and enough malt sweetness to balance it.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 00:32:43 | More by kawilliams81

pmarlowe

California

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tulip glass.

A: Pours a crystal clear, apricot color with a heady cap of off white head. Decent enough retention and some circles of lacing.

S: Caramel and tropical hops (sugar coated mango and pineapple), and I can almost smell bitterness. I'm not sure if that's a thing or not.

T: Really nice mix of tropical hops (lots of mango) and caramel malt all up front, after which the flavor falls off almost immediately into some lightly bitter caramel. It's like, BAM, then gone.

M: Medium full body and medium light carbonation.

O: Pretty tasty. Somehow this is like a less sweet, tropical version of Racer 5. I'm not sure, then, how this is two times Racer 5. *shrug*

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 05:06:18 | More by pmarlowe

kojevergas

California

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

1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap servdd into a Uinta pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Acquired at Wally's Wine a few days ago. Vintage 2012. 8.3% ABV. No bottled on or best before date. Expectations are high; I recall enjoying the regular Racer 5. Reviewed live.

Served straight from the refrigerator. Not paired with food. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a half finger head of beige colour, nice thickness, and good retention for the high ABV. Body colour is a nontransparent hazy dark copper. Non-opaque. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Quite hoppy. Floral character is dominant. Some oily pine character. Grapefruit. Resinous. Nectary. An average strength aroma. Not as bold as most beers in the style.

T: Heavy well balanced floral hops. A hop bitterness bite on the climax is lessened nicely by accompanying oily pine and grapefruit. Clean malts provide the backbone. Crisp and flavourful; a tasty beer in the style. Its balance is its best attribute, it doesn't fall into the trap of going for IBU or hop content at the expense of careful balance. Bravo, Bear Republic. That said, it lacks the complexity and subtlety of better beers in the style. It almost comes off as a bit muted in terms of flavour. There's good layering of hops and malts here, but it doesn't evoke all its ingredients. If I had to guess the yeast strain, I'd say WLP 001 - but no yeast comes through in the flavour. Nor does any alcohol, which is an achievement at 8.3%. Oily resins do come through - especially in the second act - which I like. There's some citrusy zest coming through, but not with enough power to really affect the flavour. The grapefruti doesn't feel committed to, and instead comes off half-baked. I do get apricot and tangerine when I look for them, which is a nice touch. Sweet caramel malts provide a decent understated throughline, but don't coalesce into any rewarding climax. The finish is merely clean hops with a bit of leftover bitterness.

Mf: Gloriously smooth. Nicely wet. Good thickness and palate presence. Slightly oily but never overly so. The only problem is the finish, which is a bit too dry and coarse - and even a touch overcarbonated judging by the sharpness. All around, it suits the flavours quite nicely. Well executed.

Dr: A very drinkable and enjoyable beer in the style. Hides its ABV quite well, though it does have a pleasant warming effect in the stomach. I look forward to trying more beers from Bear Republic. This is certainly a solid offering. It's a bit pricey, though. Especially when other better beers in the style can be had for less, and are even more available. I'd recommend it to friends. I don't know that I'd be it again at this price. I wonder if it's really that much better than Racer 5.

A poor candidate for aging. Drink her fresh.

Would go well with spicy food or fruit tart. Grilled pineapple would be a great choice too.

Low B

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 01:12:25 | More by kojevergas

SeaOfShells

California

4.28/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2012 vintage poured into a Duvel tulip

A: Dark burnt orange, crystal clear with a nice white head that disappears almost immediately. Lace like crazy. Pretty typical I suppose, but I do like the color.

S: Pine and Pineapple. Citrusy, dank, resinous, sticky. Everything I love in a DIPA is present and accounted for. I'm into it.

T: See smell. It's ultra balanced with a lingering bitterness on the back of the tongue that sticks around well after the swallow. Tons of hop qualities, with a really pronounced malt backbone. I'm really enjoying this one, and I'll return for a few more bottles.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Nothing to write home about, but nothing offensive. I guess it's typical for the style with the a little more body.

O: Racer 5 is always a go-to, and until now I'd never had Racer X. It's everything I hoped it would be and more. This is up there with the big boys, and I hope more people get a chance to try this one. I think it can stand toe to toe with some of the giants that we all rave about. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 20:53:56 | More by SeaOfShells

barleywinefiend

Washington

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

A: Poured a nice orangish/copper color with good carbonation and a nice white head, great lacing and head retention

S: Nose is mainly citrus in the way of orange peel, grapefruit, pine and caramel malt.

T: Taste follows the nose with grapefruit, floral hops with a presence of pine in the rear. Sweetness and caramel malt comes through behind the hops. The finish has a little bit of slickness to it

M: It is medium bodied slightly dry and pretty balanced to the palate.

O: Very good DIPA. A Top 100 in my book. Balanced all the way

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 20:20:07 | More by barleywinefiend

sukwonee

Washington

4.6/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Latest batch 22 oz bottle poured into a snifter

A: Orange/brown color with 2 finger frothy head that lasts. Lots of lacing.

S: No surprise - hops! but also lots of sweet malt detected as well. Tangerine, little bit of blood orange, grapefruit, pine, citrus. Awesome - one of the best smelling DIPAs

T: ok, so while it tastes awesome - it's not as good as the aroma. It's a bit sweet for me as well... I am not sure what it is but they seem to have put something in here that enhances the sweetness (my guess its intention is to tone down the bitterness). I don't mind it, but I also wouldn't have minded it if they didn't put it in (I want to say honey, but I may be wrong). I get pine bitterness towards the end, but not overpoweringly bitter. Citrus, grapefruit, orange, with good amount of malt to balance it out.

M: Thick, oily, a bit sticky, carbonation is not very high.

O: Great DIPA! I am not quite sure thought why the bottle says "Vintage 2012" on it (as if this can be aged). I don't think this will benefit from aging. Highly recommended regardless.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 03:09:41 | More by sukwonee

draheim

Washington

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

Been waiting to try this one for a while.

22oz bottle into a tulip. Pours a clear coppery amber w/ a big frothy head, nice sticky lacing.

Aroma is pungent citrus & pine. Dank and sticky.

Taste follows nose. Harshly bitter resinous hops, grapefruit, pine. Copious pale biscuity malt holds it all together nicely.

Mouthfeel is chewy, oily, w/ a sharply bitter finish.

Overall an intense, powerful DIPA. Comparable to Hoptimum, Pliny the Younger, or Ruination 10. Well done, Bear Republic.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 05:53:34 | More by draheim

CommanderOfAwesome

California

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a Bomber into a Snifter glass. No freshness date, though I know my bottle shop got it in this week (10/12).

A: Deep carmel color. 1 finger head. Tons of lacing on the glass.

S: Intense pine/piney smell. Some sweet/tropical fruits, and a bit of citrus of well.

T: Sharp pine taste at first, mellows into a more malty taste than I would have anticipated. Getting a little citrus as well. Getting more of a pine finish than a BAM in your face hop finish.

M: Medium to full bodied, which I would have guess by the color but the piney smell is deceptive. I usually associate piney with lighter mouthfeels. Medium carbonation providing some action on the tongue.

O: It is definitely well balanced. I expected a lighter taste based on the strong pine smell, but was surprised by the malty-ness provided. Very balanced DIPA and worth checking out, esp for the price. About $6 for a bomber.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 02:27:18 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

Blackwolf

4.15/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a tulip.

A- Poured a clean amber body, excellent white head with decent retention. Nice spotty/sticky lacing too! Some uniformed carbonation is visible here and there, but nothing spectacular.... just very minimal.

S- Great aroma! Tropical fruits, piney/grassy hop, and bready malt. Some citrus is also detectable but very subtle on the nose. Nothing overly complex for the style, but very solid and the smell is perfectly balanced.

T- A bit different from nose to palate. Lots of malts, a sweet citrus and a very piney finish. A little alcohol as the beer settles and opens up, but this is a nice compliment with the pine finish.

MF- Great medium body, medium carbonation, dry and subtle warmth finish. Excellent mouthfeel, this is how a dipa should go down... with perfect drinkability!

O- I am a fan of Bear Republic. This is just another great beer by a great brewing company. This did not blow me out of the water as far as imperial IPA's goes, but it has great characteristics and this is worth trying at least once if you are a fan of the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 10:50:13 | More by Blackwolf

srandycarter

California

3.73/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

With the myth behind it, rather disappointing. I have been looking for this beer for years.

A - Murky apricot orange, small head, not much lace.

S - Fruity and malty.

T - Malt and fruit up front, a little hop bite in the back.

M - Medium bodied, a little undercarbed and a little light on flavor considering the hype.

D - Nice beer, but after all these years, was looking for more.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 05:22:11 | More by srandycarter

ThePaleRider

California

4.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pretty amber with lots of sediment floating around in the glass. Nice white head that disappears pretty quickly.

S - Hop blast to the nose! Just what I wanna see from a double IPA. A little bit of biscuity malt in the back, but those citrusy hops are right up front where they need to be.

T - Wow! Very nice job on this brew. Super smooth malts up front that changes to extra bitter hops as the beer goes down. Leaves a nice floral aftertaste. Although the malts/hops do have the flavor of the English style IPA, this is a true California style ale. Loaded with hops!

M - Smooth with no alcohol to tell of. Pretty decent carbonation.

O - Great showing from Bear Republic. Super hoppy and bitter double IPA. This beer doesn't hold back a bit on the flavor and it really shows.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 06:10:17 | More by ThePaleRider

elNopalero

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +6.1%
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

match1112

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

pours a cloudy orange with a finger and a half of creamy head that quickly settles to a thin ring leaving minimial lacing. big malty aroma backed up by grapefruit and pine. taste is a big malty body with a wave of citrus as it goes down the pipe, and finishing with a dry piney bitterness. overall this is a good dipa, unfortunatly for me there wasnt anything that makes it stand out from the others ive had.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 12:58:12 | More by match1112

WeedKing4

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -3.7%
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

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

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

This is a pretty pungent dipa. Lots of citrus and salt. Seems to be fairly one dimensional and slightly muzzled. I want to say that the bottling of the brew may have had something to contribute? Eh, who knows. I mean, hey, this is still a nice brew and definitely worthy of drinking. But I feel like it is lacking a bit in comparison to the draft version. It doesn't really matter though; still a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 08:27:54 | More by RblWthACoz

wethorseblanket

California

4.28/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle purchased at Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa. Thanks Zack.

A: Pours a hazy slightly amberish orange with a solid 1" off-white head which fades quickly to a small cap and rim leaving little lace.

N: Pop the cap and can detect grapefruit and citrus from 2+ feet away. Some honey sweetness, malt, and pine notes.

T: Malts dominate up front followed by citrus and pine on the finish.

M: Medium body and carbonation. Drying and bitter.

O: Slightly overbalanced toward the malt side, but nice overall. Being a DIPA the ABV is about right. I can only wonder what this must be like fresh.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 04:17:33 | More by wethorseblanket

tdm168

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I haven't had this in several years. Not since I was working at Sunset in Boston. Thanks to jtd1969 for hooking me up with this bottle.

Pours an orangish amber with a thin, white, frothy head that has decent retention. The nose offers an immense grapefruit aroma and some underlying bready malt notes. The flavor is hop forward with a great citrusy quality that offers grapefruit and pineapple. The malt character is bready and works very well with the citrusy nature of the hops. There is a mild bitterness in the finish, and there is great balance throughout. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, smooth, and perfectly carbonated.

This is a clean, easy drinking, balanced, smooth beer. I really enjoyed the hop character, and in spite of the high ABV it has great drinkability. I will definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 17:21:05 | More by tdm168