Racer 5

Bear Republic Brewing Company — Rohnert Park, CA

19 May 2019 · Stephen

IPA Bear Republic Brewing Company

7.5% ABV

75 IBU

Deep amber Color

Contributing Factors

Presentation ✓

Character ✓

Experience ✓

Return –

3 / 4 I'd recommend trying it

Tasting Notes

Appearance Deep amber to rich golden, clear with a persistent white head and good lacing. The crystal malt contribution gives Racer 5 more color warmth than most West Coast IPAs — a warm amber glow that signals the fuller body underneath. Looks substantial and confident in the glass.

Aroma Columbus leads with its earthy, dank, resinous character — more grounded and terrestrial than Mosaic or Citra's tropical fruit-forward aromatics. Cascade comes in alongside it with that classic citrus and floral quality that Cascade uniquely delivers: grapefruit, orange peel, and a fresh floral note that smells like Pacific Northwest hop country in harvest season. The crystal malt adds a faint caramel warmth in the background. Complex and classic — this is what West Coast IPA smelled like before tropical-forward varieties rewrote the aromatic vocabulary of the style.

Palate Full-bodied and rich — the three-grain malt bill delivering more presence and roundness than most IPAs at this ABV. The caramel malt sweetness carries through the middle, providing the cushion that allows 75 IBU to build assertively without becoming harsh. Columbus dankness and Cascade citrus-floral bitterness both land firmly and clearly on the back half, sustained and West Coast in character.

Finish Long, dry, and resinous — Columbus and Cascade together producing a finish that holds the back palate with earthy dankness and citrus-floral bitterness fading slowly and completely. 75 IBU doing exactly what 75 IBU does. Still got it going.

The Verdict

Bear Republic built a West Coast IPA that helped define what West Coast IPA means — Columbus and Cascade on a crystal-wheat-barley malt foundation, 7.5% ABV, 75 IBU, a trophy in every glass. Thirty years, some beers define a style. Racer 5 is one of them.

— Stephen · Contributing Factor Brewing · 19 May 2019