So Yard House just opened its first east coast location, mere minutes from my home. This could be very dangerous, and delicious. First foray, Stone Smoked Porter. Possibly the best porter I've tasted. And I'm only one beer in.
My name is Joe.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA
So it's been a few weeks. I blame my brother, John Six Pack, for having a bachelor party which sadly put me off even the thought of beer for a substantial time afterward. Although at said party I tried the new Sam Adams seasonal and was whelmed. Not overwhelmed, nor underwhelmed, but moderately whelmed. Anyway...
This entry's product is the Racer 5 IPA by Bear Republic Brewery in California. As the label states, it's an IPA, and it certainly wouldn't be described as anything else. It's trying really hard to be one of those hop-head legends like Dogfish Head or Victory produce, but it falls a little short. It's aggressive on the Chinook hops and includes a few other varieties (all beginning with the letter "C" oddly enough).
The aroma is flowery and hoppy, with nary a trace of malt to it, providing no counterbalance to the hops. The color is right for an IPA but I prefer a bit of something besides hop juice, which is what this brew tasted like to me. I enjoy an aggressively hopped brew, and have brewed a few in my past, but honestly, this had little else to offer. This beer has won many awards and was highly recommended to me by the gal working in Whole Foods, but still, I'm unimpressed. If you really like flowery hops and you don't really like the rest of beer, give it a try.
I didn't intend to come off sounding so negative about this beer, because I did drink them all and enjoyed them, though I wouldn't buy it again, I wouldn't turn one down if it were offered to me. The beer, and all of Bear Republic's offerings, are non-vegan, utilizing gelatin in the product.
The movie that best represents this beer is, to me, The Boondock Saints. The film is, I guess, technically a gangster movie, like this is technically an IPA. It hits all the notes it's supposed to, but if you're looking for something representative of the style, and something that makes you want to keep coming back, you'll be disappointed. With that said, there's going to be a certain person who's looking for only one defining characteristic of the style (in the beer, hops; in the film, ridiculous amounts of people being shot), and that person will probably keep coming back satisfied. My name is Joe.
Next up, the Massachusetts entry, Mayflower Brewing Company's Golden Ale.
This entry's product is the Racer 5 IPA by Bear Republic Brewery in California. As the label states, it's an IPA, and it certainly wouldn't be described as anything else. It's trying really hard to be one of those hop-head legends like Dogfish Head or Victory produce, but it falls a little short. It's aggressive on the Chinook hops and includes a few other varieties (all beginning with the letter "C" oddly enough).
The aroma is flowery and hoppy, with nary a trace of malt to it, providing no counterbalance to the hops. The color is right for an IPA but I prefer a bit of something besides hop juice, which is what this brew tasted like to me. I enjoy an aggressively hopped brew, and have brewed a few in my past, but honestly, this had little else to offer. This beer has won many awards and was highly recommended to me by the gal working in Whole Foods, but still, I'm unimpressed. If you really like flowery hops and you don't really like the rest of beer, give it a try.
I didn't intend to come off sounding so negative about this beer, because I did drink them all and enjoyed them, though I wouldn't buy it again, I wouldn't turn one down if it were offered to me. The beer, and all of Bear Republic's offerings, are non-vegan, utilizing gelatin in the product.
The movie that best represents this beer is, to me, The Boondock Saints. The film is, I guess, technically a gangster movie, like this is technically an IPA. It hits all the notes it's supposed to, but if you're looking for something representative of the style, and something that makes you want to keep coming back, you'll be disappointed. With that said, there's going to be a certain person who's looking for only one defining characteristic of the style (in the beer, hops; in the film, ridiculous amounts of people being shot), and that person will probably keep coming back satisfied. My name is Joe.
Next up, the Massachusetts entry, Mayflower Brewing Company's Golden Ale.
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