Racer 5 India Pale Ale - Beer Review

Racer 5 India Pale Ale - Bear Republic Brewing Company, Cloverdale, California

A bittersweet ale full of promise, Racer 5 India Pale Ale both redefines and epitomizes the IPA paradigm.  I always wanted to say something like that.  Anyway, Racer 5 is a great, easy drinking ale with just the right amount of hoppy punch to make it interesting.  

Just out of the bottle, the brew has a moderate bouquet.  It develops very little head on either the first or second glass out of the bottle, but effervescence remains refreshingly constant through an hour of drinking pleasure.  Like other California ales, the hoppy-ness bites the back of your throat a little - a pleasant sensation, I feel.  Unlike other hoppy California ales, this one is super smooth, inflicting no sting on the way down.  Despite a respectable alcohol content of 7 percent by volume, a 22-oz. bottle of Racer 5 sits relatively lightly in one's belly.  If you are going to choose a beer for the night, Racer 5 would be a good candidate to keep you entertained and refreshed without making you feel heavy or sleepy. 

The name and the label, however, leave much to be desired, I feel.  "Racer 5."  What does that mean?  Who is/was Racer 5?  Then you've got the yellow circle with the red "5" in it, then the red letters, "Racer" and "India Pale Ale."  I mean, this is a bottle of ale, not an Indy race car.  And where am I going so fast anyway?  Am I going to race with some college punk, seeing who will be first to pound down a bottle?  I don't think so.  I have no desire for a checkered flag when I drink a fine ale like this.  I want to take my time.  

So much for my diatribe against Racer's mysterious marketing strategy.  Racer 5 tastes great, rests light, and leaves you ready for another.  Can't ask for much more than that in a good ale.  I heartily recommend it.  

And drink responsibly.  It's the human thing to do.