Bear Republic Double IPA Big-n-Juicy

Bear Republic Hop Shovel Double IPA Big-n-Juicy.

8.8 % ABV, 80 IBU. Bear Republic Brewery, Robert Park, CA. 

Here's a glimpse inside my maniacal mind. You have perhaps noticed that I sometimes pose the beer can or bottle and the glass I am about to consume upon coasters from that brewery, if I can. These are not from my collection, for I don't wait to spill on them or distress their condition in any way. Those are the extras that I keep just in case I need them. 

Today I was at a bar that was utilizing Bear Republic coasters. I examined them and decided that I already had the exact same one and had no need for tucking one away to add to the collection. Except that when I came home and decided that the next beer I should drink and review should be a Bear Republic beer. And that was when I regretted not grabbing a few of their BR coasters, stuffing them in my pocket and bringing back home to add to the pictures. Which nobody notices, anyway, if you can actually see them. 

I need to see a psychiatrist, I think. 

Anyway, let's drink a beer. 

Lightly hazed, bright golden hue, large and brilliant white head. Looking good. 

In the nose: Dank and resiny. Ripe fruit aplenty, citrus and tropical. Grapefruit rind and orange pulp meet juicy guava. 

In the mouth: A bolt of bitterness to the senses and a jolt of juicy on the palate. Bright citrus dominates the flavors, bitterness hangs in hard and sticks around for the finish. Medium bodied, rich in happiness and abundantly rewarding. Dank and delicious. I can always count on great West Coast breweries like Bear Republic to knock it out of the park when it comes to great double IPAs. It's too bad they also have to use current buzzwords like "juicy" to attract customers. 

Big additions of Azacca, Mandarina Bavaria, Meridian, and experimental 13459 give massive juicy hop aromas of Orange and Tangerine with a hoppy West Coast Double IPA finish.

Bear Republic Baba Yaga Imperial Stout

Bear Republic Baba Yaga Imperial Stout.

12 % ABV. Brewed and canned by Bear Republic Brewing, Cloverdale, CA. 

Solid blackness, complete opacity, slim ring of deep cocoa foam. 

In the nose: Richness upon richness, deep molasses, massive malt, heaping helpings of cocoa, a healthy dose of smoke, and good smack of anise. Deep and lovely. 

In the mouth: Deep and rich, and just a little sweet. A powerful bombardment of malt arrives on the palate, highly satisfying, unspooling many layers of deliciousness. Cocoa, charcoal, roasted malt, caramel, and a touch of licorice. All of the goodies you want in an imperial stout. Lays long on the tongue, perfectly balanced. 

This isn't the biggest Imperial Stout you'll find, but it's a damned nice one. It's got the goods. 

Bear Republic Hop Shovel Double IPA: Citra! Citra!

Bear Republic Hop Shovel Double IPA: Citra! Citra! 

Independent Family Brewers. Independent Since 1995. 

9 % ABV, 85 IBU. Bear Republic Brewing, Healdsburg, CA. 

Clear, bright golden color, brilliant white head looms large atop. 

In the nose: Big, beautiful, bitter buzz at the start. Blazing citrus and pine and nothing but. Essential West Coast Double IPA aromatics from one of the pioneers. Intense. Grapefruit on fire!

In the mouth: Dank, resinous, rich and profound upon the palate. Citra-delicious. Explosion of wet, bitter, grapefruit and lemon flavors. Bam! Major hop delivery. I am personally loving it. This is a thick, wicked, mess of hops, juicy, then dry, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Full bore brunt force hop attack. Every double IPA should be exactly like this. 

And this is why I grab up a $12 4-pack of something like this, and eschew the $22 "TIPAs" and the like. I don't need to spend twice the money to get less flavor and hoppiness. 

An epic West Coast Double IPA brewed with shovels full of CITRA and CITRA. Gobs of citrusy grapefruit, lime, and orange hop flavor and aroma, a dry malt undertones and a pithy bitterness that invites another sip.

Bear Republic Further Through The Haze Double IPA

 Bear Republic Further Through The Haze Double IPA. 

8 % ABV, 40 IBU. Bear Republic Brewing, Rohnert Park, CA. 

Hazy (of course), bright golden hue, slim ivory head. 

In the nose: Citrus and sweetness. Slight tropical. Yeast fuzz.

In the mouth: Big tropical sweetness hits the palate, juicy notes of papaya and mango, melon and grapefruit, with a slice of citrus, and just enough bitterness. Nice balance between the hazy style and a double IPA. Medium bodied, long bitter, fruity finish, and the higher ABV starts to come on, but softly, sweetly. 

Quite a tasty one. Go out and get some. 

A Double IPA with ripe and juicy citrus & tropical aromas, creamy mouth feel, and a velvety soft bitterness that will leave you wanting more. Dry hopped with epic amounts of Vic Secret, Amarillo, Azacca, Simcoe, and more.

Take the next step, Further into the Haze. 

Bear Republic Spawn of Yaga Russian Imperial Stout

Bear Republic Spawn of Yaga Russian Imperial Stout.

12 % ABV, Bear Republic Brewing, Healdsburg, CA.

Strictly ebony, complete opacity, brief head. 

In the nose: ash, molasses, cocoa, a dose of coffee. 

In the mouth: Massive malt. Deep, dark, roasted, slightly bitter, and altogether delicious. Mmm, this is a right on the money RIS. Got the goods. Burnt, bittersweet, and deadly. Richness upon richness, dark chocolate, espresso, brown sugar. All the goods. 

This isn't the best of all RIS's, but it ain't bad. Go drink it. 

Spawn of Yaga was inspired by the Russian folktale of Old Baba Yaga and her nefarious deeds. Deep, dark, and luscious layers of flavor were summoned through the play of light against dark caramel and roasted malts, nefarious use of blackstrap molasses, incantations of licorice root, and toiling over a boiling cauldron of invert syrup crafted in our brewery. 

Bear Republic Pace Car Racer Pale Ale

Bear Republic Pace Car Racer. 4% Alc. byVol. Brewed and bottled by Bear Republic Brewing Co., Cloverdale, CA.

Hazy, deep yellow, slim, lasting ivory head.

In the nose: big, bright, bold citrus. Lemon and orange and grapefruit aplenty, with a splash of pine.

In the mouth: more and of that and then some. Big bitterness. And more bright, more bold. Light bodied, easily consumable. Very clean, very crisp, and so much citrus. Good drinking pale ale.

From the label: "Hoppy aromas of pine and citrus, with a smooth malt flavor that empties your glass at a speedy pace. This Session India Pale Ale is the newest addition to the Racer family."

Bear Republic Grand Am American Pale Ale

Bear Republic Grand Am American Pale Ale. 6 % ABV, 50 IBU. Bear Republic Brewing Company, Healdsburg, CA.

Hazy, pale golden color, slim, but lasting white head.

In the nose: bright, fresh, and hoppy. Airy. A little herbal, a little floral, and altogether nice.

In the mouth: Fresh, zesty, hoppy, and all atingle. Lots of hop essence on the palate, plenty of citrus, much vibrancy. Medium bodied, extremely easy drinking. Delicious. Going down so easy. Nice little hoppy buzz going on, and utterly quenching. Good pale ale and you can drink it.

From the label: Inspired by our team's passion for racing, Grand Am is an American Pale Ale worthy of the "Racer" family. True to our roots, this sessionable yet assertive ale balances both classic and new American hop varieties with a distinct malt backbone. Start your engines...."

Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout

Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout. 8.1 % ABV. Brewed and bottled by Bear Republic Co., Inc., Healdsburg Cloverdale, CA. 

I put this down last night, but, lo and behold, I had one nine years ago, June of 2003. I like what I wrote then, so here come the notes:

Appearance: black as the darkest night, with a tall, fantastic, booming, cocoay/brown head, leaving chocolatey lace. 

Aroma: creamy, dry, with faraway hints of coffee, becoming more prominent by the second. Another case of an unfolding flavors. 

Smooth first sip, "ah," I'm thinking, "that goes down easy." But, oh, no, don't be fooled, the finish is thick and long, and the effect is powerful! 

Rich, coffeeish, with a full, warm rum/cognac feel. 

Excellent texture, lush, long-lasting, dark and rewarding flavors, full and roasty and delicious. 

More earthy, espresso-like dominate the palate, and more, fruitier flavors show up and intermingle, giving off more and more to appreciate. 

Alcoholic content is also a kicker, and see

ms to get stronger, darker, more wicked as we go. I save a small sample as a pick-me-up in the morning, throughout the day, when the man's getting me down, anytime's the right time.

Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye

It happened again! Watch this, notes from yesterday...


Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye Specialty Ale. 8% ALC by VOL, brewed and bottled by Bear Republic Brewing Company, Healdsburg Cloverdale, California.

Appearance: dark crimson coloring, slim off-white head. S'okay.

Aroma: rich, fruity malt first, hops second. Not much else.

Taste: There's the spicy rye malt, there's the high hops, here's the juicy malt. High bitterness matched the malt well. Then the rye rises up, a turbid tango, spicy malt and bitter hops, back and forth.
Further in, some chocolate charges in, some rich cocoa malt. Tasty stuff, but muddled, unfocused and odd, though not in a good way. Interesting, but not very well put together. I want to like it, but I just can't. Decent enough, though…

I like rye ales, rye IPAs, etcetera…just not this.

Let's look at what they say: "Hop Rod Rye is a high performance, turbo charged, alcohol-burnin' monster ale with dual overhead hop injection, made with 18% rye. Brewmasters notes: Don't drink & drag. Sediment at bottom of bottle may be a ruselt of the truckload of hops in this non-filtered ale."

I have a feeling Bear Republic might be yet another brewer that so many like, and I just don't love as much. Alas, and alack.
=====================

and, looky here, notes from the first taste, May, 2003:


Appearance: brilliant red color, with an off-white, big and bubbly head. Aroma: sharp hops, fruit: grapefruit, pineapple, and pine.
Lush, delicious mouthfeel, and a lingering, long-lasting finish.
Hops are emergent throughout, with the deep, dark, fruity, delicious flavor ringing through and through.
At first, the hop attack is harsh and spiney, but ultimately this brew gets rounded out quite nicely.
The notes I construct this review from are not perfect, they were scribbles and scratches jotted down while sharing this bottle with a friend. Rest assured, though, that it made an indelible impression on us both!
Another great one from the Bear!

Uncanny!

Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA

A pic of a bottle from 2018 now replaces the
inferior one I posted in 2012, as you read my
notes from then, and 2003.

Bear Republic Racer 5 India Pale Ale, independent since 1995. 7.5% ABV, 75 IBU. Bear Republic Brewing Company, Healdsburg, CA.

Clear, golden / amber hue, under a lasting white head.

Aroma: soft citrus notes, mildly hoppy, fresh and zesty.

Taste: wet and fruity, light to medium bodied, soft hoppy finish. Nice caramel malt background, support the citric hop presence above. Feels like a maltier version of Bell's Two Hearted Ale. Very consumable IPA, this one, milder bitterness, smooth malt flavor.

I'm getting to the end of a 12 pack of this, taking my notes before I drink them all. (Although, I feel sure I've had it once before. Have to check next time I go online…tomorrow.) It's fine, better than average, but not spectacular.

Let's take a moment to read what they say about themselves. "Racer 5 is an aggressive styled India Pale Ale. Handmade from a brewery whose motto is " Bigger is Better." This golden, well hopped. bottle conditioned ale demands your attention. Try the next generation of I.P.A. Racer 5…Go…Go…
Brewmaster Notes: Keep cold, respect life, don't D + D, real ale is alive, yeast is good, serve at 45- 50 F.

This is nice, but not Big, nor Better. I hate to say it, because it's so popular and well-regarded, but I'm simply not impressed. Maybe it needs to be fresher. From California to Wisconsin, from Wisconsin to my place.

-=======

So, guess what, I have had this before, in May of 2003, and did I ever like it, then. In fact, I changed some exclamation points to periods, just to curb the enthusiasm. This was from a trade, but perhaps a fresher bottle than I ones I've been drinking?


Appearance: hazy orange, ripe peach, with a good, white, and actively bubbly head of foam atop. Aroma: instantly sharp and spicy, with spikey hits of citric fruit, grapefruit, peach, apricot, plus pine, and flowers, and more. Intense!
Hop attack begins in earnest on first sip and never wants to quit! A torrent, no, a blizzard, no an ever-loving bitter monsoon. A definite threat to the senses.
Tingly, spicy, and ever-so-tasty!
This would go great with food, I think, but I also think that it would go great with anything, anytime.
Body feels thin, though, compared to the massive hop-heaviness on the palate.
More malt, please, sir!
There are many layering effects, though, and many rewards for this souped-up ale.