Bay
Area Insider.com
05/31/2006 by William Brand, Staff Writer
Racer 5 takes
the checkered flag
I FACED
A dilemma this week. I had two beers in front of me. One was a strong,
spiced beer from Belgium that I have always liked. The other was my
all-time favorite: Racer 5 IPA from Bear Republic in Healdsburg.
First,
I opened the Belgian. Bottle-conditioned, it had fermented to completely
dry. Still, nicely malty, subtle spices. Hmmm.
Then
I popped the cap on Racer 5 and poured it into a glass. Whew! A lively
pour, foam rushing to the top of the glass, delivering a huge malty
nose. Hops so sweet and spicy and piney, like heaven — if, like
me, you like hops.
First
sip tells one that this isn't a purely hoppy beer, all sharp bitterness.
Racer 5 has a substantial, malty taste, a hefty blend of two-row barley
and specialty malts that does more than balance the hops and add another
dimension to this very fine beer. If you like hops, go for Racer 5;
if you prefer malts, reach for a Racer 5.
Bear
Republic Racer 5 is our Beer of the Week. It's 7 percent alcohol by
volume, 69 International Bitterness Units (Bud is 13 IBU). It's a model
for many a hoppy beer.
The
brew-restaurant was founded in 1995 in downtown Healdsburg, right in
the middle of the wine country. It's a family affair. Master brewer
and the guy behind the whole operation is Richard G. Norgrove, who,
among other things races cars. A home brewer, he apprenticed at Marin
Brewing, Larkspur. Then, Richard and his wife, Tami, convinced his dad,
Richard R. Norgrove and his wife, Sandy, to help them open Bear Republic.
It's a growing effort and they're building a new brewery in Cloverdale.
Richard
makes a string of award winning beers like Hop Rod Rye and Racer X.
But Racer 5's still my favorite. The names came from the cartoon TV
series Speed Racer — based on a Japanese anime series. The main
character drives a gadget-laden car, Mach 5.
Richard
also has a race car with a big 5 on the side. Like the car, old Racer
5, the beer's got a lot of zip. Can't find this beer? E-mail us at whatsontap@sbcglobal.net
or call (510) 915-1180 and ask for our 2006 Retail Beer Store List.
Clarification
time: Tony Magee, whose Lagunitas Undercover Shut-Down Ale was our Beer
of the Week last week, wants to stress that the ads the company ran
advertising their Thursday beer tastings used the term "420"
in the ad copy, not to in any way imply there was marijuana present
or tolerated.
"It
was just a way of communicating with the counterculture, many of whom
are our customers," he says. The events weren't about marijuana,
they were about beer tasting, he says. After visiting the tastings for
two months, undercover Alcohol Beverage Control investigators arrested
three people on marijuana possession charges. But the agents could never
find anyone who would sell them some dope. You can find the story on
our blogs at http://www.insidebayarea.com
and http://www.beernewsletter.com.
Beer
ratings are based on a star system. — world classic; — outstanding;
— excellent; — good; — average.
Staff
writer William Brand publishes What's On Tap, a consumer craft beer
and hard cider newsletter. He can be reached at (510) 915-1180. Fax:
(510) 841-6023. E-mail: whatsontap@sbcglobal.net.
