The
Los Angeles Times
By Charles Perry
BEER OF THE MONTH
Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale
March 4, 2009
Red ales are
generally moderate, middle-of-the-road beers, but not this one. Bear
Republic describes Red Rocket Ale as "a bastardized Scottish style
red ale." Make that a pumped-up red ale, with a very reddish amber
color and levels of maltiness and alcohol (6.8%) more typical of a bock.
(Together with the fact that the beer is bottle-conditioned, the maltiness
makes for a big creamy head too.) On top of all that, it has IPA levels
of hops -- the label admits to something over 65 IBU (international
bittering units) -- and a sweet caramel aftertaste.
In short, this
is not a beer for absent-minded drinking; it aggressively demands your
attention. Food-wise, it might go with pot roast or a Flemish beef carbonnade.
Basically, though, it's a beer for when you want to know you're really
drinking a beer.
--
Charles Perry Style: A powerhouse ale, highly malty and hoppy with a
caramel note in the finish.
