REVIEW #60: Red Rocket Ale (Bear Republic Brewing Co.)

Pours turbid red with a big beige head that lasts forever. Grapefruit hops dominate the aroma... and grapefruit hops dominate the taste. Definitely an American beer. Luckily the beer also possesses a big malt underbelly... not quite big enough to argue with the hops though! Its seriously full bodied and very smooth. If you think of it as an overhopped APA on the malty side - but substitute 'pale' for 'red' - you've got Red Rocket Ale pretty well pigeonholed.

Bear Republic describe their Red Rocket Ale as a "bastardised Scottish style red ale".But this is actually a beer that features the American pine/citrus staple-hop-variety Cascade, as well as Centennial, sometimes referred to as 'super Cascade'. It also weighs in at 65+ IBU! The two hop types unite to unleash a bitterly aromatic explosion that delights and demolishes the tastebuds in equal measure, and in a manner that is all-American. You may as well pour the yeast in as you won't taste it or anything other than hops! So, this beer is not exactly what it says on the tin bottle but who cares, I could drink it all day. I like the bottle size too; an actual pint of the stuff, perfect.

• MALTS: 5 different grains inc. caravienne & hugh bairds crystal barley malts.

• HOPS: CENTENNIAL, CASCADE
• IBU: 65+
• YEAST: ?
• ABV: 6.8%`
• o.g.: 1.067
• BOTTLE-CONDITIONED.

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