Day 454: Bear Republic and Bad Ideas

I'm at an event last week and I walk over to a table to hear, "This is the one with the beer blog." Definitely not the average introduction and I like to be different. It turns out that I was about to make friends with fellow beer geeks. It also turns out that one of the said beer geeks had a mixed case of beer in his car and I was offered a chance to rifle though it for new-to-me beers. 

Chit chat ensues. Beers are drank. We revisit the notion of that mixed case of beer. I'm fairly certain that if she were still alive, my mother would be horrified that I ventured into a parking garage at night with two men that I just met twenty minutes earlier. And yet after a hearty, "Are we doing this?" from Kelli, I threw caution to the wind, grabbed my keys and headed off. Typically beer exchanges aren't one so one-sided and I'll admit a certain level of discomfort without having any beer to offer in return. 

Trippy evidence of me caught in the act
courtesy of Kelli!

But I did score three new-to-me beers and provided a certain level of entertainment when I had a six pack holder at the ready in the trunk of my car. Thank yous were shared and I headed back to the event although I'll admit the entire time I was debating what to take, I felt like the new girl at a swingers party. I wasn't quite sure what to do.

One of the beers from that night is the Red Rocket from Bear Republic, a bastardized scottish ale per the label. It poured a deep amber color with a thin off-white head. It smells of malt, bread and hops. The flavor is rich, with caramel and fruit, and lots of fruity hops. It left lots of lacing behind and also had a hoppy after taste. 

Beer stats

Style: Scottish ale

ABV: 6.8%

IBUs: 67

Rating: Great

Previously reviewed from Bear Republic

Gary shares a wealth of bear photos and puns in his review of Wet Hopped Wild Racer 5

My review of Peter Brown Ale

Bear With Me Here....

Beer #214 Barrel 45 Wet Hop Wild Racer 5 / Bear Republic Brewing Company, Healdsburg, CA

Today's beer comes from Bear Republic, which we visited in person during our swing through Sonoma.  There's a bear waiting for you when you walk in the front door:

Bears!  And.... bunnies?

Oops... that's not Bear Republic, that's my living room.  Here's a better shot of their Bear:

Bear: "Wait, where the ladies at?"

I drank the Barrel 45 Wet Hop Wild Racer 5, and while that name is a bit unwieldy, the beer itself is a delightful experience.  It pours with an apricot color and no head, and you get a floral, citrus aroma.  When you take a sip, you're instantly greeted with some expected IPA flavors like orange and grapefruit, although they are more prominent and sour than you'd find in an average IPA.  What surprises you is a buttery or butterscotch flavor in there (which I assume is from the barrel aging), which balances some of the tartness.  From what I gathered while I was there, Bear Republic took Racer 5, their popular and hoppy IPA, then re-fermented it with wild yeast and bacteria to spin this beer in a different but funky and awesome direction.  My final note on this beer: "GREAT!"  We hit Bear after our second day of winery tastings, so my adjectives list may have been a bit stunted.  However, the fact remains this 7.5% ABV wild ale was an amazing beer.

Fantastic!

This appears to be a very limited release beer, as it's already no longer on tap in their brewpub.  Another unusual find we unearthed on vacation!  This one is definitely headed for my Top 25; the seventeenth beer to be afforded that honor so far.

Thing to Think About Today:
With bears on the brain, I could either drop some clips from 70's cult hit BJ and the Bear, a sitcom about a truck driver with a chimp (named Bear) for a best friend - OR - I could drop some Barenaked Ladies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quYV9nASs8Q

I think I chose wisely, even if they are from Canada.

Beer 193: Bear Republic Peter Brown Ale

Two days of hopping around wineries is exhausting and hangover inducing...especially when you factor in craft beer sampling. Before departing for Portland, we visited eight wineries over two days. The highlight among them is a newish one called Martorana Family Winery. While n this winery is only about five years old, the family's wine story goes way further back. Definitely check out that link for some history.

I'm not a huge red wine drinker and I was definitely in red wine country. Imagine my delight when we arrived at Martorana and met Gio, the winemaker, who opened up a recently bottled Chardonnay for us. It was so good, I'm currently smuggling it back to Pennsylvania!

I would say that if you find yourself in Sonoma, you should definitely put this winery on your list. Laid back people, quality wine and two winery dogs! How can you go wrong with that combination?!?

Following the wine stops, we hit Bear Republic in Healdsburg for some beer and appetizers. Sadly we missed out on a visit to Lagunitas -- they were closed for a private event.

I had the Peter Brown Tribute Ale. It's an American brown ale that poured a deep, murky brown. It barely had any head. There was a malt and caramel aroma that carried through to the taste. The taste also had a dominant bitterness, which I wasn't expecting. It had a nice mouthfeel...kind of creamy. I think this is a good beer...I just prefer my brown ales with more malt.

Cheers!

p.s. If you're wondering about the name of this beer, I have an answer. It's named in honor of one of Bear Republic's sales reps, who died at a relatively young age. A new brown ale was being brewed on the day he died and the brewmaster dedicated the new brew to him. It went on to win a number of awards and the rest is history.