Red Racer Pilsner – Central City Brewers

Pilsner Allemande, 5.0%

VISUAL
FLAVORS
SENSATIONS
BALANCE
INTENSITY
FRESHNESS
COMPLEXITY
APPRECIATION

German Pilsner, 5.0%: Very bright dark straw color, almost gold, with light pearly activity. Thin foamy bubbly white 3 finger head, lasting around 5-10 minutes, with poor legs. Flavors of light caramel and corn, lemon, lager yeast, sweet grains and herbal hops. Slick full body with prickly carbonation, a little crispy. Light to medium strength finish, grains and cereal, quality corn feel thats not too « wet », a bit citrusy with dominant barley and a hint of straw. American interpretation, more leafy than floral, makes it slightly less complex compared to euro versions but more intense flavors. So the intensity is nice. Still highly accessible and quite fresh. Good balance with the sugars and bitterness. Overall high quality craft.

Red Racer Super Stellar IPA – Central City

IPA Américaine, 6%

VISUAL
FLAVORS
SENSATIONS
BALANCE
INTENSITY
FRESHNESS
COMPLEXITY
APPRECIATION

American IPA, 6%: Clear dark amber color with few activity. Thick foamy and creamy beige 3 finger head, lasting around 15 minutes, thick legs with a great swirl response. Flavors of mangos, toffee, grapefruits, lemon, orange peels, rye and herbal hops. Silky smooth full body with a light crisp. Strong finish, tropical and citrusy, residual pine on the tongue, slightly leathery, dry and deeply leafy, almost minty and peppery. Quite a powerful IPA that feels like a double, so there’s some imbalance with the flavors, a double would get more points, although I still sense a high degree of complexity here. Robust for those who like this will enjoy it much I’m sure, more like a Rye IPA. More warming than fresh, I wouldn’t drink this in a hot summer day (like right now). Too bold, too coarse and tongue numbing. Compared to the regular red racer I find it less interesting and delicious, yet it’s still a high quality brew, but will definitely not be a regular for me.