I have had this sitting in my inbox for a couple of days and finally had time to post it for Mr. Scott.

Scott Plattsmier
Review #1 – Racer 5 IPA

For my first review, I thought it would be fitting to go with one of my favorite styles. This led me to Bear Republic’s Racer 5 IPA. I had heard many great things about Racer 5, so it had serious standards to live up to. It exceeded all expectations.

As I poured Racer 5 into my glass its bold, hoppy aroma hit me almost immediately. It was truly beautiful after running around in the Texas heat all day. Then the color: a clear, honey gold with a nice single finger, snow-white head. This IPA had a fragrant floral and subtle citrus nose. I couldn’t wait to palate this beer. Its simplicity was refreshing. A short grapefruit/orange peel citrus was quickly followed by intense floral notes and a lingering hop bitter, yet amazingly smooth finish. I would not recommend this beer to someone who can’t appreciate a little hops, cause this brew’s got a ton (four types, actually), and at 7% ABV this medium-full bodied IPA was quite drinkable. In fact, I confess, I couldn’t stop at just one.
All in all, Racer 5 was a true palate pleaser. I loved its high drinkability – especially for a bigger beer – and for only $10 a six-pack this new favorite of mine is still reasonably affordable, even on a student’s budget. Cheers to you, Bear Republic!

Feel free to comment and share your opinions on Racer 5, we’d love to hear from you! Also, this is my first ever review, so if you feel I missed something please let me know and I’ll do my best to improve on it next time.
For more information on Bear Republic Brewing Co. and its products, visit www.bearrepublic.com.

Now, I can mirror most of what Scott notes, Bear Republic makes a hella good IPA, and if you are the type of person who has sworn off IPAs due to their bitterness and hops (You may have been influenced by the Miller Lite commercials if you don’t think beer needs to be bitter). then I highly recommend that you try this brew. It will rock your world and show you that IPAs can be just as smooth as a porter. If you enjoy your IPAs, and have not had this one yet, again, I highly recommend that you try it I guarantee that you will love it. If you don’t…. then send the unopened bottles to me and I will enjoy them in your stead.

As a means to give to you the reader the most balanced view that I can, from time to time I will be featuring guest bloggers to share their thoughts on particular brews. Scott Plattsmier is one such guest blogger whom I suspect will be contributing a good bit of content for your enjoyment. Scott and I met, in a bar in College Station Texas while we were both on a quest to complete the O’bannons Taphouse Beer Tour. We soon discovered that we had similar passions for drinking great craft beer. So without further adieu, here in his own words is Scott.

Howdy!

I’m not sure where to begin, so a brief background is as good a place to start as any. I’m attending Texas A&M University where I’m majoring in Economics. I grew up in NW Houston and moved to College Station in 2006 for school. Like most other college students I went to my share of parties and such, where Keystone Light was always in healthy supply. When I turned 21 I decided to try a new beer once a week as well as collecting their bottles. Although I haven’t kept to that schedule entirely, 20 bottles led to 50, 50 led to 100, and I haven’t stopped since.
I’ve never said no to a new brew, but some definitely appeal to me more than others. Porters and DIPA’s are at the top of my list; Porters for their malt and richness and DIPA’s because, well, I can be a bit of a hophead. Doppelbocks and Tripels are also pretty high up there. I can appreciate certain characteristics of nearly every style, so I don’t have any dislikes per se. I’m also a fan of trying coffee and fruit-infused beers, although the latter can be extremely hit or miss. Basically I love bold and unique brews. Hopefully this gives some insight into my preferences.
Blake and I have stayed up many nights playing dominoes, enjoying some craft brews, and discussing everything from beer news and trivia to solving global issues (Liberal arts majors – Whoop!). I’d like to thank BeerwithBlake.com for allowing me to be a part of this exciting project.
Thanks and Gig’em!

– Scott