Bear Republic XP Pale Ale

Brewed by Bear Republic Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Healdsburg, California USA

From a bomber.

Pours a clear orange with a fluffy light-yellow head. This one has a big c-hop aroma of grapefruit and orange peel, a bit of sour grassy hops as well on the nose. But ah, the commercial description is too apt: "...with a noticeable hop aroma and bittering element that just teases the hopheads but satisfies the newest of microbrewed ale drinkers."

Exactly. Taking my first sip of this beer, I just feel lead on and left cold; after that great aroma the taste holds too much back. It’s a nice pale ale flavor, but it’s too restrained, too rounded, and the hops on the aroma just don’t come through in the flavor. It’s actually qutie a nice beer once I let go of the expectations that the aroma creates, but I’ve got to say I’d probably like it better if it didn’t smell so great. Back to Racer V for me.

"Just teases the hopheads" indeed! I’m left feeling as though I blew a fortune on table dances and then went home alone.

Bottled. Clear light copper in color with a thick, ivory colored head. Malty aroma with a good hoppy floralness. Light mouth feel with a strong hop bitterness. Nice clean pale ale.

I still can’t believe I haven’t rated this one yet, since I’ve had it plenty of times before, but to be fair, I bought a new bottle last weekend. Big-bubbled head of foam, fairly long lasting. Orange body typical of an APA. Nice, fully-hopped aroma with hints of heather and orange/citrus. The carbonation is a little too biting for my taste, and its not very smooth becasue of it. The flavor is slightly too thinned out to be one of my favorite pale ales, but its a decent beer overall, and it would be very refreshing in the warmer weather. There are tea-like spices also in the flavor that I find odd.

Pours a clear golden with a large frothy head. Strong aroma of pine and mellon hops on a floral hop base. Pleasant malty flavor on a hoppy base that is distinctly melon tasting. Smooth clear body.

Clear pale amber with a big frothy white head. Sweet citrus hops aroma. Sweet grapefruit hop flavor.

I was pretty impressed with this one. Crisp hop bite, nice citrus flavor with hints of pine and other woodsy flavors. The smooth grapefuit and orange peel really stand out and make your mouth water for more. Big fruity aroma to grab you before each sip. Good stuff.

pours translucent copper with a good sized off-white head, aroma of hops, sweet malts and citrus.flavor is slightly hoppy, crisp, mild pine flavor, good body, good brew.

2005 bomber shared with SuIIy on 2/9/06. Plenty of foamy/wispy white head appears atop the straw colored body with just the slightest hint of haziness. Small bubbles rise frequently throughout and the beer is bottle conditioned, I believe. Head removes to cover/ring, fairly quickly, but there is spotty lacing left behind as it recedes. Nose shows off light orange zest, mixed with a fresh floral bouquet, hints of grapefruit rind and airy notes of pale grains, limes, live yeast, dough and a growing honey-like malt as it warms. The cascades seem to dominate a bit much, while not enough dextrin malt makes it through to quite balance. But for a low gravity golden/pale ale, I can see why they would want to try and showcase the hops in the nose and little else. Anyways, moving on the the flavor, the beer gets quite interesting. Two things really strike me as I drink it. One, this is really more just a hopped up golden ale and Two, this is REALLY drinkable. Medium amounts of soft-bubbled carbonation gently allow the liquid to glide down the throat, as the lithe malt adds graininess and touches of sweat and dough. But the grapefruit and oranges guide the beer along the palate, keeping it very dry. Overattenuated mouthfeel, as tiggmtl says, but rather than view it as a flaw, I choose to just rate this one more to a golden ale style. Soft floral notes emerge as the beer warms and breathes and the specialty malts really do make an appearance. Not sweet, but there are some notes of biscuits, sweat, hay and then of course, dry yeast.