Central City Brewing Company- Red Racer India Pale Ale: This Brew Gets The Checkered Flag
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 6:12PM | by Jason 
I’ll just go ahead and admit that I have a beer collecting problem. I buy and stock Craft Beer faster than I can consume it. There are times I buy it because I have every intention of reviewing it and others just for the sheer sake of consumption. I have brews sitting on a shelf in my cellar that have been around since July of last year and somehow I continue to add more than I remove. I really have no clue how the hell I’m going to get caught up but I’m just going to have to manage. This next brew was nothing more than a trip to the beverage depot, caught my eye, in a can and an IPA. Yes, I’m a sucker for canned Craft Brews and IPAs. This one was different because it comes all the way from our neighbors to the north, Canada. Now I’ve had a few Canadian Craft Beers and I have to say that I have yet to be truly impressed but always remain optimistic that the next one will do just that. Central City Brewing Company is located in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada and is approximately two hours north of Seattle, WA. Their brew is Red Racer India Pale Ale and it is poured and ready.
Central City Brewing Company classifies this brew as an India Pale Ale and their website describes Red Racer India Pale Ale as, “A style of ale fashioned to survive the long voyage from England to India during the British colonization. Hops, hops, and more hops! This ale has an intense aroma and a long lingering finish. A beer for the connoisseur, this is the Brewmaster’s choice.” A rather uninteresting description, I just hope the beer proves to be better than the weak-ass sales job the website did describing it. There is also a video on the Red Racer IPA page here.
Red Racer India Pale Ale pours a hazy golden orange color with a minimal ½” off white head that dissipated quickly. The aroma is big and bold with flourishes of citrus, hop resin, grapefruit, caramel malt sweetness and hints of green apple.
The aroma of Red Racer India Pale Ale is quite remarkable and mesmerizing. The flavor is just the same. I don’t often associate Craft Beer with Canada but that will definitely change after this brew. Red Racer IPA has all of the qualities that I highly enjoy in an IPA. It starts out hoppy/citrusy and then a small splash of malt sweetness and finishes with a hop bite that is tart and dry with a hop resin aftertaste. Quite simply, fantastic. Central City Brewing Company has a tried & true winner here and I can now say that my favorite Canadian Craft Beer is Red Racer India Pale Ale. Race on out and get one now!
ABV: 6.5%
Consumed: New Belgium Globe Glass
Verdict: Buy A Case
