Central City Brewers & Distillers in Surrey, British Columbia has won several brewing awards over the years, including Red Racer IPA‘s bronze last year in the Vancouver Magazine International Beer Awards. Red Racer IPA for Autism is a fundraiser that Central City puts on every year. And, though the beer’s no different from the usual Red Racer IPA, Red Racer IPA for Autism comes in re-styled cans, and donates 25 cents from each tall can sale to autism research ($2.00 per six-pack of 355-mL cans).
Central City has made a name for itself as one of BC’s foremost microbreweries. As their website shows, their products are available at brewpubs, stores, and online. Happy to fundraise by drinking beer, I grabbed a couple of pale blue cans of this IPA at my local LCBO.
Red Racer IPA – First Sip
Red Racer IPA pours a honey-brown colour with a very thin layer of head. There’s no strong aroma to this beer but as I take my first sip I notice a faint smell of burnt caramel, typical of lots of IPA’s. This is a strong beer with a strong flavour. It’s been so long since I reviewed an IPA that taking my first sip feels like coming home. Grapefruit flavours dominate this beer with just a touch of malt. This beer finishes with a mouth-puckering bitterness as any IPA should. Although other reviews claim that Red Racer IPA is a bit thin, its mouthfeel is on point for me. It’s not too thick but not too watery either.
MFR ON YOUTUBE (latest video)
Help us reach 5K Subs!
Red Racer IPA – Last Sip
This is not a beer you’ll want to guzzle. Firstly, at 6.5% ABV I don’t imagine your liver would appreciate being pickled in this tasty brew. Secondly, Red Racer is a relatively heavy beer, so unless you’re the kind of person who loves to wolf down entire loaves of bread you’ll want to sip and not chug. I enjoyed my second Red Racer straight from the can to compare. It’s surprising the difference pouring a brew into a glass generally has. In the can, Red Racer, although its taste is relatively static, develops a fizzy mouthfeel almost to the last drop. From a pint glass, Red Racer is much smoother.
