While temperatures have consistently been hitting the mid 90s, I found myself craving a brew with a little more body and malt. Luckily, I had a bottle of Bear Republic's classic Red Rocket Ale, a 6.8 percent Scottish style amber/red ale. The brew has won some accolades over the years, taking home the silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival back-to-back years in 1998 and 1999.
Before Red Rocket, I had only tried the California brewer's year-round offering, Racer 5-- one of my all-time favorite IPAs. Needless to say, I was excited to give Red Rocket a go, and boy was I not disappointed.
Red Rocket pours a dark copper with a delectable two finger foam head that slowly retreats almost immediately after pour.The Scottish influence really shows in the aroma, which features pleasantly sweet roasted caramel with slight hints of chocolate.
Unlike a lot of reds or ambers I've had in the past, Red Rocket has a surprising body that coats the palate with smooth roasted caramel and notes of chocolate. There is slight hop bitterness on the back end, but it smooths out nicely to suppress the brew's 67 IBU count.
The Scottish influence is especially prevalent on the finish. Instead of finishing dry like most American red ales, Red Rocket has an almost scotch ale-like finish that is both smooth and rich.
For me, it would be hard to classify Red Rocket as a red ale. For me, it was more comparable to Moylan's Kilt Lifter or even Founder's Porter. In the end though, Red Rocket scratched that dark beer itch and left me incredibly satisfied.
Cheers, Bear Republic!
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