Is that a great looking beer or what?
The Brewski Report Reviews Red Rocket Ale and Road Warrior Funk.
File Date: 9.09.2011
File Name: An Unfortunate Snap Back To Reality
The Beer: Red Rocket Ale
Type: American Amber/Red Ale
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 6.8% ABV
Brewer: Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Web Site: www.bearrepublic.com
State/Country of Origin: CA, USA
Brewer Info: Bear Republic Brewing Company (Bear Republic) was founded by third and fourth generation Sonoma County residents. From the humble beginning of home brewing to the demanding process of commercial brewing, came the realization that to produce the distinctive flavors and aroma we found appealing required the founding of our own Brew Pub. Through this process owners Richard R Norgrove, and wife Sandy, Richard G Norgrove, (Brew Master) and wife Tami, developed the style and mark of Bear Republic’s award winning, hand-crafted lagers and ales. Located in historic Healdsburg, California, where hop kilns from another era are still visible, our products are brewed and aged using the traditional “art” of the masters. Bear Republic’s family business is unique, from the mother who greets you at the door, to the son who brews the ales, the father who pulls tap and the daughter-in-law who keeps the books. The Norgroves invite you inside for healthy food and drink for the enjoyment of the whole family. Our goal is to create and cultivate a Brew Pub and Restaurant that the locals can call their own and that makes visitors feel at home. We work hard at fostering a sense of loyalty and tradition from eras gone by.
Brewer Brand Hype: Red Rocket Ale is a bastardized Scottish style red ale that traces it’s origins to our homebrew roots. This full bodied and hoppy brew finishes on the palate with sweet, caramel malt flavors.
Label: Red Rocket Ale is a bastardized Scottish style red ale packed with distinctive flavors and an aggressive hop character rivaled by none. This unfiltered, bottle-conditioned, amber colored ale, breaks all style molds. Keep refrigerated, beer is perishable, real ale is alive, yeast is good, serve at 45 - 50 F.
The Brewski Review: Whoa! Heavy on the hops bitterness scale for this ale. Bear Republic wasn’t affraid to go all out here on the hops. I pulled this one out of the fridge after a weary and long return trip home from our favorite vacation spot. I’ll have to admit, the hoppy taste snapped me back to reality pretty quickly. You know how you get in that long, road warrior funk? Your bum aches, your legs get numb and you start to drift off in your head about how much you hate work and if you could only win the lottery you’d buy that vacation house that only millionaires can afford. This, punctuated by listening to a mind numbing marathon of childrens animated videos started to make me lightheaded. But, as I noted earlier, this beer is the antidote. Very hearty and warming. Great for a nice cool, damp and overcast day. Oh yeah, the vacation? Great. I only wish we could have stayed longer. The upside was a free hotel room. Cashed in all those reward points I’ve been stacking up. Cha-Ching! More money for beer.
Drinkability: Yes. Would drink again.
Appearance: Deep amber - almost brown. Min. head.
The Buds: Super hoppy brew with a high ABV content.
TBR Cap Rating: 4 out of 5 caps.
Vintage Red Rocket Racer Tin Toy Car.
Brewer Brand Hype: George Hurst, a co-founder of Kenya Breweries Ltd, was killed by an elephant during a hunting expedition in 1923. In memory of his tragic death, this famous lager beer that he had helped create was renamed ‘Tusker’. Tusker is brewed from 100% African ingredients that are all locally sourced. The barley is from the Savannah and the Maasai Mara. The spring water is from the Aberdare Mountains. All the yeast is developed locally. The cornstarch is sourced from a local kenyan company. Every grain of sugar is delivered from West Kenya. This means that you feel closely connected to the origins and roots of Tusker. The taste of African spirit can inspire you going forwards, by re-connecting you with your roots. As the old proverb goes, ‘to know where you are going, you must first know where you have come from’. Tusker drinkers see the traditions, beliefs and cultures of their roots as the springboard for inspiration. They are full of optimism; focused on looking forwards, not backwards. Today’s triumphs are born of and inspired by where we have come from - Tusker. Refresh Your Roots.
