Bear Republic Apex Double IPA

I’m not a huge DIPA fan, but when one of my favorite breweries releases a beer described as “their climax…their culmination of years of brewing” I’m inclined to try it.  I grabbed this bottle of Bear Republic Apex off an end-cap at Trader Joe’s a few nights ago and went to work.

Appearance

Much more cloudy than most DIPAs. Murky amber with a frothy, meringue-like head.  Wish I would’ve drank it out of a proper chilled glass rather than plastic.

Smell

If you’re used to big DIPAs like Heady Topper and Pliny, Apex takes a different route when assaulting your olfactory system. Those two have a decidedly piney quality to the smell (and ultimately the taste), while Bear Republic’s Apex has a more tropical and dark sugar smell.  Definitely hop forward, but different.  Whatever your nose picks up, it can be smelled from 10 feet away. This throws aromas like crazy.

Taste

Again, it’s a very hop forward beer–very–but the taste of added sugars (malty, rather than saccharine) is compelling.  A bit too hoppy for me, but not pungent like some of the other hop bombs are nowadays.  Took me a while to really nail down the flavor profile, and I’m struggling with identifying more than the obvious citrus (grapefruit, dark melon, etc), but once I find it, I’ll know.  Suffice to say, if you like hops, you’ll like this brew….I can just about guarantee it.

Numbers

22oz bottle for $9 at Trader Joe’s

ABV: 8.25%

100 IBUs

Style: Double IPA

More info here

Overall

Hopheads will (and do) go crazy over this stuff. Definitely a quality example of a popular style that they seem to have tweaked just the right amount.  For about the same price, I’d stick with a six pack of Racer X, as I find that to be one of the most accessible and best balanced California IPAs on the market.

The price for Apex seems right–I’d argue a bit low–for what it is, and it seems since it’s seasonal it’ll be gone pretty soon. I’d recommend a BUY.

Cheers!