Red Racer Red Racer Come Give Us a Taster

Yes folks, it's Fall.  And that means pumpkin ale, pumpkin ale, and, you guessed it; yet more pumpkin ale.  Don't like it?  Exits are to your left and right.  They lead to Hell.

So Central City Brewing has been at it again.  I will be the first to admit that their line of beer is not usually among my top picks, if only because they favour the extremely bitter and the extremely hoppy.  While I enjoy their Extra Special Bitter, I can't force myself to like a beer type that I just...don't (IPA).  However, it seems they've been expanding.  They've made a white ale, a wit, a raspberry ale, and now, a pumpkin ale.  Suffice it to say, this may well not be new at all, but I do not recall seeing it last year.  Either way, this is one can of cruising delight to pay attention to.

And speaking of cruising...my god, it's like they designed their logo with Beer Cruise in mind.  Like they could forsee the future, and the future consisted entirely of drunken idiots falling off their cruisers.  And how does one appeal to drunken idiots on bikes?  One puts a scantily clad woman on a bike.  And a true, blue-blooded, authentic and retro cruiser at that!  Hell, the beer could be utter crap and I'd still be lavishing this brewery in endless praise.

I mean just look at her.

LOOK AT HER!

Luckily, their beer is not crap, not even close.  Their ESB and IPA have earned Red Racer a hefty reputation, and their pumpkin ale does not disappoint.  True, it may not have the sheer brutality and flavour of Howe Sound's Pumpkineater, but keep in mind that that is an imperial pumpkin ale, is much more expensive, and only available in the somewhat vulgar 1 litre format.  And yes, I know I have praised the 1 litre Howe Sound 'mini growlers' in the past, and rightly so, because they are great...but not for cruising, or for social gatherings.  When you have a bottle of beer of that enormity all to yourself, people look at you and you just know they are thinking one of two things: 1) "So when does the intervention begin?", or 2) "So when do the men in white coats come to take him away?".

Red Racer's pumpkin ale comes in a completely sensible, albeit slightly red-around-the-neck, 6 pack can form.  And when you look at the price and the surprisingly good taste combined here, it's somewhat more difficult to justify making the Pumpkineater your sole option for the season.

Insert breaking it down remark etc.

Taste:  Surprising.  Not quite on the level of the Pumpkineater, but miles ahead of the offerings from Granville Island and Philips.

Aroma:  Again, falls short of Howe Sound's mastery here, but despair not!  It still smells great, with a heavy aroma of pumpkin and notes of cinnamon and spices.

Aftertaste:  It's not overly complex, but it doesn't fade away like some other flavoured beers either.  It's got lasting appeal.

Recommended?:  No.  Wait...yes.  Yes, that's the one isn't it?  I get those two confused so often I mean I don't even

Verdict:  In terms of sheer value, Red Racer has this market cornered.  It's much better than the premium offerings from some other breweries for a fraction of the price, and it even approaches the greatness of some of the true wizards of pumpkin ale brewing.

Score:  9 mugs out of 10.