Rating: 5/5

APEX Special IPA by Bear Republic is an 8.95% ABV Double/Imperial India Pale Ale.

Label:
Apex: The highest point, the culmination or climax. In racing, the apex of the turn is approached differently as conditions dictate but always with a forward looking mindset. This beer is the culmination of years of brewing and drinking hop forward IPAs. We reserve the right to move forward, to advance the style to the next Apex. 
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The next in the Racer series release which was a brewery only beer for a such a long time before they decided to shell it out for the masses is this one. According to my buddy Omar over at Uncle Henry’s deli, this is Bear Republic’s response to Pliny the Younger. I have never had Pliny the Younger but I am sure many of the IPAs or Triple IPAs for that matter are more likely better. 

Aromas:
Tropics, tropics and more tropics! Lots of fruit, honey dew melon, peach, kiwi, passion fruit, papaya, mango, grapefruit, caramel, biscuit bread, grassy and piney hops, citrus, apricot, floral notes, lemon peel, lychee fruit, pineapple, tangerines and prickly pears.

Flavors:
Very tropical hop forward, grassy piney, floral, grapefruit hops, tangerine, peaches, apricot, kiwi, honey melon, papaya, passion fruit, tangerine, oranges, lemon peel, citrus, caramel, biscuit bread, dragon fruit, guava notes, lychee, prickly pear and gummy bears. 

Aftertaste:
Finishing with nice grapefruit hop bitterness, caramel notes and more tropical fruit. No alcohol in the taste, refreshing as all hell with easy to mostly moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Awesome tropical IPA. No overwhelming bitterness, yet very hoppy and fruity. If it was anything like Heady Topper, it is damn close. I can agree I like this one more than Pliny the Elder but I cannot speak for but would, with most certainty, believe that this beats the younger in my mind so far. In terms of Cafe 15 or this one, I would like to add that this one is is more hoppy than maybe Cafe 15 which brings a nice blend of hoppy and tropical balance.

Anime Corner:
Original Art by Hybrid Mink was used to pair APEX because I wanted to show how one would react to be at the highest point, to feel high in the sky and feel like no ones bringing you down. Some of the colors hit the label perfectly and the helmet, although it may be a lion or a cat, maybe closer to a bear, or at least I’d like to think that that way. Like Cafe Racer 15, Racer X and Racer 5 before it and even Black Racer, there is either an aspect of car racing, of powering up, or the feeling of being very powerful when it comes to mind with these world class IPAs.