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Rat Race

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A hoppy American session IPA, soft on the palate, finishing with a satisfying bitterness. Centennial and Cascade set the stage before Citra and Azacca arrive in the dry-hop. It is a golden, crystal clear beer, sold on keg and in cans, and it took Gold in the 2024 SIBA North West bottle and can awards.

ABV
4.5%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Citrus hop bitterness
SRM
golden6
PaceSession

AWARDS

Gold · 2024
SIBA Indie Beer Awards (regional, North West)
★Gold — SIBA Indie Beer Awards (regional, North West)
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
hoppycitrusy
hoppy
citrusy
Aroma
The nose opens with classic American hop character: Centennial and Cascade deliver citrus and subtle floral notes in the foreground.
not found:juicy,caramel,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Rat Race

◎ Appearance

Rat Race presents a bright golden hue with excellent clarity and a crystalline quality. The head forms quickly and maintains firm adhesion to the glass walls, leaving distinct lacings as the beer is consumed. Carbonation appears lively and well-integrated, contributing to the beer's visual liveliness.

bright goldencrystal clearstrong head retention

◌ Aroma

The nose opens with classic American hop character: Centennial and Cascade deliver citrus and subtle floral notes in the foreground. The dry-hop addition of Citra and Azacca builds a brighter, more tropical layer—orange zest and stone fruit emerge without overwhelming the delicate malt base. The overall impression remains clean and balanced, with no harsh alcohol presence.

citrus forwardfloral undertonestropical stone fruit

◐ Taste

The palate enters soft and approachable, with restrained malt sweetness providing a gentle foundation. Mid-palate develops the hop bitterness characteristic of the style, with Centennial and Cascade establishing a clean, grassy base before Citra and Azacca add brightness and subtle fruit complexity. The finish transitions smoothly to a satisfying, lingering bitterness without astringency or harshness.

soft entrybalanced malt sweetnessclean hop bitterness

◑ Finish

The finish is dry and pleasantly bitter, with good persistence that encourages another sip. Aftertaste carries citrus and herbal notes that slowly fade, leaving the palate refreshed rather than parched.

dry finishlingering bitternessrefreshing fade
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
85
Taste
84
Appearance
88
Finish
78
Serve at 7–10°C

Serve well-chilled. Session IPAs are at their best cold — the lower ABV means less warmth to balance the hops.

Tulip glass

The curved shape concentrates hop aromas and supports a thick head. Essential for aromatic ales and IPAs where the nose is half the experience.

Drink fresh. Session IPAs are brewed to be consumed young — the hops are at their best now.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Rat Race

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About Session IPA

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Session IPA?

IPAs are hop-forward ales with 5.5–7.5% ABV and IBU 40–70+. Bold hop aroma — citrus, tropical, resinous — with firm bitterness and a dry, clean finish.

Finding a similar Session IPA

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same hoppy, bitter, smooth character as Rat Race will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Compare with another beer →Explore all Session IPA beers in hopIQ →Browse United Kingdom beers →