Year End Recap

2010 was a violent year. It started with a simple Bottle Battle, but soon expanded into Can Clashes, Tap Tussles and even a full-fledged Growler Grudge Match. That's a lot of delicious, thirst-quenching violence. Hopefully we inspired you to try some tasty new beers and avoid some that were less than stellar. Perhaps you were even compelled to stage a Bottle Battle of your own. It's certainly a fun and educational way to find out what you like and don't like in a beer.

Throughout the year we were treated to some epic duels, some lopsided first round knockouts and a few long, drawn-out snoozers. Of the 97 beers that we featured only 11 received a "Fantastic" rating (11.3%). The most common rating was "Good" which we assigned to 30 of the beers. We choose to believe this is an indicator of the overall solid quality of beer in the Northwest. The rest of the breakdown went as follows: Good +: 17, Good -: 9, Mediocre +: 6, Mediocre: 18, Mediocre -: 3, Bad: 3.

We'll finish with a list of all the beers we rated "Fantastic." Keep a lookout for these beers in 2011. Hopefully they'll be worthy of the rating we gave them in 2010. Have a safe and happy new year! May we suggest you toast the new year with a lambic instead of Champagne?

Rogue John John
(Dead Guy Ale Aged in Dead Guy Whiskey Barrels)

Diamond Knot Ho!Ho!Ho! Winter Ale

Widmer Deadlift Imperial IPA

Dogfish Head Burton Baton

Deschutes Hop in the Dark CDA
(Cascadian Dark Ale)

Laurelwood Organic Free Range Red Ale

New Belgium 2010 La Folie

Maui Brewing Co. Coconut Porter

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse

Rock Bottom Bellevue
Fresh Hop Pale Ale (Tap Only)

Snipes Mountain
Harvest Fresh Hop Pale Ale (Tap Only)

Chocolate Stouts — Bison Brewing vs. Hermitage Brewing Co.

Bison Brewing
Chocolate Stout
ABV 5%

Color: Dark brown.
Aroma: Coffee, green olive, smoke.
Flavor: Watered down cold coffee.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Slight chocolate that quickly fades.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Hermitage Brewing Co.
Irondale Swanton Rea's
Double Chocolate Stout
ABV 8%

Color: Black oil.
Aroma: Smokey coffee, molasses, slight sourness and cold steel.
Flavor: Creamy coffee, bitter dark chocolate, licorice.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Unsweetened cocoa powder.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Blow by Blow
This Christmas Eve we managed to sneak in a bottle battle in the midst of all the holiday revelry. And in the spirit of the season we invited family to join in the fist-flying festivities. Many thanks to Tom & Candace for their participation!

Chocolate stout seemed to be a good choice to wash down the obscene amounts of cookies, panuche and other assorted sweets so we gathered two bottles and let them have at it. We detected chocolate in both beers, but it was far more prominent in the Irondale stout. The Bison beer had a bit of chocolate in the finish, but was mostly dominated by watery coffee characteristics. The green olive note in the Bison was peculiar, but not off-putting and led to a discussion about how coffee beans aromas can sometimes cross over into the olive realm.

All in all, it wasn't a very close fight. The Irondale had far more body and much better chocolate flavor. The Bison is a real simple beer that we'd recommend you avoid unless you're looking for a good iced-coffee substitute next summer.

Winner by unanimous decision: Hermitage.

Winter Beers — Great Divide Brewing Co. vs. Full Sail

Great Divide Brewing Co.
Hibernation Ale
ABV 8.7%

Color: Hazy brown.
Aroma: Smoke, meat, cocoa powder.
Flavor: Starts sweet and malty, ends meaty and savory. Quite complex.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Smokey chocolate with a touch of bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Full Sail
Wreck the Halls
ABV 6.5%

Color: Hazy pumpkin orange.
Aroma: Piney hops and sweet malts.
Flavor: Medium body, pine, grapefruit. Starts malty and sweet, bitter hops take over late.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Tart lemon rind.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Blow by Blow
Winter beers are made in a wide variety of styles ranging from big, bitter hop bombs to intensely sweet malt monsters. This battle highlighted two completely different styles — the Great Divide coming from the sweet and malty camp and the Full Sail exploring the hoppy realms.

Both beers impressed us, but they were so different that it was difficult to compare them. The Wreck the Halls did a great job of combining a big hop profile with enough malts to make it feel like a winter beer rather than an IPA. It's the perfect holiday beer for all the hop heads out there.

The Hibernation was a very unique beer. It managed to be extremely malty without being extremely sweet. As a matter of fact, the smokey and meaty notes were strong enough that the beer seemed almost savory at times. It proved to be a great complement to the smoked sausages we had for dinner. I'm very curious as to what a bit of age would do to this beer, so I think I'm going to buy a couple more to let "hibernate" for a year or two in the cellar.

The battle went all twelve rounds with both beers connecting with impressive combos but neither going down. In the end, Ellen chose the Full Sail for its great balance and I chose the Great Divide for its intriguing complexity. If you're lucky, you'll find both bottles in your stocking come Christmas morning!

Split decision: Ellen chose the Full Sail, I chose the Great Divide.

Winter Beers — Anderson Valley vs. Bridgeport

Anderson Valley Brewing Co.
Winter Solstice
ABV 6.9%

Color: Orangey brown.
Aroma: Earthy sweet, molasses, canned pumpkin.
Flavor: Sweet and malty with some nutmeg and allspice notes.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Sweet graham crackers and pumpkin pie.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Bridgeport Brewing Co.
Nightcap Winter Ale
(33% Ale Aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels and 67% Ale)
ABV 7.2%

Color: Dark brown.
Aroma: Tart, molasses, dust.
Flavor: Simple, flat, dry and woody.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Slight tannic bitterness and toasted wood chips.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good -

Blow by Blow
Now that nature has turned out the lights, it's time to hunker down indoors and sip on big, warming, winter beers. So hunker down we did, battling a bottle from Anderson Valley Brewing in California against one from Bridgeport Brewing in Oregon.

It was a clean fight as both beers were well-made, but it wasn't the blockbuster we were hoping for. The Bridgeport was, honestly, a bit disappointing. It claims to have 33% ale aged in bourbon barrels which got our hopes up, but neither of us could detect any traces of bourbon in the beer. The oak, however, came through in a big way. Unfortunately, it was too much oak for our liking and it kind of countered the sweetness of the beer.

The Anderson Valley is a solid winter beer. It's got good sweetness, good mouthfeel and a nice dose of Christmas spices that are prevalent, but not overwhelming. Drink some as you put up the Christmas lights, but for Pete's sake be careful. We don't want anyone falling off the roof.

P.S. If you really want to get your fix of Winter Beers, make sure you check out the Winter Beer Fest at Hale's Ales in Seattle this weekend.

Winner by unanimous decision: Anderson Valley.

Tap Tussle — Full Sail vs. Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB)

Full Sail Wassail blended with
Bourbon Barrel Porter
ABV ?%

Color: Black.
Aroma: Smoke, malt, chocolate.
Flavor: Acidity up front. Smooth, creamy, fruity and dry.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Mild bittersweet chocolate.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

HUB Kentucky Christmas
(Abominable Winter Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels)
ABV ?%

Color: Deep, reddish brown/orange.
Aroma: Sweet and very floral with a bit of oak and citrus hops.
Flavor: Floral honey with some pine notes.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Toasted coconut and some distinct bitterness and tannins.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Blow by Blow
We held this battle at the Bigwood beer event at Brouwer's Cafe in Seattle. Bigwood offers a serious selection of some of the biggest and baddest barrel-aged beers around, thus providing us with an ideal spot for a tap tussle.

We chose two beers that were aged or partially aged in bourbon barrels. As you can see from the photo, they were completely different styles. The HUB beer was more of a big, malty IPA and the Full Sail was a blend of dark beers. They both had great aromatics with the HUB featuring strong floral notes and the Full Sail countering with great fruity chocolate aromas. The flavors followed suit, with each one expanding on the aroma. We didn't detect any bourbon or oak in the Full Sail, however the HUB did have a nice touch of oak and even some tannins in the finish that were probably a result of the oak aging. It was an excellent duel, but in the end the Full Sail just couldn't match the bright and bold qualities of the HUB.

Both of the combatants were special release beers that are definitely worthy of seeking out at their respective pubs in Hood River and Portland or good taphouses in the Northwest. Bigwood is also a worthy event, however it sure would be a lot better if they'd offer smaller pours so that people could try more beers. I know this is a dish washing nightmare but I think it would be worth their time and effort as many people would be willing to spend more money for the opportunity to try more beers.