Double IPAs — Russian River vs. Sierra Nevada

Russian River
Pliny the Elder
ABV 8%

Color: Deep golden.
Aroma: Huge floral and citrus hops.
Flavor: Smooth hop candy, medium body, grapefruit.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Long, lingering citrus rind bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Fantastic

Sierra Nevada
Hoptimum
ABV 10.4%

Color: Rusty orange.
Aroma: Sweet malts, cedar, slight piny hops in the background.
Flavor: Big thick body with sweet clover honey, citrus vodka and bitter notes.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Moderate sweet burnt lemon peel.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Blow by Blow
This Bottle Battle, featuring two California heavyweights, could certainly qualify as a main event. In one corner we had Pliny the Elder, a highly sought after double IPA from Russian River Brewing Co., that is fervently worshiped by its followers. In the other corner we had Hoptimum, a highly anticipated, new, monster imperial IPA from one of the patriarchs of craft brewing, Sierra Nevada.

It was not a fight for the faint of heart. Pliny absolutely blew us away with its aroma. It smelled something like sticking a citrus-flavored Starburst in each nostril. The flavor followed suit with a smooth body and excellent grapefruit hop candy notes. Finally, the finish was long and bitter, but honestly, we didn't really have time to contemplate it much because we were too eager to take another drink. Pliny is truly a fantastic beer and one that is totally worth the hype.

Hoptimum also brought some game. First of all, it's without a doubt, one of the coolest beer labels around. The old-fashioned looking hophead portrait should immediately become the mascot of hop lovers the world over. The stuff inside wasn't too shabby either. Aroma-wise it wasn't nearly as good as Pliny, but not many beers are. It definitely had some piny hops, unfortunately, they were hidden behind the smell of malt and cedar. The flavor was big and sweet as well, starting off with distinct honey notes and ending with a punch of vodka-soaked citrus. Yes, at 10.4% ABV, the Hoptimum had a bit of difficulty hiding the alcohol. Overall, it was a pretty good imperial IPA, but it needed some more hops in the aroma and perhaps a bit less alcohol.

Winner by unanimous decision: Pliny the Elder

Cascadian Dark Ales — Tied House vs. Full Sail

Tied House Cafe & Brewery
Menage a Singe
(Black IPA — Dry Hopped)
ABV 8%

Color: Deep, dark, clear brown.
Aroma: Piny hops in the front, roasted coffee malts in the back.
Flavor: Medium body with berry fruitiness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Long, moderate smoky bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Full Sail
Bump in the Night
(Cascadian Dark Ale)
ABV 6.5%

Color: Deep, dark, clear brown (almost exact same as Menage).
Aroma: Intense cat pee, tropical fruit.
Flavor: Medium body, dark fruits and citrus.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Sweet roasted malts followed by intense, long-lasting bitter greens bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre -

Blow by Blow
The debate on what to call this style of hoppy dark ale still rages. Some call it Cascadian Dark Ale (CDA), some call it Black IPA and the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) has even weighed in, calling the style American Black Ale. Whatever you call it, it's a fun style and we're likely to pick up any new attempt we can find. Last year we staged our first CDA battle which was won by the delicious Deschutes Hop in the Dark. This battle features the Menage a Singe which we picked up in the Bay Area over the holidays and the Bump in the Night which is readily available in better Northwest grocery stores.

Both beers had almost the exact same deep, dark brown color but that was the only characteristic they shared. The Menage was an excellent beer with a solid dose of piny hops to complement the roasted coffee malts. The Bump in the Night was a whole different beast. The aroma was dominated by an intense "cat pee" smell (I'm sure there's a more technical term, but we don't know it), with a bit of tropical fruit thrown in the mix. Strange? Yes. Fortunately, the "cat pee" did not carry over into the flavor or finish, but the finish did have that really intense bitter-greens bitterness that is probably our least favorite hop characteristic in beer.

So, it was an easy victory for the Menage a Singe as the Bump just wasn't our favorite interpretation of the style. Unfortunately, you won't be able to find any of the Menage in the Northwest. However, if you find yourself in the SF Bay Area, do yourself a favor and stop by a Bevmo to pick up a bottle, or better yet, make a trip to The Tied House Cafe & Brewery in Mountain View to get some on tap if they have it.

Winner by unanimous decision: Menage a Singe

Flavored Lagers — Three Skulls Ales vs. Caldera Brewing Co.

Three Skulls Ales
Buccaneer Bacon
(Lager Brewed with Bacon)
ABV ?%

Color: Golden yellow.
Aroma: Clean sweet lemon, wood smoke and some Belgian yeast funk.
Flavor: Light bodied, tart and fruity.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Tart
Finish: Acidic and tart with some lingering smoke and grain.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Caldera Brewing Co.
Rauch Ur Bock
(Smoked Lager)
ABV 7.4%

Color: Light orangish brown.
Aroma: Smoky meat.
Flavor: Full bodied, syrupy sweet, raisins & prunes.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Huge, sweet smoke bomb. Teriyaki beef jerky. Slight bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good -

Blow by Blow
Who can pass up a beer brewed with Bacon? Obviously not us. When we put the Bacon beer in the fridge it immediately got into a scuffle with the Caldera smoked lager. So, on a dark and stormy winter night we hosted a bottle battle featuring two beers that have flavors that conjure up a sunny backyard barbecue.

First and foremost, did the Buccaneer taste or smell like bacon? We're sorry to report that it was not able to fully capture that elusive meaty/smokiness of good bacon. It did have some smoke in the aroma and finish, but none of the meat flavors we were hoping for. As a matter of fact, it was the Rauch Ur Bock that had more bacon character, but it was some really, really intensely smoked bacon. The Buccaneer, on the other hand, was more subtle with the smoke and had a strange tartness that didn't really seem to fit the style. Ultimately, it got totally bullied by the Bock. About half way through, the massive aroma and flavor of the Caldera completely overwhelmed the Three Skulls and kind of annihilated our palates in the process.

To be honest, we weren't huge fans of either of these beers. The Three Skulls was too subtle and confused us with the tart flavors while the Caldera was so intense we couldn't even finish the whole bottle. We ended up choosing the Caldera because, although it was too sweet and smoky for our tastes, it's not a beer we'll soon forget.

Winner by unanimous decision: Caldera

Winter Beers — Iron Horse Brewery vs. MacTarnahan's

Iron Horse Brewery
Mocha Death
ABV 7%

Color: Dark chestnut brown.
Aroma: Intense coffee bean, dust.
Flavor: Cloying and syrupy. Cola and mild coffee.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Sweet and sticky.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre +

MacTarnahan's
Winter Hum Bug'r
ABV 5.3%

Color: Deep, dark black.
Aroma: Sweet, cocoa, chocolate milk.
Flavor: Chocolate milk, roasted malts, some acidity.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Mild bittersweet chocolate hop bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Blow by Blow
The first battle of the new year features our first two-time participant, MacTarnahan's Hum Bug'r. Last February it pulled off a victory over the 2009 version of Anchor Brewing's Our Special Ale. So this year, it put its 1-0 record on the line against the intimidatingly named Mocha Death, a winter seasonal from Iron Horse Brewery in Ellensburg, WA.

This year's version of the Hum Bug'r was quite similar to last year's. However, we detected more chocolate this year as opposed to the coffee notes we got last year. We also described it as "malty" last year, whereas this year's version had some nice hops in the finish which led to a "balanced" verdict. It really is a tasty, easy drinking, dark beer and it happens to be fairly inexpensive as well, making it a good value for an everyday winter beer. It also comes in six-packs for those that like smaller portions.

On the other hand, the Mocha Death was far from balanced. The aroma was like stuffing your head into a sack of coffee beans — super intense and very distinct. The flavor was way more subdued, offering cola and coffee notes, however the finish was syrupy sweet and cloying with no detectable hop bitterness at all. I have a pretty big sweet tooth and even I couldn't imagine drinking an entire pint in one sitting. If you are intrigued by the Death we suggest that you serve it for dessert since it will certainly satisfy your postprandial craving for both coffee and sweets!

Winner by unanimous decision: Hum Bug'r, giving it a 2-0 record in Bottle Battles. Congrats to MacTarnahan's!