Double IPAs — Dick's Brewing Co. vs. Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB)

Dick's Brewing Co.
Imperial IPA
ABV 8.6%

Color: Bright, clear orange.
Aroma: Sharp pine with some sweet fruitiness.
Flavor: Big, bitter pine at first, then floral honey sweetness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Hoppy honey, moderate bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

HUB Ace of Spades
Imperial IPA
ABV 9.5%

Color: Murky, dirty orange.
Aroma: Clean, soapy, with spicy pine.
Flavor: Acidic, grassy, piny with slight fruity sweetness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Extremely bitter. Burnt grapefruit rind with intense tannins.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good -

Blow by Blow
OK, with this being the third double IPA battle in the last five weeks, we're officially in the midst of a serious hop binge. Trying the likes of Pliny the Elder, Widmer Nelson (formerly Deadlift), and Double Jack has us craving that balance of extreme hops and sweet malts that can create bottled bliss.

This time around we battled the highly regarded Ace of Spades from the popular and successful Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland against the new Imperial IPA from Dick's Brewing Company, a long-running but often overlooked brewery from Centralia Washington.

As I am often aware of popular opinion regarding the beers we try, Ellen usually pours them so that I can judge the beers blind. So, I left the room, Ellen poured the beers and the battle was on.

Right off the bat the Dick's had the upper hand with a bright, clear orange color as opposed to the murky Ace of Spades. In the aroma they both were dominated by spicy, piny hops with the Ace of Spades also coming across a bit soapy. Neither had the big, juicy citrus and floral notes that are prevalent in some of our favorite double IPAs, but they were both very aromatic.

The Dick's also had a more appealing flavor with a good floral honey malt sweetness to balance the piny hop bitterness. The bottle says that they used "all Columbus hops" in the beer which seems pretty unique as most double IPAs out there use a mixture of different hops to achieve their target hop profile.

The Ace of Spades is not what we would call a balanced beer. The flavor is a shock to the tongue with sharp pine notes and acidity. The fruity malt is in there somewhere, but it's hard to taste it behind all the bitter, grassy hoppy flavors.

As you might expect at this point, the Dick's emerged victorious with a pleasant finish that was like hoppy honey (I think I might try to make some hop honey to put on biscuits or toast!) The Ace of Spades continued to stick to its guns just like Lemmy, and finished with a massive burnt grapefruit rind bitterness that seemed intent on bludgeoning our taste buds much like a Motorhead song might bludgeon your ears. So, I guess HUB succeeded in making a beer befitting of its name, but its bad ass moniker couldn't help it from getting owned by the far less brash offering from Dick's.

Winner by unanimous decision: Dick's Brewing Company

Saisons — Dupont Brewery vs. Pelican Brewery

Dupont Brewery
Saison Dupont
ABV 6.5%

Color: Hazy light gold. Huge white head.
Aroma: Macrolager grainy, barnyard funk, cold steel.
Flavor: Banana and clove.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Slight orange peel bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Fantastic

Pelican Brewery
Saison du Pelican
ABV 6.3%

Color: Clear orangish yellow.
Aroma: Sweet malts, lemon, subtle Belgian yeast.
Flavor: Malty sweet with a hint of lemon.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Grainy with some acidity then quickly disappears.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Blow by Blow
Saisons are a traditional Belgian beer style that was originally brewed by farmers in the winter to be consumed by workers during the summer. After tasting these two beers we're seriously considering becoming Belgian farmers.

We started with the Saison Dupont, which is widely considered to be the Saison from which all other Saisons must be judged. It was easy to see why. The aroma was a bit tight and grainy when we first opened it, but as it warmed up we started to detect some barnyard funk and a bit of cold steel. The flavor had classic banana and clove notes that are typical of some Belgian yeasts and the finish had a nice orange peel bitterness that balanced everything out quite nicely. It was crisp, refreshing and complex and we both loved it.

The Saison du Pelican may have taken its name from the Saison Dupont, but it wasn't quite able to live up to the high standards set by the classic Belgian. Don't get us wrong, the Pelican is a pretty darn good beer, but it had a tough, tough matchup. The aroma was dominated by a malty sweetness that reminded us of an amber ale. As a matter of fact, the beer tasted a lot like an amber ale that was fermented with Belgian yeast. Not necessarily a bad thing, but we just didn't like it as much as the Dupont. The main thing it seemed to be lacking was some kind of hop presence in the finish. Without those hops it was an underwhelming finish that disappeared quickly.

Despite losing this battle, you should definitely consider a visit to the Pelican brewery in Pacific City, Oregon. We went a couple years ago and it is a gorgeous place with great beer. Make a weekend out of it and check out Astoria, Oregon as well. You won't regret it.

Winner by unanimous decision: Dupont Brewery

Pale Ale Cage Match — Burleigh Brewing Co. vs. Lord Nelson Brewery vs. Maritime Pacific Brewing Co. vs. Kona Brewing Co.

Burleigh Brewing Co.
28 Pale Ale
(70s Style)
ABV 4.8%

Color: Bright clear yellow (lightest in color of them all) with big white head .
Aroma: Grapefruit, grass.
Flavor: Clean, grapefruit and citrus rind.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Just a touch of bitterness that fades quickly.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Lord Nelson Brewery
Three Sheets Pale Ale
ABV 4.9%

Color: Cloudy, yellow honey.
Aroma: Grain, citrus hops and soft malts.
Flavor: Starts sweet and malty with only a touch of hops towards the finish.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Mild hop bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre +

Maritime Pacific Brewing Co.
Islander Pale Ale
ABV 5.0%

Color: Dirty yellow.
Aroma: Heavy, smoky, bready, malty.
Flavor: Starts with bready malts then moves into big piny hops.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Long lasting piny hop bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Kona Brewing Co.
Fire Rock Pale Ale
ABV 5.8%

Color: Reddish caramel (darkest of the lot).
Aroma: Floral hops, orange blossom, sweet malts.
Flavor: Heavy, sweet and malty with very subtle hops.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Sweet fading to lingering bitter greens.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Blow by Blow
The forces of nature have once again brought the two Gibsons together (no idea what I'm talking about? Click here.) And what better way to celebrate the occasion than with an Australian vs. USA Pale Ale Cage Match! If you look closely at the photo above you might be able to make out some palm fronds and the beginnings of a sunset. That's right, this battle was not conducted in the frigid winter of Seattle, but in the balmy tropical paradise of Hawaii! Our lovely and patient wives also found time to put down their pina coladas momentarily to help decide the outcome of this epic battle.

Gibson-OZ brought two pale ales from Australia and I brought one from Seattle. Just to make it even more interesting we threw in one from local brewery, Kona Brewing Co., as well. We also tasted them blind so as not to be swayed by continental pride or loyalty. Yes, we are that committed to providing you with an accurate appraisal.

None of the beers were that similar in color. They ranged from the light yellow of the 28 Pale Ale to the deep reddish caramel of the Fire Rock. The aromas and flavors varied greatly as well. The Three Sheets from Lord Nelson Brewery in Australia was the the first we tried and it was fairly simple, but had just enough hop presence to eek itself into the Pale Ale category. A bit less and it may have tasted a bit too much like a macro lager.

Second up was the Fire Rock from Kona Brewing Co. in Hawaii which leaned toward the sweet and malty side a bit too much for our tastes. It honestly tasted more like an amber ale, so if you're looking for hops in your pale ale, we'd recommend avoiding it.

Third in line was the 28 Pale Ale from Burleigh Brewing Co. in Australia and with the first sniff we were all big fans of this beer. It had a wonderful fresh, grassy grapefruit hop aroma that carried through all the way into a mildly bitter finish that was delightfully crisp and satisfying. Ellen and I were a bit confused by the "70s Style" reference but it was explained by the Aussie contingent that Australian beer was apparently quite hoppy in the 70s. Who knew?

Lastly we tried the Islander (fitting, eh?) from Maritime Pacific Brewing Co. in Seattle and as you might expect from a Northwest Style pale ale, it was not shy with the hops. Unfortunately it didn't offer much in the aroma so it was mostly dominated by bitterness in the flavor and finish. We all agreed that the bold bitterness was a bit too bold and that the beer could have benefited from some kind of hop presence in the aroma.

So, in the end, the last beer standing was the 28 Pale Ale. We all, independently, chose it as our favorite as it was just bursting with juicy hops and left us wanting more. Unfortunately, the Aussies only brought one bottle so we savored every last drop. Apparently the craft beer movement in Australia is just beginning to get some traction, so we look forward to seeing a few of the best of them trickle over to the states in the near future. Hopefully Burleigh Brewing's 28 Pale Ale will be one of them.

Winner by unanimous decision: 28 Pale Ale

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!

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.