Lowbrow Lager Can Clash — Olympia vs. Rainier

Olympia Beer
ABV 4.7%

Color: Clear honey gold.
Aroma: Slightly grassy and metallic.
Flavor: Simple malt flavor.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Floral, grainy.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre -

Rainier
Mountain Fresh Beer
ABV 4.7%

Color: Clear, pale yellow.
Aroma: Grain and sweet corn.
Flavor: Clean, cold, wet and grainy.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Sweet corn.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre -

Blow by Blow
At the request of our friend and temporary landlord, Sarah, we agreed to conduct a can clash with two of her favorite macros. Perhaps this info might come in handy should you find yourself in the unenviable position of having to choose between these two mass produced lagers.

I assumed that these beers would be almost identical, but that was not the case. The Rainier had the typical pale yellow color you find in a lot of macro beers, but the Olympia was significantly darker. The Olympia also had more going on in the aroma, offering up some grassy, metallic notes while the Rainier continued to follow the macro script with that standard grain and corn scent.

The flavor and finish confirmed the verdict as the Olympia was more vibrant and refreshing compared to the dull, sweet corn water qualities of the Rainier. Sarah, however, played the contrarian, preferring the Rainier for the same reason we disliked it — because it had less going on. She also offered up a great explanation of the flavor difference, describing the Olympia as "Not as dancy, more zingy." I guess Ellen and I like more zing.

Winner by majority decision: Olympia Beer

Pale Ale Can Clash — Oskar Blues vs. 7 Seas Brewing

Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
ABV 6.5% IBU 65

Color: Golden yellow/orange.
Aroma: Big, wonderful, piney hops.
Flavor: Big, juicy citrus burst that quickly turns into citrus peel hoppiness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Intense, lasting, bitter citrus peel hops.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

7 Seas Brewing British Pale Ale
ABV 5.4% IBU 24

Color: Golden yellow/orange (exactly the same as Dale's).
Aroma: Malts and toasted nuts.
Flavor: Crisp, lemony, simple, refreshing.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Dried grains, toasted malts, touch of sweetness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good -

Winner by unanimous decision: Oskar Blues.
You see that crazy looking fellow with the mutton chops on the 7 Seas can? Well, he taught us something. He taught us that British Pale Ales are for sissies! Just kidding. British Pale Ales are generally not nearly as aggressively hopped as what we're used to here in the Northwest. Such was the case with the 7 Seas version. To our biased palates it actually was dangerously close to tasting like some Northwest ambers. Having been raised on hoppy pale ales, it will come as no surprise that we preferred the generously hopped Dale's Pale Ale. The 7 Seas certainly has its place as an easy drinking sessionable ale that would taste great after a long hike or a full day of yard work. But for a volatile Spring day in the Northwest (featuring areas of hail and slush) pass us a hoppy Dale's Pale Ale please.

Extra Credit: On the bottom of our Dale's can it announces the canning date along with a quote from The Big Lebowski, "8 Year Olds Dude." We wonder if they change the quote for each canning date?