IPAs — Widmer vs. MacTarnahan's

Widmer Rotator IPA: X-114
ABV 6.2%

Color: Deep yellow.
Aroma: Big grapefruit citrus, touch of funky cannabis.
Flavor: Clean citrus hops.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Moderate citrus bitterness with touch of that funky cannabis.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

MacTarnahan's
Summer Grifter IPA
ABV 6.2%

Color: Amber.
Aroma: Malts in the foreground, subtle piny hops in the background.
Flavor: Vegetal with some lemony citrus.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Woody, harsh bitter greens.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre +

Blow by Blow
After 15 great years in Seattle, we have relocated to the beautiful Rogue River Valley in Oregon. So, the official Bottle Battle headquarters is now in south Medford. We’ll definitely miss some of our favorite bottles in the Seattle area, but we are excited to dive into an amazing new assortment of beers and breweries.

Just in case you forgot, let us remind you that moving sucks. Our feet hurt, our backs ache and I somehow stabbed my palm on a piece of furniture, stigmata-style. Fortunately, there is the promise of great beer at the end of the day. For this inaugural Medford battle we chose two readily available Oregon IPAs, one from Widmer and the other from MacTarnahan’s.

The Widmer Rotator IPA: X-114 is part of Widmer’s new plan to rotate through a few different IPAs throughout the year rather than having one standard IPA in their lineup. We love the idea and look forward to trying every version they make. This recipe was really to our liking as it had a great grapefruitiness from the aroma all the way to the finish. We would have rated it “fantastic” if not for a funky, cannabis note that just seemed to get in the way of the grapefruit. Very solid IPA though.

The Grifter showed up to the fight with a black-eye and things didn’t get much better for him. The aroma leaned toward the malty side with some pine notes peeking through. The flavor had a kind of nutty, vegetal quality that neither of us were too keen on and the finish was overly bitter. Not a bad beer, but really not what we’re looking for in an IPA.

Winner by unanimous decision: Widmer Rotator IPA: X-114

Oregon IPAs — Three Creeks Brewing Company vs. Oakshire Brewing

Three Creeks Brewing Co.
Hoodoo Voodoo IPA
ABV 6.0%

Color: Clear, reddish amber.
Aroma: Clean piny hops and sweet honey malts.
Flavor: Powerful malt backbone with sharp pine resin hoppiness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Moderate pine and citrus rind bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Oakshire Brewing
Watershed IPA
ABV 7.1%

Color: Hazy gold.
Aroma: Burnt brown sugar with mild funky, vegetal hop notes.
Flavor: Bitter citrus and pine. Acidic and a bit vegetal.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Long-lasting, intense citrus rind bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Blow by Blow

We picked these two bottles up on a recent trip to Oregon. It's pretty amazing to stand in front of a beer cooler in another city that features a great selection of local beers that never make it to Seattle. It was tough to choose what to battle, but we ended up choosing two IPAs that I'd read good things about in the past. The Three Creeks Hoodoo Voodoo hails from Sisters out near Bend while the Oakshire Watershed represents the west side of the state in Eugene.

The Hoodoo Voodoo immediately stood out in the color department with a vibrant clear reddish amber color while the Watershed stumbled into the ring with a murky orange hue.

In the aroma both beers struggled a bit. They certainly featured hops, but in both the hop aromas were dominated a bit by sweet malty aromas. We would have preferred that the aroma hops were ramped up a bit. The Watershed also had some funky, vegetal notes that weren't really off putting, but aren't our favorite hop qualities to encounter.

The flavors were both quite nice with the Hoodoo Voodoo falling a bit more on the malty side and the Watershed getting its bitter on right from the first sip. This continued on through the finish as the Voodoo had a nice, moderate piny hoppiness while the Watershed continued the hop assault and finished with a long-lasting citrus rind bitterness.

Although both were solid IPAs, we chose the Hoodoo Voodoo since it had a better hop/malt balance. So, fill the fridge with Voodoo for yourself and keep a couple bottles of Watershed in back to give offer your hop-addict friends who love a more aggressively hopped IPA.

Winner by unanimous decision: Three Creeks Hoodoo Voodoo

Beers That Feature Old Diving Helmets on the Lable — Diamond Knot Brewing Co. vs. Maritime Pacific Brewing Co.

Diamond Knot Brewing Co.
Industrial India Pale Ale
ABV 8.1%

Color: Slightly hazy orangish amber.
Aroma: Herbal, rosemary, pine, earthy soil, camp fuel and papaya.
Flavor: Savory, root vegetables, herbs and piny hops.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Harsh, piny and long-lasting.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre +

Maritime Pacific Brewing Co.
Decompression Ale
ABV 8.0%

Color: Crystal clear reddish amber.
Aroma: Sweet roasted malts, touch of citrus and pine.
Flavor: Floral, perfumey hops, toasted bread and a bit of sulfur.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Extremely harsh, burnt, ashy bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre +

Blow by Blow

In anticipation and celebration of the upcoming Seattle Beer Week (May 19th -29th) we decided to feature the official beer of the 2011 Seattle Beer Week in this week’s battle. Each year the organizers of SBW choose a different brewery to brew the official beer and this year they chose Maritime Pacific Brewing in Ballard. The good folks at Maritime decided to brew a strong ale called Decompression ale. The label features an image of a diver in an old diving helmet being groped by a tentacled beast. While perusing the beer aisle I stumbled across another beer featuring an old diving helmet on the label, Diamond Knot’s Industrial India Pale Ale. Two beers with diving helmets? Why not? Let’s battle.

Ellen poured the beers so that I could taste them blind and after trying both I thought it was obvious which one was the double IPA and which one was the strong ale. Apparently it wasn’t so obvious, because I was wrong.

Turns out, the Decompression is a seriously hoppy beer that could easily qualify as a double IPA. In our opinion, a high alcohol beer that relies on hops as its main flavor component should be called a double IPA if only to clue people in on what to expect when they taste the beer. Strong ale just doesn’t really give much information that you can’t see for yourself if you look at the alcohol content.

Style rant aside, the Decompression was not really to our liking. The aroma featured floral, perfumy hops with some toasted bread and sulfur mixed in. The flavor started pretty decent with some of that hop candy quality that we like, but quickly degraded into an acidic, harsh, spicy, bitter hoppiness that foreshadowed a wickedly bitter, burnt, ashy finish.

The Diamond Knot really wasn’t much better. The aroma was bizarrely complex with notes of rosemary, pine, earthy soil, camp fuel and papaya. It was nice to be able to detect something other than the typical citrus/pine/floral qualities we find in most double IPAs, but it really was just too weird to get excited about. The flavor followed suit with a savory, root vegetable quality along with some herbs and piny hops. The finish was not quite as harshly bitter as the Decompression, but it still wasn’t very pleasant and stayed with us for awhile.

Since we didn’t really care for either of the beers it was a tough call to pick a winner, but in the end we both chose the Diamond Knot because it wasn’t quite as harsh going down.

Winner by unanimous decision: Diamond Knot Brewing Company

IPAs — Fremont Brewing Co. vs. Two Beers Brewing Co.

Fremont Brewing Co.
Interurban IPA
ABV 6.2%

Color: Golden yellow.
Aroma: Floral and citrus hops.
Flavor: Bright citrus.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Moderate grapefruit rind.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Two Beers Brewing Co.
Evolutionary IPA
ABV 6.2%

Color: Reddish amber.
Aroma: Sweet roasted malts, touch of citrus and pine.
Flavor: Honey with lemon and pine.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Long, burnt, almost ashy bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good -

Blow by Blow

This battle featured IPAs from two newish Seattle breweries jockeying for a place in a saturated IPA market. We love supporting local breweries and we love IPA, so game on! Joining us for this battle was esteemed macro-canned beer afficionado, Sarah.

One of the key things in an IPA for us is a bright hoppy aroma and the Interurban really delivered with classic floral and citrus notes. The Evolutionary, on the other hand, had more sweet roasted malts in the aroma with a bit of pine and citrus lurking in the background. Honestly, the smell reminded us more of an amber than an IPA.

The flavor in the Evolutionary was more in line with what you’d expect from an IPA with a nice lemon, honey and pine combination. The Interurban was up to the challenge though and countered with some great citrus flavors.

In the finish the Interurban asserted itself and claimed the victory with a moderate grapefruit rind bitterness that Ellen and I liked far more than the long-lasting burnt, ashy hop bitterness of the Evolutionary.

The decision, however, was not unanimous. Sarah chose the Evolutionary as she thought it was smoother as opposed to the mouth-puckering (her words) citrus hoppiness of the Interurban. We think this probably had to do with hop tolerance. Our hop-hungry palates were drawn to the beer that had a bigger hop profile, while her sensitive, hop-deprived palate sought something a bit more mellow. Take note and purchase accordingly, as both are well made and worth buying.

Winner by majority decision: Fremont Brewing Company

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

Double IPAs — Alaskan Brewing vs. Firestone Walker

Alaskan Brewing
Imperial IPA
ABV 8.5%

Color: Slightly hazy reddish copper.
Aroma: Sweet wood and whiskey with some floral notes.
Flavor: Sweet and simple with a bit of woodiness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Mild bitterness early building to harsh, woody bitterness. Acidic.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Firestone Walker
Double Jack
ABV 9.5%

Color: Clear golden.
Aroma: Spicy, citrus hops.
Flavor: Full bodied. Big, sweet and malty with equally big citrus hops.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Sweet malts, mild citrus bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Fantastic

Blow by Blow
Imperial IPAs continue to take up a lot of space on store shelves, so it is our duty to battle them for the benefit of all you hopheads out there. These two in particular were itching for a fight, so we poured a bit of each and let them settle it in the glass.

If this battle were about looks alone, the Alaskan would have won handily. It had a gorgeous hue of vibrant reddish copper that was so compelling that we were tempted to take the beer down to Home Depot and have them mix up a batch of Alaskan Imperial IPA paint for us. The Double Jack, on the other hand was a fairly bland golden hue — not inspiring at all.

What the Double Jack lacked in color it more than made up for in aroma. It was just bursting with juicy citrus hops. Neither of us wanted to give up the glass. Each sniff kind of made our eyes roll back in our head. The Alaskan was nowhere near as special. As a matter of fact, in comparison to the Double Jack it seemed to barely have any hops in the nose at all, choosing instead to focus on a sweet, malty and woody aroma.

Once the Double Jack took the upper hand it never gave the Alaskan a chance, ultimately landing an uppercut that knocked the Alaskan clean out of its XTRATUFS. Game over. Lights out.

The Alaskan is a decent beer, it just got steamrolled by one of the best IPAs we've ever had the privilege of drinking. If you like huge, malty, hoppy Imperial IPAs go get some Double Jack immediately. There may still be some left on store shelves in the Seattle area.

Winner by unanimous decision: Firestone Walker

Unique IPAs — Hermitage Brewing Co. vs. Deschutes

Hermitage Brewing Co.
Ale of the Hermit
(Wood Aged IPA)
ABV 8%

Color: Clear orangish brown.
Aroma: Acidic fresh cheese, vanilla yogurt.
Flavor: Watery yogurt.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): N/A
Finish: Tad bitter.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Bad

Deschutes
Hop Henge IPA
(Experimental IPA)
ABV 9%

Color: Clear orangish brown (a bit lighter than the Hermitage).
Aroma: Piny hops, grass, pepper.
Flavor: Big, sweet hop candy.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Sweet honey malts with almost no bitterness at all.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good -

Blow by Blow
Well, this one was a big disappointment. The Ale of the Hermit (another beer I picked up in California that is brewed by the Tied House) tripped on the carpet on the way to the ring and was knocked out cold. We suspect it was an infected bottle (perhaps it picked up some nasties from the wood aging?) because no IPA we're aware of is supposed to taste like yogurt. We dumped the whole thing down the drain and turned our attention to the Hop Henge.

The Hop Henge calls itself an Experimental IPA. You can find the brewery's description of it here. Our first question is, why did they not call this a double or imperial IPA? At 9% alcohol, it certainly seemed more like a double IPA to us. The aroma was promising, with gobs of piny, grassy hops and a bit of pepper but after that the beer faltered. The flavor was dominated by sweet malts with only a hint of hop character and the finish had almost no bitterness at all. Based on this, we'd have to say that the experiment was not a great success. It certainly wasn't a failure, as the beer was quite tasty, but we thought it lacked the hop presence to counter the super sweet, honey maltiness.

In the end, the Hop Henge won by virtue of the Hermit's inability to provide a drinkable beer. Since it's a seasonal release we hope that next year's batch will find a way to get more of those big, juicy hops into the flavor and finish.

Winner by unanimous decision: Hop Henge

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

IPA Can Clash — Caldera vs. Maui Brewing Co.

Caldera IPA
ABV 6.1%

Color: Dark reddish orange.
Aroma: Malt, moist ground funk, pine sap and caramel.
Flavor: Citrus peel hops, toffee, soap.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Intense and long lasting bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Maui Brewing Co.
Big Swell IPA
ABV 6.2%

Color: Light orangish yellow.
Aroma: Powerful floral and citrus.
Flavor: Sweet flowers, honey, cedar, citrus.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Mellow citrus and sharp acidity.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Blow by Blow
There is no shortage of IPA in the Northwest. However, your options are a bit more limited if you are looking for IPA in a can. This Can Clash features two imported (to the Seattle area) IPAs, one hailing from Southern Oregon and one from Hawaii. We popped them open on a brisk November evening to find out which one was best.

The Maui came out strong with an extremely intense aroma that packed a powerful punch. The Caldera was more subdued in the aroma but made up for it with a huge dose of hoppy bitterness in the finish. In a way, the beers were kind of mirror images of each other, with the Big Swell starting strong then slowly fading and the Caldera starting subtle and slowly building — two different approaches that both deliver the hops but in completely different ways.

In the end, both beers were still standing and both were confidently gesturing to the crowd as if they'd won. Turns out they both were wrong as the results revealed that it was a split decision. I preferred the wonderful aroma and sweet, citrusy flavors of the Big Swell while Ellen was drawn to the big, bitter finish and caramel notes of the Caldera. Neither quite reached the heights that some Northwest IPAs attain but both are well worth the space in your backpack should you need some liquid refreshment on your next hike.

Split decision: l chose the Maui while Ellen preferred the Caldera.

IPAs — Flyers vs. Lazy Boy Brewing

Flyers Afterburner
India Pale Ale
ABV 6.5%

Color: Bright pumpkin orange.
Aroma: Hoppy, meaty, burnt toffee.
Flavor: Full body, sweet, yet also somehow savory.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Intense, long-lasting harsh bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Lazy Boy Brewing IPA
ABV 6.2%

Color: Dark reddish orange.
Aroma: Citrus hoppy.
Flavor: Thin body, clean and citrusy.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Late arriving moderate bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Blow by Blow
As is often the case with IPAs, it all comes down to balance. You can drown the thing in hops, but if you don't have the malts to balance out the flavor your beer is not going to be very good. Unfortunately, both of these beers fell short in the balance department.

The Afterburner was huge. As a matter of fact, it was so dense with hops and malts that we probably would have guessed it was a double IPA. In the end, the hops overwhelmed everything and left you with a super harsh bitterness that was tolerable but not necessarily pleasant. The Lazy Boy had different issues. It started off pretty decent with a nice citrusy aroma, but fell flat in the flavor with a very thin body that came across as a bit watery.

So the fight was sloppy. Neither combatant brought his A game and they both just sort of danced around until they got tired. It ended up being a split decision with Ellen not really caring for either but choosing the Afterburner because it had a richer body and me choosing the Lazy Boy because it seemed far less extreme and closer to being in balance.

But this time we were not the final word. We had the pleasure of having two distinguished guest tasters for this battle! Colin & Bekky stopped by and after trying both of the beers blind they both agreed that neither were especially good but the Lazy Boy was better.

We ended up rating them both Mediocre because they are definitely passable if you don't have any other options, but you might want to look elsewhere if you're in search of the holy ale.

Winner by majority decision: Lazy Boy.

Fresh Hop Ales — Left Hand vs. Deschutes

Left Hand Brewing Co.
Warrior IPA
(With Colorado Fresh Hops)
ABV 7.6%

Color: Clear dark orange.
Aroma: Malty sweet with floral and spicy grass notes.
Flavor: Nice medium body with sharp grassiness and good sweet malt backbone.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Moderate burnt tasting hop bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Deschutes
Fresh Hop Pale Ale
ABV 5.5%

Color: Hazy dark orange.
Aroma: Intensely sweet mango and pineapple.
Flavor: Creamy body, sweet with more of those tropical fruit flavors.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Mild bitterness with lingering tropical fruit.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Blow by Blow
We've had two fresh hop tap tussles (1,2) and a fresh hop growler grudge match, but even those could not quench our thirst for the lupulin. Fortunately we had two bottles of fresh hop beer in our fridge that were taunting each other, so we let them have at it for our first official fresh hop bottle battle!

Both the Left Hand and the Deschutes are excellent fresh hop beers, but they don't taste or smell anything alike. The Left Hand is more traditional with spicy, grassy notes to go along with a solid malt backbone. The Deschutes, however, is totally unconventional. It's a tropical fruit freak with intense tropical fruit aromas that continue through the flavor all the way to the finish. At first, the Hop Trip had the Warrior reeling and confused, but eventually the Warrior settled down and overcame the novelty of its opponent. We really enjoyed both, but after waffling a bit we both agreed that the Warrior was more what we expect from a fresh hop beer. It also went a bit better with our food (kale pesto pasta with chicken) which may have helped sway our final decision. However the Deschutes beer was no slouch, so if you're looking for something fun and different, definitely give the Hop Trip a try.

Winner by unanimous decision: Left Hand (two in a row!).

In the interest of full disclosure to satisfy the FTC’s law, this battle features a sample bottle received from the Deschutes Brewery.

Cascadian Dark Ales — Deschutes vs. Laughing Dog

Deschutes Hop in the Dark CDA
(Cascadian Dark Ale)
ABV 6.5% IBU 70

Color: Pitch black.
Aroma: Crazy combination of roasted malt and intense hops, like coffee candy infused with hops.
Flavor: Creamy, sweet and rich with nice hop bitterness. Coffee with sugar and lemon juice.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy.
Finish: Bitter coffee.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Fantastic

Laughing Dog Dogzilla Black IPA
ABV 6.9% IBU 69

Color: Dark ruby red.
Aroma: Pine sap hoppiness with some smoky roasted malts and sweet caramel.
Flavor: Big citrus hops with plenty of sweet malts to back it up.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy.
Finish: Citrus peel.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Winner by unanimous decision: Deschutes.
Cascadian Dark Ale vs. Black IPA? Well, actually they both fall into the same style category. Problem is, no one can decide on what to call it. Basically these are both beers that have the appearance of a dark stout or porter, but the flavor of a hoppy India Pale Ale. But, honestly, who cares what you call them — are they good? That's the important question.

Based on these two examples the answer is an emphatic "yes!" Both of these beers are excellent but in totally different ways. The Dogzilla focuses more on the hoppy side of the style while the Hop in the Dark leans more toward the roasted malts/coffee flavor and aroma. Hopheads will LOVE the Dogzilla. It's bold and unapologetically hoppy. However, the Hop in the Dark would just not be denied. From its gorgeous pitch black color to its mellow coffee finish it is an engaging beer that is creamy, hoppy, roasty and delicious. Do yourself a favor and try both of these beers. They both are fun interpretations of an emerging style that will challenge your preconceptions about what beer should taste like.

Extra Credit: The Hop in the Dark has a great label designed by Casey Burns. It features a night scene that implies some skinny dipping. But look back there in the background, against the black of the mountain. Are those hazy letters back there? Could it be a subliminal message? Looks like it to us, but we just can't make it out.

Also, underneath the cap of the Hop in the Dark was a simple message: Bravely Done. If that's what bravery is all about, sign us up. We're bound to be heroes!

In the interest of full disclosure to satisfy the FTC’s law, this battle features a sample bottle received from the Deschutes Brewery.

Seattle Beer Week Double IPAs — Hale's vs. Pike

Hale's Seattle Beer Week
2010 Double IPA
ABV 8.3% IBU 100

Color: Hazy, honey/orange.
Aroma: Floral and citrus hops with a slight scent of yeasty dough.
Flavor: Almost savory bitterness, like bitter greens that evolves into citrus hop bitterness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Really hoppy.
Finish: Grapefruit and pepper hop bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Pike Double IPA
(First brewed for inaugural Seattle Beer Week 2009)
ABV 8% IBU 80

Color: Clear amber.
Aroma: Malts and toasted nuts.
Flavor: Sharp piney hops with a touch of stinky cheese funk.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy.
Finish: Burnt toast bitter hops.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Winner by unanimous decision: Hale's. Tomorrow is the first day of Seattle Beer Week! In celebration and anticipation of this event we decided to pit this year's SBW Double IPA (Hale's) against the one brewed for last year's inaugural SBW (Pike). Both are good beers, however, the Pike came up a bit short when compared directly against the Hale's. Both are intensely hoppy beers that will appeal to any and all hopheads, but they both emphasize a different style of hop. The Pike has more of a focus on citrusy hops, while the Hale's leans toward the piney, sappy hop character. What set the Hale's apart for us was the generous dose of malty sweetness that did an admirable job of tempering the hoppiness for awhile before finally giving in to a mellow burnt toast bitterness. The Pike, on the other hand, didn't have the same malt profile and ended up being dominated by intense citrus hops through and through.

Food pairing thoughts: Despite the fact that the Hale's was the victor, it may not be the best with food. Its massive hop flavors are very dominant and would overwhelm most foods. The Pike, on the other hand is a softer, rounder beverage that might be able to marry well with spicy or acidic foods that could use a bit of hops to counter the intense flavors.

IPAs — Sierra Nevada vs. Scuttlebutt

Sierra Nevada Torpedo
Extra IPA
ABV 7.2%, IBU 65

Color: Clear amber orange with brisk carbonation.
Aroma: Pine needle jolly rancher (maybe they should make that flavor?).
Flavor: Sweet maltiness, followed by piney hop bitterness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy.
Finish: Malty with a sharp and sweet hop bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good+

Scuttlebutt Gale Force IPA
ABV 5.25%, IBU 96

Color: Cloudy amber orange with noticeably less carbonation.
Aroma: Sweet malt, citrus and earthy grain.
Flavor: Starts sweet and toasty then moves to a nice balanced citrus hoppiness. Very smooth, almost creamy.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Tart acidic hop bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Winner by unanimous decision: Sierra Nevada. This was a hard one. Both are very solid IPAs. The edge went to the Torpedo for its smooth mouthfeel and great balance of sweet malt to temper the aggressive piney hops. We got more of the citrus and floral hop qualities from the Gale Force, but it finished just a bit too bitter for our tastes. We were very surprised to see that the Scuttlebutt was packing 96 IPAs — they really integrated the hops well, because it was not overwhelmingly bitter at all. Also, big props to the Scuttlebutt for clocking in at a sessionable 5.25% ABV. Both are worthy of your fridge. Keep the Gale Force up front for daily consumption and the Torpedo in the back for those trying days when a bit more alcohol is exactly what you need to wind down.

Imperial IPAs — Widmer vs. Bridgeport

Widmer Deadlift Imperial IPA
ABV 8.6%, IBU 70

Color: Bright, clear orange.
Aroma: Orange blossoms, honey and clove.
Flavor: Hop candy — malty sweet with a little citrus.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Delicious sweetness followed by a mellow, lingering bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Fantastic

Bridgeport Hop Czar Imperial IPA
ABV 7.5%, IBU 85

Color: Bright, clear orange. Almost exactly the same as the Widmer.
Aroma: Pine tree sap, SweeTarts, lemon peel, ammonia.
Flavor: Brief honey sweetness that is almost immediately obliterated by bitterness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Bitter, bitter and more bitter. Lemon peel and did we mention bitter?
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Winner by unanimous decision: Widmer in a first round knockout. The Bridgeport seemed way out of balance. All hops, no malt makes Hop Czar a bitter boy. The Deadlift, on the other hand, had a solid malt backbone to balance the hops. All around, it had softer edges and was amazingly easy to drink, despite the higher alcohol content. According to the 4-pack box, the Deadlift uses the Nelson Sauvin hop from New Zealand. We're all for local ingredients, but if this foreign hop variety tastes this good in other beers, please send a bottle our way.