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

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

Oktoberfest Beers — Left Hand vs. Ayinger

Left Hand Brewing Co.
Oktoberfest Marzen Lager
ABV 6.6%

Color: Pumpkin orange.
Aroma: Malts, prunes, spice, and a touch of pine & perfume.
Flavor: Sweet malt, toffee, floral with some artificial notes.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Clean and soapy.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Ayinger
Oktober Fest-Marzen
ABV 5.8%

Color: Pale golden orange.
Aroma: Grains, yeast and honey.
Flavor: Simple, sweet malts with a slight pumpkin-vegetal quality.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Grains.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Blow by Blow
Fire up the Hopping Lederhosen, it's time for a Bavarian-style Bottle Battle! Since we couldn't make it to the real Oktoberfest in Munich, we staged a mini Oktoberfest in our kitchen featuring two Marzen lagers, the traditional style of beer that is most associated with the massive German celebration.

In one corner we had Ayinger, an authentic German brewery that has been brewing for over a hundred years, in the other corner we had Left Hand a brewery from Colorado that has been open for over fifteen years. But age and tradition mean nothing in a bottle battle. They are both equals until one hits the canvas.

The Ayinger was a solid and straightforward beer with simple grain and malt flavors. The Left Hand, on the other hand (sorry), had a whole bunch going on, especially in the aroma — very sweet smelling and almost perfumey. The flavors were more complex as well and complemented the sweet maltiness. So despite a decent performance by the ancient German he ended up getting floored by a clean Left Hand and it was lights out. Prost!

Winner by unanimous decision: Left Hand.

Urban Beer Hike Triple Header

It was an epic night of battles as we teamed up with Urban Beer Hikes for a three location triple header. Our first stop was at Beer Authority for a Sierra Nevada Fresh Hop tap tussle.



Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere
Harvest Wet Hop Ale
ABV 6.7%

Color: Clear orange.
Aroma: Sweet malt and lemon rind.
Flavor: Toasted malt and intense piney bitterness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Intense, long-lasting burnt toast and lemon rind bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good -

Sierra Nevada Estate
Homegrown Ale
ABV 6.7%

Color: Clear orange with slight red tint.
Aroma: Grassy with some nice citrus.
Flavor: Fresh, grassy hops with good malty sweetness as well.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Pleasant mellow bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Blow by Blow
We were pleased to find two fresh hop beers from Sierra Nevada on tap so we promptly threw them into the ring together to see who would reign supreme.

Both were served really cold, so it was kind of difficult to decipher the aromas but the Estate clearly had the upper hand. It offered the classic fresh, grassy hops with a nice citrus element as well. The Harvest struggled with its aroma and ended up being mostly sweet toasted malts with some piney hops in the background.

The Estate continued to dominate in the flavor and finish while the Harvest was exposed as a one dimensional bitter bomb without any of the typical fresh hop flavors. We all agreed that if we had tasted the Harvest blind, we probably wouldn't have guessed it was a fresh hop.

Winner by unanimous decision: Estate Homegrown.

The second fight on the card featured two bottles purchased at Big Star Beer Market. The theme: Beers named after tasty marine animals.



Porterhouse Brewing
Oyster Stout
ABV 4.8%

Color: ? (We drank from the bottle. Probably dark.)
Aroma: ? (Hard to smell anything through the neck of a bottle.)
Flavor: Cola, chocolate, coffee, earth.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Bitter lemon and coffee.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre +

Rinkuskiu Alaus Darykla
Lobster Lovers Beer
ABV 9.5%

Color: ? (We drank from the bottle. Probably amber.)
Aroma: Sweet (We could even smell it through the neck of the bottle.)
Flavor: Sweet cough syrup with some Belgian yeast characteristics.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Sweet and medicinal.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Bad

Blow by Blow
It was an international duel with Lobster Lovers hailing from Lithuania and Oyster Stout coming from Ireland. They both were feisty even before the fight as the Lobster offered an enticing naked lady/lobster label and the Oyster countered with the novelty of a pull off cap.

In the ring things got ugly quick. The big Lithuanian was sweet and medicinal, just a mess of a beer. We couldn't even finish it. The Oyster Stout won by virtue of being not quite as bad. It had some weird sweet cola flavor that took away from the chocolate and coffee stout flavors.

Winner by unanimous decision: Oyster Stout.

The final battle turned out to be a can clash featuring beers that we purchased at the 85th St. Market, a place with a surprisingly good beer selection and an extremely nice owner named Chuck.



Maui Brewing Co.
Bikini Blonde Lager
ABV 4.5%

Color: ? (We drank from the can. Probably light yellow.)
Aroma: ? (Hard to smell anything through the mouth of the can.)
Flavor: Sweet, smooth, creamy and easy drinking. Dave noted that it had tiny bubbles (very Don Ho of it.)
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Sweet and malty.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good -

Oskar Blues
Mama's Little Yella Pils
ABV 5.3%

Color: ? (We drank from the can. Probably light yellow.)
Aroma: ? (Hard to smell anything through the mouth of the can.)
Flavor: Crisp, with light citrus hops and some graininess.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Grain and teeny, tiny bit of citrus hop bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good -

Blow by Blow
These beers are meant for hot weather, but we decided to see what they were made of on a mild October night in Seattle.

It kind of turned into a slap fight with a lot of flailing of the arms without much contact. Both beers were predictably simple and didn't offer much more than something to wash down whatever you're eating.

Turns out, Dave and I have different preferences when it comes to simple, session beers. He prefers something a bit sweeter and thus chose the Bikini Blonde, I prefer something with some kind of hop presence so I went with Mama's.

Final note: We rated them both "Good -", but they would probably be rated higher if we tried them on a hot day. They both would definitely be acceptable for a beach or a bbq.

Split decision: I chose the Pils, Dave chose the Lager. (Ellen sat this one out.)

Summer Beers — Sierra Nevada vs. New Belgium

Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager
ABV 5%

Color: Crystal clear, bright, sunny yellow.
Aroma: Clean, floral, some dry grains, lemon and distinct Belgian yeast notes (spicy cloves).
Flavor: Sweet and citrusy, like grapefruit sprinkled with sugar.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Mild citrus hoppy bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

New Belgium Skinny Dip
(brewed with Kaffir Lime Leaf)
ABV 4.2%

Color: Crystal clear, amber orange.
Aroma: Floral hops and some caramel malts.
Flavor: Thin, sweet lemon water.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Not much, just sort of disappears.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Winner by unanimous decision: Summerfest.
It may be hard for those of us in the Northwest to believe, but summer starts in four days. If you dig the hot weather, spring has been a serious disappointment. It hasn't hit 75º yet this year in Seattle, but when it does, you'll want to have a cold craft beer in your hand to celebrate the occasion.

In an attempt to kick-start the hot weather we threw two summer seasonals into the ring and let them have at it. The Summerfest didn't mess around. It dropped the Skinny in the second round with a devastating combination of crisp, refreshing flavor and surprising complexity. Honestly, we suspect that the Skinny Dip didn't train hard enough for this fight. It tasted like a thin amber ale and the kaffir lime leaf was hardly detectable. The Summerfest, on the other hand, was a fantastic summer sipper. It was light and crisp enough to quaff, but also offered ample flavor and complexity to tickle your taste buds.

Sierra Nevada will be pouring their Summerfest at the 2010 Washington Brewers Festival this weekend. If you're smart, you'll drop all of your previous plans and head out to the festival for some Summerfest and hopefully some sun to go along with it.

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