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

Oak Aged Sour Brown Ales — New Belgium vs. Russian River

New Belgium
2010 La Folie
(Aged in French oak barrels)
ABV 6%

Color: Deep, dark, reddish-brown.
Aroma: Sharp, intense sour cherry mixed with some burnt caramel and barnyard funk.
Flavor: Creamy, rich and intensely sour with some subtle creamy woodiness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): N/A (SOUR!)
Finish: Sour cherries with some chalky tannins.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Fantastic

Russian River Supplication
(Aged in Pinot Noir barrels with sour cherries)
ABV 7%

Color: Hazy orange.
Aroma: Floral and perfumy with some pumpkin pie spices and a ton of funkiness.
Flavor: Not nearly as sour as NB, creamy tart lemon.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): N/A
Finish: Bitter (but not like hop bitterness) and slightly metallic.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Split decision: Both of these sours are highly regarded among beer connoisseurs so it was bound to be a good fight. As expected, they both assaulted our senses with aromas and flavors that are very different than your average malt/hop combination. After 10 grueling rounds, Ellen chose the Supplication and I chose the La Folie.

For Ellen it came down to sourness (disclaimer: she is not a big fan of sour beers). The La Folie is wicked, face-contorting, tongue-stinging, sour! The Supplication exhibits mild sourness by comparison, so it is not surprising that she chose it.

While I agreed that the La Folie was more sour, I thought that the burnt caramel and wood notes complemented the sourness and created a seriously delicious combination. I also detected some metallic notes in the finish of the Supplication that Ellen wasn't as sensitive to.

One thing that stood out to both of us was that the La Folie had sour cherry notes even though it didn't spend any time aging with cherries, while the Supplication displayed no cherries despite being aged with them. Curious.

If you haven't tried a sour beer, you owe it to yourself and your palate to do so. A good sour will totally obliterate your perception about what a beer can be.

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