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.

Belgian Strong Ales — North Coast Brewing Co. vs. New Belgium

North Coast Brewing Pranqster
Belgian Style Golden Ale
ABV 7.6%

Color: Orange, slightly hazy, very low carbonation.
Aroma: Floral honey, cardamon, bit of damp cellar funk.
Flavor: Almost no carbonation. Honey sweet, almost mead-like with herbal notes.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty.
Finish: Sweet with piney/rosemary herbal notes.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

New Belgium Lips of Faith
Belgian Style Blond
ABV 8.5%

Color: Straw yellow, fitting of the blond(e) moniker.
Aroma: Very sweet smelling, like banana cream pie.
Flavor: Classic banana and clove. Not as sweet as it smells.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty (but not as much as Pranqster).
Finish: Dry, woody, slight hop bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Winner by unanimous decision: Pranqster. The New Belgium came out swinging and really had Pranqster on the ropes for awhile. But despite a slow start (the low carbonation took some getting used to) the Pranqster eventually wore down the Blond with a touch more complexity and range of flavors. However, if you're in the mood for a American version of a Belgian style beer you can't go wrong with either of these offerings. Both were more appealing to us than the world-renowned Duvel.

Extra Credit: Despite the different names of these beers, they actually both fit in the Belgian Strong Ale category. That means, be careful. These will sneak up on you. One minute you'll be enjoying a Belgian Strong Ale with friends and the next you'll be playing a one string banjo in a boxcar headed for Bakersfield, California.

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

Short Hiatus for Seattle Beer Week

We here at Bottle Battle headquarters are currently busy enjoying all the fantastic Seattle Beer Week events that we can manage to fit into our schedules. There is just too much good beer out there on draft for us to conduct a Bottle Battle this week. Don't panic though, the battles will resume next week. In the meantime, go to Seattle Beer News and read the review I wrote about the amazing beer dinner we attended on Monday. It was organized in perfect Bottle Battle style — two beers for each course.

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.

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?

Porters — Firestone Walker vs. Elysian

Firestone Robust Porter
ABV 5.9%

Color: Clear brown/orange.
Aroma: Hops, both floral and citrus.
Flavor: Citrus hops first, then sweet malts, then subtle roasty malts. A bit thin.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Nice, mellow coffee.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Elysian Perseus Porter
ABV 5.4%

Color: Clear dark brown/red.
Aroma: Funky, stinky cheese and coffee beans.
Flavor: Sweet malts, then nice roasted coffee.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Bitter chocolate hoppiness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Winner by unanimous decision: Elysian. Perseus is ripped. I mean, look at those pecs. The dude's spent some time in the gym. Despite his imposing physique, the Perseus didn't win this battle with brute force. It was a nice combination of balanced hops and malts and a fuller, richer body that led him to victory. The Firestone is no slouch itself, but when compared to the Elysian, it just came across a bit too thin and simple. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure that either of us would have guessed it was a porter in a blind tasting. It had a surprisingly hoppy aroma that might cause you to think Pale Ale, followed by a surprisingly sweet flavor that might lead you to conclude Amber.

On a side note, the Firestone paired marvelously with our smoky and spicy beef tacos while the Perseus was a bit too strong and didn't really add much to the flavors. So, drink the Firestone with food (we think it would go well with BBQ meats as well) and have some Perseus before or after dinner (or both!)

Two syllable Belgian beers that end with L — Orval vs. Duvel

Orval Trappist Ale
ABV 6.9%

Color: Hazy pumpkin orange with huge off-white head.
Aroma: Crazy aromatic. Funky piney hops, bay leaves, rosemary, sweet malts.
Flavor: Thin and savory (coriander, herbal notes) with some citrus.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Grains with moderate bitter hops.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Duvel Belgian Golden Ale
ABV 8.5%

Color: Straw yellow with huge snow white head.
Aroma: Orange marmalade, Belgian yeast, cloves, soap.
Flavor: Thin, smooth and creamy with some lemon.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Grain and some noticeable alcohol.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Split decision: Orval vs. Duvel. Two titans of the beer world facing off for bragging rights. Truly a bottle battle for the ages. Unfortunately it was not a very interesting fight. Call us sacrilegious, but we thought these beers were mediocre at best. Perhaps they were a victim of our expectations, perhaps we're American West Coast beer snobs, but these just didn't do it for us. E chose the Duvel, preferring its sweetness and creamy body and I chose the Orval because I thought it had an interesting aroma. However, we both had a hard time coming up with descriptions for the flavors of the beers. They both just seemed thin, simple and refreshing. In other words, nothing special. Finally, neither seemed to deliver the kind of flavor and complexity that we'd expect from a beer that is so high in alcohol. The Duvel, especially, seemed extraordinarily potent for a thin, light, easy drinking beer.