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.

Wheat Beers — Grieskirchner vs. Pike

Grieskirchner Weisse
ABV 5.1%

Color: Hazy light orangish yellow.
Aroma: Phenolic yeast aromas (band-aid, banana).
Flavor: Smooth, creamy, refreshing and lemony.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced.
Finish: Grain and cloves.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Pike Dry Wit
ABV 5.0%

Color: Almost the exact same color but less hazy.
Aroma: Cardamom, coriander, cheese rind.
Flavor: More of the same — cardamom and coriander.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced.
Finish: Grain with some bitterness and tannins, like an over-steeped tea.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good -

Winner by unanimous decision: Grieskirchner.
In honor of the World Cup starting tomorrow we thought we'd stage an international battle. Unfortunately, we could not procure any English wheat beer to battle the Pike Wit. Instead we had to settle for an Austrian Weissbeer from a brewery with a name that is nearly unpronounceable. Sure, Austria isn't actually in the World Cup, but based on this battle it's apparent that they make up for their lack of futbol talent with some serious beer-making talent.

It wasn't exactly a "fair" fight, as the Pike Wit is an interpretation of a Belgian-style witbier (flavored with orange peel, coriander and other spices), while the Grieskirchner is made in a German Hefeweizen style. Sure, they are both made with wheat, but aside from that they vary greatly in aroma and flavor. However, fights don't have to be fair — the battle goes on without regard to categorization or style. And in this battle, the one that starts with a G was clearly the winner. Its smooth, creamy mouthfeel and classic hefeweizen yeast characteristics made it a joy to drink. If the weather in Seattle ever gets hot again (big "if"), this would be an excellent beer for a BBQ or picnic. The Pike, on the other hand seemed harsh in comparison. The coriander and other spices came through a bit too much and it finished with a strange tea-like bitterness. It wasn't a bad beer (and actually, it might go quite well with Indian food or other boldly spiced fare), but it just didn't match up well with the Austrian Weisse.

And finally, we'll answer the question you've all been waiting for, "Does this mean that the US will lose to England in the first game of the World Cup?" I hate to break it to you, but the results of the battles on this blog have yet to provide any meaningful sports predictions. However, if you do plan to have a beer while watching the game we suggest that you have two: Grieskirchner during the first half and Pike during the second.

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

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?