Brett Beers — New Belgium Le Fleur, Misseur? vs. New Belgium Biere de Mars

New Belgium Lips of Faith
Le Fleur, Misseur?
ABV 6.2%

Color: Clear golden yellow.
Aroma: Grain, sour yeast, mango.
Flavor: Clean, clove and cardamom spice. More savory than sweet.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced
Finish: Touch of grain then quickly disappears.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

New Belgium Lips of Faith
Biere de Mars
ABV 6.2%

Color: Clear orange.
Aroma: Barnyard funk, dust, gingerbread.
Flavor: Sweet rich malts, cinnamon, molasses.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty
Finish: Roasted malt and a slight bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good +

Winner by unanimous decision: Biere de Mars.
Tonight, as we watched the New Orleans Saints clash with the Minnesota Vikings, we were waging a battle of our own with two specialty beers from New Belgium Brewing. Both beers were from the highly regarded Lips of Faith series of unique and experimental beers that come in boldly decorated bottles. Both beers also contained some of the yeast strain known as Brettanomyces or Brett for short. Brett is kind of a wild card. It can create a wide range of flavors from sour to funky so it's always with a sense of adventure that you raise a new Brett beer to your lips.

From the beginning it was a good fight. The Misseur came out with a nice sour aroma and the Mars countered with a big, banyardy funk. The Misseur offered up flavors of clove and cardamom and the Mars answered with cinnamon and molasses. These were fun beers — a welcome change from the bevy of Pale Ales and IPAs we've been drinking over the summer (if that's what you call this mess). Neither were overly soured or overly funky from the Brett. They both just incorporated the Brett in different ways.

Ultimately, we decided on the Biere de Mars mostly because it was a bit richer in mouth feel and seemed to fit the Fall/Winter weather we've been getting in Seattle. We were both surprised to find out that the Mars was brewed as a Spring seasonal beer. Call us crazy, but that beer tasted way more Fall than Spring. To us, the lighter, crisper Misseur would have made a far better Spring beer, but who's keeping track? As long as they keep coming out with new Lips of Faith beers every season we'll be happy and so should you.

Extra credit: Perhaps no beer bottles on the market make better flower vases than these. Put a flower in one and give it to your non-beer drinking husband or wife and they might be more supportive of your expensive beer drinking habits.

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

Imperial Ales of Different Colors — Red Hook vs. Iron Horse

Red Hook 8-4-1 Expedition
Imperial Brown Ale
(Oak Aged Ale Brewed with Honey)
ABV 9.5%

Color: Mahogany.
Aroma: Sweet, floral with a bit of coffee.
Flavor: Simple honey sweetness quickly overwhelmed by intense tannic (from the oak aging?), vegetal bitterness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): N/A (Tannic)
Finish: Tannic bomb.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre -

Iron Horse
Imperial Loco Red
ABV 7.5%

Color: Brown/orange.
Aroma: Grapefruit and big, sharp, resinous hops. Also a touch of cannabis.
Flavor: Salad of citrus fruits and marijuana.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy.
Finish: Intense, citrus rind bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Winner by unanimous decision: Iron Horse.
Imperials are the heavyweights of the beer world. When you see "Imperial" on a bottle it's basically a warning: "This beer is intensely flavored and has a higher alcohol content than your average beer." We've had many imperial beers that are absolutely spectacular, so it was with great anticipation that we staged this battle. Unfortunately, both of these heavyweights were a bit sloppy and the fight was a bit of a mess.

The Iron Horse ended up winning, but it wasn't pretty. Both combatants came out slow and nary a punch was thrown in the first round. Instead, they both seemed content to trudge around the ring and pretend to be bad ass. In the end, it came down to which beer was less offensive. The Red was way too bitter and lost its carbonation towards the end, but the Brown was just straight bizarre, with such a clumsy finish (it seemed that it was aged too long in oak, giving it a tannic component that was overbearing) that we just couldn't make it to the finish and poured half a glass down the sink.

Kudos to both breweries (especially Red Hook) for trying out new things and releasing specialty beers, but we suggest you prepare your beer a bit more before you send it out to battle. Discriminating palates demand something with a bit more balance. Bigger isn't always better.

Flavored Porters — Tree Brewing Co. vs. Maui Brewing Co.

Tree Brewing Co.
Raspberry Porter
ABV 5%

Color: Dark brown with red accents. No head.
Aroma: Chocolate covered raspberries.
Flavor: Slightly tart with raspberry and coffee notes.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): None. Overly fruity.
Finish: Bit thin and acidic with lingering raspberry taste.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre -

Maui Brewing Co.
Coconut Porter
ABV 5.7%

Color: Black with tan head.
Aroma: Sweet coffee.
Flavor: Rich, sweet coffee with some hop bitterness and maybe just a hint of toasted coconut (or was that just the power of suggestion?).
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced.
Finish: Sweet with some coffee bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Fantastic

Winner by unanimous decision: Maui Brewing Co.
We picked up this bottle of Raspberry Porter on our recent trip to Canada, so as far as we know, it is not readily available in the Seattle area. Consider yourselves lucky because the Tree Brewing Co. Raspberry Porter is not very good. It's yet another example of one of those beers that we would have finished and been OK with if it had been on its own, but when compared side by side with the Coconut Porter all of its flaws were magnified.

The Tree Brewing Co. porter was interesting at first, but the more we tasted it, the more it seemed off in some way. The Coconut was just so freaking good that every sip of the Raspberry seemed like a waste of time and calories. The fight was so lopsided, in fact, that eventually we just gave up on the Raspberry altogether and dumped it down the sink. Mind you, it wasn't absolutely a dumpable beer, but when you're comparing it to the sweet, rich, balanced, concoction of chocolate malt and toasted coconut that is the Maui Brewing Coconut Porter you're liable to make rash decisions. And at that moment it seemed completely reasonable to use the Tree beer as a drain cleaner while we closed our eyes and made oohing noises with each delightful sip of the Maui masterpiece.

Extra credit: The Coconut Porter has a tag line that is completely baffling to us. It says "... Like hot chicks on the beach." What? If anyone knows the story behind that line, please fill us in.

European Beers Our Friend Matt Gave us to Battle — Williams Brothers vs. Franziskaner

Williams Brothers
Fraoch Heather Ale
ABV 5%

Color: Clear, rusty gold.
Aroma: Roasted malts, black pepper.
Flavor: Somewhat thin with a floral malty sweetness and notes of toast.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Malty.
Finish: Bread dough and lemony citrus.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse
ABV 5%

Color: Cloudy, dirty gold.
Aroma: Bananas, cloves, cardamom, lemon.
Flavor: Ripe bananas, yeast.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Neither.
Finish: Clean, refreshing and acidic with a bit of lingering clove spice.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Fantastic

Winner by unanimous decision: Franziskaner.
In one corner we had the Fraoch, a Heather Ale brewed in Scotland using an ancient Gaelic recipe. In the other corner we had the Franziskaner, a Hefewiezen hailing from Germany. It was an outdoor fight and the sun was blazing which may have given the Franziskaner an unfair advantage since Hefeweizen-style beers taste extraordinarily good on a hot day.

The Fraoch was certainly a well-made beer with a unique flavor, but it seemed thin and feeble compared to the Franz. The ancient Scottish recipe did manage to hold its own for a short time with some veteran guile, but was ultimately picked apart by the fresher, livelier German. We suggest you try the Fraoch this autumn, as the flavors would seem to make a good match for some cooler weather and hearty harvest fare. The Franz, on the other hand should find its way into your refrigerator quickly so that you can enjoy it on one of these last hot days before the sun disappears for the next 8 months.

IPAs — Boundary Bay vs. Laurelwood

Boundary Bay IPA
ABV 6.4%, IBU Unknown

Color: Cloudy, brownish-orange.
Aroma: Intensely hoppy. Orange zest and rosemary.
Flavor: Early sweetness before a blast of citrusy hops.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy.
Finish: Lingering lemon rind bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good+

Laurelwood Workhorse IPA
ABV 7.5%, IBU 80

Color: Clear reddish-orange.
Aroma: Toasted malts and funky cannabis hoppiness.
Flavor: Fairly one-dimensional. Slightly fruity, then lemon water.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy
Finish: Intense, piney, medicinal, long-lasting bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good -

Winner by unanimous decision: Boundary Bay.
Sunny days call for sunny beers. The Workhorse features a sunburst on the bottle and the Boundary Bay features a sunset. Befitting of the labels, we staged the battle outdoors under clear and sunny skies.

Hop flavors are very polarizing. Some people love the funky, ganja-smelling hops, while others like something more citrusy or piney. Our preference lies in the citrusy spectrum which is exactly what the Boundary Bay delivered. We also look for a solid balance of sweet maltiness to balance the bitterness of the hops and once again, the BB came through for us in that arena.

The Laurelwood would probably have tasted just fine on its own, but when compared to the BB it was definitely lacking. This is a key tenet of the Bottle Battle philosophy: if you like beer and try a bottle on its own, you'll more than likely find it to be pretty good. However, if you taste it side by side with another beer you are able to create some sort of context beyond your personal taste memory with which to judge it by.

But, enough with that philosophy stuff, let's get to the fight! The Workhorse must have carried one too many kegs on his back (see label), because he seemed a bit tired in this one, ultimately taking a nap on the canvas in the second round. Too bad — he missed a glorious sunset.

Red Ales — Laurelwood vs. Elysian

Laurelwood
Organic Free Range Red Ale
ABV 5.9%

Color: Diluted cranberry juice.
Aroma: Sweet with piney hops and a savory element, almost like worchestershire sauce, but in a good, mellow way.
Flavor: More sweet than hoppy. Honey and toasted grain with slight acidity.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced.
Finish: Sweet honey maltiness followed by a pleasant bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Fantastic

Elysian
The Men's Room
Original Red
ABV 5.6%

Color: Reddish-orange.
Aroma: Funky, cannabis hops with sweet malts in the background.
Flavor: Slight citrus at the beginning, but then turns sweet, simple and thin.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Balanced.
Finish: Not much. Tiny bit of bitterness comes in late.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre

Winner by unanimous decision: Laurelwood.
As we've said before, with red ales you never know what you're going to get. Some of the reds we've had in the past have been phenomenal, others forgettable. So, it was with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that we popped the caps off these two combatants.

If the fight were between the mascots on the bottles, most people would put their money on the restroom devil guy over the chicken and most people would be wrong. The chicken was not messing around and it really dominated the fight from the starting bell — looking redder and tasting better. It had a great balance of sweet to bitter and a fantastic aroma that managed to be sweet and savory at the same time. All in all it was a delicious beer that would go nicely with a variety of foods — might we suggest beer can chicken?

The Men's Room Red is a beer that is brewed for the KISW radio show of the same name. A portion of the profits from sales go to helping support families of military veterans, so if you want to drink beer and support a good cause, get yourself a Men's Room Red. It's not majorly flawed or anything, it just got whooped by a chicken, that's all.

Imperial IPAs — Red Hook vs. Silver City

Red Hook Big Ballard
Imperial IPA
ABV 8.6% IBU 73

Color: Clear, golden orange.
Aroma: Clean, fresh citrus hops and a touch of stinky cheese.
Flavor: Starts sweet and syrupy then slowly morphs into an intense "bitter greens" bitterness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy.
Finish: Long lasting harsh bitterness.
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Silver City
Whoop Pass Double IPA
ABV 8.5% IBU ?

Color: Hazy, brownish orange.
Aroma: Sweet honey with sharp, piney hops.
Flavor: Sweet and viscous. Orange blossom notes and nice floral hoppiness.
Hops vs. Malts (Hoppy, Malty or Balanced): Hoppy.
Finish: Mellow citrus peel (less bitter than the Red Hook).
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Good

Winner by unanimous decision: Silver City.
Imperial (or double) IPAs are all about hops and these beers were no exception. Both delivered their own special blend of extreme hoppiness, but it was the Whoop Pass that lived up to its name.

It really was an even match in the aroma and flavor, but Big Ballard tired down the stretch and lost his balance. The result was an intensely bitter finish that could barely be washed away with water. Granted, some people like that kind of tastebud beatdown, but it was a bit too much for us.

The Silver City, on the other hand, was silky smooth throughout the fight and finished with a pleasant citrus peel bitterness that faded away fairly quickly and left us wanting more.

If you like big, hoppy beers, both of these should be right up your alley. If you don't, don't you think it's about time you started a relationship with the Humulus Lupulus?