Winter Seasonals — Red Hook vs. New Belgium vs. 10 Barrel

Red Hook Winter Hook

ABV 6.0%

New Belgium Snow Day

ABV 6.2%

10 Barrel Pray For Snow 
ABV 7.0%

The holidays are fine and all, but it's the winter beers that really get us excited this time of year. This battle features seasonal releases from three states: Oregon (10 Barrel), Washington (Red Hook) and Colorado (New Belgium).

The Winter Hook from Red Hook brought back fond memories. Back in the late 90s it was Winter Hook that first introduced us to the concept of a "seasonal release." Before the store shelves started filling up with other seasonal options for us to try, the arrival of Winter Hook each year was cause for great celebration. Despite the nostalgia the Winter Hook was soundly beaten in this battle by both of the other beers. It was simple and malty with a hint of licorice and pine, fine on its own, but side by side with the other beers it didn't measure up.

The Snow Day from New Belgium was very unique. It offered both a strong hop profile (piny and almost minty) and a strong dark malt profile (coffee and chocolate). In the end we agreed that it tasted like a cup of chilled coffee run through a randall of hops, great for a CDA or Black IPA but not something we are craving in the dead of winter.

The final beer, 10 Barrel's Pray for Snow, hit all the right notes with us. Malty flavors and aromas dominated (cola, dried dark fruit and molasses) but it had enough piny hops to keep it from being too sweet. Just an all around solid winter beer from a brewery that continues to impress us.

Happy New Year to all of you fellow beer lovers. May your 2013 be filled with many a great beer!   

Unanimous Decision: 10 Barrel Pray for Snow

Oregon Imperial IPAs — Hop Valley vs. Bend Brewing

Hop Valley Alpha Centauri
Binary IPA

ABV 8.5%

Bend Brewing Hop Head

Imperial IPA

ABV 9.2%

These two breweries weren't satisfied with just one battle so we threw them in the ring and let them have at it again. Two weeks ago we featured their regular IPAs and this time we ramped up the intensity and ABV a bit to see which of their Imperial IPAs would reign supreme.

Thankfully, the soapy, cleaning solution characteristics we noticed in their regular IPAs were not apparent in these Imperial IPAs. Quite the opposite actually as the Hop Head took an early advantage with great floral and citrus hop aromas. The Alpha Centauri was very fragrant as well but didn't offer much in the way of hops, instead it offered a big blast of sweet honey malt and molasses. As is often the case with IPAs, the flavor was similar to the aroma with the Hop Head balancing its citrusy hops with a solid malt base while the Hop Valley continued with the intense malt assault to go along with a subtle grassiness. In the finish the Hop Head left us with a lingering citrus rind bitterness while the Alpha finished moderately bitter but also came across as a bit boozy due to the intense maltiness.

It seems as if this battle featured two different interpretations of an Imperial IPA. On the one hand we had the Hop Head which chose to focus on the "IPA" part by coming on strong with bright, citrus hop aromas and flavors throughout. On the other hand we had the Alpha which chose to focus on the "Imperial" part by ramping up the malt to create a heavy, intense beast of a beer with a big, sweet and malty punch but not enough hop presence for our taste.

Kudos to Bend Brewing for winning two in a row. No small feat for a fairly small brewery!

Unanimous Decision: Bend Brewing Hop Head

Oregon IPAs — Bend Brewing vs. Hop Valley

Bend Brewing
Elk Lake India Pale Ale

ABV 6.5%

Hop Valley

Alphadelic I.P.A.

ABV 6.5%

We've tried a lot of IPAs. A quick search on "IPA" in this blog will confirm that fact. Many have been excellent, a few have been awful but they've all been fun to try and they've all contributed to our knowledge of the almighty hop. Our hop education continued with these two Oregon IPAs. The Elk Lake is from Bend Brewing in the heart of downtown Bend while the Alphadelic is from Springfield right outside of Eugene. 

Both had a very similar color but the Elk Lake was murky while the Alphadelic was crystal clear. They both offered strong hop aromas with the Elk Lake coming across as floral, citrusy and a bit chemical while the Alphadelic was more spicy, piny and soapy. Both were bitter in the finish but to different degrees. The Alphadelic had a harsh bitter greens/citrus rind finish while the Elk Lake was far more moderate with citrus notes.

In our extensive tasting of IPAs we've noticed that sometimes hop character can cross over from organic qualities like citrus, flowers and pine to artificial qualities like soap and cleaning solution. It's a fine line that has to do with a bunch of things from hop variety to brewing technique but regardless of how it happens we don't care for it. Sadly, to our palates, both of these beers had some of those chemical qualities so our decision was mostly based on which one had less of those qualities. So the Elk Lake took the victory since the cleaning solution aroma we detected was a bit more subdued than the soapiness of the Alphadelic. We also thought the Elk Lake had a much better finish.

Here's to hoping that your next IPA is clean tasting, but not too clean tasting. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone and don't forget to pair some beer with all that great food!

Unanimous Decision: Elk Lake India Pale Ale

Trader Joe's Beer — Boatswain vs. Boatswain

Boatswain H.L.V. Ale 
(Heavy Lift Vessel)

ABV 7%

Boatswain Double I.P.A.

(Twin Screw Steamer)

ABV 8.4%

In celebration of the newly opened Trader Joe's in Medford we thought we'd battle a couple of beers you will only find on their hallowed shelves. According to a quick Google search it appears that both are contract brewed by Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe, Wisconsin which brews a baffling array of beer and "flavored malt beverages." My favorite part about their website however is that they have a section for "premium brews" including such tempting options as Boxer Light and Clear Creek Ice. Good stuff.

 

These beers are such a great deal that we were hoping that one or both might be able to make the permanent rotation in our fridge. As I recall they have three or four Boatswain beer options. The Double I.P.A. was a no brainer choice as we are always on the hunt for bargain double IPAs. The H.L.V. we got mostly because we had no idea what kind of beer it was. There is no indication on the bottle as to the style at all. The only hint was the cryptic description: "Our ale has aromas and flavors of sweet, roasted malt balanced with moderate bitterness from the high level of hops." How awesomely vague!

 

As usual, Ellen poured without me watching but it wasn't necessary as it was obvious which was which by the color. The H.L.V. was super dark and the Double I.P.A. was a nice bright orange with just a hint of brown. The aromas followed suit with the IPA offering up some fruity hop notes and the H.L.V. countering with solid chocolate malt and smoke. 

 

The IPA was very sweet, rich and full-bodied with golden raisin, honey and mild citrus flavors. I also detected some grainy notes that I associate with macro-lagers but Ellen didn't get those flavors. The finish was sweet and malty with almost no bitterness at all. In contrast, the H.L.V. was all chocolate, coffee and smoke in the flavor with a slightly acidic finish and a mild bitterness. To us, it tasted like a mildly hoppy stout.

 

Sadly, neither of these beers were anything special. I felt the Double I.P.A. really lacked that big hop bite of exceptional double IPAs and it was way to sweet for my tastes. Ellen thought that the H.L.V. was too smoky and preferred the IPA. On a positive note neither beer was terrible so I suppose that they are both worth tasting on the off chance that one of them is a perfect match for your palate. Or you could skip the beer aisle altogether and focus your attentions on some of the other intriguing options at Trader Joe's like chocolate covered potato chips and truffle cheese. Viva la Trader Joe's! 

 

Split Decision: Ellen chose the Double I.P.A. I chose the H.L.V.

Autumn Beers — MacTarnahan's vs. Pyramid

MacTarnahan's Noble Scot
Scottish Ale  

ABV 6.5%

Pyramid Oktoberfest

(Autumn Lager)

ABV 6.7%

If you're anything like us, your drinking preferences change with the seasons. When the weather starts to turn we start to reach for beers that focus on the sweeter, maltier side of the taste spectrum. These two beers fit the bill as both Scottish Ales and Oktoberfest Lagers tend to be sweet, malty and perfect for crisp autumn imbibing.

The combatants for this battle are from two of the larger "craft" breweries in the northwest. Pyramid is headquartered in Seattle but has taprooms up and down the west coast while MacTarnahan's is located in Portland.

Right from the outset it was a tight battle. Both beers were almost identical in color with the Noble Scot being a bit darker. The aromas were very similar as well, mostly sweet smelling with caramel and honey notes. It was in the flavor that we finally were able to detect a noticeable difference. The Noble Scot had a touch of citrus while the Oktoberfest was richer and more full bodied. Both finished very sweet and malty but the Noble Scot had a little zip of citrus and a touch of bitterness as well.

This proved to be one of the tougher battles we've hosted. Neither beer was outstanding but both were good. We were also quite surprised at how similar they were. Given that one was an ale and one was a lager we thought it would be fairly easy to tell the difference. Not so. Just goes to show that you can make very similar beers with very different yeasts and fermentation temperatures.

After much discussion we chose the Oktoberfest mostly because we preferred its mouthfeel and richness over the slightly more simple Noble Scot. Try one or both with a nice hearty stew or a brat and some kraut.

Unanimous Decision: Pyramid Oktoberfest

Pumpkin Beers — Elysian vs. Elysian

Elysian Dark O' The Moon
Pumpkin Stout 

ABV 6.5%

Elysian Hansel & Gretel
Ginger Pumpkin Pilsner

ABV 4.5%

Feel that chill running up and down your spine? That's a sure sign that All Hallow's Eve is approaching. It's also a sign that you need to relax and enjoy a pumpkin beer. So stop obsessing about the Lucha Libre Clown in the photo and pay attention to those beers. Both are from Elysian Brewing in Seattle which has established itself as the foremost authority on pumpkin beers worldwide. Their epic Great Pumpkin Beer Festival should be on any respectable beer geek's bucket list. It's pumpkin beer nirvana.

These two beers are on opposite ends of the pumpkin beer spectrum which should come as no surprise given that the The Hansel & Gretel is a pilsner and the Dark O' The Moon is a stout. But in the name of Bottle Battle it was our solemn duty to set aside all style prejudice in order to determine which one tasted better to us at that particular moment.

The Pilsner was as light and lively as you'd expect with a murky yellow color and some nice herbal spices (clove, coriander, ginger, cinnamon) on the nose. The flavor offered a sharp, citrusy ginger followed by a moderately bitter finish with a touch of woody tannins.

The Stout was as dark as a deserted alley where Lucha Libre Clowns might lurk. The aroma was dominated by smoke, coffee and chocolate and the flavor continued with those qualities while adding some subtle pumpkin pie spices with a nice malty sweetness and a rich, velvety texture. The finish was smooth and smoky with a mild coffee bitterness.

We ended up choosing the Dark O' The Moon not only because we liked it more than the Hansel & Gretel but because it is truly one of the best stouts we've had the pleasure of drinking, pumpkin or non-pumpkin. The Hansel & Gretel wasn't bad at all, but with the weather cooling down we find that our palates are often drawn to the darker, maltier side of malt beverages. Both are available now but the Hansel & Gretel is a special offering only found in Elysian's Pumpkin Patch 4-pack which also includes Dark O' The Moon! Combine the 4-pack with some pumpkins, some knives and some friends and you've got yourself an old fashioned jack-o-lantern carving party.

Unanimous Decision: Dark O' The Moon

Pale Ales — Ninkasi vs. Elysian

Ninkasi Radiant Ale

ABV 6%

Elysian Loser

ABV 7%

It was with a little trepidation that we included a beer called "Loser" in a bottle battle. To make matters worse, the opponent was a beer with one of the most uplifting and positive names around, the brightly colored Radiant from Ninkasi. However, if the Loser could prove to be a winner wouldn't it be an inspiring story of a beer overcoming unthinkable odds to triumph over adversity? Here's how it all unfolded:

Both beers were dark for pale ales, falling more in the brown/orange category with the Radiant being a bit lighter in color. The aroma of the Loser was kind of a vegetal honey that wasn't off-putting, just not very hoppy. The Radiant was very perfumey with tropical fruit and a touch of that graininess you get from macro lagers. Flavorwise the Loser was smooth, sweet and fruity while the Radiant was fairly straight-forward and citrusy. The Radiant finished way more bitter while the Loser had more of a malt-driven finish with just a touch of bitter for balance. 

Stylistically, I suppose the Radiant tasted more like a traditional pale ale. However, it was not our favorite. It was just too simple with nothing to really distinguish itself. The Loser, on the other hand, was a really nice beer. And although it didn't taste much like a Northwest pale ale to us, we were both impressed by the smooth, rich fruitiness of it. To us, despite Elysian releasing Loser as a summer seasonal, the darker hue and malty character of the beer makes more sense for fall. Get some for these final days of grilling before we lose daylight savings and retreat indoors to huddle around the hearth for some stout or barleywine.  

Unanimous Decision: Elysian Loser Pale Ale