Ladies of Craft Beer

Posted By: Melissa Ward

A few weeks ago I dipped into a snifter full of Dogfish Head’s version of Saison du BUFF — a collaboration between DFH, Victory Brewing and Stone. After enjoying that beer (maybe a bit too much), I knew I had to hunt down Victory’s and Stone’s. And luck was with me.

Today I want to share Victory Brewing Co.’s Saison du BUFF. Like Dogfish Head, I’m able to get the majority of Victory’s beers right at my local liquor store, mainly due to the brewery’s closeness — about an hour away.

I had my husband Ray join me in the tasting because 1) that’s what we do, and 2) I’m still recovering from a rather unpleasant cold, which has my olfactory and taste senses a bit muddled. He was my tasting wingman.

Like DFH’s version, Victory’s SDB pours a pale gold with a thin, white head that dissipates fairly quick. The spice is very evident in the nose and a lot of the herbal notes of rosemary, sage and thyme come out—with rosemary taking the forefront. When giving the glass a few swirls to kick up aroma, a bit of barnyard funk comes out, which is a nice touch amidst the herbs and spice.

Ray noticed a light, fruity sweetness to the beer, something he associates with farmhouse ales. He also found the rosemary complimented the citrus in the beer. I had a difficult time recognizing the traditional saison attributes, unlike my first sampling of Dogfish’s SDB. When I looked up Victory’s version, I came across a review that claimed it was “more Prima Pils than saison.” While I agree that this beer is more of another style than a saison, I don’t agree with likening it to a base of Prima Pils. It’s just something … else. And that’s not a bad thing.

If I were to pair this beer with food, I would go for a nice whitefish, like haddock, topped with a not-too-spicy salsa with plenty of cilantro. Ray pointed out that the cilantro would go well with the bright bitterness of the herbs and hops. He also suggested pairing SDB with grilled veggies tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette. Even some bread and the right cheese would go well with this beer.

And finally, yes, I have a bottle of Stone’s Saison du BUFF thanks to a little help from my friends. Stay tuned!

Originally posted 2010-10-11 09:05:14.

Posted By: Jessica Rice

As predicted, the new Stone Brewing Co.’s event Pour It Black was home run. The event was held on Sunday, Nov. 13^th mainly in the outside garden & bar area with plenty of taps to choose from. Since it was raining the day before, the main gardens were closed but Stone swiftly managed to re-arrange the event placing one of the stations on the upstairs balcony. The event was broken-up into four booths pouring different taps or bottles. There was two small booths in the tables and chairs area, one was hosted by the outside bar and the bottle list was upstairs on the balcony. Once I found all the really rare bottles were upstairs that’s where I headed first.

We immediately spotted New Brew Thursday’s Stephen Johnson, John Holzer, “Dr.” Bill Sysak, and my buddy Kyle right after entering the event. There was a good crowd, but not as many as I have come to expect from a Stone event. I personally hate the super-crowds and the long lines so I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of crowd. As a result, the day carried the laid-back Sunday vibe, which I appreciated.  Minus me arguing with a Stone event beer server that Mikkeller’s Beer Geek Bacon was the same thing as Mikkeller’s Rauch Geek Breakfast the event was extremely enjoyable and Stone’s event management was flawless as per usual.

Some of the beers I sampled were:

Mikkeller Black Hole Barrel Aged Edition – Peat Whiskey (13.1% ABV, 93 RB): This beer was everything I dreamed it would be. It was black with a thick tan head, sweeter than anticipated with notes of honey and vanilla then pelted your tongue with the Whiskey/Scotch notes. The charred oak smell and flavor gives this beer a nice rounded finish.

Craftsman El Prieto Sour Black Ale (8.4% ABV, 91 RB): This might have been my favorite beer of the day. It’s a dark sour ale that has notes of fruit, and finishes with a hint of oaky sweetness.

2008 Stone Imperial Russian Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels (10.8% ABV, 100 RB): Pours very dark and has aromas of coffee, bourbon, chocolate, toffee, vanilla and molasses with the same echoing flavors in the taste with a lovely oak finish. Love this beer. Hey Stone, please send me a case of this, it’s almost my birthday.

All in all, the event was a lot of fun and I am excited to go back next year. I do have a suggestion though; have it start at 11am or 12pm next time instead of 10am. It’s just doesn’t seem right drinking a 13% beer that early, even if it’s a Sunday!

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Posted By: Jessica Rice

On Sunday, Nov. 13^th 2011 from 10am to 4pm Stone Brewing Co. will be hosting the Pour It Black event at the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido, CA. This event is brand-spanking new and joins the ranks of other Stone Brewing Co.’s beloved events like the Sour Fest and Oakquinox. I went to Oakquinox for the first time this year and fell in love with Stone events. The events held at Stone are by far the most organized, well-structured, prepared, enjoyable events I have attended. Maybe the secret weapon is that “Dr.” Bill Sysak is the beer wrangler and he always pulls out the best events.

The purpose for Pour It Black is to showcase the nation’s best stouts and porters, with a dash of black IPA’s which seems only fitting coming from Stone. The beer list is insane! Check it out:

DRAFT:
Alaskan Perseverance Ale
AleSmith Kopi Luwak Speedway Stout
AleSmith Speedway Stout
Ballast Point Barrel Aged Victory at Sea
Ballast Point Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Marlin Porter
Ballast Point Indra Kunindra
Beachwood Kilgore Stout
Bison Organic Bourbon Barrel Aged Chocolate Stout
BJ’s Whiskey Stout
Craftsman Edgar’s Ale
Craftsman El Prieto Sour Black Ale
Deschutes The Abyss 2010
Emelisse Espresso-Stout
Emelisse Imperial Russian Stout – Jack Daniels Barrel Aged
Flying Dog Wild Dog Barrel-Aged Gonzo
Great Divide Belgian Yeti
Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
Green Flash Double Stout
Green Flash I Plead The 5th IPA
Iron Fist Velvet Glove w/ Vanilla Beans and Rum-soaked Oak Chips on cask
Lightning Black Lightning Porter
Lost Abbey Deliverance Ale
Lost Abbey / Port Brewing Ad Lib
Mikkeller Rauch Geek Breakfast
Mission Dark Seas Imperial Stout
Pizza Port Carlsbad Bourbon Barrel Aged Night Rider
Pizza Port Carlsbad Cow Stout
Pizza Port Carlsbad Coffee Monster
Pizza Port Carlsbad Night Rider
Pizza Port Carlsbad Sticky Stout
Pizza Port Ocean Beach Z Man Stout
Pizza Port Solana Beach Tubby’s Porter
Port Brewing Old Viscosity
Port Brewing Older Viscosity
Port Brewing Older Viscosity 2010
Port Brewing Santa’s Little Helper
Sierra Nevada / Dogfish Head Life & Limb
‘t Smisje Catherine The Great Imperial Stout
Speakeasy Scarface Imperial Stout
Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels
Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA with Espresso Beans
2008 Stone Imperial Russian Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels
Stone Imperial Russian Stout 10th Anniversary Special Blend
Struise Black Damnation III Black Mes
Struise Black Damnation IV Coffee Club
Struise / Stillwater Outblack
Taps Imperial Russian Stout

BOTTLES
21st Amendment / Firestone Walker / Stone El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale
Avery Mephistopheles Stout
Big Sky Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout 2010
BrewDog / Cambridge / Stone Juxtaposition Black Pilsner
BrewDog / Stone bashah
BrewDog Tokyo
De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis
Deschutes Black Butte XXII
Deschutes The Abyss 2010
Emelisse Imperial Russian Stout
FiftyFifty Eclipse Imperial Stout 2010 Four Roses Single Barrel
FiftyFifty Eclipse Imperial Stout Heaven Hill
Firestone Walker Parabola Imperial Stout 2010
Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin
Full Sail Top Sail Imperial Porter
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout 2009
Great Divide Belgian Yeti
Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout
Green Flash Silva Stout
Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura
Ken Schmidt / Maui / Stone Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter
Midnight Sun Berserker Imperial Stout
Midtfyns Imperial Stout
Mikkeller Barrel-Aged Black Hole Bourbon Edition
Mikkeller Barrel-Aged Black Hole Cognac Edition
Mikkeller Barrel-Aged Black Hole Peat Whiskey Edition
Mikkeller Barrel-Aged Black Hole Red Wine Edition
Mikkeller Barrel-Aged Black Hole Tequila Edition
Mikkeller Barrel-Aged Black Hole White Wine Edition
Mikkeller Beer Geek Bacon
Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast
Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch
Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel
Mikkeller Black
Mikkeller Black Tie
Nebraska Reserve Series Black Betty Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels
Nectar Ales Black Xantus
Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon 3. Edition
Nøgne Ø Sweet Horizon
North Coast Old Rasputin XII
Port Brewing Older Viscosity 2010
Port Brewing Santa’s Little Helper 2010 – Bourbon Barrel Aged
Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Fritz & Ken’s Ale
Struise Black Albert
Struise / Stillwater Outblack
Uinta Labyrinth Black Ale

Tickets are $45 pre-tax and are available from Brown Paper tickets here. For the $45 you get 15 3oz. tasters (which is more than it seems, trust me!), a commemorative glass, and to hang out with the best of the best beer people.

I highly recommend attending and I hope to see everyone there! Let me know if anyone is attending and I will seek you out and we can freak out about all the Mikkeller beers together.

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Posted By: Theresa Carpine

Most craft beer people have already formed opinions about Stone Brewing. You might love their beer with an unconditional passion. You might think that people who would tell you outright that you probably won’t like their beer are also individuals with the hubris to name said beer Arrogant Bastard, although co-founder Greg Koch opines that the beer was always named this and that they simply stumbled upon its recipe…feeding into to all your preconceptions about what kind of guy Greg Koch might be. He is, after all, known for making this face.

Honestly, you probably think that Stone beer is awesome and that the people who make it are justly self-possessed. A reading of The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance will both confirm and refute these suspicions.

The book was written by “Greg Koch and Steve Wagner with Randy Clemens” and the phrase “in that order” has never been more appropriate. Koch has always been the front man for Stone while co-founder Wagner brewed the beloved beer. Except for the beer how-to and homebrewing sections, the story is told in Koch’s voice with asides from Wagner, former head brewer Lee Chase, executive chef Alex Carballo, and other key figures in the Stone dynasty. Tasked with putting all of these stories together in a coherent way, Clemens provides much-needed direction and focus throughout the book.

Greg Koch and Steve Wagner (John Schulz Photography)

Divided into three parts, The Craft of Stone Brewing Co. is really several books in one. Along with background on the founding of Stone and hints of what we can expect in the future, the text contains your standard “What is Beer?” section and a tutorial on homebrewing. While I appreciate that beer authors want to include readers who are getting in at the most basic levels of beer and beer terminology, how many people will buy this book as introductory text? Most of the people interested in this book are hardcore beer geeks who will flip over these some of these sections to get to the good stuff, which is the beer, in this case.

Documenting every single beer produced under the Stone label, including Heat Seeking Wheat (They were young; they were going through an experimental phase!), “The Beers of Stone Brewing Co.” might be my favorite section of the book. The fact that the story of Sawyer’s Triple made me cry might have something to do with this, but I also enjoyed learning what qualities have always defined Stone beers, how Koch and Wagner made beers that they wanted to make (and discovered that other people wanted to drink), and why Vertical Epic Ales are so epic.

Stone BLT (John Schulz Photography)

The recipes from Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens sound pretty amazing too, although they inspired me to start planning my San Diego road trip rather than start planning meals in my own kitchen. While I merely skimmed through the homebrew section, I’m sure that many avid Stoners are chomping at the bit to get some of these beer recipes into their carboys at home.

Beyond the diehard fans of Stone Brewing, this is a must-read for anyone who is thinking of opening a brewery someday. It’s an excellent example of why takes a lot of different people with many different talents to grow a business into one of most popular craft breweries in the nation.

The Craft of Stone Brewing Co. is available on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 from Ten Speed Press.

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Posted By: NLuque

Lost Abbey/Port Brewing Breakfast

Team Stone put on another great event for their 15th Anniversary Celebration, and craft beer lovers had perfect weather for the festival at California State University San Marcos on August 20th. The event offered two different sessions (11am-2pm or 3pm-6pm), and the lucky ones that purchased VIP tickets had access to the rare beer section all day long.

Six friends and I made the trip down to San Diego from Los Angeles, and we started the day off right at the Lost Abbey/Port Brewing pre-festival breakfast. They graciously opened their doors and offered up free giant breakfast burritos and pancakes, $1 tasters, and a chance for people to connect before the main festivities began. Lost Abbey/Port Brewing resides in the old Stone Brewing building, and at only a few miles away from the Anniversary Celebration I highly recommend stopping by beforehand.

The Team Stone volunteers were great, and after a smooth check-in we made our way into craft beer paradise.  Attendees were given a commemorative tasting glass, and then have to make the hard decisions about how to allocate their ten drink coupons among the 40 breweries in attendance (a list of the participating breweries can be found here).

Mike's Beer Cheese

In addition to beer there were a number of tasty food options (Pizza Port pizza, Arrogant Bastard onion rings, offerings from the Stone Bistro, Mike’s Beer Cheese), vendors selling beer-related items, info on charities, homebrew sodas from the Society of Barley Engineers, and the opportunity to get a picture with Stone CEO Greg Koch in his GregFace pose.

After the first session I bid farewell to my friends, and donned a Mike’s Beer Cheese t-shirt to volunteer and give back to my fellow festival goers. Mike Palmer, the Creative Director at Stone, has been making his famous beer cheese for 10 years now at the festival, and after years of requests fans will be able to buy the beer cheese later this year (info available here). This year the beer cheese flavors expanded to include a special extra spicy nuclear beer cheese, and the hungry beer drinkers ate up 250 pounds plus 15,000 Ritz crackers worth of cheesy goodness that day!

With great beer offerings and proceeds going to charity the Stone Anniversary Celebration is a win-win event, and a recommended addition to any craft beer lover’s bucket list.

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Posted By: Guest

CBE Beer & Cheese Tasting

The Columbia Beer Enthusiasts in Columbia, Missouri, is part craft beer tasters and part homebrewers. We have monthly tastings with different styles and themes. In July, we had a beer and cheese tasting, so in that spirit, here are some of my other favorite beer “pairings.”

Beer and Social Media: I now use Untappd in place of scrawled tasting notes, and to see what friends are having and to get recommendations. We use our Facebook Group and Twitter to post updates about new beer arrivals in stores, and we probably helped statewide efforts to bring more breweries to MO via online nagging. We have gained Green Flash, Stone, and Firestone Walker just in the past year.

CBE Kansas City Road Trip

Beer and My Local Community: Columbia has a couple of brewpubs (Flat Branch Pub and Broadway Brewery) that support the CBE by hosting our tastings. Sycamore Restaurant is where the group originated and continues to host beer dinners and launch events. 1839 Taphouse and 44 Stone Public House are also expanding their craft beer lists. Through our events, I have had the pleasure of meeting sales reps, distribution reps, and bar owners, getting to talk and learn about beer with new friends.

Beer and Travel: I don’t travel a whole lot, but when I do, it is planned around local brewpubs and store recommendations on Beer Advocate or through word of mouth. Sharing the plunder when I return home is also a plus. I’m excited to get the chance to do a beer tour in Belgium in September and return to Ireland to try something besides Guinness.

In summary, craft beer pairs well with most everything! If you’re ever passing though the I-70 corridor, or on your way to an infamous truck stop (not actually in Columbia, by the way), contact us on Facebook. No, we don’t have a local LOCB chapter yet, but I would love to start one. We are the few and the proud.

Jade Elwess is president of the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts in Columbia, MO and a newbie homebrewer. Columbia is midway between St. Louis and Kansas City, or between Schlafly and Boulevard. Her love of beer started when traveling in the U.K. and Ireland, and was simply aghast at the Bud drinkers. Since then, it’s been her mission to create awareness that there is more beer out there to discover if you leave your comfort zone.

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Posted By: Theresa Carpine

Citizens of Portland, if you’re having withdrawals from Oregon Craft Beer Month, fear not. The first annual PDX Beer Week is about to begin! From August 19-28, 2011, celebrations of craft beer are popping up all over Beervana.

Here are a few highlights that we think you’ll enjoy…

PDX Beer Week Kick-Off Party
Friday, August 19 at 5 pm – The Horse Brass Pub
Join Widmer Brothers Brewing as they release the official PDX Beer Week beer—a tasty golden ale made with rose hips in honor of the Rose City—at the Horse Brass Pub! Other special beers will be available, and all PDX beers will be on tap throughout the week.

New Old Lompoc 15 Beers for 15 Years
Saturday, August 20 at 11 am – New Old Lompoc
Celebrate the15th anniversary of a PDX beer institution! New Old Lompoc will serve 15 unique and specialty beers, in addition to its mainstay lineup. Organizers anticipate that nearly 30 different beers will be poured throughout the day.

The Love of Beer Premier
Saturday, August 20 at 7:30 pm – Bagdad Theater & Pub
Celebrate PDX Beer Week with premier of Alison Grayson’s documentary about women in the craft beer industry. Following the film, a panelist of film subjects—including Bend Brewing brewmaster Tonya Cornett, Saraveza owner Sarah Pederson, Pink Boots Society founder Teri Fahrendorf, and Deschutes Brewing brewer Veronica Vega—will speak about their experiences as women in the beer industry. Enjoy $3 pint specials courtesy Bend Brewing and Deschutes Brewing too! Advance tickets ($5.00) are available online.

Washington Brewers Night
Sunday, August 21 at 4:00 pm – Bailey’s Taproom
Try some beers from Washington state breweries, including a few that are not normally available in Oregon! Brewers from Fremont Brewing, Odin Brewing, Naked City Brewing, Sound Brewery, Elliott Bay Brewing, Silver City Brewery, Big Al Brewing, and Elysian Brewing will attend to answer questions as you try their beers.

CDAbe Day
Monday, August 22 at 2:00pm – Belmont Station
Celebrate a relatively new beer style—Cascadian Dark Ale—and help out the man who helped create the beer itself. Eight to 10 Cascadian Dark Ales will be on tap all day long with 100% of the proceeds going to beer writer and evangelist Abe Goldman-Armstrong to help with recent medical bills.

Brewers Burger Brawl
Tuesday, August 23 at 6:00pm – The Hop & Vine
Five Portland brewers will compete in a battle for who can make the best hamburger pairing with their beers…you be the judge! Hopworks, Burnside, Upright, Breakside, and Laurelwood are scheduled to compete.

Barrel-Aged Beer Seminar & Tasting
Wednesday, August 24 at 6:00 pm – Hopworks
Hopworks Urban Brewing and beer educator/brewer Ben Edmunds are hosting a panel of experts on barrel-aging beers from Imperial Stouts to Barleywines, IPAs, and funky sour brews. Attendees will get to taste different rare barrel-aged beers from each panelist (11 beers total) and learn their secrets. Advance tickets ($26) are available online.

Breakfast Beers Night
Thursday, August 25 at 3:00pm – Breakside Brewery
For one night only, the brewery will tap a Breakfast Stout with coffee and a Whiskey for Breakfast Porter. Additionally, brewers Ben Edmunds and Sam Barber are planning a number of other experiments and surprises for the evening.

California Brewers Night
Friday, August 26 at 5:00pm – Apex
PDX welcomes California brewers with never before available beers and cellared specialties! Sierra Nevada Brewing, Stone Brewing, Magnolia Brewing, Craftsman Brewing, Telegraph Brewing, Russian River Brewing, Moonlight Brewing, Lagunitas Brewing, and Mad River Brewing are scheduled to attend.

Mighty Mites – Session Beer Festival
Saturday, August 27 at 12:00 pm – Coalition Brewing
Jeff Alworth of Beervana has teamed up with Coalition Brewing and PDX Beer Week to explore the underrated wealth of creativity and flavor found in session beers with an ABV of 5% or less. Participating breweries include Block 15, Hair of the Dog, Oakshire, Upright, Double Mountain, Coalition, and Fort George. Entry is free, and pours are $1 for four ounces of tasty session ales. Bring a mug or glass from a previous festival; some mugs will be available for purchase on site as well.

Closing Street Party
Sunday, August 28 at 11:00 am – Bazi Bierbrasserie
During the Hawthorne Street Fair, PDX Beer Week and Bazi Bierbrasserie are closing off 32nd street for an outdoor beer garden featuring Oregon’s best Belgian-styled beers, including offerings from Double Mountain, Upright Brewing, Beetje Brewing, and Full Sail. All ages welcome at the street party!

Events are still being added, so visit PDX Beer Week to keep up with all the beer happenings. And remember to use #pdxbw on Twitter to share your experiences as you celebrate the great craft beer community of Portland.

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Posted By: Theresa Carpine

Beer just tastes better when it is support a good cause, and 11th Annual Breastfest Beer Festival promises to be “a good time for a good cause” on Saturday, July 2, 2011 from 5-9 PM at the Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion in San Francisco, California.

The Breastfest is the largest annual fundraiser for Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic (CMCC), a landmark public health clinic that provides free complementary alternative medicine, supportive services, and social services to women battling cancer and poverty. Over the past ten years, the Breastfest has donated over $225,000 to the clinic, enabling patients to receive treatment that they might not receive otherwise.

This year’s festival is bigger than ever with over 60 breweries in attendance, along with several wineries and cideries. Among the many California breweries featured this year are host breweries Marin Brewing and Moylan’s Brewing, as well as Lagunitas Brewing, Russian River Brewing, and Stone Brewing. Locals will also have a chance to try beers from breweries scattered around the country, like Big Sky Brewing and Allagash Brewing.

General admission tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door, which includes unlimited tasting, a commemorative glass, food, non-alcoholic beverages, and live music. VIP Hour (4-5 PM) is an additional $10. Advance tickets available at event website, or in person at Marin Brewing Company or Moylan’s Brewery.

Visit The Breastfest for more information.

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Posted By: Theresa Carpine

Yesterday, we spent a lot of time in the Twitterverse discussing which breweries we wanted to visit someday.

Several followers cited both Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Stone Brewing as desired destinations. These two breweries also led our Facebook Poll. So, hear that, @dogfishbeer and @StoneBrewingCo? If you started an airline that offered direct flights from Escondido to Milton, you’d probably make a pretty penny…

A few of you noted that you’d like to make a trip to Europe to visit Belgian breweries, like Belgian Family Brewery in Brouwerij Huyghe and Cantillon Brewery. UK breweries, like Thornbridge Brewery, Brewdog, and Traquair House Brewery, got a shot-out from @ingridcalderoni, and @lisagrimm wants to visit Epic Beer and Moa Brewing in New Zealand.

@BeerandSolar is interested in visiting sustainable and environmentally-conscious breweries, and @audragmarotta suggested Mother Earth Brewing in Kinston, North Carolina. Sierra Nevada Brewery was also mentioned for its “green” practices.

Throughout the day, there was also an interest in visiting “nanobreweries,” which produce a limited amount of beer that is only available in a localized area, as well as supporting small breweries in one’s own state.

Thanks to everyone who added to the discussion! Follow us @LadiesOCB and like us on Facebook respond to questions and discussions in the future!

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Posted By: Theresa Carpine

After almost two months of nominations and voting, the Elite Eight in the 2011 March Madness IPA Tournament had been selected and I trekked out across the state line with my favorite IPA drinking buddy (my mom) for the Tasting Tournament at Enoteca Fine Wine & Beer in Post Falls, Idaho on Wednesday, March 23, 2011.

The tasting room was already well-packed when we arrived (early) and more enthusiastic IPA drinkers continued to show as we watched the clock, waiting for the first pours. We were each given two glasses, designating them as A and B for each round.

Our next tasting included two beers with very similar profiles and I theorized that they could have been Imperial IPAs. The first beer had a smoky aftertaste, but I preferred the beer with a slight whiskey finish, possibly a barrel-aged beer. My suspicions were verified as my pick for the flight, unfortunately the losing beer, was revealed as Dogfish Head Burton Baton Oaked IPA.

Third in the line-up were two beers that split the tasters right down the middle. The first beer startled my senses, tasting a bit the way tobacco smells—generally smoky and bitter but with a strange sweetness—and so I found the taste of a second beer much smoother and even. Enoteca owner Russell Mann cast the tie-breaking vote and my choice for Laughing Dog Rocket Dog Rye IPA, last year’s winner in the tournament, was eliminated.

The final tasting in the first round included two more beers that split the vote almost evenly, although there was no question in my mind that I preferred the smoother ale that followed a beer with quite a funk. I questioned whether I would like my choice for the round over the losing beer—Old Schoolhouse Brewers Reserve Imperial IPA—if I tasted it on its own.

In Flight 5, we compared the winners of the first two flights. In this tasting, the winner of Flight 1 was a bit too sweet and I preferred the balanced IPA flavor of its competitor. The voters agreed, and Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA was eliminated in the tournament.

The tobacco-taste of the winner in Flight 3 still haunted me and while I didn’t enjoy the smell of the other beer, it had a more pleasing taste. My fellow tasters agreed and voted out Laughing Dog Alpha Dog Imperial IPA, which is a beer that I’ve tried before and, while it wasn’t mind-blowing, it was enjoyable, so it was interesting that I had such a strong dislike of it in a blind taste test.

While I was bit disappointed that none of my favorites made it into the tournament (one received enough votes but was cut due to availability issues), the blind tasting was a great opportunity to try a variety of beers and reflect on the subtlety of all the flavors that compose the beloved India Pale Ale.

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