Brewper Bowl II Post Game Report

The Norm Peterson Trophy

Welcome back to our coverage of the 2013 Brewper Bowl, live from not-so-snowy and actually-rather-pleasant-at-the-moment Northern Virginia. The game is over, and without further ado, it is my pleasure to announce that the winner is…

…wait for it…

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND!!!

Now it’s time to show my work.

San Francisco led off the contest with the Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout from Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Boonville, CA. The first thing I noticed was that the toasted oats and roasted barley provided a very sweet aroma and flavor. The beer was jet black with a nice tan head on top and was crisp and refreshing. Overall, the beer was excellent, and I rated it a 9 out of 10, thinking that it would be a tough act to follow.

Not only did Baltimore follow, they knocked it out of the park with a hay maker right out of the opening bell. Their offering was the Gonzo Imperial Porter from the Flying Dog Brewing Company in Frederick, MD. Gonzo was dark and malty, but was hoppy too, clocking in at 85 IBUs. Some might say that this was an unfair tactic, but you gotta play to your strengths. Gonzo scored a 10 out of 10 and placed Baltimore squarely into the driver’s seat.

The flagship of the Heavy Seas fleet

Seizing on their momentum, Baltimore went for an onside kick and retained possession. The next participant from Chesapeake Bay was Loose Cannon Hop3 IPA from Heavy Seas Beer in Baltimore, MD. Heavy Seas’ flagship brew was a crisp, fruity IPA and was nearly perfect to the style. She scored a 9 out of 10 and had Baltimore ahead 19-9.

San Francisco countered with a flagship of their own – one of the oldest and most respected craft beers in America – Liberty Ale from Anchor Brewing Company in downtown San Francisco. As its reputation dictates, this brew was smooth and delicious, hoppy but not overly so, very tasty and lacking nothing. My only criticism was in a lack of “wow-factor,” so I scored it a 9 out of 10, which brought the score up to 19-18 at half time.

In the second half, San Francisco hit Baltimore with some of their own medicine and recovered an onside kick of their own. They brought out Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale from the Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, CA. This beer was crispy like a wheat beer and hoppy like a pale ale; a mystery, wrapped into a riddle and juxtaposed to an enigma… novel and delicious. I scored it a solid 9 out of 10, which gave Frisco the lead 27-19.

Next up for Baltimore was the Hellrazer IPA from DuClaw Brewing Company in Abingdon, MD. This IPA was bright and crisp, and was more citrusy and fruity than it was bitter. Hellrazer was a very delicious and solid to the style American IPA, and I gave it a 9 out of 10, which allowed Baltimore to retake the lead 28-27, with only two more beers remaining.

American pride in a can

For their last combatant, San Francisco unveiled one of my favorite craft brews, the Brew Free! Or Die IPA from 21st Amendment Brewing Company in San Francisco. Interestingly enough, because they were back to back on the flight, I was able to taste the similarities between Brew Free and Hellrazer… they were nearly identical. Brew Free was a touch hoppier, but not by much, if at all. I scored Brew Free at 9 out of 10, which gave San Francisco the lead 36-28, going into the last beer of the game.

That last beer came in the form of Winter Storm Cat 5 Ale from Heavy Seas Beer in Baltimore, MD. Winter Storm is an ESB (extra special bitter), which tend to be maltier than their hoppy brothers, the IPAs. While an excellent style to be a brewery’s winter seasonal, it was an odd choice for a Brewper Bowl flight full of hop bombs. On its own, Winter Storm was very good and true to its style. The flavors and aromas were quite pronounced and it was pleasant. Stacked up against the rest of the brews on this flight, it was underwhelming and only earned an 8 out of 10. This meant that the score at the end of regulation was tied at 36-36.

Unlike in the football version, the Brewper Bowl does not keep playing until someone wins. The final score at the end of regulation is the final score, and in this case, the final score of Brewper Bowl II was 36-36, as in a tie. We do, however, have tie breakers, and as it turned out, we only needed one.

The MVB of Brewper Bowl II

The first tie breaker in the Brewper Bowl is highest individual score, or which brewery site had the individual beer with the highest score. San Francisco’s high score was 9 out of 10. In fact, all of the beers in San Francisco’s half of the flight scored a 9 out of 10. If it were a consistency contest, they would've been declared the winner. But, consistency, while important, isn't everything, and on this fateful night, it wasn't enough. Baltimore, by virtue of the Gonzo Imperial Porter and it’s 10 out of 10 score, was declared the winner of Brewper Bowl II. Of course, Gonzo was also named the MVB (most valuable brew), and was heard exclaiming to reporters after the game, “I’m going to Disney World!”

So that’s it! Brewper Bowl II is in the books. Baltimore joins New England in the chronicles of mash tun lore and, if the Ravens earn them the right to do so, will defend their crown next year in Brewper Bowl III. Until then…

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!