Brewper Bowl II Pre-Game Report

The second one ever... hence the II.

I’m reporting to you live from cold and snowy Northern Virginia - the site of Brewper Bowl II. After several grueling months of drinking beer and watching football (rough business I know), we finally know who the combatants will be and they are standing at the precipice of greatness and immortality as this annual fermented fisticuffs is about to be underway.

But first, a few words about what the Brewper Bowl is.

As the Roman numerals most likely give away, this is the second Brewper Bowl, which indicates that last year’s Brewper Bowl was the first one ever (ADVANCED MATHEMATICS ALERT). If you’re looking to remember the magic from Brewper Bowl I, check out the pregame and post-game recap posts. It started out as a trivial drinking game to coincide with the Super Bowl, but in only a year’s time, it has morphed into a monster beer drinking affair.

The premise is quite simple: you take a few beers from the hometown or region of one of the two Super Bowl teams and match them up in a taste test against a few beers from the hometown or region of the other Super Bowl team. I try to pick match ups of like styles so that I can compare apples to apples, but that’s not necessarily important. During the big game, or sometime close to it, you drink the beers and compare them against one another, judging them for look, smell, taste, mouthfeel, etc. Keep score, and when it’s all said and done, the city or region with the better beers wins the Brewper Bowl. Pretty easy right?

As much fun as the execution is, the setup is the key to success. Obviously, the more effort you put into the setup, the better the Brewper Bowl will be. I recommend that you find a specialty beer store that offers multitudes of craft beer options from all over the country so you can fill out your flight with a lot of variety. For Brewper Bowl I, I settled for my local grocery store, which has a very respectable craft beer selection as far as grocery stores go, but their assortment wasn't great, and I feel that it affected the overall awesomeness of the event. For Brewper Bowl II, I went to my local Total Wine, which has a far greater selection, and as a result, this year’s flight is amazing.

Of course, a lot of this depends on which teams are in the Super Bowl and how enlightened of a beer culture those cities or regions have. Distribution is another major factor.

The stage is set.

So while we’re on the subject of Brewper Bowl II’s flight, let’s meet the competitors. First, representing Baltimore, MD:

Gonzo Imperial Porter, Flying Dog Brewing Company, Frederick, MD

Gonzo is big, bold, and beautiful like the man it was brewed in honor of, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Flavor notes include roasted chocolate, coffee, and vanilla malt balanced with a unique hop bite. She weighs in at 9.2% ABV and 85 IBU. Past honors include gold medals at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival and 2008 World Beer Cup.

Hellrazer IPA, DuClaw Brewing Company, Abingdon, MD

This medium-bodied, golden IPA gets in your face from first sweet sip to crisp, dry finish with exotic tropical fruit flavors and aromas of New Zealand Motueka hops. With just enough malt character to keep the unruly hops (85 IBU) and 7.5% ABV in check, this brew was born to raze hell.

Loose Cannon Hop³ IPA, Heavy Seas Brewing, Baltimore, MD

Heavy Seas’ flagship beer, Loose Cannon wins people over at first smell. The carefully cultivated interplay of Simcoe, Palisade, and Centennial hops creates a most fragrant IPA—its nose bursts with notes of grapefruit, herbs, and pine. Bitterness is somewhat subdued by the floral quality that pervades the taste. The color is burnished gold, and the mouthfeel is creamy. A strong malt backbone balances out the triple-hopped beer. Its nickname, Hop3, comes from the brewing process: the brewers hop Loose Cannon in the boil, the hopback, and the fermenter. It won a second place CAMRA award at the 2010 Great British Beer Festival. Loose Cannon is 7.25% ABV and 45 IBU.

Winter Storm Category 5 Ale, Heavy Seas Brewing, Baltimore, MD

Winter Storm is an imperial ESB that draws on hops from the West Coast and the UK for its pronounced bitterness. A mix of pale and darker malts give it its tawny color and its bigger body. True to the style, Winter Storm’s aroma is nutty malts and earthy hops. This is a perfect fall beer, especially because of its warming qualities. She weighs in 7.5% ABV and 50 IBU.

Now, let’s meet the participants representing San Francisco, CA:

Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Boonville, CA

Darkness.  The deep ebony color, voluptuous mahogany head and bold, roasty flavors in our Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout are what serious beer drinkers expect from this style.  Aromas of freshly baked bread, espresso, and dried cherries meld seamlessly with rich toffee flavors and a creamy mouth feel to create an unparalleled drinking experience. This Oatmeal Stout is 5.8% ABV and 14 IBU.

Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA

Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ is a truly unique style featuring a strong hop finish on a silky body. It is a filtered pale wheat ale that is great for both IPA and wheat beer fans. This beer is 7.5% ABV.

BREW FREE! OR DIE IPA, 21^st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA

BREW FREE! OR DIE IPA is brewed with some serious west coast attitude. This aromatic golden IPA starts with a sucker punch of six different hops to the nose, quickly balanced by a solid malt backbone. Our top selling beer at the pub, this IPA starts big and finishes clean leaving you wanting more. This IPA weighs in at 7% ABV and 70 IBU.

Liberty Ale, Anchor Brewing, San Francisco, CA

The champagne-like bubbles, distinctive hop bouquet, and balanced character of Liberty Ale revives centuries-old ale brewing traditions that are now more relevant than ever. First introduced in 1975, Liberty Ale is brewed strictly according to traditional brewing methods, and uses only natural ingredients — pale malted barley, fresh whole-cone Cascade hops and a special top-fermenting yeast, and water. The yeast used during fermentation produces many of Liberty Ale's subtle flavors and characteristics. A natural process called "bunging" creates gentle carbonation, and the practice of dry hopping (adding fresh hops to the brew during aging), revived by Anchor, creates its unique aroma. Liberty Ale was first brewed to celebrate the bicentennial of Paul Revere’s historic ride. As the first modern American IPA brewed after prohibition and the first modern American single-hop ale and dry-hopped ale, Anchor’s Liberty Ale® is the original craft brewed ale and the beer that started a revolution. Liberty weighs in at 5.9% ABV.

You're doing it wrong!

As you can see, this is an amazing lineup… one that can’t be taken lightly. Both sides have thrown in a dark beer, and both sides are appealing to my inner-hop head. This should be a good old fashioned slog-fest. Stay tuned for my next report, after the dust settles and the men are separated from the boys. Baltimore vs. San Francisco. East coast beers vs. west coast beers. Brewper Bowl II.

To be continued...

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!