Beer Madness! WINNER!
Well, the people (READ: you) have spoken! The winner of this installment of the J Street Beer Beer Madness Super-Brew Tournament For The Ages is Bells Two Hearted!
A delicious, refreshing IPA worthy of the upcoming summer months. Congratulations Two Hearted!
Thank you to everyone who participated. I’m going to go out and buy some Two Hearted.
Beer Madness! Finals! (1)Two Hearted v. (10)Dirty Bastard
(1) Bells Two Hearted
v.
(10) Founders Dirty Bastard
The Dirty Bastard cruised past the Troegenator and into the finals, while the Two Hearted managed to upset the surprising favorite Hopslam. Personally, I believe the battle between the two Bells was the real finals. I don’t see the Dirty Bastard holding a candle to the Two Hearted. But, I’ve been incredibly wrong before.
So, here it is, the finals decided by YOU! Get your votes in. The polls will be open all weekend, so spread the word for your favorite!
Beer Madness! Final Four-2 (10)Dirty Bastard v. (1)Troegenator
(10) Founders Dirty Bastard
v.
(1) Troegs Troegenator
Two very strong competitors meet on the southern half of the bracket. Troegenator, the favorite, has been leaving weaker beers in its wake as it’s been cruising through the tournament. Dirty Bastard, on the other hand, has had to take down some incredibly tough competition. Has that competition worn out the Dirty Bastard? Or was it just strengthening it for the title run?
Beer Madness! Final Four-1 (1)Two Hearted v. (5)Hopslam
(1) Bells Two Hearted
v.
(5) Bells Hopslam
The epic showdown for Bells supremacy! A delicious hoppy collision! Can the strength and power of the Two Hearted outlast the speed and tenacity of the Hopslam? Who will reign supreme in the Land of the Bell?
Beer Madness! Final Four!
We’re down to our Final Four!
It’s a Battle of the Bells on one side and a couple angry looking labels on the other.
Three of our finalists are from Michigan… is this a commentary on how good Michigan beers are? Perhaps. But I’ll do my best to keep that from happening.
Prepare your voting finger for tomorrow at noon when the polls open!
Beer Madness! 60 (1)Troegenator v. (6)Dortmunder
(1) Troegs Troegenator
v.
(6) Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
The Dortmunder Gold has managed to sneak past a few beers that could have easily taken it out. I don’t see their luck carrying them past the force of nature that is the Troegenator. Blow out!
Beer Madness! 59 (1)Yards IPA v. (10)Dirty Bastard
(1) Yards IPA
v.
(10) Founders Dirty Bastard
The Yards IPA has had, by far, the easiest run in the tournament. Their only challenger so far has been the Goose Island Honkers. The Dirty Bastard has been scratching and clawing its way through the competition. I’m expecting this to be the last match for the Yards.
Beer Madness! 58 (5)Hopslam v. (10)Chicory Stout
(5) Bells Hopslam
v.
(10) Dogfish Head Chicory Stout
This competition seems a bit lop-sided. Hopslam is looking to make the Chicory Stout just another opponent that’ll be stepped on and left in the dust while on its way to the championship. But, don’t sleep on the Chicory Stout, it has taken out 3 worthy opponents. Although, none of those opponents were Hopslam. Hopslam by a LOT.
Beer Madness! 57 (1)Two Hearted v. (3)Sumpin Sumpin
(1) Bells Two Hearted
v.
(3) Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin
Our first Elite Eight matchup is a good one. Two hoppy beers vying for your attention. The Two Hearted has the track record, but experience isn’t necessarily the only thing when we reach this level. Will the sweet hoppy flavor of the Two Hearted claim the win, or can the crowd will the gentle wheat of the Sumpin Sumpin to a not so gentle takeover.
Beer Madness! 56 (10)Dirty Bastard v. (11)Ommegang Abbey
(10) Founders Dirty Bastard
v.
(11) Ommegang Abbey Ale
As anyone knows, the Dirty Bastard is the Osiris of this shit. Here comes the Tiger Style! The fierce Dirty Bastard brings the pain down on the refined Ommegang Abbey squad. Shimmy shimmy yah shimmy yeah shimmy yay, Ommegang Abbey will check out today. Final score: Dirty Bastard wins, Wu Infinity to 36 Chambers for Ommegang Abbey.
Beer Madness! 55 (4)60 Minute v. (1)Two Hearted
(4) Dogfish Head 60 Minute
v.
(1) Bells Two Hearted
Possibly the two best drinkable hoppy beers out there. There are not a lot of issues on which this match-up could pivot. Then again, Bells has gone litigious on us, so maybe that will keep voters away. Law suits never solve problems except for divorce, gross negligence, defrauding investors, child custody, small claims from auto accidents, slipping on patches of ice…
Beer Madness! 54 (12)Honkers v. (1)Yards IPA
(12) Goose Island Honkers Ale
v.
(1) Yards IPA
Yards comes into this game with a lot of advantages. They are a high seed playing a low seed and Honkers comes into this game with a lot of distractions. Their program is in turmoil after the surprise announcement that their coach will be stepping down after the president decided to join a power conference. I can see this working one of two ways. Either Goose Island comes together to send their beloved coach out a champion and they go on a run, or the pressure becomes too much and they quit on their coach like the Vols.
Beer Madness! 53 (2)Dale’s Pale Ale v. (3)Little Sumpin Sumpin
(2) Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale
v.
(3) Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin
I was really hoping for a matchup between Dale’s Pale Ale and the Whale’s Tale Pale Ale, but the bracket committee goofed and the dream match up isn’t going down. Instead, we get the strong in all facets Dale’s against the sneaky can from Lagunitas. Little Sumpin Sumpin may not receive the national attention that Dale’s Pale Ale gets, but they do play a crowd pleasing style that should gain them a lot of fans as they advance past their well known opponent.
Beer Madness! 52 (1)Troegs Troegenator v. (5)Brooklyn Brown
(1) Troegs Troegenator
v.
(5) Brooklyn Brown
Here we have a Pennsylvania and New York matchup a local rivalry that can be tough to match. These states just do not like each other (or so I’m told). This matchup pits a solid double bock against an equally solid American brown ale. As much as I enjoy the Brooklyn I just cannot root for something from New York, so go Troegs!
Beer Madness! 51 (5)Hopslam v. (1)Siren Noire
(5) Bells Hopslam
v.
(1) Heavy Seas Siren Noire
Sweet golden extreme hopiness? check. Delicious chocolate and malts? check. Perfect balance? check. This match-up has everything you could ask for, especially the Hopslam.
Beer Madness! 50 (2)Back in Black v. (6)Dortmunder Gold
(2) 21st Amendment Back in Black
v.
(6) Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
These two beers could not be more different in appearance and style. BIB IPA has an intense taste to match its strong ABV and pours, well, black; Dortmunder Gold is lighter in taste than the BIB IPA, less ABV, and pours, well, gold. Back In Black hails from San Francisco’s can-loving 21st Amendment Brewery while Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold is worshiped by Mid-Westerners (should say something about Ohio when their beer is more popular than their sports teams…) Dortmunder Gold erupted into the D.C. market in 2010 and had a strong fan following at the beginning, but does it have enough fans to beat the Back In Black that has steadily gained more and more fans as people look for IPA’s outside of the normal style?
I want to say Back In Black, but based on how crap my picks in the actual tourney were, I’ll go with my brain: Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold for the win.
Beer Madness! 49 (10)Chicory Stout v. (11)Duck Rabbit Milk Stout
(10) Chicory Stout
v.
(11) Duck Rabbit Milk Stout
The Chicory Stout is a classic of craft brewing – one of the first from one of the first. If this were a real basketball team, I feel like they’d be Indiana. Classic, brilliant yet now often under seeded and forgotten. And now, they are going to pull a Bobby Knight and throw a chair at the Duck Rabbit Stout. This isn’t going to be even close: it’s time to dust off the old trophy case, because the Chicory Stout’s got a good chance of adding to the collection.
Beer Madness! What? You thought we forgot?
Come on now! We didn’t forget! We’ve just been preoccupied. A weekend long intellectual drinking binge and an addition to the J Street Beer family can sometimes derail things for a bit.
Don’t worry voters! It’s time to get back into the swing of things. We’re down to our Sweet 16 and the voting will begin again tomorrow at noon. Pick your favorites!
Here’s the current bracket (I doubt you can read that… click to zoom):
Come on back tomorrow at noon! We’ll have a new Sweet 16 match-up every hour.
-Tonzi
Beer Madness! 48 (11)Loose Cannon v. (3)Sumpin Sumpin
(11) Heavy Seas Loose Cannon
v.
(3) Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin
A Loose Cannon can cause an incredible amount of havoc on deck. Sailors! Make sure your cannons are secured on deck. It’s physics! On the other hand, Little Sumpin Sumpin probably has a secret or two waiting to break out in this contest. It’s right there in the name. In conclusion, CANNON BAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!
Beer Madness! 47 (3)Heavy Seas Marzen v. (11)Ommegang Abbey
(3) Heavy Seas Marzen
v.
(11) Ommegang Abbey Ale
The Marzen is a fantastic session beer, but the Belgian style Abbey Ale will overpower it with little trouble. Don’t let the low seed fool you. If George Mason can make the final four as an 11 seed, Ommegang should have no trouble rising above seed to push on.
Beer Madness! 46 (2)Dale’s Pale Ale v. (7)Raging Bitch
(2) Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale
v.
(7) Flying Dog Raging Bitch
Both beers faced pretty weak early round opponents, so we haven’t gotten a chance to see if they are really interested in this tournament. As the most recognized canned beer left in the tournament, Dale’s is playing for a lot of pride, but is still going to fall to the Raging Bitch. I mean, c’mon, it’s RAGING!
Beer Madness! 45 (1)Yards IPA v. (9)Red Stripe
(1) Yards IPA
v.
(9) Red Stripe
I don’t think I have ever tasted Yards IPA, but I am sure that it is a pretty good beer. Red Stripe probably has a better advertising department than Yards. A vote for Yards is a vote for beer. A vote for Red Stripe is a vote for commercials that make fun of white people for dancing poorly. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES?
Beer Madness! 44 (8)Abita Amber v. (1)Two Hearted
(8) Abita Amber
v.
(1) Bells Two Hearted
Straight out of a classic overtime 8/9 matchup with Whale’s Tale, Abita Amber doesn’t get any favors from the selection committee, drawing Bell’s Two Hearted in the second round. Bell’s faced little competition from Miller Lite, winning with a rarely seen March Madness shutout. You have to feel good about Bell’s in this contest as well, but was their first test a little too easy? Can Abita ride the momentum of a last-second win?
Beer Madness! 43 (2)Big Daddy IPA v. (10)Dirty Bastard
(2) Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA
v.
(10) Founders Dirty Bastard
I am pro Speakeasy. They are Al Capone level gangster. But speakeasies of the 1920’s are the OG to the new school modern day crack houses. Who is more evocative of modern day crack houses than the original Shaolin knight, Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Big Baby Jesus is for the children. Dirt McGurt and crack houses go back like babies and pacifiers. In this match up, Speakeasy is a studio gangster. Dirty Bastard reigns supreme with the power of the Wu.
drboozenstein
jtonzi
Jesse
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pyzocha
samdinning
shintern1909
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