Put a bottle of Lagunitas Sucks next to a bottle of Itahaca Flower Power. Found that they are very similar. Flower Power was the victor...anyway I would love to hear some exceptional Mano-a-Mano beer battles; and who won?
Recently put Brooklyn Sorachi Ace vs Ommegang Hennepin. Both are awesome but Hennepin won for me. Sucks vs Flower Power is a tough one, but I'd be in the Lagunitas camp at the current moment. I only say this because Nugget Nectar isn't available in my area yet. I'm excited to try this years batch.
Did the sucks v Flower power last night. Flower power surprisingly won. I am drinking FP tonight. Enjoy
Both Sucks vs. FP and Sorachi Ace vs. Hennepin are unfair. The two IPAs use very different hop profiles. I have to say that I would choose FP by a hair, but the two are brilliant in their own rights. Comparing saisons is almost impossible. The style has such a range that it's really difficult to do any real comparison. Sorachi Ace is designed to spotlight the Sorachi Ace hops, which makes it lemony-grassy and fantastic. Hennepin, however, is not just one of the best readily availably saisons but one of the best readily available beers in the country, imho.
Biggest head to head I ever did was actually 3 compared. Heady Topper vs Pliny the Elder vs Hopslam Heady took it, hands down
I love how Hennepin is so stately, dry and restrained. Not all saisons are like that- some may say that the best ones have quite different qualities. I enjoy them all for what they are; at a certain point all beers reach a distinctive echelon, and it is unwise to compare those beers to each other. They all have their own attributes that satisfy different needs.
A friend and I have a Black Note vs KBS vs Bourbon County vs BA Plead the 5th show-off next week. The only one I haven't tried is BCBS and I predict this: Black Note > BAPt5 > KBS > BCBS I will update with results next week.
I'm just about to do a very similar showdown; HT vs Zombie Dust vs Hopslam EDIT: I know ZD isn't an IIPA.
I enjoy ZD over hopslam, but make sure if you try those side by side you drink ZD first, the other 2 will do too much damage (in a good way) to your palate to be able to fairly compare those. Enjoy though, cheers
I did a Hopslam vs. Abrasive last night. Slight advantage Abrasive but I could see if in the mood for a sweeter DIPA Hopslam would take the lead. Either way you win.
Damn. Now I don't want to try Flower Power. I'll get slaughtered for saying it, but I find Sucks to be an unbalanced mess. I don't make Molotov cocktails from the empty bottles. I buy as much as I can and douse it in gasoline while still full, and torch it.
Troeg's Java Head vs. Lagunitas Cappachino Stout Lagunitas came out victorious... barely.... both are fantastic ways to start a long day of drinking.
Great divide fresh hop pale ale vs sn northern hemisphere hahvest, sn wins with just a fuller flavor and feel
Id love to see NC IPAs/IIPAs paired head to head against fresh Head Hunter and Columbus Brewing Co. IPA/Bodhi with some NC people around. Id love to prove a point once and for all that those OH IPAs are qualititatively better.
I did a Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout and Narwhal side by side a few weeks age. 2 awesome brews, the same style but very different from each other. Unable to pick a winner but there was not a loser!
KTG vs Southampton IRS vs DL vs Darkness vs Sexual Chocolate (infected, so removed) 4 people blind test. KTG got 2 first place votes with Southampton a close second. Southampton got 2 first place votes with KTG a close second Darkness third for everyone DL fourth
Alright, yet another potential newbie question: how can two guys do a blind tasting together without another person around to pour?
Superbowl Sunday I did a DIPA comparison: Sucks, Abrasive, Myrcenary, Hop Henge. Three of us did the tasting blind and came up with a different order for the first three but Hopslam and Hop Henge were in the bottom for everyone. For me it was Myrcenary > Sucks > Abrasive > Hopslam > Hop Henge
For mine we had four People do blind and a fifth person poor. That poorer is irellavant I thought and didn't need to be mentioned.
Ten Fidy vs Founders Imperial Stout FIS wins. Sublimely Self Righteous vs Wooky Jack wow not sure what I liked more
Tonight, me and a very lucky friend are drinking the following: Lagunitas Sucks HopSlam Zombie Dust Then we're going heavy: Bourbon Barrel Aged Dragon's Milk Bell's Black Note Bourbon County Coffee Stout I've already had all of them, and Zombie Dust and BCCS will be my winners. I'm more curious what his opinions will be...
wait a minute. Infected Sexy Chocolate? What year was it, and was it aged. Ive never heard of infected SC.
About to begin day two of New England Snowpocalypse beer showdown. Hill Farmstead Double Galaxy is winning so far with Zombie Dust and Heady rounding out top three. About an hour away from cracking a growler of HF Abner and a Susan for later. The 12/27 Plinys are past prime, two weeks ago they were still delicious. Don't quite understand the hype with Abraisive and Hopslam, they can't touch the Doub Galaxy, Heady or fresh Pliny.
Have done that exact same showdown...Pliny was the clear cut standout for me. In the end, we are the winners and it goes goes to highlight, it's all subjective, although I'll take Younger over them all in a heartbeat.
Over the last two months I've done the following: Heady vs Pliny (Heady won) Narwhal vs Ted Fidy (Narwhal won) BCBS vs KBS (BCBS won) BCBS vs Parabola (BCBS won) FW XV vs FW XVI (XV won)
Sierra Nevada northern harvest wet hop vs. founders harvest in a battle of the wet hops. Founders squeaked out a close victory.
I typically label the bottom of the glasses with some masking tape, pour, shuffle, and have the other person bring them over to the table.
A few month ago I did BCBS vs. Central Waters BBS. The result was not even close. If you have to ask, BCBS.
In the "Another Sucks" thread a couple weeks back I did an Abrasive vs. Sucks head-to-head. They taste remarkably similar. Each has its merits and tough to declare a winner. I like Sucks because of its availability and price.
