There are occasions, when an ipa challenge sounds like a great idea!
Maybe I should revise that statement, and more emphatically declare my support. Any time sounds like a great time for an ipa challenge!
There’s couldn’t be a situation you could think of, where having an ipa throw down, might not seem like a great idea? Right? I didn’t think it was possible…..
Until, three hop enthusiasts decided to try to tackle twenty-seven fresh, single, and double ipas, bracket-style, (since the challenge occured on 03/31/18) in the interest of determining a juicy, bitter, champion.
The good news, is that all twenty-seven ipas received accurate first round ratings, and thus the winners in each bracket of three, moved on. The bad news, is that not all of the judges lasted until the end of the tournament. The next time, an additional, or substitute, judge will be on standby. And, better yet, the amount of contestants will be pared back to, say, sweet sixteen.
I wish to present to you the results, in bracket form, and with ratings, of the recent ipa challenge, so that you may use this information to gauge your next ipa choices, and to avoid the colossal, volume-consumption mistake made by your humble hop-scrutinizers.
(All scores are out of ten, and each judges score, is listed, followed by a sum of these ratings.)
(And, to as fair as possible, aside from the pouring judges knowledge, these were evaluated blind.)
(The “bracket” selection, was also completely random)
Round 1
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Evil Twin / Breaking the Waves – 6, 8, 6 = 20
Lagunitas / Sucks – 5, 3.5, 4 = 12.5
Armada Brewing Company / Savage Queen – 8, 8.5, 7.5 = 24
Evil Twin / Molotov Lite – 7, 7, 6.5 = 20.5
Vacant Valley Brewing Company / Cease + Desist – 8, 9, 8 = 25
Pizza Boy / Get a Grip – 7.5, 6.5, 8.5 = 22.5
Treehouse / Julius – 8.5, 9.5, 9.5 = 27.5
Track 7 / Left Eye, Right Eye – 4, 3, 3.5 = 10.5
Lawson’s / Sip of Sunshine – 7, 8.5, 7.5 = 23
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Treehouse Brewing Company / Doppleganger – 8.5, 9.0, 8.5 = 26
Neshimany Creek / The Shape of Hops to Come – 6.5, 6, 5.5 = 18
Funk / Pipe Dream – 7.5, 7.5, 6.5 = 21.5
Treehouse Brewing Company / Haze – 8, 8.5, 7.5 = 24
21st Amendment / Hop Crisis – 3.5, 3. 2.5 = 9
Otter Creek / Head Charge Dipa – 8, 8, 6.5 = 22.5
South County / Liminal Moment – 9, 9, 9 = 27
Stable 12 / Sugar Coated Pony Kisses – 4.5, 4 ,4 = 12.5
Vault / Mosaic Imperial Ipa – 7.5, 7.5, 8 =23
South County / Stellar Phase – 8, 8, 9 = 25
Fat Heads / Hop Juju – 8.5, 8.5, 8 = 25
Omnipollo / Lustro – 7.5, 7.5, 5.5 = 20.5
Duclaw / All roads lead to Centennial – 3.5, 2.5, 1.5 = 7
Modern Times / City of the Sun – 6.5, 6.5, 5 = 18
Blue Point / Hazy Bastard – 7, 7, 7.5 = 21.5
Free Will / Cloudy with a Chance of Charcuterie – 8, 7, 7 = 23
Crossroads Brewing Company / New normal – 7, 6, 5.5 = 18.5
Lord Hobo / Consolation Prize – 7.5, 8, 5.5 = 21
The highest point total garner in each of first three brackets, then second set, followed by third, faced off against each other. This was follow by a final three, instead of a final four, to determine a winner.
But just like most peoples’ brackets fall apart, whether it be sooner, or in the case of this ipa challenge, way later that anticipated, or reasonably suitable, this ipa throw down also fell apart. The champion, by virtue of subjective, and someone unreliable palate scrutiny at the determining of a victor, and also the absence of a judge, was likely not the true ipa juggernaut.
Therefore, we shall default to the unbiased scores of the three esteemed judges.
Which, when you scrutinize the scores, analyze the metrics, and break down the contenders, you will come to the conclusion, that the true winner is……………
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