The Final Four- 2012 Beer Bracket

It comes down to these four teams. The best of the best from the East (Troeg's Nugget Nectar), West (Green Flash West Coast IPA), World (O'Hara's Stout), and Big Beers (North Coast Old Rasputin). Next weekend we will have our 2012 champion.  Fortunately, many people will have the ability to drink the winner, as all four beers are available in many places.

It will be an IPA vs Stout final (if you consider Nugget Nectar an IPA). There is the possibility of having an All-California final- with both Green Flash (San Diego) and North Coast (Fort Bragg) located in the Golden State. So much excitement.

And the Full Bracket:

Blue Hill Tavern and base beers

We travelled around the block to the Blue Hill Tavern on Friday to grab a bite to eat. While they do not have a lot going for them beer wise (a good selection of micros, macros and imports, but nothing special), the food we had was delicious. I chose to drink a Pilsner Urquell to go with my pork tenderloin meal.

Many times I have commented on other people's blogs my feelings toward beers like Pilsner Urquell, DFH 60 min, Stone IPA, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and a few others. These beers I consider base beers. There is nothing wrong with them, and they are quite good. But for me, they set a standard for their respective styles. Pilsner Urquell is what a pilsner should taste like. Yes, there are many beers that taste better, have more hops, etc. But when I think pilsner, PU is the base line. Any other pilsner beer should resemble it somehow, and find a way to improve upon it.

That is the same with the other beers above. 60 min. is my classic example of an East Coast IPA, Stone IPA is a great West Coast IPA. When I see 60 min, I know what I am going to get. I like 60 min and hit helped me get into IPAs, but there are much better IPAs from the east coast. (Weyerbacher Hop Infusion-and Double Simcoe, Victory Hop Devil, and Brooklyn IPA) Stone IPA is a classic West Coast IPA, but I think Green Flash WC IPA, Bear Republic Racer 5 and Avery Maharaja sky above Stone's offering.

I have found a base beer in almost every style that I have tried. Have you felt this way toward your beer? What is your base beer?

Choosing Beer

I had off on Friday. That meant it was my job to drop the Better Half off at work (from now on she will be the NonBeerChick, since she doesn't enjoy it like me). So I decided to stop by the Wine Source and pick up some Resurrection for my brother, who lives in Michigan. (Note, even though I claim to be BaltimoreMan, I am from PA, a transplant). I gave him a bottle of the Green Peppercorn for Christmas two years ago, and missed out by 4 feet of getting him a bottle of Resurrection this year. I found it fitting to get him a bottle of Resurrection for Easter.

That is when the fun began. I walked into the Wine Source at 9:01. They open at 9, so I figured I was the first one there. Until the lady behind the counter stated a man was waiting, as soon as she opened the door, he grabbed his bottle, paid and was out. Wow. Anywho. I walked to the beer section, and that is when I felt like I was in a candy store.

There are the beers that you always get, and can get anywhere (racer, 90 min, Sierra Nevada, etc.), but I didn't want them. I found the Resurrection, and decided to grab one for me as well as a bottle of Green Peppercorn. Then what?

I had to push myself past the Ommegang. Maybe they would have the Cave-Conditioned beer? I went back. No luck. Maybe the Rouge? No luck. So I press on. My first grab was a bottle of Green Flash Grand Cru. I never had it. Never even heard of it. Kind of intrigued me. Green Flash IPA is one of my favorites. What possibly could go wrong with a Grand Cru from them?

Travelling down the aisle, I find purchase #2. It just happens to be Brooklyn Brewing Local 2. I had heard a million good things about this brew, but never had a bottle for myself. Now I do. (I am excited about this beer, I hope my excitement doesn't ruin the experience.)

The final bottle I picked up was a hard decision. I heard good and bad from it. I grabbed a Victory WildDevil. On some accounts, you get the HopDevil IPA with funk (from the Brett) making it a delicious complex beer. On the other hand, people have stated it is just a HopDevil with very very mild changes, at a premium price. I will be delighted if it comes out as the former, or mad if it comes out as the latter. I will have to wait and see. It is a nice bottle though.