The beer tasting crtieria will be easy. Whichever I find tastes best. Whichever I feel like I could keep drinking. Whichever is most enjoyable. Extra points go to the IPA with a big improvement in overall taste from bottle to glass.
The seeding was done by random number generator.
The new line-up and competition.
#1 Great Divide Titan IPA vs. #8 Otter Creek Hop Session Ale
Colorado brewery vs. Vermont brewery. I enjoy snowboarding in both. I have enjoyed beers from both. Only one can move on. Otter Creek Hop Session is technically listed as "somewhere inbetween a pale ale and an indian pale ale..." but if it's got some variation of hop in its name it's fair game for this tourney.
#2 Hop Hog IPA vs. #7 Saranac High Peaks Imperial IPA
PA vs. NY. Amish country vs. Adirondacks. Saranac had an entry in the previous tourney - Red IPA. I like Saranac beers so I gave another one a try again. Incidentally, that first round match-up was also against a PA beer, Hop Devil. It's becoming a tradition that Saranac goes up against a Pennsylvania beer with "hop" in its name.
#3 Big Daddy IPA vs. #6 Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA
Two well respected California IPA brews. I was disappointed with the random generator that these two had to go up against one another. Them's the breaks, I guess. A California IPA won the first tourney. (belated spoiler alert). This cuts down Cali's chances for # 2 right off the bat. But what can you do?
#4 Smuttynose Finest Kind IPA vs. #5 Ballast Point Big Eye IPA
New Englanders vs. Southern Californians. NH vs San Diego. Smuttynose makes lots of good beers. I hadn't yet tried Ballast Point. Just like the days of yore. The tried and true from the east coast against some new fangled concoction from the west coast.
May the best beer win!
