The next match-up is between #2 in the Mid-East Region, Sierra Nevada's Glissade and the #7 seed, Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream Ale. Glissade is a golden bock made by the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company out of Chico CA, which I believe is near Suckramento. The Orange Blossom is an ale made with honey, orange peel, and orange flower extract, made by a big brewery, Pyramid, for Buffalo bill's Brewery in Hayward CA. The palette cleanser for this one is blue corn chips with chili cheese dip. Now for a rant. I know I'm supposed to have a simple water cracker so the food will not interfere with the flavors of the beer. Screw that. That's not what people have with beer, they have food. So die snobs, die.
Anyway, Glissade pours a clear pale gold, while the Orange Blossom is that cloudy straw color. Glissade has a little bitter apple on the nose, the other stuff has an overwhelming, lingering orange. Wow, that is strong. Crunching sounds. The Sierra Nevada has some nice hop bitterness up front with a creamy light caramelized apple\pear, and significant hop on the finish. The blue corn chip really holds up well to spicy dips. A large orange flavor comes up front with the Bill's, but so does some hop to balance all that fruit sweetness. That fruit lingers on the finish for a while.The golden bock is a far worthier #2 seed than the Anchor Bock, but it's a good, not great bock. The blossom has interesting flavors, but it's just a novelty beer not worthy of your regular rotation.
Need to hit those chips again, yeah those are good. Now time to go head to head. I thought the Orange Blossom was really good at first, but it get's old quick. Beers should get better as you drink them, the Glissade does. There's some real hop to the bock, but it has sublime balance. This seeding was very accurate, there's 5 minutes left and the Glissade is playing it's walk-ons. Sayonara, Orange Blossom, you just got routed. Glissade moves on to meet Sam Adam's Irish Red in the second round.
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