The Spring Beer Tourney: # 7 Glissade vs # 10 Abita Bock

      This is NOT a play in game, it's a first round game.  In ours Bocks Plus bracket we have a first round match between #7 Sierra Nevada Glissade and #10 Abita Mardi Gras Bock.  Glissade was ok last year they were in the elite 8, but their X-mas beer sucked so they get a 7 seed.  Abita gets a 10 seed based on their stunning inconsistency.  Glissade is a pale straw with caramel, citrus herb nose. Abita is dark gold with a strong honey nose.  Glissade is nice, with caramels, herb a touch of honey.  But the aftertaste is a bit off.  Mardi Gras has honey, caramel, citrus and a hint of mocha.  This is really good,it's woefully under seeded.  Let's see if the Glissade can compete.  Sierra Nevada is a pretty good bock, the flavors are really good, but I still have an aftertaste issue.  Mardi Gras Bock has no real flaws, great flavor, a big winner.  This is a very dangerous beer in this tourney.

Sierra Nevada Celebration

      Sierra Nevada Celebration is a fresh hop ale, I.P.A. style.  I could not be more sceptical.   I.P.A. stands for India Pale Ale.  I can see why they would put this out now, seeing as India is known for it's harsh Winters.  I.P.A. is a warm weather style you morons.  Well, let's see how much I enjoy this.  I will say the bottle is delightfully seasonal.  Celebration pours out an amber with a strong herb and mild caramel nose.  This doesn't look good.  And it's not.  This is a massively over hopped I.P.A.  There are no flavors here but a typhoon of herbal hop.  No malt or alcohol upgrade to balance it out.  Not only have they put this out at the wrong time, but there would never be a right time to put out this garbage.  I had to pour it down the sink after a brave effort to choke it down.  Grab your pitch forks and torches we're going to California.  So Fail.

Round 2: #2 Glissade vs #5 Irish Red

The next match-up of the second round features another 2 seed versus a 5 seed. This time it's sierra Nevada's Glissade against Sam Adam's Irish Red. The palate cleanser will be lime Tostitos. Glissade has a nice caramelized fruit and honey flavor, but also an overbearing yeast flavor and not the best hop balance. The chips are really limy in this bag. Irish Red has nice caramel flavors with hop bitters up front and on the finish. The chips with the most tiny green dots are the best. Let's go to the video tape.

The Sam's is a decent beer it's got good balance, but kind of a poor finish. Sierra Nevada could use some more malts to balance the loud hops and yeast. I really liked this much better last time. It's amazing how the equation changes when you have different beers, different flavors. The Glissade is starting to get very low in the glass I might be warming up to it. Boy both glasses are down we have to go into overtime. Going quickly sip to sip neither dominates the other. Red has the balance, Glissade has more alcohol. Neither competitor is playing their best right now, but it just wasn't Glissade's day. They lose a nail bitter in overtime. I really can't believe I like the Red more, but there it is. The Red was just a bit better and it rightfully advances to the Flavorful Four.

Sierra Nevada

Sam Adam's

#2 Sierra Nevada Glissade Vs #7 Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Ale

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.