The Spring Beer Tourney: The Elite Eight

      Now we are down to just eight beers left, sixteen are gone.  The second round was full of upsets, with the lower seed winning 6 out of 8.  The only high seeds left are #2 SA Red and #3 GB Maibock.  There are no #1s, but both #10s.  Well here is the lineup for the Elite Eight.

  Farm, Hops, and Reds

# 10 Farmers Tan  vs  # 6  Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball

# 2  SA Red  vs  # 5  Red Hook Mudslinger

  Bocks Plus

# 10  Abita Mardi Gras Bock  vs  # 3  GB Maibock

# 9  Mendocino Bock  vs  # 5  Pandora's Bock

      This is such a great time in the Tourney for me cause all the crap has been weeded out.  From here on out it's all good.  On to more drinking.

The Spring Beer Tourey: # 2 Sam Adam's Red vs # 9 Dundee Red

      Sam Adam's was the class of the reds last year and was in the Final Four.  Dundee was not impressive in the first round, but escaped with a win.  They're both red, but Sam looks a bit thicker.  Sam has nice honey caramel and a hint of citrus and mocha on the nose.  Dundee has sour caramel and a bit of mocha.  Sam has nice clean caramel, citrus and mocha with a hop bite that hits on the finish.  Dundee is still to damn fizzy, but the flavors aren't too bad.  Wait this is so inferior.  Sam's is up by twenty at the half.  People file out, it's over.  By far the most lopsided win  by far.  SA Red is good stuff. Well that's the last of the second round matches, time for the Elite Eight.

The Spring Beer Tourey: # 1 Anchor Bock vs # 10 Abita Bock

      This is another # 1 vs # 10 seed battle.  Abita Mardi Gras bock has been a surprise for me, it's pretty good. Anchor Bock was last years runner up.  Anchor is a brown color with honey, caramel, mocha and prune on the nose.  Abita has really nice flavors of honey, caramel and citrus.  It also has a nice bit of body to it.  Anchor also is awash with good  flavors as well.  Mocha, prune, dried fruit, citrus and smoke.  This is a very strong dark bock, nice.  These are both quite good,but this Abita Bock is a real revelation.  I could drink a hundred of each of these, but I'll have a hundred and one Abita Bocks.  Boy not a good year for the one seeds.  Abita moves on to the Elite Eight.

The Spring Beer Tourey: # 2 Big Thaw vs # 9 Mendocino Bock

      Big Thaw is a Spring Bock from Dominion, whose Spring Buck won the Tourney last year.  Mendocino Bock beat Aprihop in the first round.  Big Thaw is straw with big caramel, citrus and herb on the nose.  Mendo is amber with a kind of weak citrus and caramel nose.  The thaw is pretty hop heavy, way stronger than the other bocks.  It still has decent caramels and citrus though.  Mendo has real nice flavors of honey, caramel and citrus.  Thaw is a decent hop heavy bock, but this is no contest at all.  Mendocino Bock is quite a bit better.  I can live without Thaw, much worse than last years Spring Buck.