By The Steward

        If there is any lesson to be learned from the showdowns taking place in the IPA Challenge, it is the many splendored faces of great IPAs. The diversity of flavor, balance, finish and overall taste of the IPAs in this contest is enormous. I have my favorites, for sure, and many have lost. But the judges are without the knowledge I possess; and they have done a superb job in evaluating each mano a mano showdown and choosing the better IPA. At times it has been unanimous and apparently easy. Other times it has been a tussle, with the majority ruling. But most importantly, it has been an education as to how much diversity there is in a style. And that, of course, is what this movement is all about, diversity of flavor.
        So as we head to the fourth round, with eight mighty IPAs still in the running, let’s celebrate the reason we love all these beers, and the breweries that produce them. A style has been captured from the past and given a new, American face. And that is the face of creativity and daring. Of brewers having an idea and putting it forth in liquid form, and of beer lovers signaling their appreciation for that idea by continuing to sample the goods. Here’s to the IPA, a beer we can proudly hail as a quintessential example of the founding ideals from which our country was borne.

by the Steward
Sunday, March 1, 2009 – “In that way it resembles the basketball championships,” said one of the judges, a well-traveled IPA geek based in Detroit, Michigan. “Small teams can come out of nowhere and beat the big names.”
Big names indeed. The results of the 2nd round of the National IPA Championships had just been announced and the last of the Final Four from 2008 had succumbed, leaving the field open to others to make their name in the quest for the best IPA of 2009. Along with the fall of that last FF2008 contestant, Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale, went the rest of Michigan’s entries. This in a judging that took place on their home turf, replete with Michigan-based judges. Crooked Tree, Centennial, Mad Hatter, this was the year of the upsets.
But don’t tell that to the beers that advanced. Coming from all around the country, these beers have bested some of the best in head to head competition. And they’ve done it with a superb combination of water, yeast, malt and hops. Especially the hops.
There are some big battles looming. Clipper City’s Loose Cannon, a stellar example of aromatic and tasty hops buttressed by a mean dose of bitterness goes against the giant killer, Big Dog’s Hop Harvest Ale, which knocked off last year’s champ. If there is a dark horse to go all the way, Hop Harvest is probably that beer.
Another new entry, Laurelwood’s Workhorse IPA, is also a monstrously good beer and likely to battle its way to the final. And don’t count out Marin and Moylan’s IPAs, both stellar examples of bitterness, balance and flavor. Last year both of those beers got knocked out in the first round but this year they have roared back to show their cone-jones.
I don’t mean to dis any of the unmentioned contestants, but this brings up a good point. As a person who travels the country tasting great beers (especially IPAs, my beer of choice), I haven’t sample all of the contestants so don’t know how to glorify them. The competition has been a great way to learn about new beers. Who would have thought Montana would produce such a giant as Big Sky’s IPA? And two beers from Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen? They’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy!
While it would be easy to question the results from even this group of stellar hophead judges, it’s smarter yet to discover that there are brewers in places beyond California, Oregon and Michigan brewing kick-ass beers and taking no names. This competition reminds me of the need to travel and taste, and to continue to learn about the beers and the brewers behind them all over the U.S.
So onward to the Sweet Sixteen round, to be held this weekend in Philadelphia. Let the better IPA advance and let us open our taste buds to the sweet taste of hops.