AND THE WINNER: Trap Door Brewing's hazy IPA (pictured on the right), was the winner of Civic Taproom's 2019 IPA March Madness. This is a very balanced hazy. It is not a super-dank juice bomb, despite being double dry-hopped with loads Amarillo, Simcoe and Citra. Very drinkable, and very good. For the record, I voted for Pono's offering (pictured on the left), but it was really hard to choose. These are, after all, two very different styles. I've had a soft spot for West Coast IPA lately, and I was struck by how much is really going on in Pono's. But sometimes, a clean, superbly executed hazy is just the ticket. Pono won it last year, and Trapdoor dethrones them this year. Congrats!
UPDATE: After much thoughtful tasting, the competition has come down to the final weekend, and is no longer blind! Baerlic, Ex Novo, Sunriver, Oregon City, Fortside, and Crux have all been defeated, and the final two IPAs are from Trap Door Brewing, and Pono Brewing. The former remaining contender doesn't surprise me terribly, as I've long been familiar with Trap Door's killer hazies. But though I'd heard of Pono before, this is the first time I've tried any of their beer.
Congrats to both breweries for making it this far! I look forward to you going head to head again this weekend!
The Civic Taproom, up in Portland's Goose Hollow neighborhood, is once again hosting IPA March Madness! They've tapped eight anonymous IPAs, and are pitting them against one another in a bracketed competition. You can imagine what inspired this idea, but even if you're not into hoops, perhaps you can appreciate some good one-on-one fun with rounds and a winner and everything. Through Sunday, March 24th, they'll have those eight IPAs available for patrons can taste and vote on. Four will move on to compete next weekend, and the two that emerge victorious from that will then face each other on the final weekend.
Here's how it all began...
And here's how it ended! Or at least how one guy voted!
The Civic Taproom is a cool spot. That is an axe there, to the left of the bar. Go Timbers!
It's been a while since I've been in, but this is a cool idea and I intend to visit all three weekends. I'll keep you all posted!
