For the 10th year in a row The Bistro owner Vic Kralj closed the streets of Hayward California to bring thirsty Northern California Hop Heads a powerful collection of the elixirs they crave. Well, OK actually it's only one street but if you were there you know what an unparalleled and astonishing street it can be.
No less than 58 Imperial IPA's from across the land kicking off the second annual San Francisco Beer Week.
The announced winners, from the so called 'Professional Judging' (who are these guys anyway?)
Gold Medal - Pizza Port - Welcome Back Wipeout
Silver Medal - Rubicon - Hop Sauce
Bronze Medal - Triple Rock - IIMAXX Imperial IPA
Peoples choice Award - Russian River - Pliny the Younger
The three winners scored high marks on my sip card and all finished in my top ten. I must admit to being especially happy to see Scott from Rubicon get some recognition for his excellent revamped Hop Sauce recipe. We've been making regular pilgrimages lately down to Capital and 20th Street in Sacramento ever since it was released.
Reviewing my own abused judging sheet from the event I find that I have notes from everything I tried and of course my own list of favorites.
The Hop Hunters Bistro Imperial IPA winners list if you will. (I know it's a time of the Winter Olympics and all but I will dispense with the Medal ceremony and just list them alphabetically and roughly as I scored them).
Top Group
21st Amendment - Hop Crisis - I look forward to this beer every year. Clean..perfectly unbalanced with excellent Hop flavors and aroma.
Bear Republic - 11 - A favorite brewery of mine... I didn't get around to sampling the 11 until my 21st sample and still it earned the star of superior recognition.
Breakwater Brewing - Mavericks DIPA - All I know is that BWB is from Oceanside, undoubtedly on my list to visit on my next San Diego trip.
Green Flash - Pallet Wrecker - Another yearly favorite of mine. Properly named and even stands out in this group.
Kern River - Kern River Double - I like their 'Just Outstanding IPA' and their Double carries on that tradition. Excellent....I actually sampled it three separate occasions.
Port Brewing - Mongo IPA - My only comment was my star of excellence and 'nice' ...but I went back twice so that's a clue. I preferred it slightly to it's gold medal winning brother.
Rubicon - Hop Sauce - Once again ... just excellent.... a Sacramento treasure.
Group Two
Drakes - Hopocalypse
Fat Heads - Hop Juju - One of the best from our Eastern friends (Cleveland).
Moylans - Hopsickle Imperial XXX IPA - Always a favorite
Pizza Port - Welcome Back Wipeout - Very good...love to have this at my local pub.
Speakeasy - Speakeasy IIIPA - Solid offering
Triple Rock - IIMAXX Imperial IPA - Could be in the first group. Another yearly favorite.
Honorable Mentions:
Auburn AleHouse - PU240 - I list this because I know this to be a great beer from a gifted local brewer despite the fact that the keg at the Bistro seemed to be possibly mishandled and poured uncharacteristically cloudy and just weird.
Bear Republic - Five Zero
Deschutes - Hop Henge - Always recommended
Firestone Walker - Double Jack - Ditto
Lagunitas - Hop Stupid - Another staple in my fridge
Mad River Brewing - Steelhead Double
Russian River - Pliny the Elder - Truly the Elder in every sense
Strange and/or not favored:
Anderson Valley - 20th Anniversary Imp IPA - No
Blue Frog - The Big DIPA #3 - Good brewery generally just never been a fan of the DIPA
Flying Dog - Double Dog - Prefer the bottle version
Glacier Brewhouse - Double IPA - Unremarkable
Grand Teton - Lost Continent - More malt but where's the hops?
Grand Teton - Lost Continent - More malt but where's the hops?
Lagunitas - Hop Porno - Love the name ... but too sweet.
Magnolia - Promised Land IPA - Not the correct name
Marin - White Knuckle - Unremarkable ... bottle version superior
New Belgium - Ranger IPA - No business being in this event.
Ninkasi - Tricerahops Double - Weird
Seabright - Double Wipe - Single Wide?
ShipYard - XXXXIPA - No Way.
Sierra Nevada - Hoptimum - Love the brewery...too much malt in this offering
Valley - Uberhoppy - Usually a favorite ... not this year
Widmer - Dead Lift - Just wrong.....My comment was censored.
Of course there were other beers I failed to mention, and I'm sure opinions will vary greatly from mine but that's half the fun. Of course a lot of the fun for me this year was being at the event with family and friends, including the new faces of my Mom Lola and her driver Hoke, er uh ... I mean Ralph (an over due returnee to the event) and my sister J.D. and her husband Dan. Of course Zack, Oralia and Kevin made their yearly appearance as did Rick and Tracy who got put to work pouring. The price they paid for being special and world famous beer folks.
At an event of this magnitude there just isn't a bad seat in the house.
2 comments:
Thanks for the trip and for my list of new desires!
Farmer Bob
Your list looks similar to mine. I really liked the Kern River Double and Hop Crisis although I do think there were more quality beers here this year than last year. Definitely more good than bad.
And Younger was much better this year than last.
Can't wait to do it again
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