I have been updating you on a competition I frankly don't fully understand, the National IPA Championship, hosted by Great Lakes Brewing News. It was set up like the NCAA Tourney, with 64 IPAs organized into brackets. The beers didn't appear to be seeded. Oregon has been doing well all along--we had three beers in the sweet sixteen, two in the final four, and one in the championship matchup. Among those power players--Deschutes Inversion, Rogue Yellow Snow--was the underdog, Laurelwood Workhorse IPA. But it was Workhorse that worked its way to the final and beat Big Sky IPA. Big Sky is itself a rather surprising longshot--I don't think many would have taken this erstwhile contract-brewed, Missoula-based beer much of a contender. But that's why you have taste-offs.
Congrats to Laurelwood!
It is hands down the best IPA I have ever had! I think I stated this in a past article.. I knew they would win... it is a must! ;-))
ReplyDeleteIf ever in Portland, grab it at the 51st and Sandy location.. bit more consistent there. I believe they did a batch w/ about 150 lbs. of extra grain added to the recipe as well. Somehow a batch at the pizza joint didn't turn out so well.. I think it's because someone took a vacation! :-)
Their Hop Monkey IPA aint bad either.. but its no Workhorse!
Is this the same competition that Green Flash won last year?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad for Laurelwood. Maybe they'll make the Workhorse their regular IPA. I'm not a big fan of the Boss IPA -- too unbalanced on the dry side. I like Workhorse and Hop Monkey though.
Matthew D.
ReplyDeleteYour request was granted - Boss & Piston Pale were retired in lieu of Hop Monkey(new) and Workhorse. I think a lot of Laurelwood fans, myself included, agreed with you.
But I don't think that Green Flash won last year. I was surprised how early it went out - but since its on the extreme side of IPAs, that sort of made sense.
hi there very useful blog ;)
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