Just looking at the match and reading the older reviews of the Lucky Kat and the Extraordinary Ale today’s match looks like its going to be a bit of a repeat of yesterday. For example the Magic Hat Lucky Kat has got the hops category pretty much locked up today. Rich flavors of citrus, pine, and a floral aroma gives this brew a hoppy and unpredictable body, much like the chesire cat on its label. On the other hand, there are no powerful malted notes to speak of, which is where the Southern Tier Phin and Matt’s Extraordinary Ale steps in. This extraordinary and well-bodied ale has a wide variety of flavors both malted and hoppy. The malted caramel flavors add an extra dimension to these lighter ales and it provides a very welcome and flavorful change of pace.

Today is a good match between two beers that are too dynamic to classify when you break them down. The Lucky Kat strictly as an IPA isn’t anything fantastic, sylisticly its between an Amber, an IPA, and a hefeweizen, which is how the people at magic hat operate and it is an uncommon and welcome change from the usual. The Southern Tier Ale doesn’t try to fit itself into a category, it only calls itself an ale, and that is a huge advantage for them.  The beer isn’t an IPA per se, its not a pale exactly, it is what the brewers say it is, simply an extraordinary ale. These beers were great and today’s match will be close, but I think I can see which way I’m voting.

UPDATE: Click Here for Match Results!