Part of why I like the Belgian-style division so much is it was a step outside of my comfort zone. I’d never gone after the Belgian brews, not because I didn’t like them, just because I never thought to order them. Which is a shame because these are among some of the more painstakingly crafted beers in the tournament, rivaling the Stout division for Most Meticulously Crafted. We’ll do alphabetical order today and start with the Allagash Tripel, a sugary and fruity beer that surprised me with its complexity. This beer has an organic fruit sugar base to it, accented by some traditional hop flavors of spice and citrus. It is a very sweet beer that takes it to the next level with a crisp mouthfeel. This brew could be written off if the mouthfeel was particularly thick and the beer was just a syrupy mess, but Allagash somehow manages to contain all of the flavors within a crisp taste that lightens up a beer that needs it. Finally what I like about this beer is that it has its own identity. Much as the DogFish Head IPA series is not just “Oh, the 90-Minute Ipa, it must be stronger than the 60 and lighter than the 120″, rather distinct beers with distinct identities. The Tripel is not merely a continuation of the Dubbel, but its own beer with its own personality, and it is a winning personality.

Themes, themes, themes. I try too hard to make this middle rounds about themes. That said today is another match with a great slow sipper and a delicious bar beer. As I said before, I like the New Belgium Mothership Wit as a bar beer and I back that up by ordering it from my local pub when I step out to catch a game or race. First things first, I didn’t vote for this in round 1 because it lost in what was essentially a coin flip for me. Too similar styles left me totally unable to make a decision. I fell in love with this beer because of the finish. The sip can transition into anything: fried food, upper scale food, bread, another sip of beer, the smooth finish and the smooth overall impression of this beer makes it a great all-purpose beer. As usually goes with that praise, it is a good starter beer because it isn’t harsh. This is a perfectly balanced beer as there is no bitter overhopped notes or molasses overmalted notes, and not a hint of alcohol at all. The only gripe I could even have about this beer is that maybe it doesn’t taste hardcore enough for some of the grizzled drinkers out there and they would get the impression that this beer is lighter. If you think that, then have two. This beer can live up to any expectations you place on it and I may be reversing again to vote for a beer I missed on in Round 1.

UPDATE: Click Here for Match Results!