Sweet Water sounds better to me than a Fried Dog Fish so I’ll start today with the SweetWater IPA which, as you recall, had a very deep flavor particularly for an IPA. Beers like these are among some of the greatest around because you wouldn’t think “deep” and “pale” could be used to describe the same beer, leaving a pale to be a lighter brew but that is clearly not the case. The SweetWater moves to the next level in the flexibility that the flavors have. The fruit flavors, while rich, do not taste as acidic as, say, eating an actual fruit would, so they have a better ability to pair with a wide variety of food or even just be quaffed solo. Not a big fruit fan? Well fortunately SweetWater hit the aftertaste out of the park too, using spicier hopped flavor to temper the fruit so that it doesn’t linger, which also adds to its overall drinkability. Seasoned drinkers and newcomers alike can all find something to love about this brew, it is truly a great ale to have in the tournament.

Then there’s the powerhouse, the DogFish Head 60 Minute IPA. As I will recall for you, I did not vote for this beer in round 1, I like it as a measuring stick for newcomers, but the seasoned drinkers may find this beer not as polarizing as they would like. This beer has a wealth of hop and malt flavors that each are very pronounced which does make for a good beer, I’m just missing the qualities that would make it a great IPA. I want this beer to change my mind because it has the potential to be a great brew in either direction: there is so much malt potential and hop potential, but I feel like they are sacrificed in favor of balance. Ultimately, the 60 Minute IPA will not step on anyone’s toes and will not blow anyone away with bitterness or molasses, but I think to become a truly classic beer it needs to take the risk of scaring some off in favor of stronger flavor (like the 90 Minute does with its malted sweetness).

UPDATE: Click Here for Match Results!