The two beers competing are:

• S.O.B Hill, 6.5%
• Tent Zipper Hazy IPA, 6.5%

After spending a solid 3+ hours clearing brush/trees and getting myself genuinely exhausted. After a much needed shower I sat back and cracked open one of the S.O.B Hill IPAs which is described as an American IPA brewed with a mixture of Pilsner malt, Light Caramel malts, and Wheats. Heavy handedly hopped with a mixture of newer American varietals as well as some “old standbys”. This IPA is meant to bridge a gap between the West Coast body/ bitterness and East Coast aromatic craze.

S.O.B Hill IPA

Appearance: A nice bright green can with yellow and black accents helps make this one stand out. The New Trail logo is huge and is flanked by a subtle topographic map. Once poured

Aroma: Fairly aromatic with heavy hops, nothing too special.

Taste: Semi-Citrus with notes of a tart peach, tropical fruits/hops and a decent sweetness from the malts.

Experience: This has a medium body with a bitter after taste. There is some sugar left on the lips, but overall it goes down easy. Drinks like most IPAs.

See Also

BeerBeer Battle

Beer Battle #3 – Guinness vs Murphys

Next on deck was the Tent Zipper Hazy IPA, which is described as a Hazy IPA brewed with Germanic malts, wheat, and oats. Heavy handedly hopped with some of our old favorites Cascade, Centennial, and Crystal. Then hopped again with some of our new favorites Mosaic and Citra. Expect lush orange, deep piney resin, and a blend of your favorite tropical fruits.

Tent Zipper Hazy IPA

Appearance: A distinct dark green can with blue and black accents that cover a nice picture of a lake. The New Trail logo is a bit more subtle this time, which I prefer. This beer pours super hazy with a khaki brown body and a light white head.

Aroma: The aroma is strong with pine, lemon and orange. It smells pretty damn good.

Taste: Alot of citrus in this one, as you would expect from any Hazy IPA. I mostly notice grapefruit, papaya and oranges. There is a distinct sweetness that mixes well with the citrus.

Experience: From the first sip to the last this beer goes down very smooth. The body feels creamy and light with a dry finish. Not too heavy or sweet and definitely not too bitter.

Overall both are solid IPAs that I would easily recommend, but you are here for a winner. I think that the Tent Zipper IPA offers more in terms of taste and is not quite as bitter as the S.O.B Hill. It was not a clear cut decision but after having 2-3 of each I tended to enjoy my time with the Hazy IPA a little more. If you want to learn any more about the New Trail Beers be sure to check out their website here.

Welcome to Beer Battle #6, this time it’s going down between two big barleywines.
– Wander Brewing 3 Ton, 12.3% – Click here for our review.
– Elevation Beer Company Arete, 12.5% – Click here for our review.

First up is Arete. The label is simple but looks good, and apparently this bottle is from Oct of 2014, prob from when I was a member of the rare beer of the month club. Hopefully it’s still good. Usually I don’t like text heavy labels but something tells me this is a special brew.

The aroma is quite strong and mostly has a dark fruit and malt scent. The flavor is really sweet, prob due to the aging I get almost no hop or bitterness. Raisins, caramel and malts are the main flavors. There is a fair amount of booziness, which is what I would expect.

This beer really is delicious and maybe the aging helped it but I love how smooth it is considering it’s so strong. When it comes to game pairing I gotta go with God of War 3, inspired by the name which is of Greek origin I wanted to pick a beer that Kratos himself would enjoy.

@WanderBrewing 3 ton at 12.3%. Once again it’s a very simple label. The colors are very simple and for some reason remind me of a granola bar. Either way this was a brew that my buddy got me for my bday so let’s start sipping.

So right off the bat I get little to no aroma, which is odd for a barley wine that aged in bourbon barrels. The flavor has me shocked too. A little bit hoppy, slight malt and some vanilla, but there’s not a ton here. I’m gonna let it warm a bit before I give a score.

The beer gets much better as it warms but still it doesn’t quite measure to what you would expect from a barley wine. So I gave it a 3.25/5, when it comes to game pairing I chose the forest on PS4 it matches the label for subtleness.

And the winner is the @ElevationBeerCo Arete, although the 3 Ton did get better the Arete had a better taste and felt smoother. Sorry for the delay I got a bit too drunk last night, cheers

Welcome to Beer Battle #5, this time it’s going down between two of Spoetzl Brewing Company’s Shiners winter brews.
– Shiner Frost, 5% – Click here for our review.
– Shiner Morello Dark Cherry, 7% – Click here for our review.

First up is the Morello Dark Cherry coming in at 7% this is a European Strong Lager. The label is sexy, I know that’s a weird word but the style of red and black combined with the stylish font looks quite nice. The aroma is heavy with cherry and has notes of milk chocolate.

The flavor is very interesting because it tastes like the filling of cordials, chocolate covered cherries, which is both odd and pleasant. The beer is surprisingly light considering it’s creamy mouthfeel. The finish is semi tart, probably thanks to the cherries.

Overall i wasn’t a huge fan of this beer while it was cold but as it has warmed up it has grown on me. I’m giving it a 3.5/5. I am gonna pair this unique brew with Infamous 2 Festival of Blood. The red and black made me think vampire and this standalone DLC is a lot of fun.

Next up is frost a winter Dortmunder coming in at 5%. This beer has a very wintery label with a nice blue/white combo, basically a polar opposite of the morello. The snowflakes really drive it home. The aroma is very light with malt and bread being the only detectable notes.

The flavor is similar to a pale lager with some additional malt/bread flavors. Maybe a hint of apple juice in the finish. There are some nice spices to the mouthfeel. This beer goes down real easy, like Jim’s mother,

Overall this is a solid session beer, even at 5% I can easily go through a lot of these guys. I give it a 3.1/5 and when it comes to pairing I am going to choose Ski Freak from Puppet Combo a fun indie horror game that takes place on the slopes.

I had to go with the Morello Dark Cherry. Better flavors and a bit stronger it has more to offer in the end, but if you hate cherries then this isn’t the best for you. Thanks for following and be safe, cheers!

Welcome to BeerBattle #4, this time it’s going down between two of Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company’s IPAs.
– The County line IPA, 6.6% – Click here for our review.
– Strange Rituals, 8.2% – Click here for our review.

Let’s start with the County line IPA. First off I hope other breweries take note, this is the effort I like in my beer labels. This is a fun colorful label that makes me want to buy this beer even more.

The aroma is 95% hops with a hint of grapefruit that builds as the beer warms. I have to be honest this smell reminds me of summer and I love it. The taste is hop/pine heavy with a tart aftertaste. This is what you would expect from most IPAs.

Overall this is a solid IPA, unfortunately like most IPAs the flavor and aroma tend to not stick out in the crowd. I am giving it a 3.9/5 When it comes to game pairing I am going with the Maw. This game lets you play as an all consuming blob, what’s not to love!

Now it’s time to try Strange Rituals red IPA. Once again this is an amazing label, immediately I knew what game to pair this with, see if you can guess before I get to my last tweet.

The aroma is much more subtle with hints of malts mixed in with the hops. The flavor is a nice balance of hops and malts, which is what makes me think this is more of a red ale than IPA. The initial mouthfeel is creamy with a dry/tart finish.

I love the complexity of this beer and if this is an IPA that enhances my decision. The 8.2% ABV without feeling boozy is a nice touch as well. I have to give it a 4.2/5. Give it a try if you can. The label was a dead giveaway for the game I chose, Chiller on the NES.

The winner is Strange Rituals, thank you to everyone who has been following along. If you can try any beer from Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company they have good quality brews. Cheers guys and be safe!

Bonus #BeerBattle for St Patrick’s Day , I’ll be comparing two Irish legends.
– Guinness Extra Stout click here for our review.
– Murphys Imported Stout click here for our review.

Starting off with the Guinness , let’s begin with the bottle, I love the overall look, simple and retro, the dark brown bottle mixed with the tan label is classic, ass the iconic harp it helps make the label stand out.

The aroma is fairly strong with roasted malts, coffee and a general smokiness. The flavor is evenly balanced between the roasted flavor and the malts. Giving a decent amount of chocolate and coffee. Quite smooth overall but just has a dryer finish then the classic draught.

Overall this is an excellent Irish Stout and just a little bit below the draught when it comes to my favorite Guinness beer. I had to give this one a 4/5. Give it a try! Sláinte.

Next up is Murphys Imported Stout and this is the first time I’ve tried this. So black, tan and gold must be a standard for Irish Stouts. Bold and regal looking can with helpful instructions on how to pour the beer on the back.

The aroma is all about roasted malts with a little bit of chocolate. The flavor is very similar, malt heavy with coffee and chocolate. The mouthfeel is interesting because it’s creamy yet light, and has a very dry finish.

Overall this is another great beer. A bit too dry in the after taste but all the familiar chocolate and coffee notes we love. It should also be noted that this beer goes down really easily.

And the winner of tonight’s #BeerBattle is Guinness Extra Stout. There was a little more flavor and not as much bitterness in the end. Still they are both great. Sláinte, happy St Patrick’s Day and be safe everyone

Welcome to the 2nd Beer Battle, a live beer vs beer comparing the look, aroma, taste and drinkability of two random brews. You can witness the live results on our twitter every Friday or Saturday night.

The 2 Beers on deck tonight are both Chocolate Peanut butter flavored
– Manayunk Brewing Companys Crunch click here for our review.
– Great Barn Brewery Dunkel Shaun click here for our review.

I am Starting with the Manayunk Brewing Companys Crunch, a chocolate peanut butter Porter. I’ll not sure why so many breweries are going with this minimalist style, I liked the old can design.

Once poured the peanut aroma fills the entire room. The flavor surprises me since it is light on peanuts and heavy on roasted Malts with some chocolate flavor. The finish is both tart and semi-dry. This has to be one of the thinnest porters I have tried

Overall this is a decent beer. I wish the body was a little heavier and the peanut/chocolate flavors came through a little more. Still I like it as a easier drinking porter. I give it a 3/5, try it out.

Next up is the Great Barn Brewery Dunkel Shaun Peanut Butter Chocolate Dunkel. I really enjoy this label, the half zombie hand holding the peanut appeals to the horror fan in me, and I gotta believe the name is a nice nod to Shaun of the dead.

The aroma is strong up close and is very reminiscent of Reese’s peanut butter straight from the jar. The flavor is also strong with peanut butter with a hint of chocolate. The mouthfeel is semi creamy almost oily (like peanut oil) with a semi-sweet aftertaste.

Overall this is one of the most peanut butter heavy beers I have had, and it’s a nice consistency, I just wish there was a bit more chocolate. Still I would give it a 3.75/5, give it a try.

Welcome to the 1st Beer Battle, a live beer vs beer comparing the look, aroma, taste and drinkability of two random brews. You can witness the live results on our twitter every Friday night.

The 1st two beers are a couple of great Double IPAs.
– Flying Monkeys Killer Cupcake Panda click here for our review.
– Evil Twin Brewing I Don’t Know How To Put This But This IPA Is Kind Of A Big Deal click here for our review.

First Beer up is Flying Monkeys Killer Cupcake Panda. Great label love the art work. The aroma is crazy because it smells like a vanilla cupcake or an orange creamsicle with minimal hop notes.

The flavor mimics the aroma, a ton of vanilla, citrus (either orange or grapefruit), white cake, with a slight hop finish. Easily one of the more complex double IPAs I have tried. It’s also incredibly smooth and easy to drink. The aftertaste is dry and semi bitter.

Overall this is an excellent beer and one of the more unique double IPAs I’ve tried. 4.75/5 from me…next beer is up

Now time to try the Evil Twin Brewing I don’t know how to it this it this IPA is kind of a big deal. I love the name and the humor, but the can design is a bit too minimalist for me. There is a ton of sediment and a very strong aroma dominated by hops with some citrus and wildflower.

The flavor is a nice mix between the hops and honey. There is a creamy mouthfeel, mostly due to the malts. Very smooth with a touch of booziness.

Another great double IPA, the 10% hits you quick by the time you finish the can, and the honey leaves a nice sugar finish on the lips. Highly recommend.

My choice for tonight’s Beer Battle is the Killer Cupcake Panda from Flying Monkeys, overall it had more complex flavors and a more unique taste for a double IPA. Still I would highly recommend either beer. Cheers everyone!