Brewery News, WashingtonNorthwest Beer GuideWashington, Seattle, The Masonry, The Brewmaster’s Taproom, The Brewmaster’s Bakery, Beer Baroness, Ben Keene, Tavour, Stoup BrewingComment

Judged by your peers, here are the best India Pale Ales available on Tavour.

Brewery News, WashingtonNorthwest Beer GuideWashington, Seattle, The Masonry, The Brewmaster’s Taproom, The Brewmaster’s Bakery, Beer Baroness, Ben Keene, Tavour, Stoup BrewingComment
Judged by your peers, here are the best India Pale Ales available on Tavour.

If you’ve been an active follower of publications like Thrillist, Paste, or any innumerable websites which feature a “Best of …” list associated with beer styles, then you're familiar with articles that tell you what you should or shouldn’t drink. But this month, a local mail-order bottle shop reached out with a unique approach to “Best of…” lists judged not against countless entries but judged against popularity. Focusing only on the most popular beers, Tavour invited trusted members of the brewery community from brewers to writers, to judge Tavour’s customer favorites while providing sensory feedback.

 First, meet your judges. 

  • Ben Keene, former Editorial Director of BeerAdvocate Magazine and author of The Great Northeast Brewery Tour. His beer writing has appeared in DRAFT, Beer Connoisseur, The New York Times, and The Oxford Companion to Beer, etc.

  • Jackie Dodd, founder of the popular Beer Baroness blog and author of three beer-centric cookbooks. Her beer writing and recipes have appeared in Beer and Brewing, Saveur, etc.

  • Annie Johnson, Master Brewer of Seattle’s PicoBrew, Certified National Beer Judge, and the first woman ever to win the Homebrewers Association’s Homebrewer of the Year Award.

  • Marley Rall, founder of The Brewmasters Taproom and The Brewmaster’s Bakery (that uses spent grain from Seattle-area craft breweries to create items like granola, bread, and dog treats).

  • Lara Zahaba, co-owner of Stoup Brewing, an award-winning, draft-only craft house in Seattle’s competitive Ballard brewery district.

  • Matt Storm, founder of The Masonry, a Seattle-based pizza and beer bar named one of Eater’s Top Beer Bars in the city for its impressive selection of suds! 

image of Illuminated Brony IPA sourced from Tavour

image of Illuminated Brony IPA sourced from Tavour

Under the supervision of Tavour staff, the judges spent 2 hours sampling, re-sampling, and cycling through each of the beers, and providing a scale from 1 to 6, in the following sensory categories. 

  • How many could you drink in a single sitting. 1 = I’ll pass to 6 = How many you got?

  • How enticing is the smell? 1 = Not bad to 6 = I’m floating through the air like a cartoon character.

  • How fruit is it? 1 = I’m smelling something else to 6 = It should come in a juice box.

  • How full is the body? 1 = Is this water? to 6 = My straw is clogged.

  • How dank is it? 1 = Not even sure what that means to 6 = Willie Nelson meets Snop Dogg.

  • How generous (or greedy) does it make you feel? 1 = Up for grabs to 6 = BACK OFF! IT’S MINE!!

 Having some fun, the judges had the following to say about some of their beers. 

  • “[Patterns] smells so green & grassy, my nose is doing a happy dance.” -Ben Keene

  • “Judging by its thick pour, I can tell [DDH Fairy Nectar London is] going to be danky.” -Marley Rall

  • “I would take [Azacca Crush] to the yard party and shotgun it all day.” -Lara Zahaba

  • “[Butterfly Scratch is] my favorite of the bunch… When I first sipped this beer, it warmed my cockles.” -Annie Johnson

In no particular order, the following beers were selected and sometimes found in multiple categories, ranging from “So easy to drink, you could crush a fridge full (a.k.a. most easy-drinking)” to “Most likely to drink at hempfest (a.k.a. dankest)”. What is clear from this list is that Tavour’s customers are heavily invested in Hazy India Pale Ales and Double India Pale Ales. See for yourself. 

Mumford Brewing Company - Butterfly Scratch. 6.6% ABV | 35 IBU

Butterfly Scratch is our latest hazy/Northeast style IPA, which we brewed with a truckload of Hallertau Blanc and Mosaic hops. It's a perfect beer to pair with visiting relatives and the holidays

Winner of: 

  • So easy to drink, you could crush a fridge full (a.k.a. most easy-drinking)

  • “Most likely to give one star on Untappd just so no one else buys it” (a.k.a. personal favorite / Best in Show)

image sourced from Tavour

image sourced from Tavour

Reuben’s Brews - Azacca Crush. 6% ABV | 47 IBU

Reuben's Crush series beer with loads of Azacca® hops

Matt Storm’s top pick in the category: 

  • So easy to drink, you could crush a fridge full (a.k.a. most easy-drinking)

Fair State Brewing - Mirror Universe. 7% ABV | 33 IBU

Double dry-hopped hazy IPA brewed with wheat, oats, and lots of Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops

Winner of: 

  • Most likely to turn you into Toucan Sam (a.k.a. most aromatic)

  • Most likely to drink at hempfest (a.k.a. dankest) 

Anchorage Brewing Company - Patterns. 6.5% ABV | 80 IBU

1st in the Series. Mosaic hopped.

Top Pick by Jackie Dodd in the category: 

  • Most likely to turn you into Toucan Sam (a.k.a. most aromatic)

Weldwerks Brewing Company - Juicy Bits. 6.7% ABV | - IBU (not listed)

Our version of a New England-style IPA featuring a huge citrus and tropical fruit hop character from the Mosaic, Citra, and El Dorado hops and softer, smoother mouthfeel from the adjusted water chemistry, higher protein malts, and lower attenuation. The end result is a beer reminiscent of citrus juice with extra pulp, thus the name Juicy Bits.

Winner of: 

  • So freakin’ fruity, it should come in a juice box (a.k.a. fruitiest flavors)

Odd13 Brewing Company - Codename Superfan. 6.5% ABV | - IBU (not listed)

Codename: Superfan is a deliciously modern take on the American IPA style, brewed with a variety of juicy American hops from the Pacific Northwest.

Lara Zahaba’s top pick in the category:

  • So freakin’ fruity, it should come in a juice box (a.k.a. fruitiest flavors)

Annie Johnson’s top pick in the category

  • Most likely to drink at hempfest (a.k.a. dankest) 

Kros Strain Brewing - DDH Fairy Nectar London. 6.2% ABV | - IBU (not listed)

The 2018 Juicy Hazy IPA category Silver Medalist at GABF is Back! With the extra dose of Citra and Mosaic hops, this juice bomb will deliver exactly what you are looking for! Hazy, juicy, and full of tropical and citrus flavor all with very low bitterness, this is a NEIPA that hits all the right notes!

Winner of: 

  • Most likely to get stuck in your straw (a.k.a. thickest) 

Illuminated Brew Works - Brony. 7% ABV | - IBU (not listed)

Double Dry Hopped Double IPA  Ponies are cool. They can fly and make magic and have the prettiest tales. But people have hands. Ponies don't. With hands, people can drink beer (usually). Like this beer here. This beer is for Bronies, not phonies. Huell Melon, Motueka, Citra & Rakau hops swim together in rainbows of citrus, strawberry & orchard fruits.  You can even share it with your pony, Brony. But you'll probably have to help it drink it. Because ponies don't have hands.

Annie Johnson’s top pick in the category:  

  • Most likely to get stuck in your straw (a.k.a. thickest)

To learn more about the winners and maybe purchase a few for your own private judgement, visit landing.tavour.com/blind-tasting.

Full disclosure: We are members of Reuben’s Brews’ “Reuben’s Crew” mug club membership. The brand, its staff, and ownership have not compensated me for this article. The following article was written voluntarily after receiving a formal Press Release.