Beer Madness XII Results

For the past several years I have scrambled to post the previous years Beer Madness results the night before the tournaments starts.  Every year I pledge to do better, and every year I write the same half-assed post.  Well this year is finally different!  This year you get a half-assed post three full months before the Madness.  Speaking of which, due to Spring Break and some softball travel, this year's tournament is delayed until April 12th and 13th.  It's the same weekend as the Masters, and we will be starting another "tradition unlike any other...."

So enough foreplay, what happened last March?  The four judges (Chris, Chris, Scott and I) assembled Friday afternoon with sixteen awesome beers.  Seriously, the field was killer from the word go, although Scott complained mightily about his draw.  Apparently T-Rex hates stiff competition:)  Using a double elimination format, we eliminated eight beers over the course of the afternoon, and were left with a final eight.

On the winner's bracket, we had four beers that showed up to Day 2 undefeated:

• Three Floyds $50 Million Dollar Man (3.99)
• The Alchemist Heady Topper (4.53)
• Burial Skillet Donut Stout (4.16)
• Jester King Queen's Order (3.61)

On the loser's side, we had four beers that had a loss and were clinging on for dear life as we headed into Day 2:

• Lagunitas Willetized (4.16)
• Other Half More Citra Than All Citra (4.47)
• Zero Gravity Madonna (3.91)
• Port City Colossal 2 (3.97)

On Day 2 the Beer Madness Wives (or more affectionately the BMWs) show up the party and are allowed to vote.  The introduction of new palates is always a curve ball as is the potential impact of a hungover judge.  Luckily this year everyone showed up with their drinking shoes on, and we were ready to go.

Burial Skillet smashed through the winners bracket defeating Queen's Order and the $50 Million Dollar Man quite handily to cruise into the finals with a 5-0 record.  On the loser's bracket More Citra Than All Citra caught fire and eliminated 4 beers rapidly (Willetized, Heady Topper, Queen's Order & $50 Million Dollar Man).  This set up a finals which had already happened the day before!  In the round of 8, Skillet Donut had eeked out a win over More Citra Than Citra.  I don't really remember what happened, but I have it scored 2+ to 2 on my sheet whish suggests that it was a tie, and we resorted to bargaining and public shaming to select a winner.  

However, now it's the finals and now there is an 8 judge panel.  What beer would prevail?  The answer sadly was neither.  The 8 judges were hopelessly deadlocked between the sweet stout and the hazy  TIPA.  After we started to argue, I said fuck it and declared it a tie, so Chris Maness and I split the Beer Madness XII Trophy.  It wasn't the most satisfying ending, but honestly both were great beers.

Sometime before next April, I'm going to publish the Beer Madness winner's list for the historians.  Also, this year at least for Friday we have a fifth judge (welcome aboard Jon!), so at least we won't have Day 1 ties.  Who says we can't be taught? 

It's a goddamn miracle I didn't lose this piece of paper.