2023 March Beer Madness - March 30 - 31 - Final Four!

Welcome one and all to the Final Four! Four great beers representing regions across Europe and the United States. This thread will be for discussion Monday - Wednesday, with the Final Four taking place on Thursday March 30th and Friday March 31st.

Full contest rules are linked here, but all you have to do is post a picture of one of these four beers you are enjoying on Thursday and or Friday.

0,1 or 2 beers are allowed each day, one per hour if posting during final call (10-11 PM PDT and 11-12 PDT). Identify a draft beer in your post if it's not apparent via a menu, glassware or other indication with your picture.

Final Four held at The Silver Stamp in Las Vegas, Nevada

Two World Semi-Final Beer Playoff Events

European Regional Champion (15) Schneider Weisse Tap 6: Mein Aventinus (#1 Weizenbock - Kelheim, Germany) vs.
Pacific Regional Champion (3) North Coast Old Rasputin (#85 Russian Imperial Stout - Fort Bragg, California)

Atlantic Regional Champion (1) Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA (#291 Imperial IPA - Milton, Delaware) vs.
Central Regional Champion (2) Bell's Two Hearted IPA/Ale (#49 American IPA - Kalamazoo, Michigan)

Updated Beer Advocate Championship Beer Bracket Link:
https://challonge.com/ovsvj1ig.svg

Updated Individual Championship Bracket Link:
https://1drv.ms/x/s!AhetTCHUXA-WgROWrOzSovdzJgKA

Bracketology - See Post #2

Additional Bracketology posts to be rolled out later this week.

 

Bracketology

What Beers, Breweries, Styles and Regions Are Involved?

• 68 Competing Beers & Breweries
• 28 Competing Beer Styles
  
• 9 Top Ranked Beers Within A Style
• 23 Top Five Ranked Beers Within A Style
  
• 6 Nations
• 23 States
• 28 of the Top 43 Most Popular Beers as rated on BA
• 111 Planning Thread Votes on Tournament Format in the Planning Thread Poll

What Beer Advocates Are Involved?
Everyone is eligible to play. So far we have:

• 46 Participants across 21 States plus France & The District of Columbia
  • Illinois leads with 6 participants.
  • Massachusetts and California have 5 and 4 participants, respectively.

Beer Advocate Championship Beer Bracket Link through 3/26/23:
https://challonge.com/ovsvj1ig.svg

Updated Individual Championship Bracket Link through 3/26/23:
https://1drv.ms/x/s!AhetTCHUXA-WgROWrOzSovdzJgKA

2023 March Beer Madness Beer Advocate Championship Leaders:

• 222 @DoctorZombies
• 212 @meanmutt
• 164 @BJB13
• 162 @sulldaddy
• 158 @jvgoor3786
• 157 @Qu3st

2023 March Beer Madness Golden Das Beer Boot Trophy Leaders:
16 - @meanmutt ; @DoctorZombies ; @PapaGoose03 ; @Qu3st

2023 March Beer Madness Around The World Trophy Leaders: (Available Beers)

• 14 - @UWDAWG (Schneider Mein Aventinus & Bell's Two Hearted IPA/Ale)
• 13 - @ChicagoJ (Dogfish 90 Minute IPA & Bell's Two Hearted IPA/Ale)

2023 March Beer Madness Robert Montgomery Knight Trophy Leaders:

• (6) Schneider Weisse Tap 6: Mein Aventinus - @meanmutt & @DoctorZombies
• (7) Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA - @VABA
• (7) Bell's Two Hearted IPA/Ale - @PapaGoose03
• (4) North Coast Old Rasputin - @ZebulonXZogg

Total Beers Posted through the Sweet Sixteen: 368

• 24 (Play-in Round)
• 87 (Round of 64)
• 80 (Round of 32)
• 99 (Sweet Sixteen)
• 78 (Elite Eight)

Scoring results entering the current round:

• Favorite Wins: 32
• Underdog Wins: 23
• Ties: 5
• Games without a beer: 4

Independent Breweries Record: 34-33-7-1
Play in round 2-2-4-0; Round of 64 18-17-2-1; Round of 32 9-8-1-0; Sweet Sixteen 4-5-0-0; Elite Eight 1-1-0-0.

Other Breweries Record: 19-20-3-7
Round of 64 8-9-2-7; Round of 32 6-7-1-0; Sweet Sixteen 4-3-0-0; Elite Eight 1-1-0-0.

Seed Records (Wins / Losses / Ties / No Beer)
In to Win: One (1) 9-3-1-0; Two (1) 4-3-0-1; Three (1) 5-3-0-1; Fifteen (1) 5-2-0-1.

Down and Out: Four 6-4-1-0; Five 1-4-0-1; Six 0-4-0-0; Seven 6-4-0-1; Eight 1-4-1-0; Nine 2-2-2-0; Ten 0-3-0-1; Eleven 6-4-0-0; Twelve 3-3-0-1; Thirteen 1-3-1-0; Fourteen 2-3-0-1; Sixteen 1-2-2-0; Seventeen 3-4-2-0.

Total 2023 First Annual March Beer Madness Thread Posts through the Sweet Sixteen: 849 = 57 (Planning) + 88 (Play-in).+ 223 (Round of 64) + 150 (Round of 32) + 204 (Sweet Sixteen) + 127 (Elite Eight)

 

Yes, Beer Advocates did a great job whittling the field from 68 to 4, and I think participants and the BA site as a whole will be proud with whatever beer is crowned champion.

Also cool a Weizenbock made it to the Final Four, never even heard of the beer or had this style prior to this tournament.

Was cool many are able to find new beers to them that they really enjoy, or return to old favorites and find they still love these beers after all these years.

 

Our Final Four Participants were on lay-over from initial inbound flights to O'Hare.

They shot baskets at our local Norwood Park School and stopped a few blocks away for real (i.e. thin, Cheese & Sausage) Chicago Pizza at Dino's on Higgins before heading back to O'Hare and a charter flight to Las Vegas, Nevada.



Photo from Left to Right:

• Atlantic Regional Champion Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
• Central Regional Champion Bell's Two Hearted IPA

• Pacific Regional Champion North Coast Old Rasputin
• Europe Regional Champion Schneider Weisse Tap 6: Mein Aventinus

Hanging with Revolution's Anti-Hero, who sprung for the pizza party.


Heading to Terminal 3.

 

100%!

I never brought home Bell's Two Hearted IPA or Dogfish 90 Minute IPA. Have had both over the years on draft, Bell's far more often. I am looking forward to enjoying both over the four day weekend. North Coast Old Rasputin is a long time favorite, I bring this home periodically once I discovered it a few years ago.

 

Even More Bracketology

Remaining Participant BA Beer Records (BA Avg. Score and Total Ratings):

Europe #15 Schneider Weisse Tap 6: Mein Aventinus (4.33 / 4,835)
Pacific #3 North Coast Old Rasputin (4.30 / 13,060)

Atlantic #1 Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA (4.27 / 16,474)
Central #2 Bell's Two Hearted IPA (4.27 / 15,740)

368 Tournament Beers Consumed (Tournament Record W-L-T)
1+ Tournament Beers; Bold = Alive

Regions

1. Europe 158
2. Central 90
3. Pacific 61
4. Atlantic 59

Individual Breweries and Beers

1. Fifty-Two
   • Europe #4 Guinness Draught (3-1-0)
2. Forty-Nine
   • Europe #15 Schneider Weisse Tap 6: Mein Aventinus (4-0-0)
3. Thirty-Two
   • Europe #17 Saison Dupont (2-1-1)
4. Twenty-Three
   • Pacific #3 North Coast Old Rasputin (4-0-0)
5. Twenty-One
   • Central #1 Founders Breakfast Stout (2-1-1)
6. Twenty
   • Atlantic #1 Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA (4-0-0)
   • Central #2 Bell's Two Hearted IPA (4-0-0)
7. Sixteen
   • Central #4 3 Floyds Zombie Dust (1-1-1)
8. Twelve
   • Atlantic #7 Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (3-1-0)
9. Ten
   • Central #11 Fat Head's Head Hunter (2-1-0)
10. Nine
    • Pacific #1 Russian River Pliny The Elder (3-1-0)
    • Europe #11 Orval Trappist Ale (2-1-0)
11. Seven
    • Pacific #12 AleSmith Speedway Stout (2-1-0)
12. Six
    • Pacific #7 Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale (1-1-1)
    • Pacific #13 Firestone Walker Parabola (1-1-0)
    • Central #5 Oskar Blues Ten FIDY (1-1-0)
    • Europe #16 Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne (0-0-1)
13. Five
    • Atlantic #4 Samuel Adams Boston Lager (2-1-0)
    • Atlantic #3 Unibroue La Fin du Monde (1-1-1)
14. Four
    • Atlantic #12 Allagash White (1-1-0)
    • Atlantic #8 Ommegang Three Philosophers (0-1-1)
15. Three
    • Central #9 Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue (1-0-1)
    • Pacific #8 Rogue Dead Guy Ale (1-1-0)
    • Europe #14 Westmalle Trappist Tripel (1-1-0)
    • Atlantic #16 Tree House Julius (1-1-0)
    • Pacific #17 Alaskan Smoked Porter (1-1-0)
    • Central #16 New Glarus Raspberry Tart (0-0-1)
    • Central #17 Perennial Abraxas (0-1-1)
    • Central #6 Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald (0-1-0)
16. Two
    • Atlantic #11 Maine Lunch (1-1-0)
    • Central #14 Dark Horse Plead The 5th Imperial Stout (1-1-0)
    • Europe #1 St. Bernardus Abt 12 (0-1-0)
    • Europe #2 Trappistes Rochefort 10 (0-1-0)
    • Pacific #14 Anchor Steam Beer (0-1-0)
17. One
    • Europe #4 Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout (1-1-0)
    • Central #7 Prairie Artisan Ales Bomb! (1-1-0)
    • Europe #9 Trappist Westvleteren XII (1-1-0)
    • Pacific #11 Deschutes The Abyss (1-1-0)
    • Atlantic #15 Dieu du Ciel! Peche Mortel (1-1-0)
    • Atlantic #9 Victory Golden Monkey.(0-0-1)
    • Central #13 Half Acre Daisy Cutter (0-0-1)
    • Europe #5 Duvel Moortgat Duvel (0-1-1)
    • Central #3 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout (0-1-0)
    • Pacific #4 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (0-1-0)
    • Atlantic #5 Cigar City Jai Alai IPA (0-1-0)
    • Atlantic #17 Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break (0-1-0)

 

Beer Style Bracketology

Tournament Beers Consumed by Style:
Total # of Tournament Beers
(# of Entries) Style (Tournament Record W-L-T) - Active Beers

1. Fifty-Two
   • (1) Irish Dry Stout (3-1-0)
2. Forty-Nine
   • (1) Weizenbock (4-0-0) - Schneider Weisse Tap 6: Mein Aventinus
3. Forty-Three
   • (3) Russian Imperial Stout (8-2-0) - North Coast Old Rasputin
4. Thirty-nine
   • (13) American IPA (8-9-5) - Bell's Two Hearted IPA
5. Thirty-Two
   • (3) Saison (2-3-1)
6. Twenty-Nine
   • (4) Imperial IPA (7-3-0) - Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
7. Twenty-Two
   • (2) Oatmeal Stout (3-2-1)
8. Twenty-One
   • (4) American Pale Ale (2-2-3)
   • (10) American Imperial Stout (7-10-1)
9. Nine
   • (1) Belgian Pale Ale (2-1-0)
   • (3) Tripel (2-3-1)
   • (4) Quadrupel (1-4-1)
10. Six
    • (1) Flanders Red Ale (0-0-1)
11. Five
    • (1) Vienna Lager (2-1-0)
12. Four
    • (2) Witbier (1-1-1)
13. Three
    • (1) Maibock (1-1-0)
    • (1) New England IPA (1-1-0)
    • (1) Smoked Porter (1-1-0)
    • (1) Fruit and Field Beer (0-0-1)
    • (1) American Porter (0-1-0)
14. Two
    • (1) California Common / Steam Beer (0-1-0)
15. One
    • (2) Belgian Pale Strong Ale (0-2-1)
16. Zero
    • (1) American Strong Ale (0-1-0)
    • (1) Belgian Dark Strong Ale (0-1-0)
    • (1) Dopplebock (0-1-0)
    • (1) European Dark Lager (0-1-0)
    • (1) Imperial Red Ale (0-1-0)
    • (2) Hefeweizen (0-2-0)

 

The award will go to the Beer Advocate that entered the Beer Advocate Championship Beer the most across all six rounds. So in your scenario, if you entered the beer twice each on Thursday / Friday, and the beer ultimately won the Championship on Saturday/Sunday, you would get four points for your four Final Four entries, plus any additional entries in the other five rounds (all play in round beers have been eliminated).

The current leaders listed are those who entered/drank the most of each respective beer through the first four rounds. If these BAs drank the beer listed below all eight times over the remaining four days, and said beer wins, these BAs are assured a tie / dual award (Purple) or outright win (other 3 beers) of the prestigious Robert Montgomery Knight Trophy.

2023 March Beer Madness Robert Montgomery Knight Trophy Leaders:

• (6) Schneider Weisse Tap 6: Mein Aventinus - @meanmutt & @DoctorZombies
• (7) Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA - @VABA
• (7) Bell's Two Hearted IPA/Ale - @PapaGoose03
• (4) North Coast Old Rasputin - @ZebulonXZogg

There will be multiple award winners in the event of any tie for any of the four Individual Awards. The tiebreaker for the Championship Beer remains in effect (Higher Seed advances / wins in the event of a tie).

 

Second basket today, a classic from California. Pulled out the old Billy Baroo West Coast glass I picked up at Bottle Logic to help California advance to the Final and Championship.

North Coast Old Rasputin



Will pull out the beer I want to advance from the other Final Four matchup later today.

This pour out is dedicated to Wayne Fontes, the Detroit Lions all time winningest coach (66 wins), and last coach to lead the Lions to a playoff victory.

 

Saturday sounds like a good day to enjoy that Mein Adventinus you have.

Let's hope he is proud of you as well this weekend.

I'm hoping to sneak in a Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA in tomorrow, assuming my second selection for today is ahead in the other Final Four Matchup!

Can I get a second from the Central / Great Lakes Tournament Peeps?

Bell's Two Hearted Ale IPA



Larry Bell was developing this beer first as a Pale Ale shortly after this song was released in 1986.

Wonder if Bell's owes Stacy Q royalties?