Round 3, Bout 8 of Master of Marzen 2020 sees Double Nickel Brewing (NJ) vs. Brew Monkey Beer Co. (TX).
The last spot in round 4 is up for grabs as these two great breweries clash. I’m excited to see how this pans out!
Packaging Design
Double Nickel’s Zeitgeist has an awesome mix of tradition and modern design principles. It leverages the Oktoberfest blue and white check in a non-conventional and very interesting way.
This criterion isn’t the easiest for Brew Monkey. As a newer brewery, their to-go options exist in these stylized 32oz crowler cans. They’re clean and aesthetically pleasing, but don’t offer flexibility for branding of specific brews.
With that said, and to remain consistent throughout the tournament, this criterion goes to Double Nickel. Running total: Double Nickel 1-0 Brew Monkey.
Aroma
Double Nickel’s Zeitgeist is malt-forward, warm and slightly sweet. A touch of hoppy pine is noticeable. It smells like an awesome seasonal.
Brew Monkey’s Moody Marzen also offers quite a bit of malt. It’s not quite as powerful as it’s competitor, but sets strong expectations for the experience.
This one goes to Double Nickel for having a more powerful and complex aromatic experience. Running total: Double Nickel 2-0 Brew Monkey.
Flavor
Zeitgeist is smooth and mild, with a toasted malt base and sweet notes. It’s a consistent experience from front to back, leaving a malty aftertaste with a nice hop presence. A very tasty brew.
Moody Marzen is also smooth and malty. It offers a consistent flavor experience, with a subtle but tasty malt presence in the aftertaste.
This is a really tough decision, but I’m going to give a very slight edge to Brew Monkey. Double Nickel 2-1 Brew Monkey.
Body
As you can see below, neither brew maintained much head. It’s a little hard to see in the image below, given the lighting, but Double Nickel laced a little whereas Brew Monkey did not.
On mouthfeel, Zeitgeist is smooth and easy to drink. It has a mild carbonation and a well-leveraged flavor, making for a tremendous drinking experience.
Moody Marzen is a little thinner, but also has lots of flavor. It has a slightly higher carbonation in comparison.
While both are solid brews, I’m giving this edge to Double Nickel. Running total: Double Nickel 3-1 Brew Monkey.
People’s Choice
As in last year’s tournament, my Instagram followers have the opportunity to shape the decisions of each bout. In the 24 hours directly preceding each bout, a poll is placed on my Instagram story. Whoever has the most votes when the poll closes, takes this fifth criteria. So how did it shape up?
This one was a strong showing for Brew Monkey, handily taking the People’s Choice for this bout. Running total: Double Nickel 3-2 Brew Monkey.
Results
Another great bout featuring two very tasty brews. Only one beer can continue to round 4, and this time it’s Double Nickel Brewing. They will meet Paulaner Munchen in their next bout.
Be sure to check back regularly and to follow me on Instagram for your latest updates and opportunity to vote on each bout throughout the tournament. Until next time, cheers y’all!
Sgt. Suds 