Round 1, Bout 30 of Master of Marzen 2021 sees de Bine Brewing Company (Florida) vs. Twisted Spike Brewing Co. (Oklahoma).
This is de Bine’s first time in the tournament. Twisted Spike make their second tournament appearance, looking to defend their 2020 championship. Let’s get things rolling.
Packaging Design
de Bine’s I Don’t Give a Schnitzel has a very interesting can. Blue on blue Oktoberfest check fills the background. In the center, a man dressed in festive garb holds a giant Stein of beer.
Spiketoberfest features a giant keg similar to the ones you can see at the festival. The Bavarian check fills the background and is bordered and accented by yellow.
I like both breweries nodding to tradition, but this point has to go to deBine. Running total: de Bine 1-0 Twisted Spike.
Aroma
I Don’t Give a Schnitzel offers an intense aroma steeped in toasted malts. It’s largely earthy, slightly sweet and kind of warm. The warmth and earth retain on the nose.
Spiketoberfest offers a strong and malty aroma. Toasted malts and a earthy bitter aroma linger, it’s close to a textbook marzen.
After a few more sniffs and some significant deliberation, I give the edge to Twisted Spike here. Running total: de Bine 1-1 Twisted Spike.
Flavor
I Don’t Give a Schnitzel offers a uniform experience from front to back. A deep, toasted malt backbone paired with an earthy and dry accent makes for a great flavor profile. A dry, earthy bitterness dominates the aftertaste, persisting and building amongst sips. A truly tasty brew.
Spiketoberfest opens a little milder, but is soon met but an intense rush of flavor. Sweet and malty, a touch of sweet and earthy builds on the aftertaste between sips.
This is a really tough decision to make. After a few more sips and addition thought, the edge goes to Spiketoberfest. The rollercoaster of complex flavors sets it slightly ahead of its tremendous competitor. Running total: de Bine 1-2 Twisted Spike.
Body
I Don’t Give a Schnitzel is a mid-bodied brew with a medium level of carbonation. It’s a light and refreshing brew overall.
Spiketoberfest is also quite light and has an ever-so-slightly lower carbonation. It’s dangerously smooth, offering a slight boozy heat on a clean and enjoyable mouthfeel.
As you can see above, I Don’t Give a Schnitzel is a darker brew, though both are comparable in terms of translucency.
I give a head retention lead to Twisted Spike, but a lacing lead to de Bine. I’m going to cancel those out. Based on the mouthfeel alone, this one goes to Twisted Spike. Running total: de Bine 1-3 Twisted Spike.
People’s Choice
And now we move onto the final criterion, decided by public polling. Let’s check out the results.
As you can see, Twisted Spike takes this point having secured 58% of the vote. Running total: de Bine 1-4 Twisted Spike.
Results
I thoroughly enjoyed both of these brews, but only one can progress to Round 2. Defending champs Twisted Spike will face MobCraft.
Be asure to check back regularly for updated results, and to follow @sargentsuds on Instagram so you can vote on all polls throughout the tournament.
Sgt. Suds 