Round 2, Bout 14 of Master of Marzen 2021 sees DESTIHL Brewery (Illinois) vs. East Brother Beer Co. (California).
Both breweries are first-time entrants in the tournament. DESTIHL qualified for this Bout after besting Ingenious in the first round, and East Brother progressed from Round 1 after their clash with Austin Brothers. Let’s see how this one goes.
Packaging Design
DESTIHL’s can leans into tradition, seeing a faint blue on blue Oktoberfest check at the base of the can. A textured white space at the top end, emblazoned with monochrome brewery branding at the top, makes for a nice, cohesive design.
East Brother’s can design is clean and minimal. An off-white background sees an ornate orange wordmark and supporting information. It’s a sleek and engaging design.
I have to give this point to DESTIHL as they’ve leveraged the traditional Oktoberfest design elements to make an excellent design. Running total: DESTIHL 1-0 East Brother.
Aroma
DESTIHL’s Oktoberfest offers a mild yet rich aroma. While it’s not the most intense, it has tremendous qualities including sweet and earthy notes that are accented by a pleasant warmth that lingers on the nose.
East Brother’s Festbier is an intensely aroma’d brew. It’s sweet and floral, also offering a significant warmth on the nose.
Both are excellent in their own right, but this one has to go to East Brother for an intense and well-balanced aroma. Running total: DESTIHL 1-1 East Brother.
Flavor
DESTIHL’s brew is a uniformly intense flavor experience from front to back. A deep, earthy and dry malt backbone is accented by a a light floral sweetness which quickly dissipates. A mighty bitterness retains and builds a little between sips.
East Brother’s Festbier opens milder, seeing a rush of flavor on the backend. Sweet and floral with a touch of bitterness, floral and bitter tule the aftertaste. It retains well but does not build.
On balance, this one has to go to DESTIHL. Running total: DESTIHL 2-1 East Brother.
Body
DESTIHL’s brew is mid-bodied and smooth with a low carbonation point. Syrupy and sweet, it coats the mouth liberally. It’s a truly easy drinking experience.
East Brother’s Festbier is mid-bodied, but slightly lighter. Dangerously smooth, it’s slightly more carbonated without being too much. It also coats the mouth, just not quite as thoroughly.
As you can see above, DESTIHL’s brew is a tad darker and more opaque. East Brother retained a slightly denser and deeper head and is the clear leader on the lacing front.
Given the relative parity on mouthfeel, the head retention and lacing benefit on East Brother’s part sees it take this point. Running total: DESTIHL 2-2 East Brother.
People’s Choice
Tied at 2-2, we look to the People’s Choice poll to see who will take the Bout. Let’s check it out.
East Brother takes this point, having secured 81% of the vote. Running total: DESTIHL 2-3 East Brother.
Results
This one came down to the wire, but East Brother is going to progress from this Bout. Next they move onto Round 3 where they’ll meet Real Ale.
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 