Round 4, Bout 2 of Master of Marzen 2021 sees Telluride Brewing Co. (Colorado) vs. Zero Gravity Craft Brewery (Vermont).
Both breweries are first-time entrants in the tournament. Telluride qualified for Round 4 vía a matchup with Pulpit Rock. Zero Gravity progressed from their Round 3 bout against MadTree. Let’s get this rolling.
Packaging Design
Telluride Brewing has a very interesting take on the Oktoberfest style. Their Can is dressed in lederhosen and features a traditional Bavarian check on its shirt.
Zero Gravity also leans into the check-pattern of Oktoberfest. Theirs is black and white and features a clean looking set of gold branded elements.
Both are great in their own way, but it’s hard to argue with a can in lederhosen. Running total: Telluride 1-0 Zero Gravity
Aroma
OktoberFISH offers a tremendously aggressive aroma. The malt backbone hosts an excellent mix of sweet, earthy and warm aromas. The warmth lingers on the nose for quite some time.
Zero Gravity’s brew offers a milder aroma that is heavily steeped in sweet, bready malts. A pleasant warmth lingers on the nose momentarily.
Both are amazing aromas, as you would expect at this stage of the tournament, but the edge goes to Telluride for the robust depth it offers. Running total: Telluride 2-0 Zero Gravity.
Flavor
OktoberFISH is a uniformly powerful flavored brew. It kicks in the door with an earthy toasted malt that holds up through the aftertaste. The earthiness dissipates quickly, leading to a dry aftertaste that left me excited for the next sip.
Zero Gravity’s brew is an amazingly robust brew that explodes with a flavor far deeper than the aroma may suggest. Sweet, light and hoppy, the hoppy bitterness holds on the backend and into the aftertaste. The hoppiness retains and builds.
Both are really tasty brews, but I have to give an edge to the powerful flavor blast of Telluride’s brew. Running total: Telluride 3-0 Zero Gravity.
Body
OktoberFISH is a mid-bodied and smooth brew. A slight hoppy bite adds to the sensory experience. Mid-carbonated, it’s a pleasant drinker.
Zero Gravity’s brew is slightly thinner, but devilishly smooth. It coats the mouth liberally and, with its low carbonation, is a tremendously easy drinking brew.
As you can see above, both brews are comparable in terms of color and translucency. The foam retention slightly favors Zero Gravity and the lacing is comparable.
As a smoother brew and holding a mild advantage of foam, Zero Gravity takes this point. Running total: Telluride 3-1 Zero Gravity.
People’s Choice
Let’s see who is awarded the People’s Choice.
As you can see, Zero Gravity takes this poll with 58% of the vote. Running total: Telluride 3-2 Zero Gravity.
Results
Two stellar brews entered, but only Telluride will continue. Next, they’ll meet Hop & Barrel in the Semi-Finals.
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 