Ninkasi’s Believer Double Red Ale represented the proud craft brew traditions of the Pacific Northwest. And from the Bay Area, Devil’s Canyon’s Full Boar Scotch Ale represented the best of the American tradition, with a profile that harkened back to the pre-Prohibition age.

In the end, only one challenger would hold claim to the title of Most Wired Beer. And as dozens of celebratory onlookers drank and voted with their hearts and minds, here’s how the drama ultimately played out.

The Location: Wired HQ

The Beers: Full Boar Scotch Ale from Devil’s Canyon (Belmont, California) and Believer Double Red Ale from Ninkasi (Eugene, Oregon)

The Method of Dispense: Full-size keg from Beer Robot (Ninkasi) and five-gallon corny keg from a standard kegerator (Devil’s Canyon)

How They Fared: The Full Boar Scotch Ale, with its creamy finish and 7.4 percent alcohol by volume, finished strong on its way to the finals, having knocked off Silicon Blonde Ale, Eye of the Hawk, Boont Amber Ale, and Ironwood Dark. Indeed, there were plenty of Devil’s Canyon devotees in the room to make this a strong championship. Kristiann Garrett loved the “caramel, chocolate, creamy finish,” while Celine from Wired magazine’s photo department preferred the “smokey and mellow” aftertaste. Alicia, a communications specialist, declared that “smokey-ness is awesome!” and the Full Boar had her vote. Reporter Rob Salonga reported that it “goes down easy. That’s really important to me, in all aspects of life.” So say we all, Rob. So say we all.

Already a winner over Total Domination IPA, Steelhead XPA, Little Sumpin’ Wild Ale, and Kellerweis Hefeweizen, the Believer Double Red Ale, was a somewhat risky choice to include, a red brew in a tourney full of wheat beers and IPAs. But with its easy 6.9 percent ABV and rich profile, the Believer garnered much support of skeptics as the night wore on. Devin declared that he “didn’t expect to like it, yet I loved it!” Peter said it “was just right. No messing about.” Brian Noble found it “nice and hoppy, but with a good body to back it up.” One unnamed voter found the Full Boar “too subtle; Ninkasi had much stronger flavor.” Brian Mossop of PLoS summed it up best, saying, “I did not vote for this beer in the first rounds, but the Double Red made me into a believer.”

And in the end, after an agonizingly close one-vote differential — independently corroborated during an immediate recount — Ninkasi’s Believer Double Red Ale came out on top, the Most Wired Beer of 2010 and a worthy champion over 31 of its close competitors.

And that wraps up October Madness, which took way longer than we anticipated but was way more fun than we could have expected. Thanks all for your votes and for your love of beer.

Relive all the action and excitement with the full October Madness bracket, which has links to all the recaps.

Images: Erik Malinowski/Wired.com

Authors: Erik Malinowski

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