left it up to ThirstyBear management, which discussed the matters with its expert, in-house brewmasters. The replacement beer they submitted was Brown Bear Ale, one of the microbrew’s year-round staples. And so, the Sweet 16 was back on, with the upstart Brown Bear Ale squaring off against Full Sail’s quirky Session Black for a trip to the Elite Eight.

The Location: Wired HQ

The Beers: Full Sail’s Session Black and ThirstyBear’s Brown Bear Ale

The Method of Dispense: Half-gallon growlers (Brown Bear Ale) and 11-ounce stubby bottles (Session Black)

How They Fared: The Brown Bear Ale, with its deep malt flavor and 6.3 percent ABV, proved to be a worthy successor to the Rum Runner. “Tasty, full flavor with a very slightly spicy complexity that’s perfect for a full evening,” said Wired.com senior editor Dylan Tweney. PLoS blogfather Brian Mossop preferred the “spicy, mild hops” the Brown Bear provided.

However, the night most definitely belonged to the Session Black, with its quirky, stubby bottles, rich flavor and easily accessible 5.3 percent ABV. “Good color, not a strong aftertaste and smooth flavor,” said Phil Sheehy, a transportation and energy consultant. Wired.com photo editor Jim Merithew raved about its “smooth, pleasant, nice initial flavor.” “More characters than most lagers,” said Wired.com copy editor Randy Alfred.

In the end, the Session Black pulled out a commanding seven-vote victory to advance to the Elite Eight of our seemingly never-ending October Madness beer extravaganza. Next up for the Bend River, Oregon, contender: Ironwood Dark of Tied House (Mountain View, California).

Coming up: The next October Madness event will be Wednesday night at Shotwell’s in San Francisco from 6 to 8 p.m., where Ninkasi’s Believer Double Red Ale will battle Mad River’s Steelhead Extra Pale Ale.

Stay tuned to @wiredplaybook and @beerrobot for updates on attending future October Madness events in the Bay Area. Follow us on Twitter at @erikmal and @wiredplaybook and on Facebook.

Authors: Erik Malinowski

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