2022 Bottle Share Tournament Summary
Date – May 21, 2022
Location – The ASIF Compound, aka Rudy Whalzano School
Participants – 18
Bottle Entrants – 36
#1 Overall Seed – Whiskey Hill, BA Seismic Overlay
Champion – Revolution Brewing – VSOJ 2021, Joshua Popejoy
Full Bracket Results
2022 continued our post-pandemic May Madness Tournament the same weekend as the previous year. It had a presence of tickers from Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Chicago.
We typically like to change the theme of the bracket regions every year. This group originated with a beer group called Beer & Pets, so we themed the regions after pets of the group.
Jeppson Region
Lead by strong adjunct stouts in the #1 and #2 seeds, this tournament wasted no time with the unexpected upsets. In the very first matchup of BA Seismic Overlay and Debut Cuvee ’20 from Mexican brewery, Cerveceria Hercules, the MexiLambic from Mexico pulled a stunning 2-1 victory to knock out the #1 overall seed. People were delighted with the stone fruit qualities Debut Cuvee had, despite having no fruit in it. This beer would go on to upset Cantillon 50°N-4°E from 2018.
The bottom of the bracket had another domino triggering upset with a bottle of 3 Fonteinen Hommage Oogst from 2019, knocking off the #2 seed from Arclight/Monochrome World Between Worlds Coffee Vanilla Chocolate in a unanimous 3-0 win. Hommage then proceeded to knock off #6 BA In the Pocket from Black Stack.
The Jeppson region culminated in a Lambic vs Mexican Spontaneously fermented beer with the #7 seed beating the #9 Debut Cuvee. 3 Fonteninen Hommage Oogst became the first entrant to the Final Four.
pumpkin Region
The Pumpkin Region featured another top Arclight/Monochrome bottle, BA Redemption Road, a pastry spin on rocky road, and the always popular adjunct free Minutiae from Phase Three. The first match included BA Redemption Road against the first and only infected entrant in the history of the tournament, Modern Times Wizard’s Blend from 2018, which led to the expected unanimous win. In the 3-way matchup of #4 Coconut Medianoche, #5 Skinzzzzz from Forager, and #8 Sir Blends A Lot from Mikerphone, the lowest seed advanced, before succumbing to Redemption Road.
In the bottom half of the bracket, Family Whistle from Santa Adairius Rustic Ales knocked off old whale Chocolate Rain 2014. Minutiae won it’s first two matchups against Whiskey Hill Coalesce, and Family Whistle, all unanimously 3-0, to advance to the regional final. BA Redemption Road would triumph in a split decision of 2-1 as adjuncts beat the non-adjunct bottle.
Willow Region
This region had multiple double barrel beers, great lambic, and new to the tournament breweries. #1 was an OG whale Cable Car 2014 from Lost Abbey. Cable Car knocked off first time tourney entrant Bofkont Pet Biere to move on. The #4, #5, and #8 featured to double barrel adjunct stouts and Atrial Rubicite. The raspberry acidity could not punch its weight and Double Barrel Benthic moved on, then followed up with a unanimous 3-0 win over Cable Car.
#2 seed Phase Three Eunoia #5 would get knocked out by Bottle Logic entrant Lost Coordinates. Lost Coordinates went on to win a unanimous 3-0 win over Funk Factory bottle Everyday is a Good Day. In a surprising 3-0 win again, Bottle Logic Lost Coordinates knocked off local Chicago favorite, DB Benthic to make it to the Final Four.
Jackson Region
Each region was as I mentioned, named after one of the pets from our core group, Beer & Pets. Jackson was a good boy boxer who belonged to our friend Popejoy. It seemed fitting for the #1 seed to be his entrant, Revolution VSOJ. VSOJ won its first two matchups 3-0 beating Arctic Realm from Modern Times, and Side Project Sunsets.
In the bottom of the region, another Phase Three Eunoia entrant E9 upset The Scribe from Side Project. It would then go on to face Toppling Waters from Central Waters (and Toppling Goliath.) Eunoia and its banana goodness would go on to be knocked off by the hulking barleywine king of the Midwest, VSOJ in a split 2-1 decision.
Final Four
After the regional finals, we were left with 4 beers from 3 categories. Raspberry/Cherry Lambic, Barleywine, and adjunct stout with vanilla, vs walnut, vanilla, and cocoa nibs.
As has been a theme, nearly every year a fruited wild or spontaneous beer has made the Final Four. Much like many years, that Lambic entrant of this year, 3 Fonteinen Hommage Oogst would succumb to the BA Redemption Road, 2-1. On the other side, in another split decision, the adjunct free Very Special Old Jacket, VSOJ 2021 would knock out Bottle Logic.
In a split 2-1 decision, Revolution Brewing VSOJ 2021 won the 2022 May Madness event. This was Revolution Brewing’s first beer to win the annual Madness event. It was won by Joshua Popejoy who previously had the most entrants in the event without winning it all.
Facts
- Modern Times had the most submissions with 4 beers, all of which lost in the first round. Phase Three had 3. Arclight, Whiskey Hill, Side Project all had 2.
- First time brewery entrants included Black Stack, Bofkont, Cerveceria Hercules, Anchorage, Floodland, Forager, and Funk Factory.
- The field contained 6 collab beers with Arclight/Monochrome BA Redemption Road and World Between Worlds Coffee Vanilla Chocolate, Perennial and Horus River Raptor, Side Project and SARA’s Sunsets, J Wakefield and Moksa Till My Tape Pop, and Central Waters and Toppling Goliath’s Toppling Waters
- VSOJ became the 2nd barleywine to win it all following Brew 3000 from Fremont in 2019.
Koel Story Bro 