NERD alert: I am the manager of multiple fantasy baseball teams.
Just before the season kicked off I participated in a marathon, auction-style draft for one of my teams and decided it was the perfect opportunity to sample a few local beers. Little did I know how necessary those suds would become as my stats-geek night unfolded. The three beers up to bat were all India-style ales from Victoria, a city that has been enjoying its craft ales since long before the microbrew bandwagon started rolling across the rest of the country. Let's take a swig and a swing and see if we can touch all the bases.
Opening round: Lighthouse Brewing Company's Beacon India Pale Ale
Early in fantasy drafts I want to go as safe as possible, getting guys I know will produce good numbers on a consistent basis. Lighthouse's Beacon IPA basically fits that same description: a tasty, solid, inoffensive beer that won't win any MVP awards but won't ever get suspended for punching an umpire.
More of an English style bitter than a rugged West Coast IPA, Beacon may not be daring enough for hardcore beer freaks but with subtle hops and a malt flavour that holds its own, it won't ever leave you disappointed. Sipping this sensible beer kept me focused on the game, helping me make safe pickups like powerful first baseman Prince Fielder and ever-underrated three-bagger Adrian Beltre. In draft terms, I'd call the Beacon a solid fourth-rounder.
Middle round: Phillips Brewing Company's Hoperation Tripel Cross Belgian IPA
Here's where the whole night went sideways. I was following my well-crafted draft script perfectly until my Internet connection dropped for just a few seconds. When it kicked back in I realized to my horror that my computer had way overbid for third baseman Pablo Sandoval, a.k.a. the Kung Fu Panda, a decent player but one I would never normally touch because he often gets hurt.
In between chat screen F-Bombs I decided I needed something very, very strong to calm me down. That's when I popped the top on the Hoperation, appreciating the fact that the label featured a plane that was literally dropping bombs. They appear to actually be hop bombs, which is an understandable choice considering what lies inside the bottle. A super hoppy IPA hybrid with the Belgian backbone adding unique flavour to the mix. Just what I needed. This one definitely isn't for the faint of heart though. If you don't want your beer to slap you in the face a bit you might want to steer clear. Also, it's 7.3 per cent alcohol. In baseball draft terms, it's either a first-round home run for those who can handle the heat or, for the risk averse, a loose cannon whose arm will probably fall off after two weeks.
Final round: Vancouver Island Brewing's Absolute Darkness India Dark Ale
The draft was winding down and so was I. VIB's Absolute Darkness finished off the evening and with India Dark Ale on the label I was expecting a beautiful black beverage with some surprising flavour. Well, score that one-for-two. The beer did pour jet black and had a very nice hop aroma but once it hit the mouth there wasn't a lot of pop. Roasted malt flavour dominated and that whiff of hops is nothing more than that: a whiff. If you're looking for a bit of a boozy stout then this, at 6.5 per cent, is a nice dark substitute. But if it's bold flavour you're after, find another vessel to India.
A common fantasy baseball mantra is "don't pay for saves." Closers are a volatile bunch and you can always find a replacement if yours don't pan out. That sort of sums up the Absolute. If it's late in the game, you're in need of a dark ale and the Absolute is what's left on the board, go ahead and grab it. Save your big bucks, however, for something with a little more upside. In baseball draft terms it's a late-round stash.
