Bodhi beats the buzzer

In an overtime thriller, Georgetown’s Bodhizafa topped Bale Breaker’s Topcutter to win the second annual March IPA Madness at Manito Tap House.

The two beers were tied in customer voting at the end of last week’s Final Four round, so a special taste-off Tuesday determined the winner. As its prize, Bodhi receives a regular handle at Manito for the coming year.

The competition began with a Sweet Sixteen series of four weekly blind tastings, each featuring four Washington-brewed IPAs. Bodhizafa barely beat River City’s revamped Riverkeeper in the opening round, while Topcutter more easily handled Icicle’s runner-up Bootjack the second week.

Other weekly winners advancing to the Final Four were Perry Street IPA and Schooner Exact Hopvine.

Bodhizafa won the gold medal in the ultracompetitive IPA category at last fall's Great American Beer Festival in Denver.