If you’ve signed up for Twitter – the short message cel phone alert service on the blog, you already know – Port Brewing’s Hop 15, a beer that makes many appearances at good pubs and beer festivals in the Bay Area was proclaimed the Alpha King – the hoppiest beer in America this afternoon here in Denver.

Runner up was Boundary Bay IPA, Boundary Bay Brewing, Bellingham, WA.,  the winner of this national contest two years ago. Russian River Pliny the Elder won last year. Third place prize went to March Hare from Chama River Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM.

The Alpha King contest has been held during the Great American Beer Festival for the last 10 years. It’s always in the basement of the Falling Rock Tap House. It is a scene. Lots and lots of bottles of uber-hoppy beer being poured to eager bystanders while the judges ponder their hoppy treasures behind closed door.

Ralph Olson of the sponsoring Hopunion,  a big craft brewing hop supplier based in Yakima, WA. presented the crown of hops to Port’s head brewer Tomme Arthur. It was chosen by a panel of 18 judges, who in panels of six assessed 75 uber-hoppy beers from across the country, Olson said.

Co-sponsor, the  Brewing News publications, assembled the judges, White Labs, Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, IN. and Rastal Glass Co. were also co-sponsors

I oughta’ know who the guy in the Alpha King suit is, but  I’m guessing when I say it’s Ralph Woodall of Hopunion.

Hop 15 is 9.7 percent ABV and about 100 IBUs, If you’ve never tried Hop 15, your task is easy. It’s widely available in 22 oz. bottles in good beer stores in the Bay Area.

Port Brewing is in San Marcos  (corrected) in northern San Diego County. The beer was originally brewed to mark the 15th Anniversary of Pizza Port, Solana Beach. the idea was to use 15 different kinds of hops and to add them to the brew kettle every 15 minutes.

It’s gone on to become a San Diego icon, It won the Bistro Double IPA Fest last year, two silver medals at the Great American Beer Festival.

And oh yes, Hop 15 was the Alpha King in 2004, followed by Alpha King IPA from Three Floyds in 2005,  then Boundary Bay in 2006 and, Pliny last year.

If you ever come to the GABF and I really recommend it. Don’t miss the Alpha King contest. Don’t miss Falling Rock either. It’s a zoo on GABF week, but the place to be if you aren’t at a GABF session.  They keep putting new beers on tap, hour after hour in an endless beery stream.

Photo: That’s the Alpha King in uniform moments before the presentation to Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing. Immediately after the awards were announced, Falling Rock put on a full keg of Hop 15.