$1.35 as a 12 oz single from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour gives a lightly hazed, well carbonated golden yellow. Small head. Nose has a really nice yeasty presence - good for the style. Tastes reflect the nose and are sweet and yeast based as one would expect. A decent amount of Belgian character for me, and this could easily pass for a Belgian "single or "simple" in a cafe around Grand Place. Nice to get a simple beer that plays a role that fits the style and re-creates an...
Notes on beers brewed by
Magic Hat Brewing Company
Vinyl
On tap Taco Mac, Douglasville, GA, USA. Nice clarity and good dark copper color on the pour. Head is small but provides some lace. Nose faithfully creates some decent if simple, toasty malt. Tastes deliver the expected malt notes but the beer also brings with a surprising level of dry character. Dry notes are repeated in the finish and aftertaste almost to the point of giving some noticeable hop character - not really what I was anticipating. Carbonation in the glass seems quite strong without...
Odd Notion (Winter 09)
12 oz single. Magic Hat certainly makes some "Odd" beer and this one certainly fits into the series - literally. Pour produces a pretty nice, pillow like head that sits on top of a not particularly attractive, murky, dirty brown body. Not much retention but at least some sticky lace. Nose gives away a sort of sweet and sour whiff. The aroma is actually how I would describe the taste of this beer too - definitely a sweet and sour affair. Some fruitiness as well and then an extra dash of...
Howl
A surprise package at the Douglasville Taco Mac, Douglasville, GA, USA. Pour appears to be a brown affair with some reddish highlights and a white cap. Head fades quickly and lace is minimal. This was described to me as a Winter Ale, is in the BA db as I type as a Schwarzbier, and frankly looks and drank like neither! In essence there are some fairly significant chocolate malts which fade to give a malt dominated, mild beer with a tiny, tiny hop kick in the finish. Basically it sits somewhere...
Hi.P.A.
12 oz single. Pour is a very average looking, slightly hazed, dark orange with a fair degree of haze. The head is a decent froth with some density and a good spotty covering and collar. Produces some decent lace. Mild, simple hop profile in the nose which carries through to the taste. A malt profile that is quite large as well, which will probably upset some lovers of American IPA's. The balance is there, it's simple and it's, well...balanced! Imagine that! In that respect it is rather like...
Wacko
Extraordinary, pale pink clear liquid that looks like a few drops of blood have been added to a macro lager. Carbonation is on the high side with a white head and some lace. Crisp in the mouth, the beer offers little in the way of taste. VERY macro lager like in terms of vegetal and corn notes. A blind tasting would almost certainly yield a BMC guess. I think I would even struggle to drink this in the heat of a Georgia summer while grilling on the deck at 110 degrees - that's saying something!...
Odd Notion (Winter 08)
Well as usual you get an interesting beer from Magic Hat. 12oz single extracted from the winter mixed twelve pack. Honey, hazy, ruddy pour with a VERY large amount of debris in the glass. Not dense enough to fall to the bottom, it swirls around in the body of the beer. A touch of lace but virtually no head retention. Definite sweetness in the nose and this carries into the taste. A sharp, almost sweet and sour note to the beer. Clean and tangy. Cuts across the palate swiftly with a real,...
Roxy Rolles
Part of the Magic Hat winter mixed 12 pack that made it to GA for the first time at the end of 2008. This particular bottle came from Hilton Head, SC, USA. Murky amber pour with a surprisingly good head and creamy lace. Nose has plenty of soapy hops. The taste is surprisingly hoppy. I was expecting a beer that was a touch more malty, but this came through quite resinous and piney. As it warms it gets a little more sweetness, but to be honest it still seems quite bitter. Pretty interesting in...
Feast Of Fools
Delighted to get this in a recent trade with Brad007. Sparing the details, he went to a lot of trouble to get this to me so major thanks go out to him. Delighted to have the opportunity. Thanks man! 32 oz mini-growler. I like the smaller size. Slightly murky, dark brown pour with some reddish highlights. In better light it settles to be a brownish, cranberry color. Nice looking head but it is short lived and leaves no lace. A slightly pinkish tinge (perhaps that's just my imagination!) Faint...
Chaotic Chemistry
Many thanks go out to Brad007 for the chance to try this one. The 32oz mini- growler is a great presentation. The first time I've seen it but I like the idea very much. Dirty brown, cloudy pour with a really good, ivory colored head. The lace (or rather lack of it) is a little disappointing but given the ABV I shouldn't be too upset! The nose is obviously VERY strong - it is certainly bourbon based, but closer inspection with the nostrils reveals some very serious brown sugar and molasses in...
Participation Lager
12oz single from Mac's in Atlanta, GA, USA as part of their $8.99 mixed sixer. Pour is a darker golden color than the BA designated style might suggest. Head and lace are also superior than a normal macro lager. Definitely more bitterness in the initial tastes and finish, but this beer still seems a little astringenet in terms of the edgy solvent alcohol and mouthfeel. Not 100% sure what Magic Hat are trying to achieve here, but they've done enough in the past to earn my respect. Seems a bit...
Jinx
12oz single from Total Wine, Kennesaw, GA, USA. May have been as high as $1.99 for the bottle. Notched as being best before Jan '09. Wee Heavy??? Significantly more of an orange/amber body than the style would normally suggest. Decent head and some lace. Lacks the typical dark notes for the style. Surprisingly, a fruity, light nose. The tastes are really fruity and have a crisp note about them and a nice acidity. Sharp tasting, and a nicely balanced beer. I really like this, but to call it a...
Odd Notion (Summer 08)
12 oz bottle as part of the Magic Hat mixed 12 pack, Harris Teeter, Hilton Head Island, SC, USA. $12.99 for the pack along with #9, Circus Boy and Hocus Pocus. What have we here? An English Dark Mild?? I doubt it, but we'll see. Pour is good revealing a pretty decent head a little lace. Good clarity amongst the light mahoghony body. The aroma gives very little away other than certain maltiness (which is a good thing for the style) but it fails to live up to much. Tastes are relatively...
Hocus Pocus
12 oz bottle as part of a 12 pack sampler from Harris Teeter, Hilton Head Island (Main St. location), SC, USA. $12.99 for the 12 pack that included Odd Notion, #9 and Circus Boy. I've had this a few times before, time to review it now. Declares itself as "3/4 of a pint of Summer Ale" on the label. If you take Hocus Pocus for what it is - a light drinking summer time brew - then you'll enjoy it more. A pale but golden pour with a decent head and some surpisingly good lace. Looks better that I...
Circus Boy
12oz bottle as part of a 12 pack sampler from Harris Teeter, Hilton Head Island (Main St. location), SC, USA. I've had this a few times before, time to review it now. Nice golden body with surprisingly clarity. The bottle is emblazoned with the label "The Hefeweizen". Has some simple coriander type notes in the nose and taste along with a little acidity and fruit. In fact the beer really is quite fruity indeed. Slight over-prickly carbonation which I don't really care for. Finishes clean,...
#9
If you take this beer for what it is - a fruity extravaganza - and don't ask it to be what it's not - a standard pale ale - then you are likely to be very happy with it. To me, the apricot thing is not that strong. Don't get me wrong, it's an incredibley fruity beer, but there are many different fruit ester tastes present. I was expecting that, but what I was not expecting was such a delightful creaminess, a super drinkability and a lovely mouthfeel. Leaving the fruit to one side for a moment,...