Tag Archives: Magic Hat Brewing Company

Magic Hat Heart of Darkness Stout

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It’s winter. It’s been really cold outside. It’s good stout-drinking weather. That’s all I’ve got to say.

Here’s my notes:

Magic Hat Heart of Darkness StoutHeart of Darkness Stout
Magic Hat Brewing Company, South Burlington, Vermont
Style: Stout
Serving Style: 12 oz. bottle

Aroma: Medium-level, dry, black-malt roastiness. Licorice and black coffee. Some light-molasses and brown sugar sweetness balances the roast. Low, toasted-bread notes fill in the background. No hops.

Appearance: Black, nearly opaque with ruby-red highlights. Appears clear. Moderate head of creamy, beige foam with larger bubbles interspersed. Moderate retention.

Flavor: Creamy dark chocolate kicks things off with some black-malt, dry roastiness that comes in midway. A touch of caramel sweetness tempers the roast. Bitterness is medium-low from both hops and roasted malt. Low earthy hop flavors with light citrus overtones. Secondary notes of coffee grounds, licorice, dark fruits, and berries. A hint of roasted malt acidity. The dry finish lingers on roast.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Medium carbonation. Low creaminess.

Overall Impression: A smooth stout that falls somewhere between BJCP styles. It’s not quite sweet, not quite dry, and not hoppy enough to be called American. I like the light, background toasty-bread notes of Munich malt. I’m munching on some cheese as I drink this. What I’m missing though is a good, mild, blue cheese. It would be very good with this beer.

Magic Hat Ticket to Rye IPA

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For the last couple of years Magic Hat Brewing Company has been releasing a string of one-off, seasonal IPAs in what they call the IPA on Tour series. I’ve tasted several of them and honestly I haven’t been that impressed. Some were too bitter for my taste. I prefer the juicy/earthy/floral flavors and smells of hops’ essential oils over the tongue-scraping effects of alpha acids. Others have just not been all that interesting.  The newest one, Ticket to Rye, is different. For one thing it has rye. I like rye. It also has an interesting malt profile. I like malt.

Here’s my notes:

Magic-Hat-Ticket-to-Rye-IPATicket to Rye
Magic Hat Brewing Company, Burlington, Vermont
Style: Rye IPA
Serving Style: 12 oz. bottle

Aroma: Flowers and grapefruit. Resiny notes come in as it warms. Loads of toffee malt to support the lighter components.

Appearance: Dark amber with a mild haze. Voluminous, off-white head. Creamy-rich and very persistent.

Flavor: It has a very English character. The first thing that pops out is toffee and caramel malt. Luscious and slightly sweet. Stony bitterness hits mid-palate. It’s modest for an IPA, but it lingers long after swallowing. Orange citrus notes that seem to come from both yeast and hops give a delightful candy-like character. The earthy spice of rye is subtle, just enough to add a bit of depth.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with some creaminess. Carbonation is medium-low.

Overall Impression: The toffee presence of the malt and that orange marmalade overtone give this beer a very English character. It’s malty for an IPA, making it more like an amber or red ale. That’s a-okay for me though. It puts it right in my wheelhouse. I found this to be a most-tasty beer. I’d pick up a sixpack of it.