The Summer Scene variety pack from Magic Hat Brewing Company is now in stores. It contains a seasonal mix of lighter ales including their flagship #9, Single Chair Ale, Blind Faith IPA, and an odd little beer called simply Wacko. I had the chance to give the latter three of these four beers a try. I’ve always been fond of #9, but I have to say that the rest of them didn’t really grab me. Here’s my notes:

Wacko
Magic Hat Brewing Co, Burlington, VT
Style: “Summer Beer”
Serving Style: 12 oz Bottle

Aroma: Tart citrus. Raspberries. Light acidity.

Appearance: Hazy, medium-amber with a pinkish tint. Low, white head with fine bubbles that dissipated quickly.

Flavor: Dry, crisp and wheaty. Medium bitterness with light grassy hop flavors. Fruity background berry flavors, blueberry or raspberry, but not as intense as a fruit beer. The light acidity in the aroma would be welcome, but is missing. Some lingering wheaty sweetness in the finish. Hints of caramel.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and dry. Some creaminess comes in as it warms. Medium-high carbonation.

Overall Impression: I would call this an okay American wheat beer, although the website makes no mention of wheat in the ingredients. It drinks easy and would be quite refreshing on a summer day. They tout the use of beet sugar, but this adds nothing except to lighten the body. Background berry notes are nice. Not bad, but just kind of “meh.”

Single Chair Ale
Magic Hat Brewing Co, Burlington, VT
Style: “Golden Beer”
Serving Style: 12 oz Bottle

Aroma: Pilsner malt; sweet graham-cracker and bread. Hop aromas are low. Light citrus, but predominant hop aromas are spicy.

Appearance: Slightly hazy and golden colored. Low, white head that didn’t persist.

Flavor: Malt dominates the aroma, but hops take over in the flavor. Assertively bitter for such a simple beer. Spicy and fruity hops sit on top of mildly-sweet, graham-cracker malt. Hints of fruit flutter in the background; apricot? Orange? Finish lingers on fruit and sweet malt.

Mouthfeel: Light body. Medium-high carbonation.

Overall Impression: A nice, summery, blond ale. Tilted a bit to the hoppy side, but still balanced. I love light, blond ales, This one isn’t bad, but doesn’t jump out at me.

The last beer in the selection is Blind Faith IPA. I don’t have specific notes, but I’ll just say that this one is bitter. I’m a weirdo in that I first look for malt in an IPA. This one could use a bit more malt to keep it balanced. I also prefer IPAs that favor hop flavor and aroma over bitterness. This one seems more balance to bitterness. It’s just not my kind of IPA, though some might find it great.