Monday 21 October 2013

Magic Hat Brewing Number 9 Not Quite Pale Ale

Magic Hat Brewing Number 9 Not Quite Pale Ale
Style: Pale Ale
Alcohol Content: 5.1%
From: Burlington, Vermont, United States 
Purchased from: Rays Wines, Ashford
http://www.magichat.net/

Magic Hat Brewing Company was formed in 1994 in Burlington, Vermont. It moved to its current South Burlington location in 1997. By 2005 it had 64 employees. In 2008 the company purchased Pyramid Breweries, makers of the Pyramid and MacTarnahan's brands, expanding to 129 employees. In 2010 Magic Hat (including Pyramid) was acquired by North American Breweries of Rochester, New York. In December 2012, the parent company was purchased by Cerveceria Costa Rica, a unit of the Costa Rican company Florida Ice & Farm Co.

Magic hat describes this beer in the following way; "A beer cloaked in secrecy. An ale whose mysterious and usual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers". Has this brewery come over all Harry Potter on us or is this beer a hidden gem? Well let's find out. Expelliarmus!!!!

The Hypnotic Label of Number 9
Colour: Once in the glass, you will notice that this beer does not look like the typical pale ale. It has a light copper colour with a reddish hue. It remind me of a lighter Meantime Yakima Red. The head is very small and it literally disappears in seconds after it's poured.

Aroma: Full of crunchy biscuits, pine needles and apricot notes. The aromas from this beer are quite faint and feel rather watered down and restrained (which is a shame).

Body: Quite light and extremely refreshing due to the taste (you will read about that below). A little thin in the mouth due to the low level of carbonation and the it's slightly watery consistency. The pale and crystal malts used to create this brew unfortunately do not add to much to the body.

Taste: This is where this drink comes into its own. It is completely different from any pale ale that you will ever try. Big ballsy raspberry or strawberry notes present themselves on the first sip. The drink is also quite sweet and there are no hints of tartness from the berries. As the drink warms, rich pumpkin and tangerine notes begin to present themselves. These fruity notes are juxtaposed by a mild bitter finish which holds the drink together perfectly.

Truly Magically
Similar To: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/meantime-raspberry-wheat.html
Different To: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/partizan-brewing-ipa-bobek-amarillo.html

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